Category Archives: Good TV

"Captain Fantastic": Matt Ross's Ode to Life Off the Grid

Posted on February 13, 2017 by williamjcobb

So I caught the indie-hit Captain Fantastic (2016) recently, and after my post not long ago about adventure stories gone wrong, this is a paean to adventure as a lifestyle choice. It’s also something of a genre mixer: adventure tale … Continue reading →

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"The Americans": A New Reality TV Show Starring Melania and Donald

Posted on February 11, 2017 by williamjcobb

So FX has a series titled The Americans, now in Season Five, in which a pair of Soviet spies are masquerading as a married American couple. I’ve always liked the female lead, Keri Russell, who was in the charming indie … Continue reading →

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Does Sarah Palin Know Where Germany Is? and a Shout-Out for Mark Leyner's new novel, "The Sugar Frosted Nutsack"

Posted on March 21, 2012 by williamjcobb

So last night I caught HBO’s film Game Change, about Sarah Palin’s (improbable? nightmarish? absurd?) role as John McCain’s veep in the 2008 election, and it’s surprisingly good. Why surprisingly? I’m not a huge fan of biopics/reenactments of contemporary events, … Continue reading →

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Guns & Bunkers: Or How to Enjoy "Doomsday Preppers" and the Truth About That Asteroid Crashing Into a Crater Near You

Posted on March 17, 2012 by williamjcobb

So the quirkiest angle of the success of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006) was that we could all recognize what Discovery Channel shows Cormac had been watching, once you realize that the mysterious cataclysm that has befallen the world is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad TV, books/film, Climate Change, Good TV, The West, Weird Science | Leave a comment

On HBO's "Enlightened": Or The Resurrection of Laura Dern

Posted on November 22, 2011 by williamjcobb

So Monday night has become one of those rarities: the premier night of must-see TV. I mostly ignore network TV these days, because the many commercial breaks get so tedious that once you get used to programs without them, they … Continue reading →

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In Praise of "Boardwalk Empire," Season 2, & Bad Horror Movies on Netflix, Like "The Awakening"

Posted on October 19, 2011 by williamjcobb

So I’m home sick today, and one of the few pleasures for a working stiff on these sick days is catching up on mindless TV. It beats trying to figure out why in the world so many people are transfixed … Continue reading →

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Curb Your Enthusiasm Is Back, and I Can't

Posted on July 8, 2011 by williamjcobb

So I’m sure if I were some kind of know-everything, Entertainment-Tonight wonk I would have already known this, but Curb Your Enthusiasm is back this Sunday! It’s hits and misses, but when it hits, it hits. The whole season with … Continue reading →

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"Big Love" Swan Song: Goodbye to All Those Sister Wives

Posted on March 8, 2011 by williamjcobb

So I’ve been a fan of HBO’s series Big Love since it began, and now that it’s in the final episodes (I think there are two left now), it’s going out with a dramatic bang. Bill Paxton and Jeanne Tripplehorn … Continue reading →

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On HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" & the Current (New! Improved!) Prohibition

Posted on September 30, 2010 by williamjcobb

It’s two weeks into the first season of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and I’m hooked: Being a sucker for Steve Buscemi, gangster movies/shows, and a long-time fan of The Sopranos, it’s no surprise that I like Empire, considering it’s done by … Continue reading →

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