Cultural Learnings
[The following are longer pieces of analysis/commentary posted here at Cultural Learnings.]
Scatology over Seriality: The missed opportunity of the still very good American Vandal season two [September 2018]
The Peter Kavinsky “Problem”: How building an Internet Boyfriend threatens the sequels to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before [August 2018]
It’s details, not dicks, that make American Vandal a masterpiece [September 2017]
No One Made Her Do This: The Trouble With Taylor Swift Tix [August 2017]
Erasing Herself From The Narrative: Taylor Swift and the absence of intimacy in the launch of Reputation [August 2017]
Serving Fans (Notice): The End of Skam [June 2017]
Adapting Skam [A Five-Part Series] [April 2017]
Putting Skam into perspective: Narrative focus and Skam’s growing fandom [April 2017]
13 Reasons Why is a teen show built for Netflix, for better or worse [April 2017]
No one watched a great Emmys telecast, which really shouldn’t surprise us [September 2016]
Choose Your Own TV Future: Pantheon University and Amateur Webseries [July 2016]
The strangest thing about Stranger Things is its (potentially) undefined future [June 2016]
CBS vs. End Times: Notes on the apparent death of Limitless [May 2016]
The Empty Cup Awards: It’s About Verismilitude in TV Production [May 2016]
Keep Your Money, I Got My Own: Lemonade and TIDAL Exclusivity [April 2016]
Louis C.K. was making a TV show: Of course he went into debt [April 2016]
Why The Walking Dead Didn’t Promise To Leave Georgia [March 2016]
Handicapping Hannibal’s Future: Netflix, Amazon, and Gaumont’s Unknown Design [June 2015]
Reality Spoilers: Why The Jinx Can Be Spoiled (Even If It Should Be) [March 2015]
Where Pilots Matter?: Amazon’s January 2015 Pilot Cycle [January 2015]
Cultural Interview: PBS Digital Studios’ Frankenstein M.D. [August 2014]
Come and Stream Your Songs?: The Jukebox Soundtrack in the YouTube Spotify Era [August 2014]
- Analysis of the success of Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Billboard No. 1 soundtrack.
At the Knick: A Transmedia Intivation to an Uninviting World [August 2014]
- Analysis of the transmedia campaign for the Steven Soderbergh-directed Cinemax series.
Cultural Interview: Quick Draw‘s John Lehr on Being Renewed at Hulu [August 2014]
- A discussion of the metrics of success/failure on the streaming site with the series’ showrunner.
Self-Gatekeeping: The Shifting Demographics of the 10/90 [August 2014]
The Court of Popular Discourse: The Authorship of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy [August 2014]
- Analysis of the negotiation of authorship between credited writers Nicole Perlman and James Gunn.
Heart-Shaped Hole: Game of Thrones Season 4 and the Death of Reader Certainty [June 2014]
- A spoiler-filled take on the deviations from the books on which the HBO series is based.
Sitcom and the Standup Experience: NBC’s Undateable [May 2014]
- A take on the series’ negotiation of standup in the promotion leading to its premiere.
Negotiating 101: Sony, Hulu, and Community Season 6 [May 2014]
- Analysis of the discourse around the —eventually failed—negotiations between Sony and Hulu.
What Genre is This?: How We Classify Webseries [May 2014]
- A post considering how we apply traditional generic categories to web content.
2 Channels of Discovery: YouTube, Stardom, and 5 Seconds of Summer [April 2014]
- Analysis of the narratives of discovery around emerging boy band 5 Seconds of Summer within their U.S. debut.
Discourse of Thrones: Jaime, Cersei, and Confronting Rape [April 2014]
- A consideration of the debate and discourse surrounding Game of Thrones contested depiction of rape in its fourth season.
“Just Remember Me When…”: The Uncertain Legacies of the Veronica Mars Kickstarter [March 2014]
- A year-later look back at the successful crowdfunding campaign.
Cultural Interview: Lauren Iungerich on the end of her Awkward. Journey [December 2013]
- A two-part interview—Part One, Part Two—with Awkward creator Lauren Iungerich as she departs the MTV series after its third season.
So It’s Come to This: The Case for the Simpsons Clip Database [November 2013]
- A response to the announcement of The Simpsons’ arrival online. [Also cross-posted on Slate]
Better Without The Bear: How The Cancellation Bear Damages Ratings Culture [October 2013]
- Analysis of how TV By The Numbers’ discourse affects how ratings are discussed online.
