BBC's 'Fleabag' and the Inescapable Awkward Family
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag forces viewers to sit down at the dinner table with "the family", which is a game of conversational hot potato -- and nobody wants the f*cking potato.
29 Jul 2019
Recent
Mix 'The Daily Mash' with 'The Daily Show' and You've Got 'The Mash Report'
BBC Two's The Mash Report is funny, and we really need funny these days.
21 Mar 2018
Bridging the Ontological Gap: The Appeal to Emotion in the BBC's 'Blue Planet II'
To get people to care about the planet they must feel a connection to it. In this, the BBC Blue Planet series succeeds.
13 Mar 2018
'Fanfiction and the Author' Gives Well-Blended Discourse for Maximum Fan Enjoyment
Scholar Judith May Fathallah's work blurs lines between author and ethnographer, fan experiences and genre TV storytelling.
Garret Castleberry
Books
12 Dec 2017
Inane Political Discourse, or, Alan Partridge's Parody Politics
That the political class now finds itself relegated to accidental Alan Partridge territory along the with rest of the twits and twats that comprise English popular culture is meaningful, to say the least.
17 Nov 2017
'Thirteen' Forces You to Confront Your Own Lazy Habits of Thought
Marnie Dickens' BBC mini-series, Thirteen, forgoes simple solutions and easy payoffs in favor of ambiguity and complexity.
16 Aug 2016
Mogwai Explores the Nuclear Age's Benefits and Disasters on 'Atomic'
Mogwai finds ways to balance their music to their political stance -- complete nuclear disarmament of all countries in possession of weapons of mass destruction -- with a strong emphasis of dynamics to match the themes of annihilation, despair, and hope, albeit bleak.
Stephan Wyatt
Music
20 Jun 2016
Bonnie "Prince" Billy: Pond Scum
To have Johnny Cash perform any song of yours early in your career indicates a pinnacle moment paramount to reaching Mt. Everest or being the first musician in space.
01 Mar 2016
Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Time-bending Gothic Murder Mystery
Although some may emphasize the “abominable” in the controversial Sherlock special, “The Abominable Bride”, the marriage of the Victorian and the modern is a match made in heaven.
Lynnette Porter
Television
29 Feb 2016
If We Lose BBC Three, Will We Lose Our Sense of Humor, Too?
With the apparently inevitable closure of BBC Three, comedy lovers will mourn the loss of an important television ally. Will the Internet save it?
20 Sep 2015
'The Crimson Field' Addresses War and the Changing Roles of Women
The Crimson Field may not completely enthrall but it is consistently interesting. For a show without grand ambition, you can say much worse.
07 Aug 2015
A Sherlock Holmes Fit for a King
In an excellent series of TV adaptations, the noble and striking Douglas Wilmer offers a portrayal of Holmes that is perhaps closest to the great writer's original character.
14 Jul 2015
'Sarah and Duck: Doubles (Vol. 2)' Is a Whimsical Throwback to the '70s
Sarah and Duck finds the fantastic in the mundane in this fine reminder of the joys of the British kids' TV of yesteryear.
18 Sep 2014
'Inside No. 9' Is a Bit Like a Box of Chocolates, Albeit One Full of Dark, Bitter Sweets
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton turn down the grotesque but amp up the insidious mixture of morbid comedy and genuine creepiness for this series of stand-alone tales.
25 Mar 2014
'Ripper Street' Is a Smart, Witty and Humane Drama
Ripper Street's greatest strength is to avoid direct reference to the killings as an investigative project and to treat them as traumatic events from which its characters are trying to recover.
13 Mar 2014
The Funniest Man Who (N)ever Lived: Alan Partridge
For over 20 years, Alan Partridge has shared his life with the British public and fans have embraced him, warts and all. Now, his first feature film is coming to America. Back of the net!
06 Mar 2014
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