On April 24, 1976, Lorne Michaels, the creator and producer of the late-night NBC comedy program “Saturday Night” – it had not yet changed its name to “Saturday Night Live” – appeared…
Tag: Television
How TV shows have grappled with a post-Dobbs America
Two doctors sit, despondent, on the side of a busy road as they watch an EMT zip up the body of their patient into a body bag. The patient died as a…
Never mind Cleopatra – what about the forgotten queens of ancient Nubia?
Jada Pinkett Smith’s new Netflix documentary series on Cleopatra aims to spotlight powerful African queens. “We don’t often get to see or hear stories about Black queens, and that was really important…
Norman Lear’s ’70s TV comedies brought people together to confront issues in a way Gen Z would appreciate
Even Americans who strongly disagree with each other may find common ground when they watch the same TV shows and movies, especially those that make us laugh or cry. Norman Lear, who…
Conservatives’ ‘anti-woke’ alternative to Disney has finally arrived
As fanfare blares, female sprinters at the starting line suspiciously eye a man in a wig. A hulking, goateed wrestler slams a woman half his size to the mat. An ominous voice-over…
How the sounds of ‘Succession’ shred the grandeur and respect the characters so desperately try to project
HBO’s “Succession” delivered its grand finale on May 28, 2023 – the climax of four award-packed seasons of searing put-downs, nihilistic humor and desperate power plays. The show tells the story of…
Not all political comedy is equal – how comics can either depress turnout or activate voters in 2024
Biden is old. Trump has weird hair. Biden mangles the English language. Trump barely seems to understand it. There’s no question that it is easy to make fun of the two top…
What a biannual gathering of 1967 Impalas reveals about the blurry line between fandom and religion
Among the many spooky events happening over Halloween weekend was the biannual “Haunting of Impalas” at Family Business Brewing, a 15-acre brewery in Dripping Springs, Texas, owned by actor and musician Jensen…
The unbearable allure of cringe
Why can’t you stop watching TV shows, movies or viral videos that make you cringe? Cringe is the feeling you get when your boss cracks a joke in a meeting and no…
The exploitation of Hollywood’s writers is just another symptom of digital feudalism
The current Hollywood writers strike has drawn international attention to the plight of TV and film writers in the streaming era. Much has been made of television’s golden age, during which streaming…