Interview: Hell on Wheels showrunner John Wirth [October 2013]
- A discussion with the veteran showrunner on the meaning of the title, and his experience working on shows others created.
It Came In Like a [Carefully Calculated] “Wrecking Ball” [September 2013]
- A consideration of the effect of streaming metrics being added to the Billboard Hot 100.
Demographics of Anarchy: Netflix, Afterword, and Gender [September 2013]
- Considering Sons of Anarchy’s increased female viewership in light of its non-linear presence.
The Race to Address Race in Orange is the New Black [August 2013]
- A criticism of articles about the Netflix series that fail to respond to the entire first season.
“About the Web? On the Web.” – Lena Waithe’s Twenties [August 2013]
- Analysis of the challenges facing a cable-focused pilot presentation tied to—and seen on—the web.
Recap by Default: Why Terminology Matters to How We Write About Writing About TV [August 2013]
- A reflection on the ubiquity of “recap” to describe the work of television critics in popular discourse.
The Familiar Five: Reflections on a Summer Movie Marathon [June 2013]
- A breakdown of the experience of seeing five movies in a cineplex over a fourteen-hour period.
Mad Men and the Narrative Engine of Place in Season 6 [June 2013]
- An analysis of the sixth season finale focused on its use of space and place.
The Fallacy of the Showrunner Fallacy (And why it’s still productive) [June 2013]
- A response to a New Republic article criticizing showrunner-focused analysis of TV.
Why would Dan Harmon return to Community? [May 2013]
- Considering the logic behind the rumored—then confirmed—return of the Community showrunner.
That was (writing about) Arrested Development: TV Criticism in a Binge-Viewing Era [May 2013]
- Reflections on writing episodic criticism of Netflix’s all-at-once release of the series’ fourth season.
Lydia, Legacy, and the End of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries [March 2013]
- A consideration of the transmedia narrative experience and legacy of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
- A continued analysis of the evolving transmedia campaigns surrounding the HBO series.
Alone in a Dark Place: Building Byzantium for Cinemax’s Hunted [October 2012]
- Analysis of the distinctive transmedia campaign for the Cinemax series.
Why Netflix and DirecTV Probably Don’t Actually Want The Killing [August 2012]
- On the logic of new content providers saving failed series from cable or broadcast.
Re-Lived Liveness: NBC’s Tape-Delayed Olympics Commentary [August 2012]
- Analysis of how commentators construct liveness in their taped commentary in London 2012.
Unheard and Unheralded: White Collar‘s Problems with Class (and Beyond) [July 2012]
- Analysis of the USA series’ representations of race and class.
An Animated Adventure Into Adolescence: Disney’s Gravity Falls [July 2012]
- How the Disney Channel series reflects the liminality of its pre-teen audiences.
Cultural Interview: Awkward. Creator Lauren Iungerich [June 2012]
Welcoming the Zeitgeist: One Direction’s Saturday Night Invasion [April 2012]
- Thoughts on logic behind the modern boy band’s appearance on the NBC series.
The Search for Significance: The TV Industry and the Golden Globes [January 2012]
- Considering the relationship between legitimacy and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Transmedia Legitimation: Dark Score Stories and the A&E Brand [November 2011]
- Analysis of the transmedia campaign for A&E’s Stephen King TV movie, Bag of Bones.
Funny Business: Critical Analysis of Television Comedies [October 2011]
Cultural Reading: George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons [July 2011]
- A review, with spoilers, of the latest book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Hiding Behind the Brand: How The Killing Threatens the Future of AMC [June 2011]
- A look at how the backlash against The Killing finale threatened AMC’s brand.
Cultural Reading: Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy [June 2011]
- Thoughts on the series’ limitations and the challenges facing the upcoming film adaptations.
Pandering to the Demo: The Critics’ Choice Television Awards [June 2011]
- Analysis of the vague, problematic makeup of this new Emmy alternative.
Winter Comes Early: Access, Game of Thrones and HBO Go [May 2011]
- Thoughts on the impact of HBO releasing an episode a week early on their new online streaming service.
Re-Serializing Sports Entertainment: Jeff Katz’s Wrestling Revolution [May 2011]
- Thoughts on a (now funded) Kickstarter initiative to offer a heavily serialized alternative to the WWE.
Questions of Taste: Dissecting the Dissection of Early Reviews of HBO’s Game of Thrones [Apr. 2011]
- Thoughts on fan response to negative (and positive) early reviews of the HBO series.
