Post by Nick Fleming
Robert Osborne, film enthusiast, historian, journalist, and host of Turner Classic Movies passed away March 6. The following post, written in the days since his death, is in honor of his memory. (more…)
television
Review: “The Muppets” – Episode 101
The Meaning Of “Mad Men”
Ahead of its series finale airing this Sunday, Nathan Blake looks back on AMC’s Mad Men, where its characters are at, and the show’s major themes. *This post contains plot and character developments in the series. So consider this a…SPOILER ALERT.*
Cathode Ray Colonialism
–Scott Stalcup
Critics like Alan Sepinwall and Brett Martin champion the current productions that constitute the developing Third Golden Age of Television. Existing predominantly on cable and pay cable channels, the programs were less subjected, or not subjected at all, to FCC regulations regarding obscenity. Nor were they subjected to pandering to advertisers. Thus, by having limited-to-zero commercial interruptions, seasons on cable had a shorter length. As a result, “it meant tighter, more focused serial stories [and] less financial risk on the part of the network, which translated into more creative risk on screen” (Martin 6). This, in turn, shifted storytelling from “bottle” episodes to “the equivalent of countless movies” and at the production level thereof (6). Fantastic though it all sounds, the mother country got there first.
“Orange Is The New Black:” How Did She Do It?
–Ruby Mayorga
What makes for good television? Is there a formula that can be repeated or does the success of the show rely on other elements outside of the formula? Can these extra elements be created or must they present themselves naturally? The unprecedented success of shows that take the public ‘by storm’, such as Orange is the New Black, brings these questions to mind. (more…)
The 2 Shot 