Links to my work, media and podcast appearances, plus news on my book Burn It Down

Hi! I have been an entertainment critic and a journalist for a long time, and these days I am a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair (thus feel free to address me as Baroness Von Ryan). I’m also the author of the book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and a Call for Change in Hollywood, which came out June 6.

The book is my reaction to and examination of the trends that produced #MeToo and various racial reckonings as well as the labor unrest gripping Hollywood during Hot Strike Summer. For the book, I interviewed more than 150 people at all levels of the industry, and did several deep dives on troubled productions and franchises — reporting that illuminates how entrenched the biggest problems are.

The chapter on serious problems at the hit TV show Lost and its “poisonous culture” was excerpted by Vanity Fair (there’s a longer version of this chapter in the book). The week that Lost excerpt came out was a wild, tumultuous ride, and I’m beyond grateful that the great folks at the ATX TV Festival gave a panel to myself and writer/creators Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Melinda Hsu Taylor (both were sources for that chapter and many other parts of the book), so we could process the whole thing. On that panel, which is available via the TV Campfire podcast, we talked about the polar bear in the room, but also about industry change and the strikes and so much more. It was a singular moment and I was thrilled to share that moment with the ATX family. 

In any event, Burn It Down is a look at how much has changed in the American TV and film industries and how much hasn’t, and it delves into why some problems remain stubbornly persistent. That said, a number of industry people are working to reform Hollywood on many different fronts, and I’m happy to say that I spoke to dozens of those brave, persistent, amusing and intelligent folks. 

The day the book came out, I published this piece on Charisma Carpenter, Cordelia Chase (her Buffy and Angel character), and why the way they carried themselves in life and on screen got me through some incredibly hard times. I’m so, so proud of this essay and thrilled that Roxane Gay and Meg Pillow of The Audacity published it (read The Audacity, it rules!).   

I’m excited to say that the book (which is available via Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all other audiobook and book retailers) hit the New York Times best-seller list (twice!) and the Los Angeles Times best-seller lists. Publishers Weekly, in its review, said the book “makes a convincing case for rebooting Hollywood.”

Here’s some of the coverage of the book that I enjoyed a whole bunch:

Here’s selection of radio/podcast/video appearances (and the podcasts are generally available on most if not all leading podcast platforms):

Also, I just about died (in a good way!) when this feedback from Kerry Washington came across my Instagram feed. If you find the type too small to read, she called it “great reading to contextualize this necessary strike” and “Fascinating. Devastating. Important.” Wow! 

If you want to know more about the book, what I’m watching and what I’m thinking about, I have an extremely sporadic email newsletter. Please sign up for Burner Account today! It is free! In the newsletter, I have shared thoughts on how a new book by Alan Sepinwall highlights what is unique and often the best thing about the TV medium, the passing of Sinéad O’Connor, the death of Twitter, Dark Winds, Rutherford Falls, For All Mankind and Star Trek: Picard, among other topics. By the way, here are the main places that the book and I exist online, so far anyway! 

The rest of this post features a selection of criticism and reporting from the past decade that I really love and want to share with you. That’s what you find when you read on — thanks for visiting, and enjoy! 

Continue reading Links to my work, media and podcast appearances, plus news on my book Burn It Down

A Burn It Down video extravaganza, and thoughts on Neil Gaiman, creative gods, American Gods and rotten pedestals

Hello! (This is cross-posted to my free newsletter, Burner Account.)

Chicago folks, on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., I’ll be in conversation with my friend Steve Darnall at The Book Cellar in Chicago. The occasion is the reissue of Uncle Sam, a brilliant graphic novel by Steve and Alex Ross. It’s about a lot of things, including the idea of America and the necessity of fighting the urge toward fascism and empty populism. Pretty relevant, I’d say! 

It’s also the first Chicago event I’ve done since the paperback of Burn It Down came out, so that’s exciting. Steve and I will have a conversation about our books — and maybe we’ll talk a bit about working together at a very bananas magazine company a million years ago — and then we’ll sign things. Hope you can make it if you’re in Chicago!  