Mildred vs. the Miniseries: Structure and Scheduling in HBO’s Mildred Pierce [Mar. 2011]
- Considering the form of the long-form storytelling of the HBO miniseries.
Endangered Species: What the Emmy Merge Means for the Miniseries Form [Feb. 2011]
- An analysis of the way the Emmy Awards merger of movie/miniseries might change the production culture surrounding those forms.
Achieving Authenticity: Unboxing (the Unboxing Of) Games of Thrones‘ Maester’s Path [Feb. 2011]
- Analysis of the transmedia storytelling experience designed for the debut of the HBO series.
- A response to discussions of the origins of post-air analysis TV criticism.
All Alone in the Moonlight: The Muddled Memory-Making of the 2011 Grammys [Feb. 2011]
- A consideration of history and meaning in regards to this year’s ceremony.
Once More Unto the Breach: Kurt Sutter vs. Journalistic Ethics [Feb. 2011]
- Thoughts on Kurt Sutter’s war with an interviewer over controversial statements from Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam.
Rebel Without a Cause: Kurt Sutter’s War on (Some) Critics [Dec. 2010]
- Analysis of Kurt Sutter’s attack on critics regarding the reception of Sons of Anarchy’s third season.
“It’s Not Fantasy, It’s HBO”: Going Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones [Dec. 2010]
- Thoughts on HBO’s early online engagement with fans of the George R.R. Martin adaptation.
From Artifact to Aimlessness: Robin Sparkles in HIMYM’s “Glitter” [Nov. 2010]
- A continuation of my analysis of Robin Sparkles and HIMYM’s imagined Canada.
The Construction of Race in Modern Family’s Second Season [Nov. 2010]
- Thoughts on the show’s problematic early season representation of race and ethnicity.
Lone Star Lament: Kyle Killen and the Series’ Rise and Demise at Flow 2010 [Oct. 2010]
- A report on Kyle Killen’s post-cancellation interview in Austin.
Label Lamentation: The Growing Misuse of “Recap” in TV Criticism Semantics [Sept. 2010]
- An analysis of the falsely synonymous use of recap and review in online circles.
Interview: Talking Huge with Savannah Dooley [Sept. 2010]
- An interview with the co-developer/writer for the ABC Family series.
Worked Over?: Jaclyn Santos’ Online Reclamation of her Work of Art Narrative [Aug. 2010]
- An analysis of one contestant’s online efforts to deconstruct editorial narrative.
Who is Miles Mendenhall? Confronting Work of Art’s Enigmatic Anti-Hero [Aug. 2010]
- An analysis of the most polarizing contestant on Bravo’s summer reality series.
Misdirected Scorn: Why 18 to Life Deserves Parole [Aug. 2010]
- An analysis of American critical response to the Canadian import.
Could “C” Stand for Community: Musings on the Role of the TCA [July 2010]
- An analysis of the current role of the Television Critics’ Association.
A Phantom Menace: Weiner’s Mad Men Spoiler War Misses Target [July 2010]
- An analysis of Matthew Weiner’s war on spoilers leading up to Mad Men’s S4 premiere.
Some Extraction Required: Sharing the Experience of Interpreting Inception [July 2010]
- An analysis of Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster, Inception.
Point of View: Bravo’s Work of Art a (Fascinating) Piece of Work [July 2010]
- An analysis of the subversive and reductive elements of Bravo’s summer reality oddity.
Turning Over the Keys: Musical Guests in Reality Competition Programming [July 2010]
- An analysis of how reality competition programs integrate musical acts into their narratives.
Rumination vs. Revelation: Pixar, the Remarkable, and Toy Story 3 [June 2010]
- An analysis of Toy Story 3’s place within the trilogy and within Pixar’s films as a whole.
Trials and Transformations: Reflections on Watching The Biggest Loser [June 2010]
- An analysis of the reality series’ appeal, as well as its failures.
A Serialized Man: The Narrative Pleasures of The Tobolowsky Files [May 2010]
- An analysis of Stephen Tobolowsky’s narrative-focused podcast series.
Reflections on Reviewing Lost [May 2010]
- An analysis of how reviewing Lost helped form my critical perspective.
Davis and Defictionalization: Treme’s Inherited Crisis of Continuity [April 2010]
- An analysis of how Treme’s connection to The Wire forces its characters into a particular context.
