Even as the scripted drama business on the broadcast networks subsides into increasing irrelevance, new players arise who want to take part.  Dramas may not be cost-effective in the way that they once were, but they’re still an unmatched vehicle for branding–just ask AMC–and Netflix, Amazon and Hulu are among the entities who […]

  It was perfectly appropriate to dread the news that an athlete was hosting SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE–the show’s history abounds with deadly sports hosts like Michael Phelps and Tom Brady.  And in case that wasn’t enough pressure for tonight’s host Eli Manning, one of the rare exceptions to the rule was his own brother Peyton, […]

MEN IN BLACK 3:  Watch It At Home – $250M Worth of “OK”   After years of development, a famously troubled production, untold rewrites and a budget that even Sony admits is around $250M (meaning $400M+ with marketing), MEN IN BLACK 3 is… fine.  Proficient and professional, neither inspired nor demanding, containing a few chuckles, […]

    The sparse network summer season for scripted series kicked off tonight with ROOKIE BLUE, beginning that extreme rarity, a 3d season, where few original network dramas in summer even get to a Season 2. WHERE WE WERE:  Our heroine, 2d year Toronto police officer Andy McNally (Missy Peregrym), after a season and a […]

  Check Out THE SKED’s Complete Season Finale Reviews HERE. Maybe Kyle Killen and Taylor Kitsch should have coffee together.  Kitsch, of course, is now infamous as the only man in history to star in two $200M bombs within a few weeks of one another (John Carter and Battleship, in case your memory is short).  […]

  MOONRISE KINGDOM:  Worth A Ticket – The Kingdom is Wes Anderson’s     Wes Anderson seemed to find the perfect vehicle for his particular form of brilliance with 2009’s stop-motion animated Fantastic Mr. Fox, a spectacularly designed, witty and surprisingly moving piece of jewel-like aritificiality.  Unfortunately, Mr. Fox wasn’t a success at the boxoffice […]

With the 2011-12 broadcast season now concluded, here’s a list of all our Season Finale reviews at The Sked: 2 BROKE GIRLS  30 ROCK 90210 AWAKE  BONES COMMUNITY More after the break–

  A show like REVENGE is supposed to glory in its Season Finales.  It’s the one time when things can really happen:  characters can die, plotlines can resolve, shocking surprises can be introduced.  In a way a season finale is a gut check for a serialized show’s producers–just how far will they dare to go?  […]