Another really fun thing coming up: Because the universe decided to smile upon me, the convention celebrating the 20th anniversary of Battlestar Galactica will take place in Chicago in October. That’s pretty cool, and even cooler (again, for me personally, which is what matters): I’m going to host the convention and moderate some panels. Is this real life? I hope so! If you can come out for part or all of this multi-day shindig, that would be swell, because it’s going to be a blast. So say we all! 

Now for the main event: In Los Angeles in June, there was a celebratory event for the paperback release of Burn It Down, which came out a year ago.

A panel discussion of Burn It Down and Hollywood reform efforts, featuring Mo Ryan, Shernold Edwards, Melinda Hsu, Kether Donohue and Maikiko James.
Baller time: A panel discussion of Burn It Down and Hollywood reform, with Mo Ryan, Shernold Edwards, Melinda Hsu, Kether Donohue & Maikiko James. Photos by Jerry Jerome.

For the event, which was sponsored by the great folks at Women in Film LA, we assembled a panel of illustrious industry veterans: showrunner and creator Melinda Hsu and creator and producer Shernold Edwards (both of whom were interviewed for my book), as well as actor, producer and musician Kether Donohue (she’s been in You’re the Worst, B Positive and many other productions, and perhaps most notably [to me], plays a flying robot called Peanuthamper in Star Trek: Lower Decks).

A photo of a woman seated and another woman standing over her. both are smiling. seated woman is Kether Donohue, standing woman is Mo Ryan
Don’t know what was going on here, but it likely involves Kether Donohue being awesome.

Rounding out the panel was the amazing Maikiko James, Women in Films’ senior director of programs. 

There are five women on a panel and this photo focuses more on one woman on the end of the row, Maikiko James of Women in Film LA
Maikiko James of Women in Film LA says something very smart! All photos by Jerry Jerome.

They are all so insightful, so funny and so thoughtful, and I got to converse with them for an hour about matters of Hollywood misconduct, abuse, leadership and reform. We joked and we laughed, and we held space for each other when hard truths were said. We took questions from the audience, and they were terrific. I’m thrilled with how it all went, because it was one the most enjoyable and illuminating panels I’ve ever been part of. 

The five women on the Burn It Down panel all laugh and smile in a black and white photo.
Did You Know? Black and white photos make the people in them look even smarter. All photos by Jerry Jerome.

The YouTube video of the event is below. (It’s also on my YouTube page. Hey, could I ask a favor? Could you subscribe to my YouTube channel? If I can get above a certain subscriber count, that would make some things easier for me on the YT front. Thank you in advance!) 

What do you think is one of my favorite moments in this video? I BET YOU CAN GUESS!

It fills my heart with joy to inform you that Richard Manning, executive producer of one of my all-time favorite shows, Farscape, came to the event with his lovely wife, Cheryl (hi Ricky and Cheryl!). Ricky filmed the panel and then edited it; that video exists because of him. Thank you so much is not adequate to express my gratitude, especially since Ricky also gave me unbelievably precious pieces of the Moya set as keepsakes. (I keep them near me at all times!) Later, he pointed out that you can’t spell Mo Ryan without Moya (mind * blown). Frelling incredible. (And I will point you once again to my most recent writing about Farscape, a beginner’s guide to the show and its awesomeness.) 

Writer producer Richard Manning in conversation with a tattooed woman, Mo Ryan
Having written about Farscape for more than 20 years, I finally got to meet executive producer Ricky Manning in person! What joy. About frelling time! All photos by Jerry Jerome.

Jerry Jerome, an excellent photographer (who took a lot of great pictures of the Hollywood strikes of 2023), volunteered to take photos of the event, which took place at the very nice co-working space Groundfloor LA. He really captured the event in an organic and lovely way. Thanks, Jerry! 

A seated woman looks at a man in front of her, and another standing man looks at the first man as well.
All situations are improved once you add Joe Mwamba (center) to them.

