kottke.org posts about TV (kottke.org)

posted Jan 28 @ 04:41 PM by Jason Kottke

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Parts Unknown

I’ve caught a couple of episodes of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and I’ve been impressed with the show so far. In it, chef/author Anthony Bourdain travels to places off the beaten path and explores the local culture. But it’s not just about food and culture as with his previous shows. In Parts Unknown, Bourdain also delves into local politics and social issues. In Iran, he spoke with journalists about their tenuous relationship with the government (and two of the journalists he spoke with were subsequently arrested). Episodes in the Congo, Myanmar, and Libya are produced with a focus on their oppressive governments, past and present. Even in the Massachusetts episode, he talks about his former heroin addiction and the current addiction of poor whites in the US. Many of the places he visits, we only hear about the leadership and bad things that happen on the news, but Bourdain meets with the locals and finds more similarities amongst cultures than differences. I’d never considered going to visit someplace like Iran, but Parts Unknown has me considering it…what a great people.

Season four recently wrapped up and they’re shooting season five now. The first three seasons are currently available on Netflix and all four seasons are on Amazon. (FYI to the web team at CNN: “Unknown” is misspelled in the of that page.) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Anthony%20Bourdain">Anthony Bourdain</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Anthony%20Bourdain%3A%20Parts%20Unknown">Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/food">food</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Iran">Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/travel">travel</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/15/01/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2015-01-23T16:24:38Z">Jan 23 @ 11:24 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/15/01/transparent-streaming-for-free-tomorrow">Transparent streaming for free tomorrow!</a></h2> <p><img src="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/transparent-show.jpg" srcset="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/transparent-show.jpg 500w, /cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/transparent-show.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 500px, 1200px" loading="lazy" width="640" height="196" border="0" alt="Transparent Show" /></p> <p>All day on Saturday, Amazon will be <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00I3MNF6S/ref=nosim/0sil8">streaming their acclaimed series Transparent for free</a> (US-only probs) in celebration of the show’s wins at the Golden Globes (best TV series and best actor for Jeffrey Tambor). <a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2009633">Here’s the press release</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>“We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved in the making of Transparent-the team took a risk and it paid off,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “Big kudos and congrats to Jill, Jeffrey, and all the cast and crew.”</p> <p>Written, directed and executive produced by Emmy-nominee and 2013 Sundance Best Director winner Jill Soloway, Transparent is a 10-episode, half-hour novelistic series that explores family, identity, sex, and love.</p></blockquote> <p>Amazon is also offering a Saturday-only discount <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DBYBNEE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DBYBNEE&linkCode=as2&tag=0sil8&linkId=LZC5BCCRUT4RQEFE">on 1-yr Amazon Prime subscriptions</a>…$72 instead of the usual $99. I <em>loved</em> Transparent…if you’re not doing anything for 5 hours on Saturday, I recommend hopping on this. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Amazon">Amazon</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Transparent">Transparent</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/15/01/transparent-streaming-for-free-tomorrow"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2015-01-15T17:59:59Z">Jan 15 @ 12:59 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/15/01/the-new-yorkers-new-tv-show">The New Yorker’s new TV show</a></h2> <p>TV<sup id="fnref:1421343836"><a href="#fn:1421343836" rel="footnote">1</a></sup> is the place to be. Amazon recently signed Woody Allen up <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/business/amazon-signs-woody-allen-to-write-and-direct-tv-series.html">to do a show</a>. And today, The New Yorker debuts the first episode of their new show on Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00RR12NFK/ref=nosim/0sil8">The New Yorker Presents</a>, complete with a Alfred Hitchcock-esque silhouette on the title card to match the riff on the name of Hitch’s 50s TV program.</p> <blockquote><p>America’s most award-winning magazine comes to life in this new docu-series. Produced by Oscar & Emmy winner Alex Gibney, the pilot features a doc from Oscar winner Jonathan Demme based on Rachel Aviv’s article “A Very Valuable Reputation,” writer Ariel Levy interviewing artist Marina Abramovic, a sketch from Simon Rich and Alan Cumming, poetry read by Andrew Garfield, and cartoons by Emily Flake.</p></blockquote> <p>The first episode is free to watch for all. I watched the first five minutes and it’s promising and pretty much what you would expect.</p> <ol> <li class="footnote" id="fn:1421343836"><p>Is this what we’re going to call these things, television? How many people actually watch these Amazon shows on a television? Increasingly fewer and fewer, I’d guess. <a href="#fnref:1421343836" title="return to article">↩</a></li> </ol> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Amazon">Amazon</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/The%20New%20Yorker">The New Yorker</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/15/01/the-new-yorkers-new-tv-show"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2015-01-09T15:42:08Z">Jan 9 @ 10:42 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/15/01/steven-soderberghs-2014-media-diet">Steven Soderbergh’s 2014 media diet</a></h2> <p>Once again, Steven Soderbergh kept track of every book, TV show, movie, play, and short story <a href="http://extension765.com/sdr/22-seen-read-2014">he read or watched in 2014</a>. A sampling: Girls, True Detective, Gone Girl, 2001 (3 times), Dr. Strangelove, Olive Kitteridge, My Struggle: Book One, Boardwalk Empire, and <a href="http://extension765.com/sdr/18-raiders">his black & white version of Raiders of the Lost Ark</a> (twice).</p> <p>Here are his lists for <a href="http://extension765.com/sdr/12-seen-read-2013">2013</a> (House of Cards, Koyaanisqatsi), <a href="http://extension765.com/sdr/9-seen-read-2012">2012</a> (This is Spinal Tap, The Lady in the Lake), <a href="http://extension765.com/sdr/7-seen-read-2011">2011</a> (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Senna), <a href="http://extension765.com/sdr/5-seen-read-2010">2010</a> (Mad Men, Where Good Ideas Come From), and <a href="http://extension765.com/sdr/3-seen-read-2009">2009</a> (Breaking Bad, Slap Shot). (via <a href="https://twitter.com/khoi">@khoi</a>) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/books">books</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/lists">lists</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/movies">movies</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Steven%20Soderbergh">Steven Soderbergh</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/15/01/steven-soderberghs-2014-media-diet"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2015-01-06T21:20:34Z">Jan 6 @ 04:20 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/15/01/game-of-thrones-on-imax">Game of Thrones on IMAX</a></h2> <p>A couple episodes of Game of Thrones <a href="http://variety.com/2015/film/news/game-of-thrones-to-hit-imax-screens-1201393367/">will be shown on IMAX screens</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>An exclusive season five trailer, as well as the final two episodes of the fourth season, will get an unprecedented run Jan. 23-29 at 150 theaters in top markets across the U.S.