Procedural Pacing: Why Justified’s Non-Serial episodes are justified [April 2010]
- An analysis of gradual serialization within the FX series.
Moving into a Higher Genre Bracket: Catching up with Fringe [April 2010]
- An analysis of catching up with the second season of FOX’s science fiction series.
The Malorian Enigma: Starz’s Camelot and the Misguided Adaptation [March 2010]
- An extended analysis of the challenges facing adaptations of Malory’s Le Morte Darthur.
Scene-ic Storytelling: Philosophy and Memorability in SyFy’s Caprica [March 2010]
- An analysis of Caprica’s unique form of structural serialization.
You Say Apology, I Say Shifting Blame: Big Love’s Chloe Sevigny vs. Context [March 2010]
- An analysis of the fallout from Chloe Sevigny’s interview with The A.V. Club.
Excellence on Selective Terms: Rewarding Series Television at the Peabody Awards [March 2010]
- An analysis of single episode vs. seasonal recognition at the Peabodys.
Agency begets Tragedy: Ruminations on catching up with Breaking Bad [March 2010]
- An analysis of the first two seasons of the AMC series.
Winter is Still Coming: HBO takes Game of Thrones to Series [March 2010]
- An analysis of the challenges and opportunities for the George R.R. Martin fantasy adaptation.
Battlestar Baggage: Why Caprica Deserves to Be Judged on its Own Merits [Feb. 2010]
- An analysis of how the shadow of BSG’s finale unfairly hangs over Caprica.
- An extended analysis of HIMYM’s depiction of Canada.
I’ve Been in This Town So Long: Serial Subtexts in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains [Feb. 2010]
- An analysis of continuities within Survivor’s 20th season.
What’s My Genre Again: The In(s)anity of the Saturn Awards [Feb. 2010]
- An analysis of genre confusion at the annual Saturn Awards.
Big Like: Appreciation vs. Adoration in Three Seasons of Big Love [Jan. 2010]
- An analysis of my time catching up with the HBO drama series.
The Scourge of Fandom: Why Lost Owes Us Nothing [Jan. 2010]
- An analysis of the culture of expectation leading into Lost’s sixth season.
Missed Diagnosis: Narrative Pollution in Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures [Jan. 2010]
- An analysis of narrative muddling in the HBO Canada miniseries.
More Than One Way To Steal a Scene: Scene Thievery in Television Comedy [Jan. 2010]
- An analysis of the definition of “scene-stealer” in television comedy.
Credits where Credits Are (Or Aren’t) Due [Jan. 2010]
- Analysis of what makes a good opening credits sequence, and why Nurse Jackie’s is terrible.
A Whole New World: World Building in Scrubs and Avatar [Dec. 2009]
- An analysis of Avatar’s illumination of world-building challenges facing the ninth season of Scrubs.
AMC’s The Prisoner and Transmedia Participation [Nov. 2009]
- An analysis of the missed opportunities for transmedia storytelling in AMC’s miniseries, and the resulting audience response.
Glee and the Limitations of Reality Competition Narrative [Nov. 2009]
- An analysis of how Glee’s character development and story structure relates to that of American Idol, and the limitations therein.
Chuck vs. Fan Management vs. Fan Facilitation [Nov. 2009]
- An analysis of NBC’s mismanagement of Chuck’s fanbase and its transmedia potential following the successful “Save Chuck” campaign in Spring 2009.
Screw Dramedy: How We Distinguish Between Comic and Dramatic Television [Nov. 2009]
- An analysis of how audience preference defines genre, and this can often contradict arbitrary distinctions within the television industry.
Winter is Finally Coming: Anticipating HBO’s Game of Thrones [Aug. 2009]
- Analysis of fan response/coverage of HBO’s in-development adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Tactless Logic: The Emmy Awards Time-Shifting Fiasco [Aug. 2009]
- Analysis of the industry protest over planned changes to 2009 Emmy Awards broadcast.
Cold Water Commentaries: Ronald D. Moore and the End of Speculation [Feb. 2009]
- Analysis of Ronald D. Moore’s efforts to calm fan speculation leading up to final episodes of Battlestar Galactica.
It is Written: Slumdog Millionaire, Reality Television and the Power of Inevitability [Dec. 2008]
- Analysis of Slumdog Millionaire’s relationship with reality show narrative structures within its Oscar-winning story.
- Analysis of how Fringe plays against serialized expectations of audience engagement present in J.J. Abrams’ other works.
