The sitcom remains consistently charming and funny in its third season premiere. Keeping a sitcom afloat beyond its first season is a delicate balancing act. There needs to be enough change in the stories and situations to keep audiences interested, without losing the all-important coziness factor that comes with returning to the same characters and settings in every episode. ABC’s Abbott Elementary became an instant hit with critics and audiences alike when it premiered in 2021, winning several Emmy Awards and becoming the network’s highest-rated comedy in three years. There was no sophomore slump for Abbott either; Quinta Brunson recently became the first Black woman to win the Best Comedic Actress Emmy in more than forty years for her work on the second season. Abbott Elementary’s highly anticipated upcoming third season kicks off with a delightful debut episode that reunites audiences with the beloved teachers of the titular school, while introducing just enough changes to the status quo to amaze and intrigue viewers. Five months have passed since the end of season two, and things have changed for the gang at Abbott. For instance, Principal Ava Coleman (scene-stealing breakout Janelle James) has abandoned her lazy, scammy method of administrating after being inspired by a course at Harvard, and the teachers are surprised to realize they actually prefer the old Ava. Continue Reading →
8 Best Releases From ABC Network
The Goldbergs
In 1983, a group of crooks broke into a vault at the Heathrow International Trading Estate in London, patrolled by Brink’s Mat security conglomeration. The Brinks company was already famous for a famous robbery, one that was carried out in the '50s in the North End in Boston, an incident that turned into a charmingly strange movie by William Friedkin in 1978. Continue Reading →
Jigsaw
You gotta love a good gimmick. Whether it’s the current 4DX offerings in theatres (which harkens back to the “Tingler” era of Castle silliness) or Netflix dalliances with “Choose Your Own Adventure”-esque stories like Black Mirror’s “Bandersnatch,” or Kimmy Schmidt, there’s an undeniable charm in centering the device. Kaleidoscope is the latest entry in these sorts of experiments. It offers an eight episode heist story that audiences can theoretically watch in any order. Only the episode titled “White” has a specific place in the order: last. That's a recommendation this reviewer firmly endorses. Continue Reading →
Abbott Elementary
Andor (Disney+) It’s strange how politics and bureaucracy are, in part, what made the Star Wars prequels such a stultifying affair while they give Andor a jolt that’s a large part of its charm. Nonetheless, thanks to excellent performances from the likes of Denise Gough as Imperial officer Dedra Meero and Kyle Soller as disgraced space cop Syril Karn, that was the reality of 2022. Continue Reading →
The Julie Andrews Hour
As Lifetime premieres a new addition to V.C. Andrews' Dollanganger Saga, we offer a crash course on what’s led us all to this. Everyone has that book, the one you read just a little too early, the one your parents didn’t know you had or didn’t know the contents of. For me, that book was V.C. Andrews’ Flowers in the Attic. Gifted an older cousin’s shelf of books when I was 11 years old, I found myself in possession of several entire series of Andrews’ work (a note: V.C. Andrews died in 1986, and the books subsequently written under her name are by ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman), which I promptly devoured. As a child brought up on fantasy and historical fiction, I thought I knew about drama, but I was wrong. This was melodrama, this was Gothic horror about family secrets, murder, and sex. Sex! Sorry, Mom, it’s probably time you found out. These were adult books mean for grown-ups, and if I read them, that made me a grown-up, didn’t it? Continue Reading →
Head of the Class
Remember when the Saved by the Bell reboot hit small screens? How it stunned critics and viewers alike by being a delightful, intelligent show? One that managed to both send up its previous incarnation and deliver the goods in its own right? Head of the Class is the show we were all anticipating. Continue Reading →
Lucan
Disney/Pixar's latest, Luca, is a deeply charming fish-monster-out-of-water story about two buddies, a Vespa, and the freedom to follow your path. It's a low-stakes tale about embracing your individual identity and the differences of the collective, with more than a few cute moments to sell its engaging atmosphere. It also suffers from a lack of clarity, which frustratingly keeps Luca from staying fully buoyant. Continue Reading →
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
On March 17, 1985, Maria Hernandez was shot by an intruder. Fortunately, the bullet ricocheted off of her keys as she used them to shield her face. Her roommate, Dayle Okazaki, was not as lucky, and the intruder shot her in the face as she cowered behind the kitchen counter. Afterward, the killer pulled Tsai-Lian "Veronica" Yu out of her car and shot her as well. Continue Reading →