Category Archives: Television

Streaming Picks: June 2023

FILMSTop PicksTár – Prime Video 6/6Avatar: The Way of Water – Disney+ and Max 6/7While I wouldn’t consider Lydia Tár a “Strong Female Lead,” Cate Blanchett gave one of last year’s best performances in one of the best movies of … Continue reading

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The List: Top 10 ‘The Office’ Episodes

The Office ended 10 years ago this week. I was an early champion of the show, but fell off in its third season when the show sent Jim to Stamford, then back to Scranton with his new girlfriend Karen (Rashida … Continue reading

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The List: Top 10 ‘Happy Endings’ Episodes

One of the finest sitcoms of the 2010s ended 10 years ago this week. Happy Endings took the same set-up and premise as Friends, but updated it for Millennials, tripling the number of jokes per minute. Yet it constantly seemed … Continue reading

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Streaming Picks: May 2023

Programming Note: On Tuesday, May 23, HBO Max will become Max. Warner Bros. Discovery has promised a seamless transition, so theoretically anything added to HBO Max this month will also be on Max thereafter. But there’s always a possibility some … Continue reading

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Streaming Picks: April 2023

FILMSTop PicksHoly Spider – Netflix 4/7Life Itself – Prime Video 4/12While Holy Spider made the shortlist for the Oscars’ Best International Feature, it somehow did not make the final five. But a debut on Netflix means it will likely get … Continue reading

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TV Recap: Feb. 26-Mar. 4, 2023

CURRENT SHOWSParty Down – “Kyle Bradway Is Nitromancer” (A) / season premiereComedy reboots don’t have the strongest track record as of late. But this premiere is an encouraging sign, with the show’s trademark blend of cringe and empathy in fine … Continue reading

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Streaming Picks: March 2023

FILMS Top Picks Triangle of Sadness – Hulu 3/3 All the Beauty and the Bloodshed – HBO Max 3/19 These two Oscar nominees won’t have any chance in their respective categories despite critical acclaim, but they’re two of the most … Continue reading

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TV Recap: Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2022

NEW SHOWS & SPECIALSNate Bargatze: Hello World (B+)As delightful (and clean) as ever. He’s just out to tell funny stories, and that’s enough. BINGEINGMad Men – Season 6 (A- average)This season occasionally felt as distracted as Don, but it snapped … Continue reading

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Streaming Picks: February 2023

FILMSTop PickCinema Paradiso – Paramount+ 2/1Anyone who loves movies simply must see Giuseppe Tornatore’s magnificent ode to post-WWII Italy and the movies that served as the background for the protagonist’s life. If you’re not a weepy mess by the end, … Continue reading

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TV Recap: Jan. 15-21, 2022

NEW SHOWSThe Last of Us – “When You’re Lost in the Darkness” (A) / series premiereAs a non-gamer, I didn’t know what to expect. Though as a fan of Chernobyl, my expectations were pretty high. This 90-minute pilot is about … Continue reading

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