Shoutout to Liz Alper, who worked a lot of behind the scenes magic; to Joseph Mwamba, who brings great vibes wherever he goes; to my former Tribune pal Amy Guth; and to showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson, whom I’d never had the good fortune to meet before, but who was among the industry folks and civilians who turned up on a Thursday night to listen to the conversation and have me sign books.

When a certain kind of awesome thing happens, like Sheryl J. Anderson saying nice things to me in person, my face legit does not know what to do. Anyway! Thanks, Sheryl!

Good times! Truly, my thanks go out to every person who came out to the event. I really enjoyed talking to folks after the panel, and I’m so grateful for the turnout and for the delightful vibes. 

A man holds a microphone and asks a question.
Drew asked a great question. Thanks for coming, Drew!

The discussion we had is, of course, eternally timely, because, as Jenny Holzer put it, abuse of power comes as no surprise

Back in early June, the allegations about Neil Gaiman had not yet surfaced. When they did come out the following month, journalist Annabel Ross had a good analysis of the the first round of reporting (and the problematic issues surrounding it). Another woman came forward on the Am I Broken podcast, in an episode titled “I Ignored It and Believed Him Because He’s the Storyteller.”

The number of times I’ve heard similar assertions fills my soul with sadness. As Ross noted in a subsequent post, the “allegations detailed in the initial Tortoise investigation were extremely disturbing, but I found Claire’s account on Am I Broken even harder to listen to.” 

Not long after that, two more women spoke to the Tortoise Media reporters. These allegations were also horrific. All in all, what’s alleged is truly heinous and I am so profoundly sorry about what these women have gone through, and are no doubt still going through.

(Important note: These allegations have been used as a battering ram by some deeply transphobic people, and I want to make it clear that I completely condemn transphobia, TERF-iness and all forms of bigotry against trans people, now and forever.)

It sounds like some of these women approached the media before and didn’t get anyone to take on their stories. If you’ve wondered, I’ve never been approached by anyone with allegations like the ones that recently came to light. And while I would be very surprised if there is not further coverage of this matter, I know from extensive experience that these kinds of investigations take time. A lot of time.

Time, care and attention are required to do this kind of reporting properly, in ways that show compassion and consideration to the survivors, and in ways that pass muster with fact-checkers, editors and lawyers. (Legal review of my book, for example, took about a year, and some stories I’ve done have gone through several months of legal review, especially when the subject of a story has the resources to hire a lot of lawyers, spin doctors and crisis PR firms. Having to engage for months with all those hired guns is about as pleasant as you’d think.)

Because folks have asked, I am not working on any kind of Gaiman followup. In part because I have other commitments that take precedence. In part because what I have to say about these kinds of behaviors, patterns, dynamics and abuses is in my book (and in my previous decades’ worth of in-depth reporting on Hollywood).

And in part because I have already reported on Gaiman, somewhat indirectly, and I did not enjoy a significant aspect of the fallout of that experience. 

Continue reading A Burn It Down video extravaganza, and thoughts on Neil Gaiman, creative gods, American Gods and rotten pedestals

On Kamala Harris, Barack Obama and a theory. On Sleepy Hollow, moving forward and Not Going Back

(This was originally published in my free newsletter, Burner Account, on July 24. Cross-posting it here.)

Politics is, to some degree, a game of symbolism. But the phrase “political theater” isn’t an inherently negative one: We all respond to symbols and images that are brilliantly arranged. Under the right conditions, we create real meaning from those building blocks.  

That is all to say, if I were running the Democratic National Convention, I’d be thinking hard about the following sequence of events: In the summer of 2004, a young Illinois politician not many people had heard of gave the keynote address at the DNC. His name was Barack Obama. Maybe you’ve heard of him?

I’m from Chicago, so I knew who he was, but most viewers hadn’t heard his name before that night, which landed Obama on a lot of people’s radar. Four years later, he was president. 

Now, two decades later, the Democratic National Convention will be in Chicago in August. And I’m wondering if Obama, who has not yet endorsed Kamala Harris, will do so at the convention. A full circle moment, and a mighty poetic one at that. 