</p> <p>While the visual spectacle of the HBO hit makes it a natural for the large-screen treatment, “Thrones” will be digitally remastered to fit the Imax format.</p> <p>Fans will be able to purchase tickets to the special event for an unspecified price on Imax.com in the coming weeks.</p></blockquote> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Game%20of%20Thrones">Game of Thrones</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/15/01/game-of-thrones-on-imax"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2015-01-05T18:30:18Z">Jan 5 @ 01:30 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/15/01/the-sounds-of-the-wire">The sounds of The Wire</a></h2> <p>You don’t typically think of The Wire as a show that used audio to great effect, but you’d be wrong. From the show’s use of music only ambient to the scene (e.g. a car radio playing), the season-end montages, and the background soundtracks that accompanied certain characters or situations, The Wire’s use of music and sound was quite calculated and effective. At Reddit, <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/TheWire/comments/1qn6ff/i_was_a_sound_editor_on_the_wire_every_episode/">a sound editor who worked on the show shared her experiences</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>One of my crew’s challenges, then, was to find ways to evoke mood with backgrounds. When a character is in a crowded situation he is not comfortable with, listen for background laughter. When McNulty is drunk and on the prowl, listen for dogs barking (because he’s a dog - my own private commentary on his character). There was a whole world of work that went in to creating the sound of Hamsterdam and building it from an empty to thriving enterprise.</p></blockquote> <p>Working with Felicia Pearson was challenging:</p> <blockquote><p>Snoop was tricky. That DeWalt scene wasn’t the first time she was in the show (she’s a scout for Marlo the first time we see him in season three maybe?) but it was the most dialog she had up until then, and the HBO note was that she was completely unintelligible. I had her in the studio to do pretty much the entire scene over it felt like, and whenever I had a new actor in the studio, I would always ask (unless I recognized them from something else) if they had done ADR before because “The Wire” used so many non-actors. She said “no ma’am” so I walked her through the process and she did a great job. Stayed in sync, matched her cadence… and sounded exactly as unintelligible as she did on set!</p></blockquote> <p>But so was Dominic West:</p> <blockquote><p>McNulty (Dom West) came in often and was awesome, as well. His accent showed most often when the character was drunk or angry. Oddly, the name “Stringer Bell” tripped him up a lot. “Stringa” and then a very over-enunciated end to “Bell-eh.” Also, the words “fuck” and “cunt” came out “feck” and “cahnt” and the only way to break him of it was to stand right in front of him (so he could watch the mouth shape) and say the word over and over again. So a Dom West ADR session often went like this:</p> <p>Me (with Dom staring at my mouth): Cunt. Cunt. Cunt.<br /> Dom: Cahnt. Shit, do it again, please.<br /> Me: Cunt. Cunt. Cunt.<br /> Dom: Cunt. Cunt. OK, let’s record…<br /> (three beeps, the line starts and):<br /> Dom: …cahnt. Feck! Say it again.<br /> Me: Cunt….</p> <p>There were some instances where we didn’t bring Dom in for ADR because the emotion and energy of the scene would be compromised if we tinkered with his accent, and I support that decision, but it still pains me to hear those lines and feel like something slipped by me. I was like, the last checkpoint before dialog went on the air.</p> <p>Which reminds me, the “Fuck” scene (McNulty/Bunk) — when picture came to me, there were only about 30 “fucks” in it. We brought the guys in together and played the scene over and over and slammed a variation of “fuck” everywhere it would fit. I think the final mix tops off at somewhere in the 80 range? My personal contribution was Bunk’s “fuck, fuck fuckitty fuck.”</p></blockquote> <p>And Michael K. Williams cannot whistle:</p> <blockquote><p>Michael K Williams cannot whistle! It’s totally true. We brought him in and he tried but it just wasn’t happening. Omar’s whistle is provided by a lovely and talented loop group member named Susan, who is an actor and John Waters’ personal assistant.</p></blockquote> <p>To which another Redditor replied, “Susan’s coming yo!” The whole thread is great, read it. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/audio">audio</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/The%20Wire">The Wire</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/15/01/the-sounds-of-the-wire"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-31T20:54:12Z">Dec 31 @ 03:54 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/the-top-10-filmtv-title-sequences-of-2014">The top 10 film/TV title sequences of 2014</a></h2> <p>From the excellent Art of the Title (which had <a href="http://www.artofthetitle.com/news/2014-the-year-in-review/">a great year</a>), <a href="http://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/top-10-title-sequences-of-2014/">the top 10 title sequences of 2014</a>. So awesome to see <a href="http://kottke.org/14/07/halt-and-catch-fire-titles">Halt and Catch Fire</a> take the top spot. And <a href="http://kottke.org/14/11/too-many-cooks">Too Many Cooks</a>! </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/best%20of">best of</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/best%20of%202014">best of 2014</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Halt%20and%20Catch%20Fire">Halt and Catch Fire</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/lists">lists</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/movies">movies</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/the-top-10-filmtv-title-sequences-of-2014"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-29T16:02:32Z">Dec 29 @ 11:02 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/black-mirror-sweeps-nation">Black Mirror sweeps nation</a></h2> <p>If you weren’t watching <a href="http://kottke.org/14/12/the-wire-finally-coming-out-in-hd">the new HD remaster of The Wire</a> over the holidays, you may have been tuning in to Black Mirror on Netflix. Charlie Brooker’s dystopian sci-fi series was broadcast in Britain beginning in 2011 but only recently became available in the US on Netflix. <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/05/button-pusher">Emily Nussbaum reviews the show</a> for the New Yorker’s latest issue.