Posts Tagged ‘series’

Catching Up at the Video Store: Getting Schooled by Athena

Posted: 19 April, 2012 in Movies/TV, TV
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Catching Up at the Video Store: Getting Schooled by Athena

Article first published as Getting Schooled by Athena on Blogcritics.

Once again, it’s time to up your Intelligence Quota ante with a nice hand of flashcards from the folks at Acorn Media’s elite label of documentary and educational material, Athena Learning. Previously, we explored the worlds of art, war, religion, politics, and several great minds. This time ’round, we’re doing a lot of the same — because those are the topics that smart people apparently adore talking about (and that networks such as PBS and the History Channel love to air), and our titles include Secret War, In Their Own Words,, Battlefield Detectives, The Windsors: From George to Kate, and Joseph Campbell: Mythos III, as well as three individual offerings from Bill Moyers: Capitol Crimes, Amazing Grace and Chuck, er, On Our Own Terms. (more…)

Catching Up At The Video Store: Wising Up with Athena

Posted: 29 September, 2011 in Movies/TV, TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Wising Up with Athena

Article first published as Wising Up with Athena on Blogcritics.

Sure it’s fun to turn your brain off every so often in order to truly appreciate the intellectual insufficiency that’s present in, say, any Michael Bay film. Ultimately, though, it’s unrewarding for your own cerebral capacity — to say nothing of the stain movies like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen leave on your soul. It’s time to wise up, kids — and there’s no better choice to do that with than this assortment of mixed documentaries and education programs brought to you by the letter A, the number 5 and Acorn Media’s exclusive “smart” label, Athena Learning.
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Catching Up At The Video Store: From Madcap to Just Plain Mad – A Look at Several British TV Titles

Posted: 14 September, 2011 in TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: From Madcap to Just Plain Mad – A Look at Several British TV Titles

Article first published as From Madcap to Just Plain Mad – A Look at Several British TV Titles on Blogcritics.

If there’s one thing that those Brits can always pull off, it’s the illusion of someone going completely mental. After all, they should know more about madness than anyone — what with that King George III fellow and the popularity of Russell Brand and all. The great Bard of Avon himself depicted numerous strolls down Lunacy Lane in his assorted works, and I can’t help by wonder if historians for eons to come will endure many sleepless nights pondering what the hell all the fuss was over William and Kate’s wedding. Another popular form of insanity inherent in the UK is television: a world of awe wherein every single definition of the word “mad” can be seen regularly. And so, with that in mind, here’s a look at several British television series that range From Madcap to Just Plain Mad.
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*DVD Review* Lie To Me: Season Two

Posted: 7 December, 2010 in TV
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DVD Review: Lie To Me: Season Two

Article first published as DVD Review: Lie To Me: Season Two on Blogcritics.

Ten points if you just thought of a Depeche Mode song.

Once British actor Hugh Laurie started wowing television audiences away with his unorthodox anti-hero demeanor in House, it paved the way for more performers from the United Kingdom to infiltrate American TV shows. If you’re looking for a lesser example, look up the short-lived atrocity that was known as Mental. If you’re after a much better illustration, however, you should definitely check out Lie To Me starring Tim Roth.
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*DVD Review* Scrubs: The Complete And Final Ninth Season

Posted: 27 September, 2010 in TV
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DVD Review: Scrubs: The Complete And Final Ninth Season

Article first published as DVD Review: Scrubs: The Complete And Final Ninth Season on Blogcritics.

