These posts are about great acting performances sustained across the full run of a television series. Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation (2009 – 2015) Sometimes I feel like Parks and Recreation was single-handedly saved by the … Continue reading The Long Haul — Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. The U.S. movie industry has a long history of cruelly casting off figures who were once titans, … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Dark Tower commercial
Since great television comedy always begins with the script, this series of posts considers the individual episodes that have claimed the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series over the years. To the degree that Everybody Loves … Continue reading Golden Words — “Baggage”
Sometimes comedy illuminates hard truths with a pointed urgency that other means can’t quite achieve. Sometimes comedy is just funny. This series of posts is mostly about the former instances, but the latter is valuable, too. As much as I’m … Continue reading Laughing Matters — Jake Johannsen, in 1989
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. Forget about Clydesdales on snowy paths or croaking frogs, the best ad campaigns ever connected to a … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Bob Uecker for Miller Lite
Sometimes comedy illuminates hard truths with a pointed urgency that other means can’t quite achieve. Sometimes comedy is just funny. This series of posts is mostly about the former instances, but the latter is valuable, too. If the flaming disaster … Continue reading Laughing Matters — Funny or Die, “Non-Voters Anonymous”
Before Raising Hope, Greg Garcia was the credited creator or co-creator on two series that had multi-season runs. Yes, Dear was a CBS family sitcom that was painfully conventional. Accordingly, it was a clear commercial success, running six seasons and … Continue reading That Championship Season — Raising Hope, Season Three
Since great television comedy always begins with the script, this series of posts considers the individual episodes that have claimed the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series over the years. Taxi, season 4, episode 20: “Elegant … Continue reading Golden Words — “Elegant Iggy”
These posts are about great acting performances sustained across the full run of a television series. Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings in The Americans (2013-2018) When The Americans made its debut on FX, a mere five years ago, its premise … Continue reading The Long Haul —Keri Russell in The Americans
True story: When I was a wee child, springing from bed far too early once per week because I was excited to watch Saturday morning cartoons, I soothed the anxiousness that arose when I switched on the set to be … Continue reading Programming Note — TV Week
Coffee for Two 