</p> <blockquote><p>Still, for all the show’s inventive storytelling, its true provocation is its righteous outrage, which shares something with Mike White’s whistle-blower series “Enlightened,” although it’s overlaid with a dark filter. Like “Enlightened,” “Black Mirror” is about love in the time of global corporate hegemony. It’s a bleak fairy tale that doubles as an exposé. An anthology series, it consists of six one-hour episodes spanning two seasons (plus a Christmas special), each with a new story and a different cast. In various future settings, Brooker’s characters gaze into handhelds or at TV-walled cells, using torqued versions of modern devices. In one episode, a couple has sex while stupefied by virtual visions of earlier, better sex. In another, a woman builds a replica of her husband from his photos and posts on social media. In a third, workers watch streaming schlock and are docked points if they shut their eyes. Some plots deal with political terrorism (or performance art-on this show, there’s little difference) and the criminal-justice system; there are warped versions of reality TV. Though the episodes vary in tone, several have a Brechtian aggression: the viral video “Too Many Cooks” would fit right in. But, in even the most perverse installments, there’s a delicacy, a humane concern at how easily our private desires can be mined in the pursuit of profit. The worlds can be cartoonish, but the characters are not.</p></blockquote> <p>Like Nussbaum, I also watched the show “through occult means”<sup id="fnref:1419866203"><a href="#fn:1419866203" rel="footnote">1</a></sup> and it’s fun hearing from friends who are catching up on it. Too bad the show couldn’t have found a way over here earlier.</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> From Josh Dzieza at The Verge, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/31/7471901/i-cant-stop-comparing-everything-to-black-mirror">I can’t stop comparing everything to Black Mirror</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>A friend recently told me that his favorite thing about the show Black Mirror is that he finally has a term for a certain type of technological anxiety. It’s a type of anxiety that seemed everywhere this year. The Sony hack could have been an episode of Black Mirror, as could Gamergate. In the same way that we refer to Blade Runner as shorthand for gritty dystopian cityscapes, Gattaca for worries about corporate use of genetic information, and Terminator for ominously powerful AI, Black Mirror has become shorthand for a certain type of contemporary internet-age creepiness.</p></blockquote> <ol> <li class="footnote" id="fn:1419866203"><p>It’s interesting to hear the TV critic for the New Yorker all but admit to pirating shows off the internet.<a href="#fnref:1419866203" title="return to article">↩</a></li> </ol> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Black%20Mirror">Black Mirror</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Charlie%20Brooker">Charlie Brooker</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Emily%20Nussbaum">Emily Nussbaum</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Josh%20Dzieza">Josh Dzieza</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/black-mirror-sweeps-nation"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-17T19:41:11Z">Dec 17 @ 02:41 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/transparent">Transparent</a></h2> <p><img src="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/transparent-show.jpg" srcset="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/transparent-show.jpg 500w, /cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/transparent-show.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 500px, 1200px" loading="lazy" width="640" height="196" border="0" alt="Transparent" /></p> <p>I’m adding mine to the chorus of voices praising <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00I3MNF6S/ref=nosim/0sil8">Transparent</a>, the Amazon Original Series starring Jeffrey Tambor, aka Arrested Development’s Pop Pop. Tambor plays a retired college professor who is transitioning to living as a woman. Each episode is 30 minutes long and the pacing is sitcom-like, but the show is equally comedic and dramatic. The show started off kind of slow for me but got better and better as the season went on. Here’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-3Q2W0I2Xc">a trailer</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00I3MNF6S/ref=nosim/0sil8">The first episode is free to watch</a> but for the rest you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription<sup id="fnref:1418843736"><a href="#fn:1418843736" rel="footnote">1</a></sup> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/promotions/prime.html/?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1402131587292&ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=0sil8&linkId=ZY2NG542GJXRMOGG">for which they offer a 30-day trial</a>). Highly recommended, Tambor is amazing. Oh, and they’re <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/amazon-orders-second-season-transparent-739481">doing a second season</a>.</p> <ol> <li class="footnote" id="fn:1418843736"><p>I wonder how effective this tactic is in driving new Prime subscriptions. It’s weird that you can’t just buy the whole season of the show for $20 or something. I would love to see their internal analysis of how much revenue each Prime member brings in over X number of years versus potential lost revenue from direct sales by non-members. <a href="#fnref:1418843736" title="return to article">↩</a></li> </ol> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Amazon">Amazon</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Jeffrey%20Tambor">Jeffrey Tambor</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Transparent">Transparent</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/transparent"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-16T21:47:13Z">Dec 16 @ 04:47 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/unedited-footage-of-a-bear">Unedited Footage of a Bear</a></h2> <p>Following in the footsteps of <a href="http://kottke.org/14/11/too-many-cooks">Too Many Cooks</a> is Unedited Footage of a Bear. It aired for the first time on Adult Swim this week in their 4am infomercial slot. It starts off as a nature thing with a bear which is interrupted by a fake infomercial and then. Gets. WEIRD.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2gMjJNGg9Z8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> Adult Swim has <a href="http://www.adultswim.com/promotions/claridryl/">a site set up for Claridryl</a>. There might be some answers there to some questions you might have? About stuff? (via <a href="http://devour.com/">devour</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/veganstraightedge">@veganstraightedge</a>) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/video">video</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/unedited-footage-of-a-bear"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-15T19:53:27Z">Dec 15 @ 02:53 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/wolf-hall-bbc-miniseries">Wolf Hall BBC miniseries</a></h2> <p><img src="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/wolf-hall-tv.jpg" srcset="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/wolf-hall-tv.jpg 500w, /cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/wolf-hall-tv.