Some television shows are self-aware of their value to the entertainment world, and wisely recognize when it is time to call it a day. The Eighth season of Scrubs ended on a positive note; one that didn’t call for any continuation. But, much like a vehicle owner that firmly believes he can squeeze one last trip down the road out of his once-faithful jalopy, series creator Bill Lawrence decided that he’d give Scrubs a final go. The result was a pseudo spin-off: something that bears the onscreen title of Scrubs: Med School, but is referred to on DVD as Scrubs: The Complete And Final Ninth Season.
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*DVD Review* Midsomer Murders: Set 14

Posted: 8 March, 2010 in TV
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DVD Review: Midsomer Murders: Set 14

To the uninitiated, Midsomer Murders is a popular British television program that, as of 2010, is in its 13th Series. Based on the works of Caroline Graham, the show follows the cases of Tom Barnaby (John Nettles), Detective Chief Inspector of Midsomer County. As the title may lead you to guess, this isn’t your average rural county. The quaint little villages and towns are lovely — as is the scenery — but there do seem to be an awful lot of murders around here. In fact, after thirteen years on the air, one of the popular running jokes for frequent Midsomer Murders is “How is it there are still people living there?”
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*Capsule Reviews* CSI vs. NCIS

Posted: 28 October, 2009 in TV
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Capsule Reviews: CSI vs. NCIS

Originally posted at blogcritics.org

Once upon a time, a producer named Jerry Bruckheimer introduced American television audiences to the concept of a weekly TV cop drama that focused on forensic investigations of a crime rather than the usual “Book ‘em, Danno” approach. Although CSI wasn’t the first show to center on forensics, it certainly became one of the most popular, inspiring rip-offs and spin-offs galore. Years later, the original CSI is still going strong, as are its competitors and offshoots. Today, we take a look at a few recent home video releases from CBS/Paramount, showcasing the many, many forensics series out there.
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*Blu-ray Review* Red Dwarf: Back To Earth

Posted: 24 October, 2009 in TV
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Blu-ray Review: Red Dwarf: Back To Earth

Originally posted at blogcritics.org

Back during my grade school years, my friends (all two of them) and I discovered a science fiction BBC Britcom via the wonders of Public Television. It was entitled Red Dwarf, and it soon became one of my all-time favorite British television series. The premise (inspired by classic sci-fi films like Silent Running, Alien, and Blade Runner) featured a complete slob of a man named Dave Lister (Craig Charles) — an incompetent, low-level technician aboard a massive mining ship called the Red Dwarf. Sentenced to six months in suspended animation for smuggling an unquarantined (pregnant) cat onboard the massive, city-sized ship, Dave is released one day only to learn that the entire ship’s crew was killed in a radiation leak — three million years ago — leaving him the last human being in the universe (presumably).
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Stargate: 15th Anniversary Edition comes to Blu-ray October 27

Posted: 18 October, 2009 in Movies/TV
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STARGATE: 15TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Hits Blu-ray October 27th from Lionsgate

Stargate, the film that spawned three television series, two movies and a galaxy of fans, celebrates its 15th anniversary with a special edition Blu-ray Disc!  The film, written and directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day), boasts a critically-acclaimed ensemble cast that includes three-time *Emmy® winner James Spader, **Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee Kurt Russell and two-time ***Academy Award® nominee Djimon Hounsou.  The Stargate: 15th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Disc contains both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film – for the first time on Blu-ray – in newly remastered 1080P High Definition 16 x 9 Widescreen with English 7.1 DTS-MA Audio and four hours of mind-blowing special features including three new featurettes, a never-before-seen gag reel, an interactive trivia track and more!  The Blu-ray will be available on October 27, 2009, timed to coincide with the new television series “Stargate Universe” coming to SyFy this fall!

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*Capsule Reviews* New TV On DVD from CBS/Paramount

Posted: 24 September, 2009 in TV
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Capsule Reviews: New TV On DVD from CBS/Paramount

Originally posted at blogcritics.org

Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman. Especially if you fall into any of these categories: a) you see dead people, b) you work with a bunch of weird and smelly cab drivers, c) you hunt down escaped antiquities possessed by evil, or d) you have to put up with your in-laws, who are on opposite sides of the law. Why, just ask any of the heroines from this week’s TV On DVD releases from CBS/Paramount.
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