Picture this scenario: Obama endorses Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate moments before her acceptance speech. There are already photos of the two together, no doubt, but pictures and video of Obama and Harris together on stage at the DNC? As the former president passes the torch to Harris? 

If I’m running optics at the DNC, I’m going to stage that moment within an inch of its life. Obama coming out on a stage in Grant Park, right after he was elected for the first time — if you were living in this city then, chances are you remember that moment as an all-timer in the realm of Chicago images.

Done right, the one between him and Harris could top that.

Events are fast-moving and for all I know, by this time tomorrow, Obama may have endorsed Harris (and we may have been invaded by aliens, because we are just not allowed to live in precedented times anymore). 

A lot of things are still in play, but still, I find it interesting to wonder if he’s withholding his endorsement because a scenario like the one I just described might be in the works. We are in a moment where anything’s possible — sometimes in terrifying ways, but sometimes in good ways. I don’t know about you, but I’d like as much of the latter as possible. In the last few days… well, Sunday afternoon, I was freaking out. Now? It feels like I walked outside on a warm day and just realized how long it’s been since I felt the sun on my skin. 

Back to the unsolicited advice: Regardless of what happens at the DNC, in coming months, we’re probably going to see a lot of pictures of Obama and Harris together. And I hope like hell that Harris’ social media staff posts those images relentlessly on all platforms, ideally with the caption “u mad, bro?”

Because the fascists and/or theocrats and/or rich sociopaths that now control the Republican Party will not be able to be normal about Obama and Harris occupying the same space, or the same stage. Or the same oval-shaped office, maybe. No, already, it’s clear that they cannot be normal about any of that, not even a little bit. 

They are and will be unable to remain calm when it comes to the very idea of a Black and South Asian woman running for the highest office in the land — with a strong shot at winning. Of course, there have been a lot of “mask off” moments in the past decade (and the past 400 years of American history). But even more masks are going to come off in the next few months. It’s going to get ugly.

It already has; this chud just threw a version of the “welfare queen” slur at Harris, accusing this longtime public servant of just “collecting a check.” There will be more of this, much more. Including an ’80s reboot nobody wanted; sigh, of course they are preparing Willie Horton-style attacks on Harris.

I do not endorse or want to see the Discourse once again pervaded by covert and overt sexism, racism and misogynoir (in part because, well, when hasn’t a big chunk of the Discourse shown an affinity for those things?). That said, a lot more people will take their masks fully off and reveal themselves as racist, sexist shitlords in coming weeks. I don’t look forward to that, but for some, the process may be illuminating. Perhaps it will drive more people to vote for sanity and Not Racism in the next election.  

In any case, the vitriol that’s not just coming but already here is one reason to beef up Harris’ security detail, by a lot. And on a slightly less sobering note, watching terrible people try to come up with rationales as to why an intelligent, charismatic, accomplished woman like Harris should not be the candidate is and will continue to be quite the spectacle. 

In coming weeks, there will be a lot of sputtering as the toxically DC-pilled, as well as assorted bigots and dummies, desperately seek reasons why she should not be the nominee and definitely should not win. A lot of people who think of themselves as smart are going to show the world how weak-minded they are, and it won’t be pretty. But it might occasionally be semi-amusing to see them literally grasp at straws

Images from an actual NRSC talking points document about Kamala Harris. Under the category Weird: KH has a habit of laughing at inappropriate moments. KH pledged to ban plastic straws. KH is in favor of banning certain behaviors like eating red meat. KH loves Venn diagrams. KH loves electric school busses because she went to school on a school bus. KH recently discovered that electricity doesn't smell
I am a single issue voter and my single issue is that Venn diagrams are Pure Evil

She likes Venn diagrams. She rode a school bus. She laughs. Dear Lord, won’t you save us from this woman who laughs?

This ongoing clownshow of sputtering frustration gains steam every day, sometimes in downright comical ways (and thanks for that, I needed the laughs). In all seriousness, though, I don’t mean to imply that folks cannot have questions about the record of any politician — including Harris. Any office holder’s resume can be judged on the merits, and there can be reasonable disagreements when it comes to folks’ honest assessments. 