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 500px, 1200px" loading="lazy" width="640" height="427" border="0" alt="Wolf Hall Tv" /></p> <p>Wait, how did I miss this…Hilary Mantel’s excellent pair of novels about Thomas Cromwell & Henry VIII, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312429983/ref=nosim/0sil8">Wolf Hall</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/125002417X/ref=nosim/0sil8">Bring Up the Bodies</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Hall_(TV_series)">are being turned into a six-part BBC miniseries</a>. Outstanding! Noted Shakespearian actor Mark Rylance will play Cromwell with Homeland’s Damian Lewis as Henry VIII.</p> <p>BBC One will be airing the show in Britain in January while American audiences without access to BitTorrent will have to wait until PBS airs it in April. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/books">books</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Bring%20Up%20the%20Bodies">Bring Up the Bodies</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Damian%20Lewis">Damian Lewis</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Hilary%20Mantel">Hilary Mantel</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Mark%20Rylance">Mark Rylance</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Wolf%20Hall">Wolf Hall</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/wolf-hall-bbc-miniseries"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-15T14:22:14Z">Dec 15 @ 09:22 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/every-episode-of-every-star-trek-series-ranked">Every episode of every Star Trek series ranked</a></h2> <p>Jordan Hoffman is a huge huge huge Star Trek fan. So great is his fandom that he is able to <a href="http://www.playboy.com/articles/star-trek-episode-guide-part-one">rank every single episode from every single Star Trek series from #695 to #1</a>. Several TNG episodes make it into the top 10, including Yesterday’s Enterprise, Darmok, and The Best of Both Worlds. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/best%20of">best of</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Jordan%20Hoffman">Jordan Hoffman</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/lists">lists</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Star%20Trek">Star Trek</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/every-episode-of-every-star-trek-series-ranked"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-08T20:46:00Z">Dec 8 @ 03:46 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/best-tv-shows-of-2014">Best TV shows of 2014</a></h2> <p>kottke.org favorite Matt Zoller Seitz weighs in on <a href="http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/10-best-tv-shows-of-2014.html">his top 10 best TV shows for 2014</a>. For someone who doesn’t watch a ton of TV, I have seen a surprising number of these.</p> <p>My friend David has been trying to tell me about Hannibal, but I haven’t been listening. Maybe I should start? Olive Kitteridge was great; Frances McDormand was incredible. True Detective was pretty good and I was lukewarm on Cosmos (I have NDT issues). Mad Men continues to be great…I keep waiting for it to fall off in quality, but it hasn’t happened. The Roosevelts was really interesting and like Seitz, I find myself thinking about it often. I’ve seen bits and pieces of John Oliver but I get enough of the “humans are awful ha ha” news on Twitter to become a regular viewer.</p> <p>Other shows I’ve watched that aren’t on the list: Downton Abbey (my favorite soap), Game of Thrones (tied w/ Mad Men for my fave current show, although MM is better), Boardwalk Empire (strong finish), Sherlock (still fun, tho got a bit too self referential there), and Girls (gave up after s03e04 when it was airing but recently powered through rest of the 3rd season and is back in my good graces). </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/best%20of">best of</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/best%20of%202014">best of 2014</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/lists">lists</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Matt%20Zoller%20Seitz">Matt Zoller Seitz</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/best-tv-shows-of-2014"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-03T14:30:15Z">Dec 3 @ 09:30 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/the-wire-finally-coming-out-in-hd">The Wire finally coming out in HD</a></h2> <p>Back in September, I <a href="http://kottke.org/14/09/the-wire-remastered-in-hd">posted</a> that HBO was remastering The Wire in HD. <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/omar-in-high-def-comin-the-wire-gets-a-high-definition-widescreen-makeover">The company announced</a> they’ve completed the process; it’ll be on HBO Go this month at full-frame 16x9 HD.</p> <blockquote><p>HBO announced today that they had completed the high-definition re-mastering of all five seasons of “The Wire,” which will debut in December on HBO Signature and HBO Go, be sold in digital HD (through iTunes, Google Play, etc.) starting January 5, and on Blu-ray starting next summer. As the press release notes, “The entire series has been beautifully re-mastered in 16x9 Full-Frame HD from more than 8,000 reels of original 35mm camera negative, allowing for a tighter fit on widescreen TVs and computer/tablet screens. The original negatives were scanned, edited, dust-busted and color-corrected with great care and attention taken to stay true to the look and feel of the original Standard-Definition 4x3 version.”</p></blockquote> <p>Well, well. That’s a welcome change from what I heard about how the show was shot and how they were going to remaster it (chop the top and bottom off the 4x3 frame). <a href="http://davidsimon.com/the-wire-in-hd/">David Simon wrote extensively on how he became involved in the remastering process</a> and came up with something to everyone’s satisfaction.</p> <blockquote><p>To their great credit, once we alerted HBO production executives to our absolute interest in the matter, they halted the fall HD release and allowed us to engage in detail. And over the past several months, looking at some of what the widescreen format offered, three things became entirely clear: First, there were many scenes in which the shot composition is not impaired by the transfer to 16:9, and there are a notable number of scenes that acquire real benefit from playing wide. An example of a scene that benefits would be, say, from the final episode of season two, when an apostolic semicircle of longshoremen forms around the body of Frank Sobotka. Fine as far as it goes, but the dockworkers are all that much more vulnerable, and that much more isolated by the death of their leader when we have the ability to go wider in that rare crane shot.</p> <p>But there are other scenes, composed for 4:3, that lose some of their purpose and power, to be sure. An early example that caught my eye is a scene from the pilot episode, carefully composed by Bob, in which Wee Bey delivers to D’Angelo a homily on established Barksdale crew tactics. “Don’t talk in the car,” D’Angelo reluctantly offers to Wee Bey, who stands below a neon sign that declares, “burgers” while D’Angelo, less certain in his standing and performance within the gang, stands beneath a neon label of “chicken.”