Have I mentioned that I love ‘Life Unexpected?’ (TV commentary)
I don’t get as emotionally involved in the cancellation of shows as I used to (“Angel” in 2004 was the last one that really hurt). I just try to look at all shows as being […]
Family Drama
‘Parenthood’ is hit-and-miss, but the hits are really good (TV review)
Jason Katims, whose resume includes “My So-Called Life,” “Roswell” and “Friday Night Lights,” is now on that short list of producers where you have to check out all of his products, ’cause it’s gonna be […]
My new favorite show is an ‘Unexpected’ pleasure (TV commentary)
I’m not surprised that “Life Unexpected” (8 p.m. Central Mondays, The CW) is good — after all, the cast is incredible and exec producer Liz Tigelaar boasts an impressive resume with “What About Brian” and other credits […]
6 ways J.D. Salinger influenced modern pop culture (Book commentary)
Like everyone, I think “Catcher in the Rye” is a brilliant book. I think J.D. Salinger’s other three books (actually compilations of his magazine short stories and novellas) range from very good to OK — […]
Midseason preview: My favorite actresses return, but will their shows be any good? (TV commentary)
Three of my favorite actresses return to TV this midseason, and that’s probably a good thing, but I’m a little ambivalent. In TV, I often start to think of a performer as being their character, […]
John’s favorite TV shows of the Aughts (Commentary)
Next, here are my top 10 TV shows. Some started in the ’90s, but for this list, I am just showing the years they aired during this decade. This top 10 is front-loaded (the most […]
Can’t-see TV: 16 sweet shows that aren’t on DVD or Hulu
TV commentary: These are the 16 best shows that can’t be seen anywhere — not on DVD, not on the Internet and not in syndication.
On ‘Medium,’ family life can be as dramatic as gruesome murders (TV commentary)
“Medium” falls into that category of shows that are half-procedural, half-character drama. Another way of putting it: half of the episode is what keeps it on the air (in this case, Allison Dubois solving hideous, teaser-friendly […]
5 cute little movies I want to see this summer (Commentary)
The big movies get the buzz; the little movies get the love. My previous blog entry was movies that you’ll see with a group of 10 friends; this list is movies that you’ll see by […]