But the truth is, an enormous amount of the ugliness that has been — and will be — aimed at Harris is going to come from genuine mediocrities — many of them white — who cannot stand the undeniable fact that Harris stands on the precipice of the pinnacle of power in America. 

It is absolutely not for me to say how any person on this planet spends their time. If there’s one lesson that’s been driven home in the last few years, it’s that I don’t know what kind of bandwidth anybody else is working with. For a lot of us, the tank has been empty or near-empty for a some time — which is why it’s so encouraging to feel like people are starting to feel energized by recent events. 

For those of us who do not have an empty tank and are beginning to feel fired up (a weird feeling! But let’s go with it!), I have something to say: I really, really hope a lot of my fellow white people, especially white women, spend part of that energy doing the absolute most to combat the stupidity, racism and sexist garbage we’re going to come across in the virtual and real spaces we occupy. That work is on us.

Basically, what I really hope we do not do — again— is ask a Black woman to save us, and then sit back and do little to nothing to protect her from the hordes of jackals out to get her. We’ve already run that play way too many times in our nation’s history. So let’s really and truly get to work, because the desire to deny or destroy Harris for ugly and bigoted reasons will crop up in obvious ways and less obvious ways. It’s going to be everywhere and take many different forms.

Of course among the rabid, frequently rancid weasels that now infest the Republican Party, the vileness Harris has been subjected to was kicked into a higher gear by this past week’s events. But those dynamics will also — I’m sad to say — percolate through a large chunk of the Beltway press, that brayingly unreflective segment of the dying American media industry (one that continues, in the year of our lord 2024, to put out pieces about the new, “serene” Donald Trump. I would scream what the actual fuck if I had any energy to spare for that).

Unfortunately, I am sure some in that dangerously dopey pack of pundits and hacks are incredibly horny to create a “but her emails” narrative for Harris. Not that they’ll be able to admit that’s what they’re doing, of course. They’re Just Asking Questions. Sure. 

Combatting gross people, lazy reporters and brain-wormed pundits who come after Harris with rickety coverage and specious arguments will be exhausting, because most of the folks deploying that crap will no doubt cloak themselves in righteousness, patriotism and a Commitment to the Truth or some such nonsense. And that will pretty much be bullshit. As evidence, I present: Sleepy Hollow

Continue reading On Kamala Harris, Barack Obama and a theory. On Sleepy Hollow, moving forward and Not Going Back

One year of Burn It Down (plus an LA event!)

Hello! First up, a couple of interviews (and an event) I’d like to draw your attention to. Then I’m going to share a few thoughts on one year of Burn It Down (now out in paperback!) existing in the world. 

A number of folks asked me during the past year when I’d have a book event in Los Angeles. The stars did not align to make that happen until this week — and it’s happening! 

The great people at Women In Film LA put together an event to celebrate the paperback publication of Burn It Down: Power, Complicity and a Call for Change in Hollywood. This free shindig will take place 7 p.m. Thursday, June 13, and it’ll consist of two things: a panel conversation and a book signing. 

I feel enormously fortunate to be sharing the stage at Groundfloor LA on Thursday with these industry folks:

Kether Donohue: Actor, producer, singer/songwriter, voice actor; You’re the Worst, Grease Live, B Positive, Star Trek: Lower Decks, among other credits. 

Melinda Hsu: Showrunner, creator, director, writer, producer; Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Lost, Medium and The Vampire Diaries, among other credits; creator of the Lead With Kindness podcast and management training seminar.

Shernold Edwards: Former executive, creator, writer, producer; Station 19, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, All Rise, Anne with an E, Haven and Sleepy Hollow, among other credits. 

Maikiko James: Senior Director of Programs, Women In Film LA; Maikiko oversees WIF LA’s member programs including Fellowships, Emerging Careers, and the WIF/Black List Episodic Lab. She co-founded INSIGHT, a WIF community for women of color in entertainment, in 2018.