</p> <p>That shot composition was purposed, and clever, and it works better in the 4:3 version than when the screen is suddenly widened to pick up additional neon to the left of Bey. In such a case, the new aspect ratio’s ability to acquire more of the world actually detracts from the intention of the scene and the composition of the shot. For that reason, we elected in the new version to go tighter on the shot in order to maintain some of the previous composition, albeit while coming closer to our backlit characters than the scene requires. It is, indeed, an arguable trade-off, but one that reveals the cost of taking something made in one construct and recasting it for another format. And this scene isn’t unique; there are a good number of similar losses in the transfer, as could be expected.</p></blockquote> <p>(thx jeff & <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonsantamaria/">@jasonsantamaria/</a>)</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> HBO Signature is currently running a marathon of all the HD episodes. They’re also available on HBO Go.</p> <p>David Simon added some before-and-after video clips to <a href="http://davidsimon.com/the-wire-hd-with-videos/">his piece about the HD remastering process</a> showing instances where the wider aspect was beneficial and not-so-beneficial. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/David%20Simon">David Simon</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/HBO">HBO</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/The%20Wire">The Wire</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/the-wire-finally-coming-out-in-hd"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-12-01T20:31:42Z">Dec 1 @ 03:31 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/12/the-economics-of-seinfeld-1">The economics of Seinfeld</a></h2> <p>Scenes from Seinfeld can <a href="http://yadayadayadaecon.com/">help illustrate economic concepts</a> like <a href="http://yadayadayadaecon.com/concept/incentives/">incentives</a>, <a href="http://yadayadayadaecon.com/concept/thinking-at-the-margin/">thinking at the margin</a>, and <a href="http://yadayadayadaecon.com/concept/common-resource/">common resources</a>. For instance, <a href="http://yadayadayadaecon.com/clip/88/">in The Strike</a> from season nine (the episode that popularized Festivus), Elaine angles for a free sandwich:</p> <blockquote><p>Elaine has eaten 23 bad sub sandwiches, and if she eats a 24th, she’ll get one free. She is determined to do it, even though Jerry advises her to ignore sunk costs and walk away.</p></blockquote> <p>See also <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00JCGBVHE/ref=nosim/0sil8">the economics of The Simpsons</a>. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/economics">economics</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Seinfeld">Seinfeld</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/12/the-economics-of-seinfeld-1"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-11-13T17:42:26Z">Nov 13 @ 12:42 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/11/the-simpsons-and-their-mathematical-secrets">The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets</a></h2> <p><img src="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/simpsons-math.jpg" srcset="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/simpsons-math.jpg 500w, /cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/simpsons-math.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 500px, 1200px" loading="lazy" width="640" height="461" border="0" alt="Simpsons Math" /></p> <p>Acclaimed science and math writer Simon Singh has written a book on the mathematics of The Simpsons, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1620402785/ref=nosim/0sil8">The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets</a>. <a href="http://boingboing.net/2014/10/17/homers-last-theorem.html">Boing Boing has an excerpt</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>The principles of rubber sheet geometry can be extended into three dimensions, which explains the quip that a topologist is someone who cannot tell the difference between a doughnut and a coffee cup. In other words, a coffee cup has just one hole, created by the handle, and a doughnut has just one hole, in its middle. Hence, a coffee cup made of a rubbery clay could be stretched and twisted into the shape of a doughnut. This makes them homeomorphic.</p> <p>By contrast, a doughnut cannot be transformed into a sphere, because a sphere lacks any holes, and no amount of stretching, squeezing, and twisting can remove the hole that is integral to a doughnut. Indeed, it is a proven mathematical theorem that a doughnut is topologically distinct from a sphere. Nevertheless, Homer’s blackboard scribbling seems to achieve the impossible, because the diagrams show the successful transformation of a doughnut into a sphere. How?</p> <p>Although cutting is forbidden in topology, Homer has decided that nibbling and biting are acceptable. After all, the initial object is a doughnut, so who could resist nibbling? Taking enough nibbles out of the doughnut turns it into a banana shape, which can then be reshaped into a sphere by standard stretching, squeezing, and twisting. Mainstream topologists might not be thrilled to see one of their cherished theorems going up in smoke, but a doughnut and a sphere are identical according to Homer’s personal rules of topology. Perhaps the correct term is not homeomorphic, but rather Homermorphic.</p></blockquote> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/books">books</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/mathematics">mathematics</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Simon%20Singh">Simon Singh</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/The%20Simpsons">The Simpsons</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/The%20Simpsons%20and%20Their%20Mathematical%20Secrets">The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/11/the-simpsons-and-their-mathematical-secrets"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-11-07T15:34:41Z">Nov 7 @ 10:34 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/11/too-many-cooks">Too Many Cooks</a></h2> <p>Adult Swim did something magical with this 11-minute 80s sitcom intro:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QrGrOK8oZG8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>I didn’t have high hopes for this when I started watching, but it’s like the Terminator of 80s sitcoms: it just will not stop introducing people. Better quality <a href="http://www.adultswim.com/videos/infomercials/too-many-cooks/">here</a>. (via <a href="http://waxy.org/">waxy</a>)</p> <p><strong title="Oct 30, 2018">Update:</strong> The inevitable <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/50167-too-many-cooks-oral-history-anniversary">oral history of Too Many Cooks</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>I had this idea but didn’t know if I could keep it going for 11 minutes.</p></blockquote> <p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/everydayscott">@everydayscott</a>) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/video">video</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/11/too-many-cooks"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-11-02T18:10:48Z">Nov 2 @ 01:10 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/11/prince-on-snl">Prince on SNL</a></h2> <p>Prince played Saturday Night Live last night at the request of host Chris Rock, doing one 8-minute medley of songs instead of two separate short performances during the show. Here’s the whole performance:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" src="http://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=9ij4ggcjzjdwgx16ucqv5a" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>If Hulu isn’t working for you, try the video embed <a href="http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/watch-princes-electric-performance-from-tonights-saturd-1653735759">on Deadspin</a>. A set list is available on <a href="https://www.rdio.com/people/anildash/playlists/11776026/Prince_2014/">Rdio</a> and <a href="https://play.spotify.com/user/anildash/playlist/6kEvDFYeNTtOIqdWUH99ag">Spotify</a>. