I’m going to try out a new format in 2023. Along with posting longer reviews of single series, I will also be experimenting with a new (weekly!) format where I include several features in one column.
Television
Television Review: “Koala Man” — Rowdy Aussie Hijinks
The animation itself is akin to what you will see in familiar domestic cartoons, such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers. So it’s the quirky humor that makes Koala Man uniquely Australian.
Television Review: “Dance Monsters” — Do the Monster Mash
If dancing around as a giant CGI monster makes someone happy, then that is enough to make me happy. Let’s embrace what makes us different and do what we love.
Arts Commentary: It’s Not Funny — “Saturday Night Live” and the Mark Twain Prize
Adam Sandler receiving a Mark Twain Prize is one more SNL achievement that defies understanding.
Television Review: “Kindred” — More than a Mystery
In this adaptation for Hulu, Octavia E. Butler’s hybrid sci-fi novel has been reduced to a misguided time travel mystery.
WATCH CLOSELY: “1899” — A Sumptuous Terror
1899‘s excellent design work makes this series an opulent and memorable visual odyssey.
Arts Feature: According to Our Critics — The Best That TV Offered in 2022
Were we able to watch all the new TV shows we wanted to in 2022? Hell, no! But here are some favorites.
WATCH CLOSELY: The Horror of Pork Chops — “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
The series is wise to center its attention on Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims as often as possible. This is a heartbreaking saga of lives lost to a homicidal maniac.
WATCH CLOSELY: “The White Lotus” — Decadence and Dalliance
The second season of The White Lotus is decidedly darker than the first, and the air of decadence and luxury is overshadowed by a disturbing aura of danger, even evil.
Television Review: “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” Season Two — No Sophomore Slump
Much of the charm of The Sex Lives of College Girls comes from how messy the girls are.