Topic: Television

What We Watched

'Bates Motel' Is One Seriously Weird Show

A&E

The third episode of A&E's new thriller series Bates Motel aired last night and, man, is that show weird. A less affected Twin Peaks? An Oregon-based, incest-twinged Stephen King story?

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 27, 2013

Where to Find This Year's Peabody Award Winners Online

What do Vladimir Putin, Lorne Michaels, Tibetan nomads, Dr. Who, a Japanese children's show, and Lena Dunham all have in common? They all caught the eye — as subject, storyteller, or both — of this year's Peabody Awards committee. Here's how to enjoy each, in just one click.

Comments | 1,051 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Mar 18, 2013

Reddit's Web Series to Show Its Smart Side

Existentialism, the Syrian Crisis, and volatility of the stock market—that's what the site's debut web series is tackling and, at the same time, is proving that the people behind a site that revels in memes like Socially Awkward Penguin and Actual Advice Mallard, are actually pretty smart and entertaining when they want to be. 

Comments

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 18, 2013

Verizon's Cable-TV Bundle Hack Is Too Cheap to Be True

Instead of paying cable-TV providers for a bundle of channels that nobody watches, Verizon wants to reward content owners for the viewers who tune in to each individual station, a plan that should lower costs — yay! — but that the Time Warners and Viacoms of the market aren't likely to adopt.

Comments | 3,966 Views

By Richard Lawson

Mar 11, 2013

Might 'The Bachelor' Never Go Away?

The New York Times has a chilling article today about the strangely renewed success of ABC's romance nightmare The Bachelor. After a few seasons of fading ratings, the fiance competition show has surged back, the current season (which ends tonight) posting seven percent growth in the all-important 18-49-year-old demographic over last year.

Comments | 4,081 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

Trimming the Times

Drone Denials, Inside the God Particle, and the Rise of Amazon Primetime

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 862 Views

By Esther Zuckerman and Richard Lawson

Feb 28, 2013

Your TV Guide to 2013's Wild New Pilots

We've sifted through all the 2013 television pilots to highlight the potential hits, the constantly recurring trends, and the ideas that are so crazy they just might work... but probably won't.  

Comments | 16,379 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 26, 2013

Trimming the Times

Yosemite's Glowing Moment, Yahoo's Office Decree, and the Next 'Downton'

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 862 Views

By Richard Lawson

Feb 18, 2013

Fantasy, We Have a Problem

Once Upon a Time has done well-enough, Fringe hobbled along as long as it could, and Fox's Awake made it to a second season, but so many others — AlcatrazDo No HarmLife On Mars — have tanked. Network television currently has a genre problem.

Comments | 5,150 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Feb 5, 2013

Today in Research

Fearful People Tend to Be More Politically Conservative

Discovered: the easily scared are more conservative by nature and politics; watching lots of TV linked to lower sperm count; a really big new prime number; Arctic squirrels that hibernate at sub-zero temperatures.

Comments | 1,813 Views

By Jen Doll

Jan 28, 2013

'Girls': How Can Good TV Feel So Bad?

If art's great power is making the person who interacts with that art feel something, you could argue that HBO's Girls is highly successful television. But if a TV show consistently makes a watcher feel bad, can it be good?

Comments | 7,384 Views

By Richard Lawson

Jan 23, 2013

How to Watch TV When Nothing's On

Last night I was faced with a terrible dilemma. There I was, safely inside after braving the miserable cold, ready to sit down on the sofa and settle into a cozy night of TV-watching. But then, to my horror, I realized something awful: There was nothing on.

Comments | 2,102 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jan 21, 2013

Trimming the Times

The Real Swearing-in, MIT vs. Aaron Swartz, and 'The Following'

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 674 Views

By Richard Lawson

Jan 8, 2013

How to Survive the Coming TV-mageddon

As happens every so often, this Sunday is a night when many important shows are airing or premiering at the same time. So which should you watch? What will best suit your tastes? Here, let us tell you.

Comments | 5,863 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jan 7, 2013

What the Next Season of TV Looks Like, Right Now

More networks will reveal new details throughout the week at the Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour, but here's what we've learned so far, from Steve Carrell's return to Donald Trump's real reality-show future.