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/anildash">@anildash</a>) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/music">music</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Prince">Prince</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Saturday%20Night%20Live">Saturday Night Live</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/11/prince-on-snl"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-10-24T16:36:16Z">Oct 24 @ 12:36 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/10/unlimited-free-streaming-of-the-simpsons">Unlimited free streaming of The Simpsons</a></h2> <p><a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/"><img src="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/the-simpsons.jpg" srcset="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/the-simpsons.jpg 500w, /cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/the-simpsons.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 500px, 1200px" loading="lazy" width="640" height="480" border="0" alt="The Simpsons" /></a></p> <p>This happened a few days ago, but I just got a chance to check it out: FXX launched <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/">Simpsons World</a>, a site where you can stream every Simpsons episode ever aired. You just need a cable login, as with HBO GO. There are apps too: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fxnow/id767268733?mt=8">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fxnetworks.fxnow&hl=en">Android</a>. To get you started, here are the top 10 episodes of all time, from <a href="http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Entertainment_Weekly's_list_of_the_Top_25_episodes">a 2003 Entertainment Weekly list</a>.</p> <p>1. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/310394435569">Last Exit to Springfield</a><br /> 2. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/279714371653">Rosebud</a><br /> 3. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/305674819788">Cape Feare</a><br /> 4. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/306386499796">Marge vs. the Monorail</a><br /> 5. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/306399811669">Homer’s Phobia</a><br /> 6. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/273544259768">Mr. Plow</a><br /> 7. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/283752003577">Itchy & Scratchy Land</a><br /> 8. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/300935235544">A Fish Called Selma</a><br /> 9. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/299597891663">Treehouse of Horror V</a><br /> 10. <a href="http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/275201091952">The Last Temptation of Homer</a></p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> Got a bunch of complaints that the “free” in the title is misleading because a cable subscription is required, even though I explicitly called that out in the second sentence. Fair enough. But then again, if you’re going to nitpick, nothing is free. Even if you didn’t need a cable login, Simpsons World would hardly be free. You need access to an expensive computer or mobile device, high-speed internet access, and enough free (there’s that word again!) time to watch. And even if you’re viewing using a computer at the public library, you’re paying with your attention by watching advertising.</p> <p>But all that is red herring nonsense. I was using “free” in the sense that for cable subscribers, they’re getting something they did not have for the same price they were previously paying. You know, free. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/The%20Simpsons">The Simpsons</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/10/unlimited-free-streaming-of-the-simpsons"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-10-15T19:35:22Z">Oct 15 @ 03:35 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/10/how-we-got-to-now-on-tv">How We Got to Now on TV</a></h2> <p>Speaking of PBS shows, Steven Johnson’s <a href="http://www.pbs.org/how-we-got-to-now/home/">How We Got to Now</a> starts on PBS tonight with two back-to-back episodes. The NY Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/15/arts/television/pbss-how-we-got-to-now-with-steven-johnson.html">has a positive review</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>The opening episode, for instance, is called “Clean,” and it sets the pattern for the five that follow. We tend not to acknowledge just how recent some of the trends and comforts of modern life are, including the luxury of not walking through horse manure and human waste on the way to the post office.</p> <p>The episode turns back the clock just a century and a half, to a time before our liquid waste stream was largely contained in underground pipes. Mr. Johnson then traces the emergence of the idea that with a little effort, cities and towns could have a cleaner existence, and the concurrent idea that cleanliness would have public health benefits.</p> <p>But his examination of “the ultraclean revolution,” as he calls it, doesn’t stop at the construction of sewage and water-purification systems. He extends the thread all the way to the computer revolution, visiting a laboratory where microchips are made.</p></blockquote> <p>The show is based on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594632960/ref=nosim/0sil8">Johnson’s book of the same name</a>, which enters the NY Times bestseller list at #4 this week. Also, I keep wanting to call the book/show How We Got to <em>Know</em>, which strikes me as a perfectly appropriate title as well.</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> The first two episodes <a href="http://video.pbs.org/program/how-we-got-now/">are available online</a> until 10/30.</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> How We Got to Now is <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80017037">now available on Netflix</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00OJD437K/ref=nosim/0sil8">Amazon Prime Video</a>. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/books">books</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/How%20We%20Got%20to%20Now">How We Got to Now</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Steven%20Johnson">Steven Johnson</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/10/how-we-got-to-now-on-tv"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-10-15T17:39:06Z">Oct 15 @ 01:39 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/10/being-mortal-the-tv-show">Being Mortal, the TV show</a></h2> <p>Atul Gawande’s best selling <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805095152/ref=nosim/0sil8">Being Mortal</a> is getting the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/">Frontline</a> treatment on PBS this January. Here’s the trailer:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VRkr09ZMI3w?