After the panel, I’ll sign books (books will be for sale on site, but if you want to bring a book you already own, I’ll sign those too). As noted, the event at Groundfloor LA in Downtown LA is free, and you can register to reserve your spot at this link

The interviews I’d like to draw your attention to: This long chat with Cole Haddon of the excellent newsletter 5AM StoryTalk, in which I talk about a lot of things related to the writing of and the reception to the book. I also lay out my Grand Unified Theory of the Art vs. the Artist — and this is one excerpt from that section of the talk (the type in green is me expanding on that part of the chat on my Instagram Stories):

I also recently did this fun podcast with Danielle Turchiano of Made Possible by Pop Culture. It’s available on all podcast platforms and on Youtube as well. (If you crave more conversations that feature me talking about entertainment industry issues and/or my book, there are lots more listed here.)

So! One year ago this month, my first book came out. I am the first person to discover that writing a book is hard. Probably you’ve never seen any author complain at any point in time ever, because writing a book is easy. 

Hahahaha nope. It’s hard. It’s like having a kid or getting hitched — whatever you think it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be different than that, in good ways and less good ways, in unpredictable and incredible ways. As in those other life situations, you can’t be prepared for a lot of the things that happen, but as you try your best, you usually learn a great deal along the way. 

Anyway, yeah, it wasn’t easy (though there were some high points, mainly involving getting to interview many, many badass humans, and there was also some surreal/weirdly funny shit that happened during those 2-3 years). But by the end of the process, I was in thousand-yard-stare mode, focused on pulling the dang thing over the finish line. By the end, these were the two hopes I had the energy left to carry: I wanted to not get sued, and I wanted to be proud of my first book. Anything else was gravy. 

Looking good on both of fronts. And also… my friends, in the past year, there has been So. Much. Gravy. 

Continue reading One year of Burn It Down (plus an LA event!)

Books. Bakes. Battlestar Galactica. (Recent Work and Upcoming Funtimes)

Hello! It’s been a while. One big reason is that it’s now gardening season and I spend every spare minute doing dirt-based outdoor therapy in my yard. I’m having a lot of fun with it, while also dodging a massive brood of dazed cicadas, who are truly one of evolution’s weirder tangents. (By the way, if you want pics of the garden or clues about other things I’m thinking about, I post images of my beautiful flower babies on my Instagram stories frequently. Day to day, you can usually find me there or on Bluesky. I’m pretty much off Twitter, and though I post on Threads occasionally, I do not like Threads; there, I said it! Almost everything about the design and user experience of Threads is irritating to me; of course, if you love it, I’m glad for you.). 

Anyway! I’ve also managed to do some work this year. And here are a few links and thoughts about those recent pieces, plus an update on what’s to come. (Cylon foreshadowing: I have a plan!)

First up, for Vanity Fair, I compiled a list of fantastic shows that probably got lost in the shuffle during the cicada-like proliferation of TV in the past decade. Line of Duty is the centerpiece of the list, and I have so much more I could say about that excellent drama. But instead I’ll point you to this interview that 5AM StoryTalk writer/creator Cole Haddon did with Jed Mercurio, the man behind Line of Duty, Bodyguard and many other compelling programs.

Arthur Hastings of Line of Duty: Incredible representation for irritable Irish Catholics who yell “Mother of God!” all the time! Especially when so many of the people around them do not live up to their stated ethical codes!

In the interview, Mercurio talks about being the working-class son of immigrants, and that gets at something I think about a lot:

Continue reading Books. Bakes. Battlestar Galactica. (Recent Work and Upcoming Funtimes)

My Top TV and Films of 2021

Hello! It’s too late to post my favorite TV shows and films of 2021, because it’s now 2022 and no one cares! Or maybe someone cares. In any event, it pleases me to post this information and at least give my WordPress skills a workout.

