The TV movie is a bit of a dying form. When I was a kid, there were new made-for-television movies every week on every network, though admittedly, they were usually at least a couple of steps down in quality from what you’d look for in the theater. As the quantity of these productions has declined,…
REVIEW: Pamela Adlon’s Terrific ‘Better Things’ Gets Even Better in Season 2
Season 2 of Better Things, which stars Pamela Adlon as a working actress and single mother to three daughters in Los Angeles, begins with a close-up. A close-up of Adlon’s face. It lingers there for a few long moments, before cutting to a wider shot, revealing that she is sitting on the toilet. After another…
AWARDS CHATTER: ‘Silicon Valley’ Tweaked the Code in Season 4
Despite the fact that it reliably comes up with some of the best and most original jokes in TV comedy, delivered by one of the strongest casts, and has been nominated for Best Comedy Series at the Emmys for each of its four seasons, one of the knocks on Silicon Valley has been that, not…
The Catch-Up: New Episodes On-Demand This Week
Rick and Morty 3.6, ‘Rest and Ricklaxation’ (Adult Swim) Watch episode in browser (Chrome only) American Horror Story 7.1, ‘Election Night’ (SEASON PREMIERE — FX) Watch episode in browser (Chrome only) Preacher 2.12, ‘On Your Knees’ (AMC) Watch episode in browser (Chrome only) The Last Ship 4.4, ‘Nostos’ (TNT) Watch episode…
#Bingeworthy: Season 2 of ‘Animal Kingdom’
With its second season now complete, it’s fair to say that Animal Kingdom has become one of the best summer shows going and, in so doing, helped to raise the bar for TNT, once best known for network-lite fare like The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles. Based on an Australian crime film of the…
REVIEW: Seth Macfarlane’s ‘The Orville’ is Not What it Looks Like
When you think of Seth Macfarlane, what comes to mind? For me, it’s rapid-fire jokes built around various pop-culture references; raunchy stoner humor a la the Ted movies; maybe the Brian Griffin voice or the Stewie voice or the Ted voice. The best thing you can do before you check out The Orville, Macfarlane’s new series…
AWARDS CHATTER: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Up for Emmy Six-peat for ‘Veep’
Nominated for Best Comedy Series, Best Writing for a Comedy Series (for two different episodes), Best Directing for a Comedy Series (for three different episodes), Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Julia Louis-Dreyfus (which, if she wins, will make six in a row), and acting nods for series regulars Tony Hale (who has won…
REVIEW: ‘You’re the Worst’ Picks Up the Pieces in Season 4
What were you expecting, a happy ending? From its very first episode, You’re the Worst has had fear of commitment, malignant narcicissm, and a kind of romantic fatalism baked into its DNA. Transplanted British writer Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) and publicist Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash) met at a wedding, rushed into a one-night stand…