TV

I grew up in an era when parents didn't hesitate to use the television set as a babysitter. Back then, TV didn't rot our brains, it simply "kept us out of Mom's hair" for a few hours. How many of these shows kept you company as a child? 1. Sesame Street:

What happens when a character on a TV show just don't connect with audiences? They're often written out and given a dignified farewell. But some characters are so unlucky that they're sentenced to the grimmest of all TV deaths: Chuck Cunningham Syndrome.

Have you ever been laboriously peeling potatoes the old-fashioned way when suddenly you realized: "My life has been a waste! If only I had a set of Tater Mitts, I could have saved time and done something useful, like apply rhinestones and studs to all my

Every work environment has its personality conflicts "“ that one co-worker that gets on your last nerve. Sure, you can do your best to avoid that person. But what happens if it's someone you absolutely have to "make nice with" in front of millions of TV

Last year we linked to George Orwell's classic essay Why I Write, in which Orwell explains his motivations (including massive ego) for writing. Today let's look at Why We Write, a series of essays by TV and film writers in the wake of the WGA strike. In

Having more than one actor portray the same character happens more often than you'd think on many popular TV series. The reason behind the switcheroo is not always explained to the viewing public, which means of course that we automatically assume the act

I've written about The Wire before, and its final season began last night, bringing a fresh set of dark themes to the series. In my previous post, I pointed to several interviews with and profiles of David Simon, the show's creator and head writer. But

When I was growing up, part of the fun of Christmas vacation was being able to lounge around in my PJs and watch daytime game shows on TV. Dad was home, too, which meant he had supreme and ultimate TV control. And one game show he never missed during his

Reality show ideas. You know you have them. They come to you in dreams or in traffic or during commercials. Some people ignore them, some people sue when others bring them to life, and some people head West with a treatment and a ticket to a pitch slam. O

Wow, I had no idea there was a Samantha Stevens--"Bewitched"--statue in Salem, MA. But there is, and she was part of a campaign TV Land launched in 2000, commemorating shows they planned on continuing in re-runs; other statues included Opie & Andy in Rale

Have you ever wondered which is bigger -- Battlestar Galactica, or Battlestar Pegasus? And how do those compare to Deep Space 9? How do those compare to the crazy alien craft in Independence Day (officially named City Destroyers, apparently)? Well, all

What producers do when the rabbit dies"¦ The rest of us can complain about maternity leave not being long enough, and unfeeling male bosses not understanding the need for additional restroom breaks. That's just par for the course when an average working A