Sex on television can be fairly unrealistic. For instance, it’s not possible for someone as cute as Zooey Deschanel to bomb with someone as equally cute as Justin Long (see New Girl episode #8). That said, the bottom line rings true: sex isn’t always pretty. Time and time again we learn that scented candles and starfish lingerie straps prove useless in diffusing the awkwardness of human intimacy. Which is why this Valentine’s Day we’re cutting through the hoopla and spotlighting some of the biggest romantic misfires in television history (no pun intended). And since we’re not total curmudgeons, we’d like to point out that, sometimes, bad sex is beautiful. It can blossom into true love, bring a couple closer together, or even save a friendship. Just click through and see for yourself. And be sure to add your own favorite awkward couplings in the comments!
When Showtime’s celebrated Homeland wrapped up its first season earlier this week, many critics were upset with its final twists. But AV Club’s TV editor, Todd VanDerWerff, wasn’t one of them. He took to Twitter to stick up for the show, noting that its detractors were largely upset about the plot while its defenders lauded its character development and concluding, “If you’re watching long-form TV for plot, it will disappoint you.” In fact, it’s always fascinating and multi-faceted characters, and the way they grow over time, that hooks us on a show for the long haul. So, with an eye to how vitally important they are to the overall success of a series, we’ve rounded up the year’s best TV characters. Since we can’t watch everything, you’ll want to add anyone we missed in the comments. Read More »
As much of our recentTV coverage suggests, we are big fans of HBO’s Enlightened. So it is our great pleasure to bring you the news that Laura Dern and Mike White’s sitcom about life post-nervous breakdown has been renewed despite garnering an average viewership of only 210,000. The network’s decision comes less than a week after the Enlightened scored two Golden Globe nominations, one for Best Comedy and an acting nod for Dern. We’re guessing the renewal comes as a happy surprise to White, who told the LA Timeslast week that he was “happily shocked” by the nominations but that — despite the Golden Globe boost — he still expected he’d have to “grovel” for a second season.
Now for some news we’re not so excited about: our beloved Bored to Death has been canceled (along with Hung and How to Make It in America, which never really did much for us). Apparently, although we don’t remember hearing much about how small its audience was, just 240,000 people were tuning in to any given episode of Jonathan Ames’ Brooklyn-based detective comedy.
We don’t know whether to cheer or cry, so instead we’re just going to focus on how excited we are for what may be the next great HBO sitcom, Girls.
Do you have an older brother who speaks in Ron Swanson quotes? Or a best friend who went as Blue Man Tobias Fünke for Halloween? Or a younger sister who sings “Night Cheese” in her sleep? If yes, this gift guide is for you! Sometimes, season DVD/Blu-ray sets just won’t cut it for our favorite modern TV aficionados. Firstly, because they probably already own ‘em. And secondly? Well, they’re just not original enough. These people deserve silly, offbeat TV-related gifts that will make them chuckle and ask, “Where in the world did you find this?” Then you’ll bring them here and we’ll all high-five and eat “meat tornado” cookies. Or not. Either way, check out some TV-themed trash bags and binoculars after the jump. Read More »
We’re so crazy about HBO’s Bored to Death that we’ve spent the entire season meticulously footnoting every episode. But we wanted to do something a little bit different in celebration of last night’s climactic finale, to give those who already miss Jonathan, George, and Ray an opportunity to relive Season 3′s highlights. With that lofty goal in mind, we’ve compiled a self-guided tour of Bored to Death’s most recognizable locations, from the Coney Island Wonder Wheel to the Grand Central Oyster Bar. After the jump, follow around as we take you neighborhood by neighborhood to the places where the characters worked, played, and ate in Season 3. Here’s hoping it helps tide you over until next year. Read More »
There’s something particularly enjoyable about the awkward superhero equivalents of our favorite, otherwise unheroic TV characters. These alter egos’ bizarre get-ups and peculiar antics are often so far removed from their shows’ realities that we can’t help but chuckle. But, then again — why wouldn’t Conan O’Brien’s tall, beefy superhero cartoon use an oven mitt and a jai alai glove to save a school bus? And of course Jack Donaghy’s animated superhero self would use his powers to taunt a nine-year-old Brian Williams. Regardless of the strange “gifts” these TV characters might instill in their fictional superhuman equivalents, we’d still feel safe with Super Ray or the occasional Quailman patrolling our neighborhood. Check out some makeshift masks, capes, kitchenware, and tighty-whiteys after the jump. Read More »
Although we enjoy Bored to Death’s hilarious story lines and overarching themes, we get at least as much pleasure out of its details — the literary references, the in-jokes, the real, New York City locations. So, this season, we’re publishing a weekly series of Bored to Death footnotes. Follow along with us after the jump as we go minute by minute through episode seven, shouting out places we recognize and explaining some of the show’s oddball allusions. Feel free to point out anything we may have missed in the comments.
When word spread that Gossip Girl was going to set an episode at New York’s cultish “immersive theatre” production Sleep No More, fans of the show — who have been known to develop wallet-crippling addictions to it — were not happy. Would their favorite secret spot soon be overrun by teenyboppers keen on re-enacting Serena and Blair’s melodramatic intrigue? Would Gossip Girl give away any of the Macbeth-inspired experience’s secrets? Well, the episode aired last night, and we learned far more about Chuck Bass’s libido (or newfound lack thereof) and Ivy’s ex-boyfriend than Sleep No More. To commemorate this supremely odd moment of convergence, we’ve rounded up some of the best and strangest moments that have found TV shows appropriating cult, underground, and indie culture, from Saved by the Bell‘s rave to Roseanne‘s riot grrrls, after the jump.
Although we enjoy Bored to Death’s hilarious story lines and overarching themes, we get at least as much pleasure out of its details — the literary references, the in-jokes, the real, New York City locations. So, this season, we’re publishing a weekly series of Bored to Death footnotes. Follow along with us after the jump as we go minute by minute through episode six, shouting out places we recognize and explaining some of the show’s oddball allusions. Feel free to point out anything we may have missed in the comments.