Comments | 1,731 Views

By Richard Lawson

Jan 3, 2013

A Guide to Television's January Premieres

Now that New Year's has come and gone, we can finally say goodbye to television's holiday hiatus and start watching some new stuff again. So we've put together this quick guide highlighting the best of what will be on.

Comments | 5,929 Views

By Richard Lawson

Jan 3, 2013

2013 Can Only Get Better After This Epic Disaster of a New Year's Eve Broadcast

Tiny independent television station KDOC in Orange County is hoping the worst part of the year came at the beginning, after its first-ever live New Year's Eve broadcast, First Night 2013 hosted by Jamie Kennedy, turned into an epic disaster.

Comments | 5,752 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jan 2, 2013

Trimming the Times

Justice for Ground Zero Volunteers, Oil-Rig Troubles, and 2013 in Food

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 319 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Dec 31, 2012

Your 2013 New Year's Day Hangover, According to Netflix Instant

If you don't feel like watching football, tune in to these classic shows. They'll help you get through the day, hour by looming hour.

Comments | 21,760 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Dec 26, 2012

Trimming the Times

Luring Teenagers in Oil Country, Google's App Factory, and Indian TV

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 345 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Dec 11, 2012

Why Jon Stewart Really Almost Quit 'The Daily Show'

Thirteen years of history might not have happened, because of jerks, the host revealed at a recent fundraiser.

Comments | 9,304 Views

By Richard Lawson

Dec 5, 2012

Year in Review

The Best TV of 2012 (and the Worst)

From the youngs of Brooklyn to old-timey Jersey, the White Walkers to the regular old zombie walkers, here's our list of the 10 best television shows of the year ... and two that were not so much.

Comments | 13,614 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 4, 2012

What We Really Think About When We Watch Reality Television These Days

What are we really doing when we're sitting in front of the TV laughing at yet another smackdown between the Real Housewives of Wherever? Sometimes it's simple, sometimes it's more complicated, and the truth of the matter is, it probably varies for each of us. We look at 10 shows.

Comments | 2,710 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Nov 14, 2012

Google TV Makes Voice Controls Look Useful

Google has stepped into the future of television with its new voice recognition feature, a seemingly gimmicky addition, which Google manages to make look pretty useful.

Comments | 1,299 Views

By Richard Lawson

Oct 31, 2012

The Call Sheet

Nicholas Sparks Cannot Be Stopped

Today in show business news: America's favorite cheese monger moves to TV, Charlie Sheen is going to be an even richer man, and SNL announces some upcoming guests. 

Comments | 5,551 Views

By Richard Lawson

Oct 18, 2012

The Eleven TV Shows That (Probably) Won't Survive the Season

Word comes today that NBC has canceled its first-year veterinary sitcom Monkey Hospital Ape ER Dr. Doolittle's Wonderful, Blunderful ICU Animal Practice after weeks of poor ratings. What other shows are in danger? Let's take a look.

Comments | 12,683 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Oct 10, 2012

'Made in Jersey' Becomes the First Canceled Fall Show

Alas, Made in Jersey, we hardly knew ye.

Comments | 1,132 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Oct 8, 2012

Trimming the Times

SNL, Car Washes, and Dartmouth

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 2,242 Views

By Richard Lawson

Oct 1, 2012

How We Watched TV-mageddon

Last night was the most intense night of television so far this season—not necessarily because of the nature of the content, but because there was simply so much of it. Here's how we strategized for the big Sunday night.

Comments | 6,271 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Sep 25, 2012

Trimming the Times

The Arab Spring, Yom Kippur, and Women in Science

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 517 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Sep 24, 2012

Trimming the Times

Paul Ryan, Microsoft, and Fall Television

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 983 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Sep 18, 2012

Trimming the Times

A Robot, Michael B. Oren, and Christina Aguilera

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 172 Views

By Jen Doll

Sep 17, 2012

Some Sure-Fire, Can't-Miss, Imaginary TV Shows

If there is a magic to creating a successful TV show, NPR claims to have sort of maybe found it. Linda Holmes writes, as inspired by the premieres of two of the new fall shows tonight—Mob Doctor and Revolution—that just 25 words hold the key to all the TV we will see in the next 10 years.

