Did anyone else think Rick was dead? (TV commentary)

With Rick lying on a sofa without moving, Carl puking up his breakfast and bizarre dream sequences popping up (albeit from Michonne, not Carl), Sunday’s mid-fourth-season premiere of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” obviously called to mind the “Buffy” episode “The Body.” It’s a credit to the show’s unpredictability that I thought they might kill off the main

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

Where does ‘The Walking Dead’ rank among the all-time greats? (TV commentary)

I swung in for a sandwich at the local Jimmy John’s the other day, and as often happens, my chat with owner Jon Oja quickly switched from sandwiches to movies and TV. We both said we were looking forward to the “Walking Dead” Season 3 finale, and he mentioned he thinks the show is one of the

‘Talking Dead’ like a hug for ‘Walking Dead’ fans (TV commentary)

Can we talk for a moment about what a great show “Talking Dead” (9 p.m. Central Sundays on AMC) is? No, not “Walking Dead,” “Talking Dead” — the show that airs immediately after the zombie drama and dissects what we’ve just seen. Obviously, “Talking Dead” couldn’t exist without “The Walking Dead,” but by the same token, I think “Walking

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’

‘Walking Dead’ winter finale thrilling, but filled with conveniences (TV commentary)

The situation “The Walking Dead” has set up this season, with the Woodbury camp versus the prison camp and all the conflicting allegiances and misunderstandings, provides almost inevitable thrills. And Sunday’s winter finale was no exception; in many ways, it gives us what we had been waiting for: A showdown between the two groups, Michonne meeting Andrea and