A New Season Begins
Let's pretend we've been off air for a few month and TFE's fall season starts tomorrow, 8 AM EST with a special Tuesday Top Ten day, reviews as Lists, or Lists as Lists, or Picture Lists or whatever -- top tens all day. Throw some confetti (TFE has, strangely, a devout but possessive following. Don't keep things you love to yourself: share, tweet and like your favorites! Donate a cup of coffee a month - see sidebar)
Whenever I announce a new season, I like to illustrate with ruthless programmer Diana Christensen even though she'd immediately cancel us for our ratings share and low episode counts
The Semi-Regulars
Mondays Monologues | Stage Door | Beauty vs. Beast
Tuesdays Top Ten | Curio | NEW OR RETURNING SERIES
Wednesdays NEW OR RETURNING | A Year With Kate - only 11 episodes left!
Thursdays AHS: Freakshow | NEW OR RETURNING | Tim's Toons
Fridays Posterized | Michael's Weekly Review
Saturdays Meet the Contenders | Nathaniel's Weekly Review
Sundays Box Office | Podcast
(This was one of the first blogs to treat itself like a tv network way way back when but now it's the norm across the web. Every one and all the corporate sites have recurring series now.) That's the basic building blocks of our network. We try for three regular series Monday through Thursday and two Fridays through Sundays) but as you know the site offers lots more than that: daily news items, trailer analysis, lotsa lotsa Oscar coverage, anniversary celebrations, occasional celebrity guests, and multiple surprises and special detours. I'm dying to relaunch "Actressland" (which isn't meant to be standalone comics once a year like it has been but a continuing weekly story - stay tuned!). I know that smackdowns & best shots (♥) have devout fans but there's just no way to juggle them during the constant barrage of Oscarifficness so they return in March 2015.
NEW INTERVIEWS
Lots coming up in the next few weeks including Guillermo del Toro, Patti Smith, Patricia Arquette, Chadwick Boseman, Birdman's composer, Noah's costume designer, and many more. Before the big wave of contenders catch up with some past chats since you probably missed a few. This year we've interviewed Guardian of the Galaxy's screenwriter, Pride's director, The director of an indie called Test, and stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton (that was a popular one!).
Last year's Interviews ICYMT
Oscar Winners: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club); Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club); Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) Oscar Nominees: Julie Delpy (Before Midnight), Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Costume Designer Michael O'Connor (Invisible Woman), Costume Designer Patricia Norris (12 Years a Slave): Globe Nominees Director Asghar Farhadi (The Past); Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha) ; Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Enough Said) ; Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks); And Still More Fine Talents! Colin Farrell (Saving Mr Banks); Jonathan Groff (Frozen); Brie Larson (Short Term 12); Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave); Joanna Scanlan (The Invisible Woman); Director Yen Tan (Pit Stop); Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave)
Which was your favorite interview last year and who do you hope we snag this time around?
Reader Comments (8)
I love when you interview costume designers. You're the only one who does that!
If Theadora Van Runkle were still alive...
I've loved A Year With Kate! Anne Marie has done an awesome and admirable job working her way through the good, the bad and the mediocre phases of Hepburn's career.
Sorry that Seasons of Bette fell by the wayside but maybe it's not too late to catch up and have Wrapping It Up With Bette with her last six nominated films as a year end mini-series!
joel6 -- me too. it's just been incredible (AYWK) though that makes 2015 daunting :)
peggysue - good cuz i love interviewing them.
A Year with Kate has been my favorite to read (there are many, many things on this site I like). I would suggest another series on Liz Taylor, Clift, even Heston because those histories cover so much of the history of the business from the studio days on and some of the greatest films or least most famous out there. I like that you have so much diversity and people writing about their areas of interest and not just one point of view and that you (and the team) are not afraid to comment on each others work. Thanks.
I feel the need to give a shout-out to Alexa for her Curio series which is brilliant in its own way and never seems to get much credit (as in: comments) here (which I'm also guilty of).
And another compliment to Anne Marie which managed to turn the Kate Hepburn indifference in me into appreciation so I have her to thank for ;)
Let the fall season begin ;) hope you get Viola Davis-like ratings (comments and subscriptions) but Mad Men-like quality of the articles :)
I kind of want to suggest that you stick with "Murder" just because you hate-watching something (like Smash) makes for such a fun read - and because I need you to enlighten the positives of Viola doing that show every week for me, or else I'm quitting ;)
And yes I'll think about your cup of coffee :)
As for favorite interviews, there's an obvious one I'd love for you to get: Juli Moore on the cusp of winning an Oscar. I'm sending positive vibes into the air for you.
Just came back to make sure podcasts were still on the Sunday schedule. Looking forward to having them back.
I hardly watch *any* TV (I'm one of those people that doesn't have one), and the only first-run shows I keep track of are "American Horror Story" and "RuPaul's Drag Race". The fact that your site recaps them only justifies this for me.
SO ready for the podcasts to be back. Looking forward to everyone's thoughts on TIFF, Gone Girl and all the other fall movies.