Category Archives: Best Of

20
Oct

The List: Top 10 ’30 Rock’ Episodes

30 Rock debuted 20 years ago this month. Premiering in the shadow of the more-hyped and “respectable” Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, it began with so-so ratings but tremendous critical reception, eventually winning three straight Emmys for Outstanding Comedy … Continue reading →

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10
Oct

The List: Top 10 ‘Friday Night Lights’ Episodes

Friday Night Lights premiered 20 years ago this week, marking the arrival of some of the most deeply emotional and intimate storytelling to ever air on broadcast television. Recently coming in at No. 14 on the New York Times list … Continue reading →

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17
Apr

20 After 20: 2005

20. King Kong (dir. Peter Jackson) Believe it or not, kids, there was a time when special effects were actually special. When movies were filmed on actual sets. When digital environments were carefully rendered and not sloppily rushed out to … Continue reading →

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23
Feb

The List: Top 10 ‘Scrubs’ Episodes

We’re a few months early for the 25th(!) anniversary of Scrubs, but ABC has resurrected the show once again, with a new season premiering on February 25. The show quickly became one of my favorite sitcoms with its outlandish visual … Continue reading →

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31
Jan

The Best Film Performances of 2025

In many of these categories, there were performances I liked more. But all of those were nominated for Oscars, and I’d rather shine a spotlight on the less-heralded turns this year. ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY Eephus One advantage to make … Continue reading →

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30
Jan

The Best Movies of 2025

10. The Secret Agent (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho) The title is something of a misnomer. Wagner Moura’s Armando doesn’t really do much espionage. But as someone who refused to roll over to corruption in the authoritarian government of Brazil, a … Continue reading →

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28
Jan

The Best TV Performances of 2025

ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES English Teacher This was already a tight ensemble, but promoting Carmen Christopher to series regular took their rhythm to another level. At any moment, one of them could say the most absurd, outlandish thing you’ve … Continue reading →

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27
Jan

The Best TV Shows of 2025, Part 2

Best Comedy Special Robby Hoffman: Wake Up (Netflix) Since Curb Your Enthusiasm ended last year, I’d been wondering who would step up to become the next Larry David. Having only seen Hoffman on this season of Hacks, I had no … Continue reading →

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26
Jan

The Best TV Shows of 2025, Part 1

The problem I had last year didn’t show up in 2025. In fact, there were way too many good shows. I even had to cut down my honorable mentions (coming soon). But before we get to that, here are my … Continue reading →

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26
Dec

The Anniversary Albums Project: Best of 2025

New music has lost a lot of hold on me over the last few years. And seven years ago I decided that instead of trying to keep up with it all, I’d look back at music history and listen to … Continue reading →

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