Red-Headed Mule

Category: TV

TNT's Alienist Swoops Us Into Gilded Age New York

A review of the first two episodes of The Alienist. Screener provided by Turner Broadcasting for review purposes.

The Alienist is TNT’s new alluring mystery set in gloomy 1896 New York. Though it’s interesting to piece the mystery together week by week, TNT’s historical drama, based on Caleb Carr’s novel, would be a future binge-watcher’s favorite. Alienist has lots of atmosphere, doesn’t spare us the cruelty of the Gilded Age, and has main characters who fill the needed personality trait checkboxes but may break out of being two-dimensional in later episodes.

Sometimes The Alienist gets bogged into familiar serial killer mystery stuff, but it’s a show I’ll find a way to watch to the end. I want to know how this version of New York City functions. I want to get to know the city’s inhabitants. How deep down the strange rabbit hole will our sleuths (played solidly by Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning) go? Where’s our memetic badass version of Teddy Roosevelt? Continue reading “TNT’s Alienist Swoops Us Into Gilded Age New York”

Who Still Wants To See Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?

Over 15 years ago, ABC’s Who Wants To Be a Millionaire was THE TV event of late summer. It pushed the boundaries of what game shows were (Million dollar top prize! Dark and moody lighting!) and its popularity sparked an explosive end to a humdrum decade in the quizzer genre.

Millionaire went from a worldwide phenomenon helmed by Chris Tarrant, Regis Philbin, and others to… something far from its glorious late-90s, early 2000s heyday. Here in the U.S., it’s limping along with its fourth syndicated weekday host and a third major format tweak (i.e. “back to basics”).

Tim “Loogaroo” Connolly documents his thoughts:

Without question, WWTBAM was one of my all-time favorite shows. It captivated my attention from the word go, and I was among the throngs of people calling the show’s toll-free number every opportunity I got, hoping to get the call that would give me the opportunity at a big win. I even constructed a fansite for the show, doing my best to chronicle the exploits of each contestant before the constant waves of new contestants got to be overwhelming.

Source: Final Answer, Interrupted: The Delayed Demise of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – The Bloog

Chauncey Devega's Requiem for a Heavyweight, Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes was the man who could draw working black and white people to his battles in the squared circle. He influenced Ric Flair and mentored NXT stars such as Sami Zayn and Enzo Amore. Writer Chauncey Devega discusses Dusty’s lasting impact:

Dusty Rhodes was a legend in the ring and a preacher on the microphone. What’s more, he was also a Black icon

Continue reading: The power and the glory of Dusty Rhodes: The “American Dream” who transcended pro wrestling’s racial divide – Salon.com

CW's The Flash: Fallout --Robbie Amell and Victor Garber's On-Screen Chemistry

Still keeping its spot as one of the best superhero television shows ever, the episode from last night’s episode of ‘The Flash’ was absolutely amazing! For those that aren’t aware of the character The Flash, or of this shows existence, it stars Grant Gustin as Barry Allen who is struck by lightning while dosed in chemicals AND hit by a wave of dark matter energy concurrently. Continue reading “CW’s The Flash: Fallout –Robbie Amell and Victor Garber’s On-Screen Chemistry”

Hindsight Episode Two

This show…THIS SHOW! The cast has done an AMAZING job at really placing themselves in the nineties. And talk about having the best soundtrack EVER. I felt like I was in middle school all over again listening to it. I now have no doubt that this show will be VH1’s highest rated show ever. Everything about it is so right!

This episode picks up right where the last one drops off. The revelation that Becca has just changed her future begins to weigh on her and only Lolly can help her pick up the pieces. And as a quick statement, yes…I thought Lolly looked spot on as Six from Blossom. And yes, Sarah Goldberg’s Lolly is very quickly becoming one of my favorite television characters. Continue reading “Hindsight Episode Two”

Hindsight Review

Have you ever had that feeling that your life didn’t work out the way it SHOULD have? That you took too many safe bets instead of taking one big leap? Then you should follow Becca in VH1’s new sitcom, Hindsight. I saw a trailer for this a few weeks back and it IMMEDIATELY caught my attention. Thank goodness for the internet because, without Facebook, I would’ve never caught this awesome show! Continue reading “Hindsight Review”

Two Men Almost Died in Family Guy/Simpsons Smashtacular Smackdown

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Let’s laugh at something bloated, slovenly, full of itself, and pretends to care about things that matter. “Simpsons Guy,” Family Guy’s season premier, managers to walk a thin tightrope of accommodating The Simpsons and Family Guy. Fans of both will share favorite moments in GIF form for days and days. It’s all about moments; neither show are known for excellent plotting. Continue reading “Two Men Almost Died in Family Guy/Simpsons Smashtacular Smackdown”

Nobody on Simpsons Season Premiere Died of Noxious Family Guy Humor, But…

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After a summer where FXX boosted its profile by showing #EverySimpsonsEver, Fox is very eager for its Sunday season premieres. “Clown in the Dumps” kicked off Animation Deference-to-Brooklyn-Nine-Nine with the death of Krusty’s father, Rabbi Krustofsky. It’s typical hit-or-miss current Simpsons, but the couch gag by Don Hertzfeldt made me remember the infinitesimal possibility that humanity’s future is probably as subatomic particles receiving TV signals into their exo-skeletons. Continue reading “Nobody on Simpsons Season Premiere Died of Noxious Family Guy Humor, But…”

Eight Confessions About Enjoying Saved By the Bell & TNBC

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Source: rulenumberoneblog.com

Twenty-one years after the graduation episode, someone decided it’s a good time to revisit Bayside through Lifetime’s Unauthorized Saved By the Bell Movie. Like many impressionable kids, I was a big Saved By the Bell fan. Not only did I like SBtB, I liked shows that were like it at the time.

Since I’ve never made my feelings about SBtB public, I’ve lined up eight confessions about my fascination with Saved By the Bell, creator Peter Engel, and TNBC. Continue reading “Eight Confessions About Enjoying Saved By the Bell & TNBC”