If the “Fate of the Jedi” series wasn’t your cup of tea up to this point, it still isn’t; much of the plotting involves political scheming and transfers of power. I don’t totally blame “Star Wars” fans for not being engaged by that aspect of the saga, but the unfortunate thing is that they’re also […]
Most shows are naturally constrained by their narrative — sort of like a choose-your-own-adventure book where every choice is locked in once it happens. But at the staff meetings for “Fringe” (8 p.m. Central Fridays on Fox), I imagine that if a writer says “What if this were to happen?,” he never hears “Oh, that can’t happen” […]
There’s a lot of surface appeal to “Hart of Dixie” (8 p.m. Central Mondays on The CW), including beautiful people (Rachel Bilson, Scott Porter, Jaime King) and beautiful settings (rural Alabama).
Just when the theoretical water cooler was starting to get lonely, along comes “Terra Nova” (7 p.m. Central Mondays on Fox) to make it a popular gathering spot again. (Metaphorically, of course; the actual water cooler at my workplace is tucked in a corner office and you have to pay to be part of the water club.) […]
There’s a snort-out-loud scene in the “Family Guy” parody of “Return of the Jedi” where C-3PO explains why he’s wearing a suit and tie aboard the Millennium Falcon: “Some people still think of flying as an occasion.”
“Moneyball” includes so many scenes of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brat Pitt) and other baseball people spitting chew into cups that it almost plays like an extended version of that “Naked Gun” riff where even the players’ wives are spitting. It’s as if screenwriters Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin and director Bennett Miller were […]
“Parks and Recreation” (7:30 p.m. Central Thursdays on NBC) is my pick for best network comedy. It still ranks fourth on my overall list because while cable shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Futurama” seem to have no restraints on what they can do, “Parks” is still slightly boxed in by […]
I enjoy a good movie about revenge. There’s “First Blood,” where John Rambo methodically picks off corrupt cops until he breaks down at the end, showing us that payback has a price, even when it’s done largely in self defense. Then there’s “Breakdown,” which fits the revenge template beautifully: First we see how evil the […]
I like just about everything about “The Secret Circle” (8 p.m. Central Thursdays on The CW) except the fact that — I am stifling a yawn just typing this — it’s yet another show about young people with superpowers. In this case it’s witch powers rather than cat powers (“The Nine Lives of Chloe King”), vampire powers […]
OK, deep breath, here we go: “Ringer” (8 p.m. Central Tuesdays on The CW) — the previews of which feature long monologues by Sarah Michelle Gellar, making it clear this is a show you have to pay attention to in order to know what’s going on — is off and running. Or at least briskly walking. As […]