Community

I’m happy to announce that the next chapter of Complex TV has been posted. It’s focused on Authorship in contemporary serial television, and I think it’s all never-before-published material. I’ve been giving a talk based on this chapter for this spring, and have been really happy with the conversation it provokes – and I do intend the chapter’s conclusion as a provocation in a number of ways. I look forward to reading people’s comments and feedback on the MediaCommons site.... read more »

Being in Germany since August, I feel quite detached from American television, even though that’s what I’m here to write and talk about. I’ve found ways to access the shows that I’m missing, but without the ease of my TiVo and the television schedule matching my timezone, I’m definitely watching less, and therefore more selectively. So as I approach my annual list of top programs, I feel like I’m mirroring critical consensus in large part because I’m only seeking out newer shows that critics I trust recommend, rather than sampling widely and carving my own path.... read more »

In Roland Barthes’ famous book about photography, Camera Lucida, the French theorist writes, “Ultimately, photography is subversive, not when it frightens, repels, or even stigmatizes, but when it is pensive, when it thinks.“... read more »

More trouble in Stokes Croft again last night!  I feel the protesters have done more damage to the area than a Tesco Metro ever could. I know the arguments about globalisation blah blah but this is over the top! I don’t agree with the police tactics and heavy handed way they are evicting the squat, and Tesco haven’t helped themselves with their bullying tactics, but this is no longer about the wishes of local people, but the ego of outside agitators! Sad times! ;-(... read more »

See below the latest street news video by the South Blessed Community Channel, as a follow-up to their anti-Tesco film, (see previous post).  Last night the local police used vans and deployed a helicopter to stop the screening of a film in a park about last week’s riots.  When the screening moved to a local house, at first the police then attempted to stop that happening too.  Surely the ... read more »

As documented by local media organisation South-Blessed Community Channel

If the video does not embed properly, see the video direct here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7qeY3tEeKk... read more »

1.    Louie
2.    Community
3.    Breaking Bad
4.    Parks & Recreation
5.    Lost
6.    No Reservations
7.    Mad Men
8.    Top Chef
9.    Sunday Night Football... read more »

In my last post, I offered my Top Tier TV for 2010, roughly serving as a top 5 (with one of those taken by a videogame). So the following shows could be seen as residing in the bottom half of my Best Of list, but I refuse the arbitrary limit of 10 or the time it would take to rank these any way except alphabetically. So feel free to pick your favorite and call it my #6.... read more »

On Radio 4 a while ago there was a debate about patron saints and nationalism, and if it was a healthy thing.  One of the guests said they thought Saint George’s day was a good opportunity for different communities to celebrate in England, as Saint George himself represented inclusiveness as he was born in Turkey (ref), and is the patron saint of Aragon, ... read more »

October is always a rough month for academics, with the crush of midterm grading, recommendation letter writing, and administrative tasks for spring semester, plus the standard fall tasks for homeowners and parents. But it’s doubly tough for television scholars, as there’s all that new TV to watch! So I’ve been neglecting blogging, but not watching.... read more »