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The One About the One About 'Friends'

Kelsey Miller's I'll Be There for You, on the production and cultural legacy of Friends, is a must-read for fans and anyone interested in understanding TV culture over the past 20 years.

Books

Thursdays This Fall: An Early TV Preview

FOX’s American Idol, the current highest rated show on TV, will still hold a Thursday night spot when it returns in January, but the season starts off with the less-popular X Factor.

Television

In Defense of Celebrities Making Fun of Themselves à la 'Episodes'

With the latest season of Episodes about to air on Showtime, we're reminded of how affecting the always-entertaining act of self-deprecation can be.

Television

Five Is Enough: The Inevitable Decline of 'Mad Men'

I am as excited as a person could possibly be for the beginning of the fifth season of Mad Men, but I worry that the season won’t be as good as we want it to be.

Television

'Friends with Benefits' Plays Against Type and Fails

Just as we become comfortable with the new friendship, and their sexual arrangement, like most friends with benefits relationships it begins to slowly unravel and reveal itself as the clichéd romantic comedy it advertises that it isn't.

Reviews

How Much Does an Accurate Location Matter When Watching TV?

Unlike other formats, the sitcom allows us to suspend disbelief because we know this is a set, we know there’s a reason we’ve never actually seen a New York street in Friends, or the fourth wall of an apartment in any show. And we’re okay with that.

Television

Got a Bad Case of the Second Season Itch? The Cure: Kill All TV Shows Before they Make Season Three

TV is better than film. The best scripts, the best acting, and the best directing are deserting the multi-plexes for the freedom of the small screen. But all TV series should die by the end of their second season.

Television

All in the Modern Family

Modern Family is more than just a very funny show. It also takes a step toward rescuing the sitcom family from the mean-spirited vein it has been stuck in for more than a decade.

Television

The Right Words at the Right Time by Marlo Thomas and Friends

Hollywood Babylon breeds with the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' series in this book.

N. A. Hayes

Reviews

Pop Ten

The 15 Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2019

The 20 Best Metal Albums of 2019

The 10 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2019

The 10 Best Electropop Albums of 2019

The 10 Best World Music Albums of 2019

The 50 Best Albums of 2019 So Far

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 1: 100 - 81

Jackie Chan's 10 Best Films

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '90s - Part 1 (100 - 81)

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Collapse Expand Mixed Media

PM Picks

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The One About the One About 'Friends'

Kelsey Miller's I'll Be There for You, on the production and cultural legacy of Friends, is a must-read for fans and anyone interested in understanding TV culture over the past 20 years.

Thursdays This Fall: An Early TV Preview

FOX’s American Idol, the current highest rated show on TV, will still hold a Thursday night spot when it returns in January, but the season starts off with the less-popular X Factor.

In Defense of Celebrities Making Fun of Themselves à la 'Episodes'

With the latest season of Episodes about to air on Showtime, we're reminded of how affecting the always-entertaining act of self-deprecation can be.

Five Is Enough: The Inevitable Decline of 'Mad Men'

I am as excited as a person could possibly be for the beginning of the fifth season of Mad Men, but I worry that the season won’t be as good as we want it to be.

'Friends with Benefits' Plays Against Type and Fails

Just as we become comfortable with the new friendship, and their sexual arrangement, like most friends with benefits relationships it begins to slowly unravel and reveal itself as the clichéd romantic comedy it advertises that it isn't.

How Much Does an Accurate Location Matter When Watching TV?

Unlike other formats, the sitcom allows us to suspend disbelief because we know this is a set, we know there’s a reason we’ve never actually seen a New York street in Friends, or the fourth wall of an apartment in any show. And we’re okay with that.

Got a Bad Case of the Second Season Itch? The Cure: Kill All TV Shows Before they Make Season Three

TV is better than film. The best scripts, the best acting, and the best directing are deserting the multi-plexes for the freedom of the small screen. But all TV series should die by the end of their second season.

Some Holiday Fun With Mr. Bean

All in the Modern Family

Modern Family is more than just a very funny show. It also takes a step toward rescuing the sitcom family from the mean-spirited vein it has been stuck in for more than a decade.

A Day in the Life of Brian Wilson: The Beach Boys - "Busy Doin' Nothin'"

The Right Words at the Right Time by Marlo Thomas and Friends

Hollywood Babylon breeds with the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' series in this book.

Tik N' Tak: Friends

The Pedaljets Celebrate Contentment With "Sleepy Girl" (premiere + interview)

Aiming for Enrike's Minimalistic Dance Is on Full Display With "Flat Beats" (premiere)

Dankrupt Explore Romance's Darker Side With "Drowning" (premiere)

Andrew Deadman Faces Himself Down in "Silent Scream" (premiere)

Lady Lazarus' "I Recall July" Is a Bittersweet Look Back on Love (premiere)

Banjolectric's "Another Thing For Pain" Is a Raw Reflection on Substance Abuse (premiere)

Marshall Crenshaw Preps New Reissue Campaign With "Misty Dreamer" (premiere + interview)

Talkboy Put on a Happy Face in New Video for "Hollow Sphere" (premiere)

'Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band' Is Essential Listening (album stream) (premiere)

Kelsey Miller's I'll Be There for You, on the production and cultural legacy of Friends, is a must-read for fans and anyone interested in understanding TV culture over the past 20 years.

FOX’s American Idol, the current highest rated show on TV, will still hold a Thursday night spot when it returns in January, but the season starts off with the less-popular X Factor.

With the latest season of Episodes about to air on Showtime, we're reminded of how affecting the always-entertaining act of self-deprecation can be.

I am as excited as a person could possibly be for the beginning of the fifth season of Mad Men, but I worry that the season won’t be as good as we want it to be.

Just as we become comfortable with the new friendship, and their sexual arrangement, like most friends with benefits relationships it begins to slowly unravel and reveal itself as the clichéd romantic comedy it advertises that it isn't.

In a new series already packed to the max with confounding conundrums, these are the top tricks in need of treats sooner rather than later.

Unlike other formats, the sitcom allows us to suspend disbelief because we know this is a set, we know there’s a reason we’ve never actually seen a New York street in Friends, or the fourth wall of an apartment in any show. And we’re okay with that.

TV is better than film. The best scripts, the best acting, and the best directing are deserting the multi-plexes for the freedom of the small screen. But all TV series should die by the end of their second season.

Is your social network giving you the cold shoulder? There may be a reason you're turning off your online friends.

Modern Family is more than just a very funny show. It also takes a step toward rescuing the sitcom family from the mean-spirited vein it has been stuck in for more than a decade.

Hollywood Babylon breeds with the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' series in this book.