Television

What’s the most overrated TV show of all time?

Science fiction and fantasy have a long history of brilliance on television. And with so many riches to choose from, and so much of it on DVD, we’re constantly reassessing the canon. Some shows look better, others worse. But what’s the most overrated TV show of all time? https://gizmodo.com/the-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-shows-of-all-time-5347048 Please include a picture or clip…

Things get worse for the survivors, but Walking Dead just gets better

OH MY GOD THE WALKING DEAD HAS BEEN GREAT FOR THREE WHOLE EPISODES IN A ROW WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOLY SHIT CAROL. That’s the short version of my recap of “Isolation,” the turkey of the season, by which I mean the bowling term for three strikes in a row. The longer version is as…

Witches of East End pauses its soap opera for a brief fishnado

Episode three of Witches of East End felt like filler, but it was kind of fluffy delicious filler—the gooey marshmallow of this show’s overloaded s’more. Plus, we got to experience the wonders of torrential fish. Yes, I know I’m late with this. Unfortunately, I was traveling last week and didn’t get a chance to watch…

Neil deGrasse Tyson promises a whole new journey in Cosmos promo

Last night during the World Series, Fox aired its first promo for the new Cosmos series hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, introducing its TV viewership to its updated show on the wonders of the universe. This is a shorter version of the much grander trailer that premiered during San Diego Comic-Con. It’s a shame that…

SNL gives Wes Anderson the quirkiest home invasion movie ever

Last night’s Saturday Night Live asked the question, “What if Wes Anderson directed a horror movie?” The result, The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders, is naturally an offbeat and delightful little gorefest. Watching Edward Norton do his Owen Wilson impression makes me really want to see Norton and Tom Hiddleston go head-to-head in an Owen…

Nathan dreams of naughty teacher Audrey in this week’s Haven

It’s not unusual for a supernatural TV show to feature an episode where people’s dreams have deadly consequences in the waking world, but in Haven, a nightmare contagion may be part of something far larger. Meanwhile, Jennifer investigates one of Haven’s most intriguing residents: herself. Sometimes when watching Law & Order, I’ll notice that one…

The attack of the zombie assholes continues in the Grimm premiere

I would not know last night’s episode of Grimm was a season premiere if someone hadn’t told me. It seems like the first part of a two-hour premiere that got cut off, or maybe the second half of the season 2 finale, because shockingly little happens. Honestly, it takes the show 20 minutes to catch…

NBC’s Dracula is ridiculous, insane, and completely fascinating

I’m a big Dracula fan. As such, I often bemoan how there’s never really been a 100% accurate live-action version of Bram Stoker’s original novel. But even the loosest adaptation would look at NBC’s new Dracula series and yell, “DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!” I don’t know the answer, but it’s definitely going…

And sometimes, Vampire Diaries still kicks your ass with greatness

Vampire Diaries is usually at its best when it focuses on the core characters and their ever-shifting relationships — particularly the central love triangle. And when it finds new things to say about its core themes of power and mind-control. So probably no surprise that last night’s amnesia episode was the best in ages. Spoilers…

Which hero and villain do you wish would just get a room already?

The best hero-villain dynamics are the ones where sparks fly… and sometimes the tension is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. But what if that tension were… something else? Which villain and hero do you wish would just get a room? Please include a picture or clip of this duo. And…

20 Amazing British TV Shows That Doctor Who Fans Should Watch

It’s been months since we last saw Doctor Who, and there’s still a month to go before the anniversary special. But if you’re having withdrawal symptoms, fear not — British television has spawned tons of other great science fiction and fantasy programming. Here are 20 lesser-known British TV shows that Doctor Who fans might like.…

First pic of Ron D. Moore’s Outlander is just a hot dude in a kilt

The first official look at Ronald D. Moore’s TV adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander book series is here, and it’s of actor Sam Heughan as 18th-century Scotsman James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. Given the fangasm that erupted when Starz posted this on the show’s Facebook page, I assume this is newsworthy to more than a…

How to Make Your Ridiculous TV Show Work

Sleepy Hollow is very possibly the most ludicrous show that has even been on TV. It’s about the Headless Horseman being one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and Ichabod Crane getting sent to the present by his wife (who’s a witch) to stop the apocalypse… for starters. This is completely absurd, and yet…

Tomorrow People gives its main female character the cheapest trauma

The Tomorrow People seems to be trying to be a show about mental illness in general — the pilot sets out this whole thing where everybody thinks Stephen is crazy because of his telepathy and stuff. But last night’s episode was about two girls dealing with emotional trauma — and resorted to lazy cliches. Before…

What’s the best (or worst) fake-out a story has ever pulled off?

Sometimes you think you know what’s going on in a story… and then the rug is pulled out from under you. You think you know that the Mandarin is the big bad, or that Ned Stark is the big hero, of the story. And then — everything changes. What’s the best, or worst, fake-out a…

Watch the surviving clips of the BBC’s Caves of Steel

Long before Almost Human, Isaac Asimov wrote the classic tale of a human detective paired with a robot partner, The Caves of Steel. And this novel was adapted by the BBC as a TV special, part of its Story Parade anthology series. And then wiped. Of course. Because the BBC wiped so much of its…

Watch Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary Special on the big screen! “Day of the Doctor” is being shown in 11 U.S. cities (in 3-D) at the same time as it airs on BBC America. And then it’s in 300 U.S. theaters the following Monday. More details here. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9 AM EST.

The best lines from last night’s Arrow

The last episode of Arrow left me mostly cold. This one, “Broken Dolls,” kicks it up considerably. Not only do we get a ton of twists — and hints of twists — we get a lot of priceless lines. Find out who said what. “We shouldn’t split up.” – Oliver Queen Who knew that Ollie…

Person of Interest goes Harriet the Spy

Last night’s Person of Interest gave us some backstory on Shaw, filling in her tragic past while she rescued the youngest spy we’ve met in this series. Plus, Carter pulled some badass moves. Overall, this was a great number of the week episode. Spoilers ahead! When I realized that this week’s number was a precocious…

Agents of SHIELD explores all the different ways for you to sell out

The two intersecting storylines in last night’s Agents of SHIELD both have to do with selling out — a computer hacker sells out for money, while a magician throws everything away for power that he can’t handle. In the end, it looks as though working for the comic-book version of the NSA is actually the…