Emily Nussbaum
Emily Nussbaum, a staff writer, won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2016. She is the author of “I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution”and “Cue The Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV.”
How “The Real World” Created Modern Reality TV
The rules governing everything from “Big Brother” to “The Real Housewives” started three decades ago, with a radical experiment on MTV.
Is “Love Is Blind” a Toxic Workplace?
Reality-TV contestants are barely paid, and the experience can feel like abuse. Former cast members of Netflix’s megahit are speaking out—and calling for solidarity.
Country Music’s Culture Wars and the Remaking of Nashville
Tennessee’s government has turned hard red, but a new set of outlaw songwriters is challenging Music City’s conservative ways—and ruling bro-country sound.
The Couple Behind TV’s Boldest Shows
After making “The Good Wife,” Robert and Michelle King went rogue, creating wildly experimental series that capture the vertigo of post-Trump America.
Fiona Apple’s Art of Radical Sensitivity
For years, the elusive singer-songwriter has been working, at home, on an album with a strikingly raw and percussive sound. But is she prepared to release it into the world?
Uncertain Attraction in “Work in Progress” and “Dare Me”
An indie comedy about a misfit looking for love, and a clear-eyed examination of a small town full of dangerously bored kids take new spins on established genres.
I Love Top Ten Lists
Here are more than ten shows that I happened to like and remember on the day that I wrote this list.
The Incendiary Aims of HBO’s “Watchmen”
Damon Lindelof’s update to Alan Moore’s graphic novel is a bombshell, reordering the fictional universe and writing buried racial trauma back into comic-book mythology.
The Search for Pizzazz at the Impeachment Reality Show
The Democrats keep on reciting facts, but is it wrong to fantasize that the way out is narrative?
Mixed Débuts on Apple TV+ in “The Morning Show” and “Dickinson”
Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell’s depiction of a #MeToo crisis is a pricey, glum misfire, while Emily Dickinson’s makeover is a sweet and original surprise.
“Evil,” “9-1-1,” and the Appeal of the Network Procedural
In the era of cable and streaming, there’s still life in old-school formats.
In Ukraine, a TV President to Rival Trump
Before Volodymyr Zelensky was elected President, he played the part in “Servant of the People,” a genre-bending series that blends Ryan Murphy wackiness with Sorkinian uplift (minus the hubris).
“Our Boys” and the Economics of Empathy
The galvanic new series, set in Israel, emphasizes how easily dehumanizing rhetoric can sway vulnerable minds, a theme that should feel uncomfortably relevant to American viewers.
The Niche Celebrity Satire of “BH90210”
A sweet meta-reboot of the hit nineties teen soap opera is just smart enough to feel clever, just silly enough to feel relaxing, a guilty pleasure by design.
“Sherman’s Showcase” Celebrates a Lost TV Genre
Each episode is a loving homage to a fake “Soul Train”-like show and its iconic host.
“Years and Years” Forces Us Into the Future
The dystopian-realist series is meant to serve as an alarm, an alert to what’s going on in front of our eyes and where it might lead.
Off-Kilter Humor on “Los Espookys” and “Alternatino”
The surreal, absurdist aesthetics of the silly and satisfying new series can be loose and healthily illogical, with plenty of big laughs.
How “When They See Us” and “Chernobyl” Make Us Look
These new true-story series manage to make depressing, traumatic material not merely watchable but mesmerizing.
TV’s Reckoning with #MeToo
Many creators are visibly struggling to adjust to the changing landscape, rejecting the “very special episode” path and seeking something more honest and original.
What Survives After the “Game of Thrones” Finale
The real Iron Throne may be the sort of appointment TV that the show represented.
How “The Real World” Created Modern Reality TV
The rules governing everything from “Big Brother” to “The Real Housewives” started three decades ago, with a radical experiment on MTV.
Is “Love Is Blind” a Toxic Workplace?
Reality-TV contestants are barely paid, and the experience can feel like abuse. Former cast members of Netflix’s megahit are speaking out—and calling for solidarity.
Country Music’s Culture Wars and the Remaking of Nashville
Tennessee’s government has turned hard red, but a new set of outlaw songwriters is challenging Music City’s conservative ways—and ruling bro-country sound.
The Couple Behind TV’s Boldest Shows
After making “The Good Wife,” Robert and Michelle King went rogue, creating wildly experimental series that capture the vertigo of post-Trump America.
Fiona Apple’s Art of Radical Sensitivity
For years, the elusive singer-songwriter has been working, at home, on an album with a strikingly raw and percussive sound. But is she prepared to release it into the world?
Uncertain Attraction in “Work in Progress” and “Dare Me”
An indie comedy about a misfit looking for love, and a clear-eyed examination of a small town full of dangerously bored kids take new spins on established genres.
I Love Top Ten Lists
Here are more than ten shows that I happened to like and remember on the day that I wrote this list.
The Incendiary Aims of HBO’s “Watchmen”
Damon Lindelof’s update to Alan Moore’s graphic novel is a bombshell, reordering the fictional universe and writing buried racial trauma back into comic-book mythology.
The Search for Pizzazz at the Impeachment Reality Show
The Democrats keep on reciting facts, but is it wrong to fantasize that the way out is narrative?
Mixed Débuts on Apple TV+ in “The Morning Show” and “Dickinson”
Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell’s depiction of a #MeToo crisis is a pricey, glum misfire, while Emily Dickinson’s makeover is a sweet and original surprise.
“Evil,” “9-1-1,” and the Appeal of the Network Procedural
In the era of cable and streaming, there’s still life in old-school formats.
In Ukraine, a TV President to Rival Trump
Before Volodymyr Zelensky was elected President, he played the part in “Servant of the People,” a genre-bending series that blends Ryan Murphy wackiness with Sorkinian uplift (minus the hubris).
“Our Boys” and the Economics of Empathy
The galvanic new series, set in Israel, emphasizes how easily dehumanizing rhetoric can sway vulnerable minds, a theme that should feel uncomfortably relevant to American viewers.
The Niche Celebrity Satire of “BH90210”
A sweet meta-reboot of the hit nineties teen soap opera is just smart enough to feel clever, just silly enough to feel relaxing, a guilty pleasure by design.
“Sherman’s Showcase” Celebrates a Lost TV Genre
Each episode is a loving homage to a fake “Soul Train”-like show and its iconic host.
“Years and Years” Forces Us Into the Future
The dystopian-realist series is meant to serve as an alarm, an alert to what’s going on in front of our eyes and where it might lead.
Off-Kilter Humor on “Los Espookys” and “Alternatino”
The surreal, absurdist aesthetics of the silly and satisfying new series can be loose and healthily illogical, with plenty of big laughs.
How “When They See Us” and “Chernobyl” Make Us Look
These new true-story series manage to make depressing, traumatic material not merely watchable but mesmerizing.
TV’s Reckoning with #MeToo
Many creators are visibly struggling to adjust to the changing landscape, rejecting the “very special episode” path and seeking something more honest and original.
What Survives After the “Game of Thrones” Finale
The real Iron Throne may be the sort of appointment TV that the show represented.