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Atul%20Gawande">Atul Gawande</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Being%20Mortal">Being Mortal</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/books">books</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/death">death</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/medicine">medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/10/being-mortal-the-tv-show"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-09-25T14:37:09Z">Sep 25 @ 10:37 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/09/deep-thoughts-about-phil-hartman-by-jack-handey">Deep Thoughts (about Phil Hartman) by Jack Handey</a></h2> <p>Jack Handey, who wrote for SNL for seventeen years, <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/09/24/phil_hartman_remembered_by_jack_handey_the_snl_writer_behind_unfrozen_caveman.html?">remembers Phil Hartman</a>.</p> <blockquote><p>Phil Hartman was perhaps the best cast member, ever, of Saturday Night Live. I loved writing for him. So did the other writers. Phil was rarely “light in the show,” as the saying went.</p> <p>Roles I gave him, from an unfrozen caveman lawyer to a giant businessman to a frustrated robot, Phil made shine. He was especially good at being the patient, authoritative voice of reason, gently explaining to an idiot why he was an idiot, and why he had to stop being an idiot.</p></blockquote> <p>(via <a href="http://digg.com/">digg</a>) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Jack%20Handey">Jack Handey</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Phil%20Hartman">Phil Hartman</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Saturday%20Night%20Live">Saturday Night Live</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/09/deep-thoughts-about-phil-hartman-by-jack-handey"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-09-24T23:04:13Z">Sep 24 @ 07:04 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/09/anthony-bourdain-the-future-of-cable-news">Anthony Bourdain, the future of cable news</a></h2> <p>When Anthony Bourdain’s hour-long food and travel show first launched on CNN, it marked the network’s step away from 24 hours news and towards more entertainment programming. But maybe Bourdain is just the reporter we need these days when most of what we see of other cultures is satellite images or shots of rubble. “I’m not a foreign policy wonk, but I see aspects of these countries that regular journalists don’t.” From FastCo: Anthony Bourdain has become the future of cable news, <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3036090/innovation-agents/anthony-bourdain-has-become-the-future-of-cable-news-and-he-couldnt-care-l">and he couldn’t care less</a>. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Anthony%20Bourdain">Anthony Bourdain</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/food">food</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/travel">travel</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/09/anthony-bourdain-the-future-of-cable-news"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-09-12T22:00:03Z">Sep 12 @ 06:00 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/09/the-death-of-adulthood-in-american-culture">The Death of Adulthood in American Culture</a></h2> <p><em>I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd,<br /> but when they said, “Sit down,” I stood up.</em><br /> — Bruce Springsteen, Growing Up</p> <p>In the NYT Magazine, A.O. Scott <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/magazine/the-death-of-adulthood-in-american-culture.html">reflects on the death of adulthood in American culture</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>What all of these shows grasp at, in one way or another, is that nobody knows how to be a grown-up anymore. Adulthood as we have known it has become conceptually untenable. It isn’t only that patriarchy in the strict, old-school Don Draper sense has fallen apart. It’s that it may never really have existed in the first place, at least in the way its avatars imagined. Which raises the question: Should we mourn the departed or dance on its grave?</p></blockquote> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/A.O.%20Scott">A.O. Scott</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/09/the-death-of-adulthood-in-american-culture"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-09-11T20:18:08Z">Sep 11 @ 04:18 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/09/lego-model-of-the-simpsons-house">Lego model of the Simpsons House</a></h2> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00HX14C7Q/ref=nosim/0sil8"><img src="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/simpsons-house-lego.jpg" srcset="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/simpsons-house-lego.jpg 500w, /cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/simpsons-house-lego.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 500px, 1200px" loading="lazy" width="640" height="397" border="0" alt="Simpsons House Lego" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00HX14C7Q/ref=nosim/0sil8">This Lego version of the Simpsons house</a> looks amazing. Not sure if it’s $200 amazing, but still. These <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/81237759@N00/6879999034">minimalist Lego Simpsons characters</a> are much cheaper. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Lego">Lego</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/The%20Simpsons">The Simpsons</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/09/lego-model-of-the-simpsons-house"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-09-10T14:19:11Z">Sep 10 @ 10:19 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/09/bill-murray-returns-to-snl">Bill Murray returns to SNL</a></h2> <p><img src="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/bill-murray-snl.jpg" srcset="/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/bill-murray-snl.jpg 500w, /cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=1200,metadata=none//plus/misc/images/bill-murray-snl.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 500px, 1200px" loading="lazy" width="640" height="481" border="0" alt="Bill Murray SNL" /></p> <p>Bill Murray is <a href="http://splitsider.com/2014/09/bill-murray-sarah-silverman-and-chris-pratt-rumored-to-be-snls-first-three-hosts/">set to host the season premiere of Saturday Night Live</a> and the internet is going to fucking EXPLODE.</p> <blockquote><p>According to several sources — including news posts yesterday by local NBC affiliate sites that have since been taken down — the one and only Bill Murray will be making a glorious return to SNL to help ring in its 40th year on the air, while fellow SNL alum Sarah Silverman and TV-turned-movie star Chris Pratt will host the second and third episodes, respectively.</p></blockquote> <p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/Choire">@Choire</a>)</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> FALSE ALARM! I repeat, FALSE ALARM.</p> <blockquote><p>NBC has announced that Chris Pratt will be hosting the season premiere, with Sarah Silverman hosting the second episode. It’s not clear what happened to Murray-as-host — it may have been rescheduled to later in the season or canceled altogether.</p></blockquote> <p>Go back to your homes and places of business in peace. No looting please. