Please note off the top that this is not a review of 13 Reasons Why. I haven’t watched the show and have no plans to watch it. But a lot of people have been watching it, and talking about it. It ended up on my radar, which is markedly free of must-watch TV shows (Tell me more about this “Sopranos.” … Read more
At Catholic Digest, Steven D. Greydanus recaps pretty much everything that was great about Phineas and Ferb. Bear in mind that if you’ve never seen the show, this article will probably make no sense at all. But if you know, you know: Phineas and Ferb should not exist to begin with because it’s too complicated; at … Read more
Considering how much the entertainment media likes to talk about itself, I was surprised that more wasn’t written about David Letterman’s farewell show. The last episode of Mad Men got more coverage than the moon landing, and the only people who have ever seen that show are the people who are paid to write about it. … Read more
I’m not big on reality shows, but you can learn a lot about the state of American culture by watching them, both from the people who volunteer to be on them and the way the producers set them up. Unfortunately, the things you learn usually make you want to start pricing real estate in Costa … Read more
Everybody was chiming in on the series finale of “How I Met Your Mother” the other day, and that made me want to get in my two cents. So I’m re-posting this bit I wrote in 2010, in which I explain why I think HIMYM is one of the worst television shows I’ve ever seen: … Read more
It’s been a few years since Conan O’Brien was booted off The Tonight Show. But recently my lovely wife ran across this video that reminded us of the incredibly classy way that he signed off. I hope that we can all look at every opportunity, and every lost opportunity, in our lives like this:
Art is a creative work that leaves itself open to interpretation. I’ve never seen the show Breaking Bad, but I’m curious about it (c’mon Amazon Prime, get with the program; I don’t have cable!), because apparently it fits that description. Fare Forward takes a look at Breaking Bad and its moral underpinnings, with guest appearances … Read more
That’s not exactly what he said, but it’s the gist of his point in an interview with CNN. R.J. Moeller comments: In response to the question, “What advice do you have for Christian rockers?” Corgan replied, “Make better music.” And there it is. Make better music. It seems so simple and obvious to most, but … Read more
In a previous post, I went through a list of all the terrible things we’ve discovered since ditching satellite TV for plain ol’ over-the-air broadcasts. But if you’re thinking about doing the same thing, I want you to know that it’s not all despair and stinging regret (although we haven’t been through a football season … Read more
It’s now been about five months since my household cancelled our satellite TV and started getting broadcasts with a good, old-fashioned, over-the-air digital antenna, just like our pioneer forefathers. The good news is that we’re all still relatively sane; I haven’t started talking to imaginary house guests or buried an ax in Scatman Crothers’ chest. … Read more
GetReligion covers the coverage of Duck Dynasty, and highlights an article about the show that actually gets the religion angle right. Included are cool tidbits like this: “Duck Dynasty” first aired in 2012. Phil Robertson said he initially tangled with producers over the portrayal of the family’s faith, insisting the word “Jesus” not be edited … Read more
For the first ten seasons, it was the best TV show that has ever been.
Watch as a very young Conan O’Brien interviews celebrities for his “Late Night” audition tape, apparently while wearing his dad’s suit:
Did producers of The Bachelor downplay the born-again virginity of this season’s eligible stud horse, Sean Lowe? (I would use the term “cover-up,” but c’mon, it’s The Bachelor.) Instead of telling us what made him different than all the previous bachelors, the show edited Lowe to look like every other guy. But when he was … Read more
And when I say the Bible is big, what I mean is, The Bible, the History Channel mini-series, is one of the most popular cable productions of the year. Once again, we see that entertainment that treats traditional religious beliefs respectfully is appealing to a broad swath of the American public (also known as the … Read more
Pop culture site Vulture.com sets up a 16-show bracket to determine the best sitcom of the last 30 years: Beginning today, our all-star panel of novelists, journalists, and TV producers will take on the close-to-impossible job of determining which of these sitcoms deserve to progress in our bracket, and which must stay behind. (Naturally some … Read more
This week, we at the Cynical Christian household are cancelling our satellite TV service. We’re looking for ways to cut expenses, and since we’re already down to eating just two meals a day and we’ve traded our car for an old donkey (I’ve named him “Infiniti Q35”), the dish package was one of the few things … Read more
(Get it? Duck? Sauce? I’ll be here all week.) Rob Sumrall thinks he knows the real reason for the wild popularity of Duck Dynasty: I believe America is tired of the ”Jerry Springer-ization” that afternoon television has wrought upon us. We are weary of pregnancy tests that tell who the baby’s daddy is and sisters … Read more
Image via Wikipedia I’ve been a fan of Dennis Miller for a long time, ever since he was the best Weekend Update anchor in the history Saturday Night Live. (Yes, yes, Chevy and Norm McDonald are close; Tina Fey, while hottish, is wildly overrated.) It’s been interesting to watch his evolution over the years. In … Read more
This ad actually makes me want to buy a Kia. And that’s saying something. (via TTAC)