These Are My Children premiered on NBC on 31st January, 1949; the world's first televised soap opera. It lasted only four weeks on air, was broadcast live, and had a tiny budget, but influenced the production of the genre for decades.
As dramas primarily created by and for women, soap operas typically attracted sniffy reviews from male critics, yet proved e ... Show More
Nov 20
Microsoft's Windows Gamble
Windows 1.0 came out on 20th November, 1985, introducing graphical user interface to the masses for the first time. Well, that was the concept, anyway; in truth, users required mighty hardware by the standards of the time (TWO floppy drives!), and hardly anybody bought it. But it ... Show More
13m 29s
Aug 2020
Comedy from Stand-up to Sitcom - Part 1 I 30
In the 1990s there was a massive flood of stand-up comedians making the leap to television to star in their own stand-up sitcoms thanks in part to the success of the Cosby Show and Roseanne. Those shows were followed by other massive hits like Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Martin, ... Show More
51m 23s
Oct 2019
Fall’s first cancellation, Julie Plec on ‘The Vampire Diaries’ trilogy, Apple’s learning curve and Netflix faces headwinds as the Streaming Wars approach
The five topics that Lesley and Dan cover this week are: The first casualty of the new broadcast season Countdown to Apple TV+ Netflix has reported its third-quarter earnings Showrunner Spotlight: Julie Plec Critics Corner Welcome to the TV's Top 5! On this podcast, The Hollywood ... Show More
1h 18m
Apr 2024
Cross-post with Salem The Podcast: Titanic Survivor Elizabeth Lines
<p>Listen to me gab with on one of MY fave history podcasts, Salem the Podcast! I was honored to join them for an episode and I know many of you will find their work fascinating. On their show, Salem tour guides and historians Jeffrey and Sarah take deep dives into the oft-dark, ... Show More
1h 25m
Oct 2023
Roald Dahl, Wes Anderson Style
This week, the panel begins by reviewing The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson’s faithful adaptation of a 1977 Roald Dahl short story, that doubles as a sumptuous meta-commentary on the director’s exacting approach to his craft. Then, the three discuss The Super Models ... Show More
57m 55s