Did Lost’s Flashforwards Spoil its Own Finale? [June 2008]
- A discussion of whether Lost’s flashforwards ruined the suspense surrounding its fourth season finale.
Sound Off! on Hey! Nielsen – A Four Part Series [Oct. 2007] [1] [2] [3] [4]
- Analysis of now defunct social media site Hey! Nielsen and its attempts to measure fan participation.
The ‘Jeriatrics’: How Baby Boomers are Saving Jericho [Aug. 2007]
- Analysis of the surprising demographics of the individuals who helped resurrect Jericho in Summer, 2007.
Why Fall Pilots are Leaking Online, and why Networks Should Embrace It [July 2007]
- Analysis of the value of networks releasing the pilots of new series online ahead of their fall debut.
Sci-Futility: Why ‘Heroes’ and ‘Jericho’ will End Up Like ‘Lost’ [March 2007]
- Analysis of the inevitably diminishing returns for the serialized science fiction drama series with large initial sampling.
Antenna: Responses to Media and Culture
[The following are contributions I have made to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Communication Arts blog, Antenna, which features a collection of scholars and graduate students commenting on media and culture as it happens. You can also find all of my contributions here.]
Pre-Prime: HBO’s Off-Channel Revenue Legacy [April 2014]
- A historical framework for considering HBO’s partnership with Amazon Prime for streaming select HBO programming.
Bro-Friendly Fandom: The Blue Mountain State Kickstarter [April 2014]
- A consideration of the gendered dimensions of crowdfunding campaigns and fandom more broadly.
Negotiating Authorship: Showrunners on Twitter VI [December 2013]
- Analysis of Twitter as a space where creators and non-creating showrunners negotiate claims to authorship.
The Personal Stakes of Social Media: Showrunners [Off] Twitter V [October 2013]
- A consideration of Damon Lindelof’s departure from Twitter.
Self-Important Spectacle: The 2013 Emmy Awards [September 2013]
- An analysis of the 2013 Emmy Awards ceremony and its misguided celebration of television.
Disney Infinity: A Three-Part Series [August 2013]
- Analysis of the Disney Interactive gaming platform as A Low Risk-Revolution, A Promotional Platform, and as Behind the P(l)aywall.
Why Netflix is Not Emmy’s Online Vanguard [July 2013]
- Analysis of what Netflix’s House of Cards means for the place of web television at the Emmys.
Interview: Alan Sepinwall on The Revolution Was Televised [July 2013]
ESPN, Wimbledon, and the Limits of Broadcasting Equality [July 2013]
- A consideration of gender equality in ESPN’s broadcast of the Women’s Semifinals at Wimbledon 2013.
Send in the Clones: Tatiana Maslany vs. the Emmy Awards [June 2013]
- A breakdown of the—ultimately unsuccessful—Emmy campaign for the Orphan Black star.
All My Commodities: Valuing the Online Soap Opera [April 2013]
- Analysis of the distribution plans for Prospect Park’s revival of All My Children and One Life To Live.
Framing a Legacy: The Office’s Diegetic Documentary [April 2013]
- Thoughts on the role of the documentary crew and their film in the NBC series’ final season.
Kickstarting Veronica Mars: A Moment in a Movement [March 2013]
- On understanding Kickstarting as not a procedural act but, rather, as a social experience.
One World, Two Ways In (For Some): Syfy’s Defiance [February 2013]
- How the Syfy series’ transmedia initiative highlighted gendered realities of convergence.
Production Mythology, Release Reality: Syfy’s Defiance [January 2013]
- How the Syfy series/game’s release schedule ties into industrial uncertainties.
Mediating the Past: Licensing History, One Game At a Time [November 2012]
- On the Assassin’s Creed series’ licensing—and disciplining—of history as cultural capital.
The Broadcast Battleground of the 2012 Emmy Awards [September 2012]
- How the Emmy broadcast allows networks to assert claims to quality against cable dominance.
Save “Their” Show: Public Appeals of Studio Campaigning [August 2012]
- How production studios leverage online journalists to help revive their canceled series.
The Cheese Stands Alone: Downton Abbey’s Emmy Coup [July 2012]
- Analysis of how PBS’ hit series benefited from a category switch from Miniseries to Drama Series.
Campaign Contributions: “Mainstreaming” the Emmy Race [July 2012]
- How the “For Your Consideration” Emmy campaign broke out into mainstream outlets.
