The format of the variety show has, for the most part, been tossed in the trash can and replaced with a global obsession with reality TV. Blech. But thanks again to the internet for allowing me to unearth endless vintage treasures from across the globe!
I may be late in the game, but I just recently got into the show ‘the Tudors’ on Showtime. Jonathan Rys Meyers stars as the brutish, arrogant and forceful young King Henry, and the semi-historically accurate [with some passionate fiction thrown in] show is now taking over all my damn free time, of which there is precious little already. Read More
Lately I have been hearing a lot about the British show Skins. I have watched it a few times over the seasons, and have enjoyed the Britishness of it (grime music, rude boy slang, club drugs) as well as the fairly realistic portrayal of youth and adolescence. Read More
I have recently rediscovered one of my first loves, Pee Wee Herman. Sigh. A dear friend recently sent me every last episode, including the Christmas special starring Grace Jones. If you haven’t watched the series in your adult life but remember loving it, I guarantee revisiting it is worth it. I now believe it to be even more genius than when I was a child! Read More
Despite her tender age of just 22, Amelie Kiefer has been a feature of the German television landscape for over a decade. Born in Munich, she was 5 when she stood in front of the camera for the first time. Read More
I wasn’t super excited to start watching Big Love again this season. I actually put off starting it for a couple of weeks, because last season seemed to be on the verge of collapse, and I couldn’t image it getting any better. Well, I was clearly wrong, because this season is amazing. Read More
Who wouldn’t love these guys? Look at ‘em? Supremely lovable, very funny and musical, Flight Of The Conchords never fail to make me laugh with their musical storytelling, wit, and deadpan humor. Dreamy! I wish I could hang out with these guys… I really do. Read More
I’m beginning to wonder if there’s something in the water here. Either that or if somebody is dosing the coffee of major TV network heads with Vancouver propaganda.
A remake of the hit BBC series The Office, this is a mockumentary that documents the exploits of a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Made up of head chief Michael Scott, a harmlessly deluded and ignorantly insensitive boss who cares about the welfare of his employees while trying to put his own spin on company policy. Read More
My obsession with The Wire continues — it’s no doubt the best series ever made, and I continue to be an evangelist. I’m not the only one who thinks it’s so great. Harvard, Berkeley and a bunch of other schools are offering courses focused on The Wire this semester. Read More
‘School’ is often compared to British ‘Skins’ but the principal difference is that ‘School’ depicts real-life stories in a home video format reflecting the whole bunch of shit things Russian children have to wrestle – from teachers corruption to illegal abortion and prostitution. Read More
Some highlights of regular Swedish TV this month, that I actually, I have to say, enjoyed this month. Read More
Sometimes I’m not sure if I’m still in Chicago or whether I’m picking up TV stations from Canada. Though I’m certainly not complaining. Read More
It’s true, I love the camp and the drama of living in a state with an epic self-mythologizing complex. The pride and the bravado may be overwhelming to the masses, but there’s something that’s fascinating about delving into the grandiosely reverential nature of the Texas spirit. Never is this more apparent than in the various television shows that have taken place in my adopted home state: the highs! the lows! the romance! the fights! Oh, sweet Texas. Read More