Comments | 994 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Sep 17, 2012

Trimming the Times

Voter Fraud, Video Replay, and 'Revolution'

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 707 Views

By Richard Lawson

Sep 10, 2012

The Fall TV Preview

Now that we're almost in the middle of September, it's time for regular-season television shows to come back into our lives. So let's take a look at what's coming up and begin preparing our DVRs for all the hard work they'll soon be doing.

Comments | 9,339 Views

By Richard Lawson

Sep 6, 2012

Should You Wait or Not to Watch 'Downton Abbey'?

You, American Downton Abbey fan have a dilemma: Do we seek out bootlegs and torrents and all that illegal dirty business to watch the show in real-time with the Brits and thus (hopefully) when it airs next week avoid any spoilers, or do we patriotically wait to watch with the rest of our countrymen in January?

Comments | 6,959 Views

By Jen Doll and Richard Lawson

Aug 31, 2012

The TV Couples Who Should Have Lasted Forever

Yesterday brought us a rumor (via The New York Post) that Beverly Hills 90210's Kelly and Dylan, or Jennie Garth and Luke Perry, might actually be an item IRL. We can dream! While we're dreaming, we're going to dream big. Here are the other TV couples we want to see to forever and ever, onscreen or off.

Comments | 19,417 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Aug 31, 2012

Trimming the Times

Mississippi, Laura Robson, and DogTV

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 690 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Aug 24, 2012

Stat of the Day

Prime-Time Nudity Has Jumped 407%

Avert your eyes. The oft-offended Parents Television Council has found something a little less than family friendly when comparing the 2010-2011 television season to this one: 407 percent more naked people. 

Comments | 8,796 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Aug 20, 2012

Trimming the Times

The Republican National Convention, Ryanomics, and K-pop

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 862 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Aug 16, 2012

Dish's Broadband Satellite Expansion Won't Solve the Rural Internet Problem

In an attempt to make the Internet more available to people in rural areas, Dish is working on expanding its Broadband Satellite services to the whole of America, a source told The Wall Street Journal's William Launder and Shalini Ramachandran, but the cost may still pose a barrier to entry for many.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Aug 15, 2012

All's Not Well in the 'Downton' Season Three Trailer

Today we get a tantalizing glimpse of season three of Downton Abbey.

Comments | 2,944 Views

By Jen Doll

Aug 7, 2012

Our Intense, Brief Relationship with the Olympics

Let's set aside our snark and enjoy the time we have with the Olympics while we still can. We've only got until Sunday.

Comments | 1,028 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Aug 6, 2012

Trimming the Times

Hungry Duck in Moscow, Public Schools, and Usain Bolt

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 172 Views

By Jen Doll

Aug 2, 2012

Nathan Adrian Is the Olympic Crush America Needs

Nathan Adrian, 23, the U.S. swimmer who won the 100-meter freestyle Wednesday and set a world record, is the team's breakout star. We think he should get more attention. 

Comments | 45,670 Views

By Adam Martin

Jul 23, 2012

Frank Pierson, Writer of 'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'Cool Hand Luke,' Dead at 87

Frank Pierson, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Dog Day Afternoon and Cool Hand Luke, has died at the age of 87, after a career that saw him working in television on shows like Mad Men and The Good Wife right up to the end of his life.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jul 23, 2012

Trimming the Times

Spying at the Olympics, The Virgin Mary in Jersey, and 'Uncle Vanya'

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 750 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jul 16, 2012

Trimming the Times

Beverly Hills, Campaign Trail Quotes, and the Kennedys

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 357 Views

By Richard Lawson

Jul 10, 2012

You Watch TV Wrong

How should we be watching TV? Well, according to Slate's Jim Pagels, you should not be watching big heaping marathon hunks of it because that ruins the purity of the show or something.

Comments | 4,853 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Jun 29, 2012

Dating Is Just So Depressing

Every day The Atlantic Wire highlights the video clips that truly earn your five minutes (or less) of attention.

Comments | 2,976 Views

By Connor Simpson

Jun 17, 2012

Everyone Loves to Watch Spectacle Television

The ratings for ABC's tightrope walk are in, and the stunt pulled huge numbers, proving that people will flock to television we can all talk about. 

Comments | 1,035 Views

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