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/zakmahshie">@zakmahshie</a>) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Bill%20Murray">Bill Murray</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Saturday%20Night%20Live">Saturday Night Live</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/09/bill-murray-returns-to-snl"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-09-02T13:31:57Z">Sep 2 @ 09:31 AM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/09/the-wire-remastered-in-hd">The Wire, remastered in HD</a></h2> <p>Good morning, good morning. Welcome back from your beach vacation. Settling in? Good, good. Let’s get right to it then: <a href="http://hbowatch.com/the-wire-being-remastered-rebroadcast-in-hd-by-hbo/">HBO is remastering The Wire in 16x9 HD</a> and rebroadcasting what looks like every episode on HBO Signature starting this Thursday (Sept 4). Here’s a teaser:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VpC3JtED-Po?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <blockquote><p>We haven’t had news to report on HBO’s The Wire in a long, long time but this tidbit caught our ear. HBO will be rebroadcasting one of its iconic series: The Wire in never-before-broadcast HD glory! The marathon will begin weeknights at 8PM starting on September 4th. You’ll find the episodes on HBO Signature, a channel most, if not all HBO subscribers should have access to.</p></blockquote> <p>No idea if these new HD versions will make it to HBO Go or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B006GLQ092/ref=nosim/0sil8">Amazon Instant</a> or even into the mythical The Wire Blu-ray. Hopefully?</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> A reader writes in:</p> <blockquote><p>My friend who works at HBO says they are chopping the top and bottom off the 4 x 3 frame for the early seasons to “fit” 16 x 9. We saw this with FX’s Simpsons Marathon and I really wish companies would stop doing this. It wasn’t cool to chop the sides off Lawrence of Arabia and it is likewise not cool to chop the head and neck off of Stringer Bell.</p></blockquote> <p>Boo. Boo-urns. According to IMDB, only season 5 was shot at 16x9. They should just leave seasons 1-4 at 4x3 and make the picture better. (thx, john)</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> From <a href="http://library.creativecow.net/articles/griffin_nick/hbo_the_wire.php">an extensive piece on how The Wire was filmed</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>And perhaps the final contrast to the rest of high-end episodic television, The Wire for each of its five seasons has been produced in good old fashioned 4 x 3 standard definition. DP Dave Insley recalled, “The reason the show has stayed 4x3 is because David Simon thinks that 4x3 feels more like real life and real television and not like a movie. The show’s never been HD, even 4x3 HD and that (SD) is how it is on the DVDs. There is no 16x9 version anywhere.” As a viewer with an HD set I will point out that like much of SD television that makes its way to HD channels, it appears that HBO utilizes state-of-the-art line doubling technology. It may still be standard definition, but line doubled it looks considerably better on a high definition set than it would on a standard definition set.</p> <p>Insley explained, “When the show started 2001 / 2002 they framed it for 16 x 9 as a way of future-proofing. Then a couple of seasons ago, right before Season 4 began shooting, there was a big discussion about it and after much discussion — David, Nina, Joe Chappelle, the Producers, the DPs — and we discussed what should be the style of the show. David made the decision that we would stay with 4x3. The DPs pretty much defined the look to be what it is now. And it’s been consistent for the past two seasons.”</p></blockquote> <p>If the chopping down to 16x9 rumors are true, David Simon cannot be happy about that. I wonder how much creative control he maintains over decisions like that? I am guessing very little. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/tubofguts/status/506843818818142208">@tubofguts</a>)</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> HBO has <a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/09/02/hbo-the-wire-remastering/">confirmed the remastering to EW</a>, but says the timeline for airing has not been set yet.</p> <blockquote><p>A promo claiming that a “replay marathon” of the series would start September 4 on HBO Signature ran prematurely, HBO said, and the series will not be airing this month.</p></blockquote> <p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/WaterSlicer/status/506914048882249728">@WaterSlicer</a>) </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/HBO">HBO</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/The%20Wire">The Wire</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/video">video</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/09/the-wire-remastered-in-hd"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <div class="post"> <div class="post-meta"> posted <time class="timeago timeago_short" datetime="2014-08-28T01:11:31Z">Aug 27 @ 09:11 PM</time> by <a href="http://www.kottke.org">Jason Kottke</a> </div> <h2><a href="/14/08/the-game-of-thrones-title-sequence">The Game of Thrones title sequence</a></h2> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/29116895?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>From the excellent Art of the Title, <a href="http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/game-of-thrones/">an interview</a> with <a href="http://elastic.tv/director/AngusWall">Angus Wall</a>, the creative director responsible for the opening titles of Game of Thrones.</p> <blockquote><p>Basically, we had an existing map of Westeros and a xeroxed hand drawn map of Essos - both done by George R. R. Martin - and I took those into Photoshop and played with their scale until they lined up perfectly. The actual dimensions, the locations and their placement, and the different terrains are all based strictly on George R. R. Martin’s maps. It was really important that we stay as absolutely true to the books as possible because of the ardent fans out there.</p></blockquote> <p>Wall also works as an editor, often on David Fincher films. He won two Oscars for editing The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. </p> <ul class="post-tags"><li><a href="/tag/Angus%20Wall">Angus Wall</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/Game%20of%20Thrones">Game of Thrones</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/interviews">interviews</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/TV">TV</a></li> <li><a href="/tag/video">video</a></li> </ul> <div class="post-actions"> <a class="share" href="http://also.kottke.org/14/08/the-game-of-thrones-title-sequence"><i class="fa-light fa-share-from-square" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="action-label">Share</span></a> </div> </div> <hr class="sep"> <p class="page-nav"><a href="/tag/TV/18"><i class="fa-light fa-chevron-left" aria-hidden="true"></i> Newer posts</a></p> <p class="page-nav"><a href="/tag/TV/20">Older posts <i class="fa-light fa-chevron-right" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></p> </div> <div class="grid-item" id="sp2" aria-hidden="true"></div> </div></div> <div id="menu-underlay"></div> <script> mediumZoom(document.querySelectorAll(".post img:not(.url-card img)"), { margin: 10, background: "rgba(38, 37, 35, 1.0)", }); </script> <script async defer src="https://scripts.simpleanalyticscdn.com/latest.js"></script> <noscript><img src="https://queue.simpleanalyticscdn.com/noscript.gif" alt="" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /></noscript> </body> </html>

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