Upfronts 2012: “Save our Show (On the Industry’s Margins)” [May 2012]
- On the invisibility of “Save our Show” campaigns for shows aimed at devalued audiences.
Stranded on the TV Battleground: Hulu’s Invisible Original [May 2012]
- A discussion of the online platform’s struggle to promote their first original series, Battleground.
Imported by Justin Bieber: Carly Rae Jepsen and Transnational Stardom [April 2012]
- How the “Call Me Maybe” singer’s Canadian past was elided in her U.S. breakout.
Specter of Legitimation: The Fading of NBC’s Thursday Legacy [January 2012]
- Thoughts on how NBC’s past haunts its efforts to schedule its most historically successful night.
Promoting an Uncertain Future: Showrunners (on Hiatus) on Twitter IV [January 2012]
- The fourth in a series on Showrunners on Twitter, focused on the platform as a space for fan involvement and/or activism.
A Song of Ice and Trading Cards: Licensing HBO’s Game of Thrones [November 2011]
- How licensing the series intersects with discourses of quality and authenticity.
The Rise and Fall of @Sutterink: Showrunners [Off] Twitter III [August 2011]
- The third in a series, covering Kurt Sutter’s decision to leave Twitter amidst growing controversy.
How the Categories Got Their Shapes: Eligibility & the Emmy Nominations [July 2011]
- Thoughts on how Academy guidelines and limitations can result in some odd categorical confusion.
The Rhythm of a City Out of Sync: The Disrupted Spaces of Treme [May 2011]
- A contribution to an ongoing series covering the second season of the HBO series.
Spaces of Speculation: How We Learned Osama Bin Laden Was Dead [May 2011]
- A consideration of how different forms of media transmitted news of Bin Laden’s death.
The State of Reality TV: When in the World is Project Runway? [February 2011]
- A look at the short and sporadic life spans of the international versions of Project Runway.
The Gilded Globes: Legitimacy Amidst Controversy [January 2011]
- Analysis of the controversy over Ricky Gervais’ hosting of the annual awards ceremony.
WikiLeaks “Bombshell”: The CBC is the Enemy [December 2010]
- A look at the leaked U.S. memos revealing concern over the portrayal of Americans in Canadian programming.
Dancing with Democracy [November 2010]
- Analysis of Bristol Palin’s run on Dancing with the Stars and reality TV’s relationship with democracy.
Late to the Party: Twin Peaks (1990-91) [November 2010]
- Thoughts on watching the series’ pilot in the context of its cult status.
Replying with the Enemy: Showrunners on Twitter II [November 2010]
- The second in a series, this time focusing on Dan Harmon’s public battle(s) with Twitter users.
Television and the Haunted Holiday [October 2010]
- Thoughts on the value and form of Halloween-based episodes of television.
Tweets of Anarchy: Showrunners on Twitter [September 2010]
- The first in a series about television showrunners and their social media engagement through Twitter.
The A.V. Club
[The following are article-length contributions I have made as a contributor at The A.V. Club, in addition to covering a number of series on a week-to-week basis. You can find all of my contributions here.]
Carpool Karaoke recharged late-night TV, but it’s running on fumes [August 2018]
A spoonful of sitcom synergy: 25 years of the “Disney episode” [April 2018]
“Skip intro”: Netflix could’ve saved TV title sequences, but now it’s killing them [September 2017]
The whole sitcom’s out of order [May 2016]
Drew was never a TV show, so why does it seem like CBS canceled it? [May 2016]
When fan engagement goes wrong [April 2016]
How do you turn a suspense thriller into one of TV’s most playful procedurals? [February 2016]
Constantine proves that social media still can’t save a TV show’s soul [May 2015]
The uncertain fate of TV’s most radical get-rich-quick scheme [August 2014]
On Hulu, the chicken enchilada comes before the egg [April 2014]
- A “For Our Consideration” on brand-produced content by Subway and Chipotle on Hulu.
Webseries phenom The Lizzie Bennet Diaries made it to 100 Episodes (And beyond) [February 2014]
- A 100 Episodes installment on the transmedia webseries.
The Office shows the pitfalls of fake reality becoming “real” [February 2013]
- A “For Our Consideration” on The Office’s acknowledgement of its documentary crew.
How Fraggle Rock taught kids about society and community in 10 episodes [December 2012]
- A TV Club 10 installment on the legacy of the Jim Henson company series.
Cultural Learnings