Television

black CRT television
Photo by Victória Kubiaki on Unsplash

Who misses rabbit ears? Anyone? Anyone? ;-)

On Looking At HBO Max's "Julia"

Rebecca Deniston
·
April 30, 2022
On Looking At HBO Max's "Julia"

When I found out HBO Max was running a TV series about the making of Julia Child’s classic show, The French Chef, I was intrigued. From the first episode, I’ve been hooked. A lot of us have seen Nora Ephron’s swan song, Julie and Julia (read my blog post on the film

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The Staircase (2022), Part One

Rebecca Deniston
·
May 7, 2022
The Staircase (2022), Part One

The Staircase follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who’s the prime suspect in the death of his wife, Kathleen, when she’s found at the bottom of their stairs with several blunt force trauma blows to the back of her head. The case is often touted as the first true crime story. I don’t agree with that idea, because as long as there have been mass me…

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The Staircase (2022), Part Two

Rebecca Deniston
·
May 21, 2022
The Staircase (2022), Part Two

OK. We’re back for the next two installments of The Staircase, not to mention more Colin Firth because he’s apparently our accidental guest of honor this month. Hope he doesn’t mind. Anyway, those who might have missed Part One can find it here. Now, let’s get going.

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Stranger Things 4 (2022)

Rebecca Deniston
·
June 8, 2022
Stranger Things 4 (2022)

Stranger Things is back. And all the people said, “Finally!” If anyone hasn’t seen Season Three or doesn’t want spoilers of any kind (and I can’t blame you), feel free to skip the next few paragraphs because spoilers are unavoidable. The Byers, along with Eleven, are living in California, where they appear to be thriving. Kind of. Joyce is a tel…

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The Staircase (2022), Part Three

Rebecca Deniston
·
June 11, 2022
The Staircase (2022), Part Three

The final three episodes of The Staircase fizzle more than end. Michael Peterson is still in prison, but he has a chance to redeem himself via an Alford plea. He’s not crazy about this idea because he wants to maintain his innocence. Some of his family members aren’t crazy about it either because they firmly believe he’s guilty of Kathleen’s murd…

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"Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" Is Utter Garbage.

Rebecca Deniston
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September 3, 2022
"Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" Is Utter Garbage.

The Rings of Power isn’t Tolkien-esque in the slightest. It hides inside the Tolkien branding as if Middle-Earth is a Trojan horse and then springs its own agenda on the audience, all set against a boring, aimless, cliched background. Ugh. I’m really having trouble summoning any kind of positive energy for this series. I didn’t want to hate watch it. Pro…

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Samurai Gourmet (2017)

Rebecca Deniston
·
October 1, 2022
Samurai Gourmet (2017)

Asian TV rocks at presenting food. No matter what the characters are doing at any particular moment, they have to stop and have a meal, and when they have a meal, they have it. The meal is an event, a deep joy, and maybe an epiphany. Nothing against the Food Network, but they could learn a thing or two from Asian TV.

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Cobra Kai: Reboot and Role Reversal Done Right

Rebecca Deniston
·
October 15, 2022
Cobra Kai: Reboot and Role Reversal Done Right

Every once in a while, a remake kicks tail. Like, big-time tail. The YouTube-turned-Netflix series, Cobra Kai is one of those. I know I’m coming in late on this, but I recently got the chance to binge-watch it and was completely blown away. For those who haven’t seen it, the series initially focuses on Johnny Lawrence, who’s had a rough l…

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Wednesday (2022)

Rebecca Deniston
·
November 30, 2022
Wednesday (2022)

Netflix’s new series, Wednesday seems like the total package, right? Produced by Tim Burton, the grand pumbah of ironic macabre comedy, it’s got a great cast and Christina Ricci shows up. While it may not be exactly what we’ve come to expect from the Addams Family universe, it respectfully forges new territory for these characters.

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Daisy Jones and the Six (2023)

Rebecca Deniston
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March 8, 2023
Daisy Jones and the Six (2023)

Daisy Jones and the Six is a highly anticipated series, and its main draws, besides the fact that it stars Riley Keough, are the music and the major nineteen-seventies nostalgia hits. Its essential story, as others have pointed out, bears a remarkable resemblance to that of Fleetwood Mac. Its basic structure is that of a biopic, or more prec…

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The Diplomat (2023)

Rebecca Deniston
·
May 10, 2023
The Diplomat (2023)

The Diplomat is making quite an impression. That’s a pretty good feat for a show mostly centered around verbal chess in back rooms and a la minute damage control. Keri Russell stars as Ambassador Kate Wyler, who’s been sent to England after a British naval vessel mysteriously explodes, killing forty-one personnel, and her job is not only to fer…

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FUBAR (2023)

Rebecca Deniston
·
June 10, 2023
FUBAR (2023)

The first episode of FUBAR starts out pretty predictably. While “Sympathy For the Devil” plays over the scene (really?), a grizzled Arnold Schwarzenegger as Luke Brunner throws a lit cigar into a dumpster, which promptly bursts into flames. Yeesh. But then we get to hear him speaking German, so that’s cool.

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A Good Girl's Guide To Murder (2024)

Rebecca Deniston
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August 24, 2024
A Good Girl's Guide To Murder (2024)

Pip’s small English town has been touched by murder. Five years before the opening of A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, Andie Bell was mysteriously murdered and Sal Singh, Andie’s boyfriend and the guy who supposedly committed the crime apparently killed himself. While the town seems to have moved on a little bit, or at least ignores this dark …

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Apple Cider Vinegar (2025)

Rebecca Deniston
·
Feb 8
Apple Cider Vinegar (2025)

Belle Gibson claimed to be a brain cancer survivor who beat the odds with healthy eating and positive thinking. Her app, The Whole Pantry, was hugely popular, she had a cookbook deal, and thousands of loyal fans.

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