Everwood makes the smart move in its sophomore season: it shakes everything up. I could easily have imagined another season in which Ephram pined for Amy and had fights with his dad…and I would probably have loved that season! Instead, everything is upside down. Last season Ephram had purple
November 6-12, 2004. Scientists were developing the HPV vaccine. The United States was embarking on a brutal offensive in Fallujah. Scott Peterson was found guilty of killing his wife and their unborn child (He did it! Why is this up for debate!). Snoop Dogg had just released “Drop it Like
Alias season 1 has lots of great moments. An excellent Thanksgiving episode, Bradley Cooper, Quentin Tarantino, wigs, ass-kicking, and an underrated Giacchino score, it's a good time. But even 21 episodes later, all I want to talk about is that pilot. Seriously, it's so good! A
October 30-November 5, 2004. It was spooky season, and America was about the experience a very spooky election. Let’s see what was on TV! Saturday, October 30 11:30 Saturday Night Live! on NBC I have Peacock. I could watch old SNL episodes on Peacock. But Peacock cuts the
I’ve watched a lot of new-to-me tv shows for this project in the past few weeks. A lot of them are good, even great. I’ve fallen for The Wire, Girlfriends, American Dreams, Laguna Beach, and Everybody Loves Raymond. But I fell hardest for Everwood. This show sneaks up
It was the early 2000s, and political consultants, community organizers, famous musicians, and aging boomers all had one complaint: young people weren’t voting. Youth voter turnout had reached historic lows in the 1996 and 2000 elections, and lots and lots of people were eager to turn that trend around.
October 23-29, 2004. The Red Sox defeated the curse of the Bambino. Spooky season was upon us, and it was indeed a spooky time since it looked like George Bush would win a second term. Shark Tale and Saw were playing in multiplexes across America. Let’s see what happened
Mid-October, 2004. The Red Sox were getting ready to defeat the curse of the Bambino. It feels like every other ad begins with some variation on the words “does this make me look fat?” Israel concluded an 18 day operation in the Gaza strip in which 130 Palestinians and one
Mid-October, 2004. Team America: World Police was charging into theaters. Bill O’Reilly was being sued for sexual harassment. Israeli forces continue to kill Palestinian civilians, including an 11 year old girl. Rumors were swirling about Jen Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie. The Red Sox were losing to the
The Wire is the Great American Novel for television. For most people, that’s a selling point. But it makes me wary. I never like Great American Novels. They are filled with what I call “Ideas with Legs.” Characters that exist to represent grand statements the writer wants to make
Joan of Arcadia is a bit of a weird show, since while it is a teen drama, its titular teen receives third billing. The top billed actor is Joe Mantegna, who plays her dad Will. Every episode features Joan (Amber Tamblyn, great) on some mission from God. But there’s
In the alternate universe where I’m writing this blog September 2004, the season 3 premiere of the Wire and all the talk about it being snubbed at last year’s Emmy Awards has inspired me to catch up on DVD. In our 2024 reality, this ridiculous project has pushed