By Nick Maylor Following in Alan’s footsteps, I’ve decided to take a brief break from film to explore the world of television at Christmas. While I do not have any film bias towards specific subgenres, when it comes to television, I have a certain wheelhouse I generally stay in… I love cartoons. Animated sitcoms have…
By Craig Leask Like a lot of people, Christmas is and has always been a special time of year for me and nothing gets me more into the spirit of the season then settling down in front of some of my favorite Christmas movies. Several my favorites, as you will soon read, were not initially…
By Alan Hurst This is an exercise in pure nostalgia. Just like my favourite Christmas movies were primarily released or filled with a 1940s sensibility, my favourite TV episodes with a Christmas theme are primarily from the sixties and seventies, with a few more recent additions. Most of these are things my sisters and I…
By Alan Hurst The big surprise for me this year with the Golden Globe nominations for the best in television in 2018 was the actual lack of major surprises. There were a few WTF nominations (Candice Bergen for the lacklustre Murphy Brown reboot being one of them) and omissions (The Handmaid’s Tale or Westworld for Best…
By Alan Hurst It was exactly 70 years ago that television networks in the United States started broadcasting full prime time programming during the week. Television had been around for a while, but it was in the 1948-49 season that things really started to take off with shows like Toast of the Town with Ed…
By Alan Hurst I have been a fan of Ann-Margret’s since my introduction to her one Saturday afternoon watching Bye Bye Birdie (1963) on television. I remember thinking parts of the movie were quite silly, but Ann-Margret’s singing, dancing and overall volcanic presence as a “typical” American teenager were mesmerizing to a 10-year old. Of…
By Alan Hurst It’s hard to overstate the impact of TV films of the 1970’s. All the major networks had multiple “Movie of the Week” nights and there were also special event movies that usually featured more prestigious casts and bigger budgets. It was also the decade that saw the birth of the “Miniseries” –…
By Alan Hurst 1980 was a good year for movies and even better one for performance by actresses. Sissy Spacek excelled as Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter, which also featured superb work by Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline. Ellen Burstyn got some of the best reviews of her career in the little-seen Resurrection. Goldie…
By Alan Hurst Will the Aaron Sorkin scripted bio of Lucille Ball ever hit the big screens? Announced a while back with Cate Blanchett on board to play the famous redhead (and with the participation of both Lucy’s children), it seemed like the last century’s best comedienne was finally going to get the respect she…
By Alan Hurst The Emmy nominations for the 2017-18 TV season were announced on Thursday with the traditional combination of the expected, some surprises and some snubs. But the one recurring thought I have – as I did last year – is that there are way too many nominees in key categories. While it acknowledges…