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In the Game of Genre Television, You Win or You Get Cancelled

Networks will continue to falter in their attempts to imitate Game of Thrones if they fail to prioritize character development over flashy fantasy storytelling.

Television

'LOST' and Found: Mystery Boxes and Pleasure Domes

LOST arrived with the thunderous roar of exploding fuselage. It cut wildly through pop-culture stereotypes, and then left its fans lost and bewildered amidst the wreckage.

Television

'Fringe': It's a No Brainer

At first I thought there were just too many episodes of Fringe that began with someone turning into a pile of slime.

Television

'Dragon Island' Will Appeal to Adults with Fond Memories of Thrilling Saturday Morning Cartoons

The influences build, slowly at first, but more assured as the story progresses, adding color and depth to the world Shane Berryhill created.

Books

Did You Know that Dinosaurs Can't Break Through Wood? 'Terra Nova: The Complete Series'

Proof that a bloated budget can be deeply non-indicative of quality, Terra Nova squanders any potential it had on plots and character types that appear to have been created in a generic Sci-Fi Plot Generator.

Reviews

'Lord of the Flies' Still Reigns

Fear and brutality inherent in the human condition and the drive to survive are themes that have never gone out of fashion. The stakes get even higher when those involved are children, and that's obviously a big seller.

Film

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

Your Virtual Fall TV Preview: Thursdays

Part four of a primetime look at what the major networks will be offering us, with predictions on what will stick and what will flop.

Television

'Literary Lost' Concerns Itself with, Quite Literally, Novel Television

Works like this do the Lost series a favor by enriching what’s on screen, digging out the hidden and the obvious allusions.

Books

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

The Year In TV: May 2010

Continuing out look at the year’s most notable television events, here’s what happened in May 2010.

Television

Dear TV Executives: A Few New Years Resolutions Notes for 2011

Television executives should resolve to do a few things for me this year.

Television

The Year in Television Conspiracies

Secret, usually evil, plots dominated TV drama in 2010, from Lost, Rubicon, and Persons Unknown to 24, V, Flashforward, and Terriers.

Television

February 2010 in TV

It was a month of high ratings, a truly “super” bowl, and shocking tragedies for TV audiences.

Television

Pop Ten

The 70 Best Albums of 2019

The Best Progressive Rock/Metal of 2019

The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2019

The 20 Best Metal Albums of 2019

The Best Jazz of 2019

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2019

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

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

The 15 Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2019

The 10 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2019

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Mixed Media

Collapse Expand Mixed Media

PM Picks

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In the Game of Genre Television, You Win or You Get Cancelled

Networks will continue to falter in their attempts to imitate Game of Thrones if they fail to prioritize character development over flashy fantasy storytelling.

'LOST' and Found: Mystery Boxes and Pleasure Domes

LOST arrived with the thunderous roar of exploding fuselage. It cut wildly through pop-culture stereotypes, and then left its fans lost and bewildered amidst the wreckage.

'Fringe': It's a No Brainer

At first I thought there were just too many episodes of Fringe that began with someone turning into a pile of slime.

'Dragon Island' Will Appeal to Adults with Fond Memories of Thrilling Saturday Morning Cartoons

The influences build, slowly at first, but more assured as the story progresses, adding color and depth to the world Shane Berryhill created.

Did You Know that Dinosaurs Can't Break Through Wood? 'Terra Nova: The Complete Series'

Proof that a bloated budget can be deeply non-indicative of quality, Terra Nova squanders any potential it had on plots and character types that appear to have been created in a generic Sci-Fi Plot Generator.

'Lord of the Flies' Still Reigns

Fear and brutality inherent in the human condition and the drive to survive are themes that have never gone out of fashion. The stakes get even higher when those involved are children, and that's obviously a big seller.

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.

Your Virtual Fall TV Preview: Thursdays

Part four of a primetime look at what the major networks will be offering us, with predictions on what will stick and what will flop.

'Literary Lost' Concerns Itself with, Quite Literally, Novel Television

Works like this do the Lost series a favor by enriching what’s on screen, digging out the hidden and the obvious allusions.

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.

The Year In TV: May 2010

Continuing out look at the year’s most notable television events, here’s what happened in May 2010.

Dear TV Executives: A Few New Years Resolutions Notes for 2011

Television executives should resolve to do a few things for me this year.

The Year in Television Conspiracies

Secret, usually evil, plots dominated TV drama in 2010, from Lost, Rubicon, and Persons Unknown to 24, V, Flashforward, and Terriers.

February 2010 in TV

It was a month of high ratings, a truly “super” bowl, and shocking tragedies for TV audiences.

Lost - The Complete Series

Lost - The Complete Series - ABC Studios [$279.99]

Friend Within Brings Sunshine to the Dancefloor on "Space Jam" (premiere)

With "Santa Baby", Emergency Tiara Updates a Classic Just in Time for the Holidays (premiere)

Tyler Boone Dodges Cliches With "Jealousy" (premiere + interview)

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)

Networks will continue to falter in their attempts to imitate Game of Thrones if they fail to prioritize character development over flashy fantasy storytelling.

LOST arrived with the thunderous roar of exploding fuselage. It cut wildly through pop-culture stereotypes, and then left its fans lost and bewildered amidst the wreckage.

At first I thought there were just too many episodes of Fringe that began with someone turning into a pile of slime.

The influences build, slowly at first, but more assured as the story progresses, adding color and depth to the world Shane Berryhill created.

Proof that a bloated budget can be deeply non-indicative of quality, Terra Nova squanders any potential it had on plots and character types that appear to have been created in a generic Sci-Fi Plot Generator.

Fear and brutality inherent in the human condition and the drive to survive are themes that have never gone out of fashion. The stakes get even higher when those involved are children, and that's obviously a big seller.

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.

Part four of a primetime look at what the major networks will be offering us, with predictions on what will stick and what will flop.

What does the savvy, obsessive or lonely TV fanatic do with this free time? If you're inclined to watch TV on DVD this summer, I recommend these five.

Works like this do the Lost series a favor by enriching what’s on screen, digging out the hidden and the obvious allusions.

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.

Continuing out look at the year’s most notable television events, here’s what happened in May 2010.

Television executives should resolve to do a few things for me this year.

Secret, usually evil, plots dominated TV drama in 2010, from Lost, Rubicon, and Persons Unknown to 24, V, Flashforward, and Terriers.

It was a month of high ratings, a truly “super” bowl, and shocking tragedies for TV audiences.

Lost - The Complete Series - ABC Studios [$279.99]