there's a wide spectrum of these of course. one of my favorite nuts n bolts critics is alan sepinwall, whose mammoth breaking bad posts are required reading
at one time i might have said tom carson.
who's your favorite?
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 24 August 2011 11:28 (fourteen years ago)
I am a huge fan of trying to figure out how shows work, and why, and nobody's better at that than Todd VanDerWerff, to me. I'll read him talk about ABC Family shows I have no intention of ever watching, just because I like reading him talk about TV.
― C-L, Wednesday, 24 August 2011 11:31 (fourteen years ago)
thanks, C-L
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 24 August 2011 12:35 (fourteen years ago)
I like Troy Patterson on Slate - sometimes a bit too pleased with himself but a very witty, elegant writer.
― Now he's doing horse (DL), Wednesday, 24 August 2011 12:39 (fourteen years ago)
sepinwall is such a machine. breaking bad was on sunday night and he already has SIX more lengthy reviews of other shows since then. ???? He's not getting quotes, but still.. my god.
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:46 (fourteen years ago)
well early fall for guys in his line of work has gotta be like accountants in tax season, right? i'm sure he doesn't sleep much this time of year
― some dude, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 18:57 (fourteen years ago)
true true
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 19:57 (fourteen years ago)
he probably gets a lot of screeners in advance, anyway - wouldn't be surprised if some of those had been written earlier.
― Roz, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 20:07 (fourteen years ago)
that's definitely the case w/ pilots and sometimes the first few episodes of new shows. probably not w/ something established and midseason like breaking bad, though.
― some dude, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 20:16 (fourteen years ago)
Sepinwall gets screeners for most shows and writes up the review to go up right when it finishes airing on the East Coast.
Echoing the Van Der Werff love from upthread, he's pretty great.
I disagree with Zoller Seitz on a number of things but he's really good when he's on form. His Breaking Bad write-ups have been pretty good when I've read them.
I also think Myles McNutt's blog can be interesting.
― Rory's new misogynist car (Gukbe), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 22:24 (fourteen years ago)
I haven't read him since he joined the Hollywood Reporter but I always liked Tim Goodman at the SF Comicle
― What does one wear to a summery execution? Linen? (Michael White), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 22:35 (fourteen years ago)
Others I like: Jaime Weinman, James Poniewozik, Jace Lacob
― polyphonic, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 22:40 (fourteen years ago)
Is it a 'J' thing?
― What does one wear to a summery execution? Linen? (Michael White), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 22:41 (fourteen years ago)
Clearly
― polyphonic, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 22:42 (fourteen years ago)
Js did 9/11
― runaway (Matt P), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 22:44 (fourteen years ago)
Is Van Der Werff the guy on AVClub's Fringe beat? Whoever it is/was, I found him tedious/trying too hard.
― Leee, Lord of Wtfomgham (Leee), Wednesday, 28 September 2011 04:29 (fourteen years ago)
Emily Nussbaum is very good (http://nymag.com/news/features/33517/)
― Tyler the Creator Knows White People (The Brainwasher), Wednesday, 28 September 2011 04:57 (fourteen years ago)
xpost
No, that's Noel Murray. Van Der Werff is the AV Club TV editor. I think he covers Breaking Bad for the LA Times Showtracker blog.
― Rory's new misogynist car (Gukbe), Wednesday, 28 September 2011 05:35 (fourteen years ago)