TV Review – ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1883’

By Abe Friedtanzer

Paramount Network, formerly known as TNN and Spike TV, has found its flagship series in Yellowstone, the Montana-set drama starring Kevin Costner currently airing its fourth season. It’s no surprise that the show’s immense popularity would create the desire for a spinoff, and instead, sister streaming service Paramount+ has opted for a prequel. Set more than a century before the original, 1883 is a pretty straightforward Western tracking the establishment of the Yellowstone Ranch that serves as the center property of the franchise…

These two shows come from Taylor Sheridan, writer of the underrated Hell or High Water and also director of Wind River and Those Who Wish Me Dead. After I sampled the pilot, I didn’t stick with Yellowstone, even though I did enjoy Longmire, which had a similar vibe, and I continue watching the Montana-set Big Sky for unknown reasons since it’s really not good at all. Objectively, 1883 probably appeals more since it has to do with the trek west during lawless times and the official establishment of an American presence in a rural region already populated by indigenous people...

Click to read more ...

27th annual Critics Choice TV nominations

The Critics Choice Association used to be two separate associations, one honoring film and one honoring TV and they merged once they decided to have their show together.  Nevertheless the voting is separate and the TV wing of the association announces their nominations first. (Those of us on the film side, don't start voting until tomorrow.) The new third season of Succession led the nominations with 8 while Mare of Easttown and Evil are in second place with five each. 

The nominations are after the jump...

Click to read more ...

"Passing" and "The Lost Daughter" lead Gotham Awards nominations

by Nathaniel R

It was a good year for forthcoming Netflix content helmed by actresses turned directors with the juries of the Gotham Awards. Rebecca Hall's artful black and white drama Passing and Maggie Gyllenhaal's artful thorny adaptation of the novel The Lost Daughter led the nominations. They'll hit Netflix on November 10th and December 31st respectively. With both the Gotham Awards and the often slighlty more mainstream Spirit Awards it can be hard to know exactly what is eligible. Usually budgets make all the difference in film (for example Power of the Dog was ineligible) which creates a fuzzymath accounting line between mainstream and 'indie. But how do they decide with television? Did they not like Mare of Easttown (which scored zero nominations) or was it just not eligible though its chief Emmy rival The Queens Gambit obviously was since Anya Taylor Joy was nominated. 

Nominations and commentary are after the jump...

Click to read more ...

Best TV of the 21st Century?

by Nathaniel R

Mad Men, my personal vote for Best TV show of the 21st century

Have you seen the latest list that has tongues wagging? BBC polled TV critics to come up with a list of the 100 greatest TV series of the 21st century. Usually 100 greatest lists are silly because the time frame is too long and there are more than 100 things that are great in a century (or more) but given the short time frame (2000-2021) this one is more reasonable to argue about. We only wish they had nixed reality tv (it's silly to have only one show - RuPaul's Drag Race -- representing an entire enormous genre of television; better to just ignore it than have a single token show) and that they would not have allowed series that have not yet wrapped up to qualify; final seasons ALWAYS effect how people judge a show, for better and worse. And they should!

You should read the whole list but here's are three pulled samples to discuss...

Click to read more ...

Yes No Maybe So: "Being the Ricardos"

by Nathaniel R

the stars at a table read

The teaser is out for Amazon's Being the Ricardo, which is not a biopic in the common sense but a behind-the-scenes drama about one week in the making of the I Love Lucy show and the volatile Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball marriage/working relationship. At least that's what we've heard about it. The trailer on the other hand, suggests something more like a glimpse of Lucille Ball's ego and fight to stay on top in the (then) new medium of television.

Let's discuss after the jump...

Click to read more ...