Is 'Harry Potter' a Fantasy, or a 1990s Period Piece?
November, 27, 2010 1:53 pm | On #Harry Potter, MoviesIt's hard to remember a time when words like "cauldron," "flying broomstick" and "witch" invoked thoughts of the Dark Ages, Halloween or a Shakespeare play; a time without words like "muggle" or pre-teen heartthrobs in blue jeans fighting evil with magic wands. That's because for over a decade, the "Harry Potter" phenomenon has swallowed up our imaginations when it comes to magical things.
The franchise (seven books, soon to be eight movies, eleventy-bajillion fans) first entered the world in 1997 with the publication of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone." The first part of the final film...
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance TV Watcher
April, 26, 2010 11:48 am | On #Ashes to Ashes, Liz Shannon Miller, TelevisionThere is absolutely nothing like being in love with a TV show that no one else you know is watching to make you realize the importance of community to the modern state of television.
I'm talking on a level beyond fancy Facebook campaigns and on-screen Twitter commentaries -- I'm talking about the state of knowing that you are the only person to care about something, even something as silly as a TV show.
The title of this rant is drawn from an obscure British film, which is appropriate since I am writing about a (relatively) obscure British show.
The currently running BBC...
'Leverage' and the Rise of 'Nerd-Friendly' Television
January, 21, 2010 5:46 pm | On #Battlestar Galactica, Big Bang Theory, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, geeks, Leverage, Liz Shannon Miller, nerds, Star Trek, TelevisionThose who watch a lot of television might be tempted to assume that just because a show has spaceships or superheroes in it, it could be defined as "nerd-friendly television." We'll define that term to mean a show aimed at an audience that values the odd "Star Trek" joke or supernatural event.
I'm a member of the target audience for said nerd-friendly television, and don't find the term nerd to be terribly offensive. Personally, I interpret it as a label defining the way in which I and others approach certain shows -- as complex, evolving and entertaining beasts that demand or deserve our full attention.
But in truth, the qualities that define shows that might appeal to audiences previously devoted to shows like "Battlestar Galactica" or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" don't always involve genre.
...
Read MoreWelcome Back the TV Miniseries
October, 08, 2009 1:11 pm | On #miniseries, TelevisionAs networks unveil plans for the 2009-10 season, trends beyond "mockumentary comedy" and "'ER' but with nurses and helicopter pilots" are starting to evolve: specifically, it looks like the miniseries format is making a comeback.
ABC's "V" will run four episodes in November then take a three-month hiatus. NBC scaled back its sci-fi drama "Day One" from a full series to a miniseries. And AMC's "Prisoner" remake will make a big splash during fall sweeps, with all six episodes of the Jim Caviezel-Ian McKellan starrer running over three consecutive nights.
It's an approach that doesn't come...
Read More'Dollhouse' a Fixer-Upper
March, 12, 2009 2:40 pm | On #Dollhouse, Joss WhedonJoss Whedon has an Academy Award nomination, several Emmy nods, a feature film and now four TV series to which he can claim ownership.
He's developed a rabidly loyal fanbase, a reputation for clever dialogue and the ability to turn an unreliable medium like online video into a cash cow. There are no official numbers on how much Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, his WGA
strike-enabled Web series experiment, has grossed, but between ad revenue and sales of iTunes downloads, the official soundtrack and DVDs, it's more than likely that Whedon has made back his initial six-figure investment</a>.
So why is Whedon's new TV series, the Eliza Dushku-starring Dollhouse, currently floundering?
Granted, Fox did Dollhouse no favors by pairing the show's launch with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which has failed to...
Read MoreDescription
Liz Shannon Miller is the reviews editor for NewTeeVee.com and a web
editor at Variety. She blogs at lizlet = lsm online.
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