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Mar. 30, 2011 / 806 : Insidious

Slacker uprising

Portlandia lampoons DIY culture as it points out its relevance

Based on a series of online vignettes done under the name Thunderant, Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen and former Sleater Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein have taken their show… Read more »

Feb. 09, 2011 / 799 : Valentines Style

TV-K-O?

Is Lights Out down for the count?

The intro sequence for FX's Lights Out seems like a rush job. It is such that the sequence occurs after both the opening retrospective on past episodes and… Read more »

Jan. 19, 2011 / 796 : Canoe Festival

Star turns

Doubting the hegemony of the Golden Globes

Critically and culturally speaking, the Golden Globes aren't taken seriously. Perhaps this is because the Academy Awards have been around 15 years longer, remain focused on the silver… Read more »

 » The Trip and The Walking Dead / Dec. 08, 2010 / 790 : Holiday Guide

On the road

The Trip and The Walking Dead chronicle two divergent journeys

AMC's The Walking Dead came out of the gates with promise. Coming off of a sterling track record with Breaking Bad and Mad Men, this adaptation of writer… Read more »

Nov. 10, 2010 / 786 : F&M

The lovable idiot

Moving beyond The Three Stooges

The Three Stooges was arguably one of the first situation comedies, formulating the traditional concept we unconsciously accept with every new program that makes it on the air.… Read more »

 » TELEVISION / Oct. 13, 2010 / 782 : Future Edmonton

Original gangster

Boardwalk Empire's disorganized crime

'When I was your age, we didn't take the bus to school, we walked uphill in the snow for five miles!" is certainly a well-worn cliché. While this… Read more »

Sep. 13, 2010 / 777: The Sex Issue 2010

School of Hard Knocks

NFL Films' programming humanizes the chaos of sports

Sports are pretty much the only organic source of reality TV. Lacking the filter of time delay inherent in award shows, late-night hosting and situation-based "fish out of… Read more »

Aug. 11, 2010 / 773: The Fringe hotspots

Mad as hell

The social polemics of Mad Men

Outwardly, AMC's Mad Men sells itself as a show about traditional values and how the definition of them changes over the span of a decade. It uses a… Read more »

Jul. 07, 2010 / 768: Crumbling Away

Perfect pitch

The World Cup's responsible nationalism

When the Internet first came out, perhaps due to being only experienced enough with media to know the difference between a plumber in red and a radical hedgehog,… Read more »

Jun. 09, 2010 / 764: Hot Summer Guide 2010

The subtlety of television

Positive manipulation and the world of Breaking Bad

I'm always surprised by how few people I know are familiar with Breaking Bad. The show is critically acclaimed, considered by many (including myself) to be the best… Read more »