Normally I write A Whole Thing about what the year in TV meant to me, yada yada. Who has the energy? I don’t! Whatever energy I do have is going into writing a book. I am excited to bring Burn It Down into the world and I am focusing on almost nothing else for the next several months. I am nervous about writing my first book, and the world continues to be A Lot, but I have a new mantra from Gerri:

Here are the usual rules about why some shows/films are not on the lists below. It is possible that: 

  • I didn’t have time to get to it.
  • I sampled it and didn’t like it as much as you did.
  • I tried it and strongly disliked it. What were they thinking?
  • I’m a cruel hellbeast determined to bring pain and suffering to the world. (This is probably the reason.)

Three lists coming at you: My Top 10 TV Shows (the best of the best in a very strong year!), My Top 10 Movies, and a longer Top 40 TV Shows roster (there was so much variety in what was good this year. Sincere thanks to everyone who worked hard to make good shit during a very hard time).

Continue reading My Top TV and Films of 2021

The Top TV Shows of 2020

I love reading critics’s end-of-year lists and, because I’m a nerd, I also enjoy making lists of things I should check out (at this point, my Things to Watch Google Doc is one of history’s greatest epics). It’s weird how other critics’ lists are correct and the lists I post annually are also perfectly correct.

But my lists are the most right!  

Before I get to the core of this post, I want to mention that I’m moderating a Better Off Ted reunion for charity on Dec. 27. Stop by if you care to — it should be fun! (Of course, for Veridian employees, this event is a mandatory training session.)

All right, as usual, you could make a pretty good Top 10 list of things I have only seen part of or have not seen at all. Not sure if you were aware of this fact, but there is a lot of #content out there. 

So this list, especially given how often quarantine brain derailed me this year, is not comprehensive. I’m sure, in the next week or two, I’ll watch more things I wish I’d included. Regardless, I’m glad for the existence of all these shows — and movies, documentaries, multi-part documentaries, films-that-are-probably-not-TV, TV-that-might-be-movies and documentary-scripted hybrids, plus unicorns that are also 10-hour films, etc.

Two omissions from these lists that were still important parts of my 2020 viewing experience: The Great British Baking Show (which goes by the nickname GBBO in its original habitat) and the Great Canadian Baking Show. I’d like to unburden myself a bit regarding both of those programs. A bit later in this post, I delve into how what’s good about them relates to key aspects of my favorite scripted programs of 2020. Skip ahead to the lists if you don’t want to wade through this part! 

Continue reading The Top TV Shows of 2020

The 101 Best TV Shows of the Decade: The Definitive List You’ve Been Waiting For

This is my personal list of the top 100 101* programs of the decade. 

I only considered programs that premiered after January 1, 2010. If you get mad about an omission, there’s a 98% chance that the show you’re cranky about premiered before that date. I’m almost annoyed at myself for imposing that limitation, because it means I can’t include Men of a Certain Age, which is so, so great (and which premiered in December 2009). But that’s the rule I decided on, so it is what it is. 

Here’s what I decided not to consider for the list: Commentary programs (like “Full Frontal”), documentaries, comedy specials or any kind of reality TV. Though I didn’t set out to exclude it, I also ended up without any shows primarily aimed at kids. No hate for any of these genres: I just ended up organically focusing on the kinds of scripted storytelling I love. 

So this list consists of scripted TV released in the last decade that I saw and liked enough overall to put it on this list. My best-of-the-decade roster would have been much longer if I could have put selected seasons of some shows on it. But I went with the “all or nothing” approach. There are shows below that had occasional dips in quality, but they also had something special, were pretty consistently good and/or had a number of excellent or great runs during their lifespans, so they made the cut. And of course some of these programs are notably more ambitious than others! But they each brought something special to the game and I am glad I watched them all. 

I wonder if you will be able to tell what my all-time fave of the decade is. And by the way, if you want more recommendations, here are my lists of the best TV of 2019 and the best TV of 2018. There are yet more best-of lists at the end of this post.

Where to see these shows depends on what country you live in and what company has the rights to a particular show at a given point in time. Given that those circumstances can and do change, I’d consult justwatch.com if you want to know where to find all this delicious content. 

