For fans whose interest goes beyond the films, Disney continues to sap the fun out of ‘Star Wars’ (Commentary)
Disney has been doing a great job of sucking the fun out of “Star Wars” since it purchased Lucasfilm in October 2012. First, it canceled “The Clone Wars,” leaving many storylines dangling. Now, to judge from an April 25 announcement that has sent shock waves across fandom, it is more or less canceling the Expanded Universe as
Comics, TV and movies John is looking forward to in 2014 (Commentary)
These are the comics, TV shows and movies I’m most looking forward to in the year ahead:
John’s top 10 TV shows of 2013
These were my 10 favorite shows of 2013: 1. “Bunheads” (Season 1, ABC Family) — I know “Bunheads” was the best show on TV in 2013 because it appealed to both the heart and the mind. And also because — with its dance numbers that attempted to illustrate the mood of the story — it was a
Sniff! These 5 great shows won’t be coming back (TV commentary)
My Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Preview should pop up in my mailbox in a few weeks, and I hope I’m pleasantly surprised by some new shows I haven’t heard of yet. Because so far, 2013 has been an absolute bloodbath for quality television.
30 reasons ‘Return of the Jedi’ rocks (and no, ‘Jedi Rocks’ is not one of them) (Movie commentary)
“Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi” turns 30 on Saturday, and it’s still looking good. So much so that George Lucas recently gave the nod to a sequel. But the J.J. Abrams-helmed “Episode VII” is still a couple years away, so in the meantime, let’s take a look at 30 reasons why “Jedi”
John’s 10 favorite TV characters at the moment (Commentary)
As the 2012-13 season winds down, here are my top 10 TV characters, some of whom will be featured in season finales this month, and some of whom have already bid adieu for the summer:
With ‘Veronica Mars’ and ‘Clone Wars,’ companies show different ways to treat fans (TV commentary)
Two of my favorite franchises, “Star Wars” (which regular readers may have noticed I’m obsessed with) and “Veronica Mars” (my No. 6-ranked show of the Aughts, and on my to-do list for “rewatching and reviewing the classics”) showed different approaches on how to treat their fanbases this month. Disney broke fans’ hearts by canceling “The Clone Wars” after five
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ gets mysterious heading into 5th-season finale (TV commentary)
Although the four-part “droids in the void” arc was by far the worst in the series’ run, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Season 5 (8:30 a.m. Central Saturdays on Cartoon Network) nonetheless ranks as the best season so far thanks to the other arcs — the Onderon rebellion, the young Padawans, the Darth Maul/Death Watch saga (that
‘Felicity’s’ J.J. Abrams seems like a solid choice to direct ‘Star Wars — Episode VII’ (Movie commentary)
I’ve never fully jumped on the J.J. Abrams bandwagon; he just doesn’t excite me that much as a director, or as a writer. That having been said, I think he’ll do a fine job directing 2015’s “Star Wars — Episode VII” (the announcement swept across the internet on Thursday), as long as George Lucas asks him to
John’s top 10 TV shows of 2012
Here are my top 10 TV shows of 2012: 1. “Parenthood” (Season 3-4, NBC) — I hate to have the same No. 1 two years in a row, but “Parenthood” — the only current series where having a Kleenex box nearby is a must — gives me no choice. During the run of “Friday Night Lights,” “Parenthood” was “Jason Katims’