I watched a lot of TV in the past decade. A lot. Probably more than is strictly advisable. No regrets. This is the best of what I saw.  Let’s get into it, shall we?

Continue reading The 101 Best TV Shows of the Decade: The Definitive List You’ve Been Waiting For

The Top TV Shows of 2019

This is a love story. 

Television, there’s too much of you. Stop. But also, don’t. 

I didn’t do individual writeups of each show on this list, as I did with my 2018 list, in part because this was a looong year and I still have a lot of things to get done before 2019 calls it a day. OK, fine, that’s partly a dodge. I am pretty busy, but even if I wasn’t, the truth is, penning 40 41* individual writeups is challenging. Fun fact: Writing short is often harder than writing long. It’s true. 

You may assume that every show on this list will bring you joy for a distinct and delightful array of reasons. Watch them all. 

A few bits of houskeeping: One reason I’ve posted this list is to draw your attention to something completely unrelated (I guess this is my version of a pop-up ad?).  Feel free to skip ahead to the list(s) if that’s the only #content you desire.

The documentary This Changes Everything (which is already available to rent/buy on various platforms) arrives on Starz on Dec. 16. I would love it if you watched it, and not just because I’m in it (stone-cold humblebrag, Mo! Wow! This is the real brag: Someone said that I sort of serve as the Neville Longbottom of the film and I have never felt more profoundly complimented. I recently re-read the entire Harry Potter book cycle, and Neville and Luna Lovegood are kind of the best. Also, the fact that Hermione ends up with Ron is one of the great literary catastrophes of our age, but that’s not the topic at hand right now.) 

This Changes Everything systematically (and entertainingly and thoughtfully, in my opinion) takes on the issues of institutional and informal exclusion, bias and sexism in Hollywood. It contains a lot of useful facts and figures but also a bracing array of interviews with top actresses and directors. And yes, I’d say all these positive things even if the film wasn’t the reason I became best friends with Yara Shahidi and Meryl Streep. (This is a lie. We are not friends. Let me dream.) Here are some critics’ takes on TCE in case you want to read up on it before deciding whether to check it out. 

Back to the list! Yearly whine: These are not all the shows I watched. I viewed part or all of many more programs. These are the ones I deemed worthy of being on this long (and yet difficult to pare down) list.

If I wrote about a show this year, I’ve linked to that piece within the list. And if you want to know where to stream any of the shows below (that information can be confusing and non-intuitive), or you just want to know where to find obscure gems like Rubicon and Slings & Arrows), I find Just Watch quite helpful on that topic.

Here are the house rules on why some shows are not on the list:

  • I didn’t have time to get to it.
  • I sampled it and didn’t like it as much as you did.
  • I tried it and strongly disliked it. What were they thinking?
  • I’m a cruel hellbeast determined to bring pain and suffering to the world. (This is probably the reason.)

The Best

As you already know, Fleabag was the best TV program of 2019. Kneel

My 2019 Top 10 (in alphabetical order)

Better Things, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Fleabag, The Good Fight, The Good Place, Lucifer, One Day at a Time, Schitt’s Creek, Succession, Watchmen.

The Top 41* Television Programs of 2019 (in alphabetical order)

*Update on Dec. 31, 2019: When first published, this roster had 40 shows, but I’ve now added The Expanse, which released its fourth season 10 days after this list came out. Around the middle of the show’s second season, I fell behind on The Expanse, in large part due to Peak TV glut and various other time-devouring commitments. Fortunately I’ve had time lately to get caught up, and we finished Season 4 on Dec. 31, 2019. It’s a late-breaking and deserving addition to the list!

Continue reading The Top TV Shows of 2019

Through the Looking Glass: A Lost Retrospective Podcast

Hello! I am very excited to share this with you. This fall, Tara Bennett and I co-hosted a Lost retrospective podcast for SyfyWire. The six-part podcast explored the show’s impact, influence and legacy through a series of conversations with special guests. We’d love it if you checked out all six parts, but if I may be so bold, you’re really going to want to hear the season finale.

Continue reading Through the Looking Glass: A Lost Retrospective Podcast