Author Archives: Victoria Nyquist
(Mostly) Spoiler Free Review of ‘Sleepy Hollow’
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a short story written by Washington Irving. It has been around for over 200 years and it inspired many adaptations, including the 1999 Tim Burton film. There’s a pretty good chance that you’ve at least heard of it or know the story. Except the people in Sleepy Hollow, the new show that premiered last night on Fox, have no idea of the legendary tale that is coming to life. Now, I didn’t have high expectations for this show because it sounded far-fetched. Like the classic story, Ichabod Crane fights the Headless Horseman. Except, this show takes place in the 21st century and Crane and the Headless Horseman are from 1781. That must have been one hell of a pitch to get this show greenlit.
Now, the show was not as bad as I had expected. It answered a lot of questions in the first episode, such as why Ichabod is British despite fighting the Red Coats in the opening scene and how The Headless Horseman and him aren’t dead. Although, it didn’t answer how Ichabod woke up shirtless and then came across a shirt after he was arrested for, presumably, running in the middle of the street. The latter one could be explained in a future episode, though.
Have You Tried Turning “The IT Crowd” On?
The IT Crowd, like many other Britcoms, seemed to have ended before its time. The show had four series, which is longer than most fan favorite British television shows. It ended not because it was cancelled, but because the writers decided to end the show. This is nearly unheard of, especially in America.
The IT Crowd was the brainchild of Graham Linehan who also created other popular britcoms Black Books and Father Ted. It centers around the three members of the IT department of Reynholm Industries: Roy Trenneman played by Chris O’Dowd, Maurice Moss played by Richard Ayoade. and the relationship manager Jen Barber is played by Katherine Parkinson. They have to deal with outrageous situations such as their crazy boss’ antics, thwarting a German cannibal, and accidentally getting involved in a bank heist all while helping people with their computer problems.
Doctor, Who is the Craziest Fan?
Urban Dictionary defines a fandom as “a kingdom of fans.” Fandom usually describes a group of people who are so obsessed with a TV show/Movie/book/etc. that they create various works of art to show their love. Most fandoms just write fan fiction and photoshop flower crowns on to characters, but one fandom seems to take this a bit further. Fans of Doctor Who, or Whovians, are some of the most devoted fans in the fandom universe.
Most YouTube videos made by a certain fandom have the same formula. Take a somewhat popular song and edit some clips from the show together. With Doctor Who, you can search pretty much any song and find a Doctor Who tribute video. This video takes Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive” and focuses on Amy Pond. This video contains clips from series 5, 6 and 7.
Get ‘Spaced’
Before Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright made Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, they created the cult TV show Spaced. The show revolves around Tim and Daisy, played by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, who have to pretend to be a couple in order to live in a cheap flat. The two must keep up their faux relationship, while dealing with an alcoholic landlady and a bizarre artist neighbor, or else they will be kicked out of their apartment. In reality, the show is how to bridge that awkward period between being a teenager and an adult. It’s difficult to be an adult when you’re living in a pop-culture fantasy world with your friends, Twist and Mike.
What gave Spaced its cult status was its pop culture references. Some are obscure, like the homage to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that involves a fear of Mice Spiders. Some are more in your face, like The Shining, which includes creepy twins speaking in unison. There are so many references that you will feel like you are included in their inside jokes. Don’t let this deter you though because the show is still hilarious if you don’t get any of the references. It’s one of those shows that you can watch over and over again and still find a reference that escaped you the first time.
Cool TV Video of the Day: Rowan Atkinson Spoofs Classic ‘Doctor Who’
Comic Relief is a charity that helps raise money for the poor. Every odd-numbered year in March, people in the UK celebrate Red Nose Day. This is a semi-holiday created by Comic Relief where people get a foam red nose in exchange for a donation. Most donations occur during the live telethon, which is famous for its hilarious comedy sketches.
Naturally, most people anticipated a Doctor Who sketch because it is pretty much a telethon staple. In 2011, Rowan Atkinson poked fun at classic Doctor Who in this clip.
A-scare-ica: The Rise of Horror in American Television
I have a theory that nightmares are our brain’s way of saying “hey, your life could be worse,” which is why the horror genre is increasingly becoming popular in television. So what if you have crippling debt because of student loans. At least, you don’t have to kill your zombified friends and family. According to this CBC article, that’s why zombies are so popular.
There is no doubting that times are tough. When you find yourself in times of trouble, mother television comes on to make things all better. Since the dawn of primetime, TV has always been an escape from our daily lives. It’s why we never saw our favorite nuclear TV families broken apart by war. Instead of living vicariously through our favorite TV characters like we used to, we’re saying, “hey, my life could be worse”.
True Blood (HBO)
True Blood came out in the height of that whole Twilight fad that some of us don’t like mentioning being part of. I remember girls complaining that True Blood was a blatant rip off of the saga. Aside from having vampires, the protagonist happens to have telepathic abilities, just like a certain sparkly vampire. Except The Southern Vampire Mysteries that inspired the TV show came out before Stephanie Meyer dreamed up Twilight.
The difference between True Blood and any other vampire movie or TV show is that it dealt with current issues. Gay rights to be specific. This is made obvious by the “God hates Fangs” sign in the intro, which is a lovely jab at The Westboro Baptist Church. The show has continued to use vampires as an allegory for the LGBT community. You know, vampires are people too!
Despite airing in the summer, which is usually a death sentence, this show became insanely popular. So popular that HBO has been pushing out more and more TV shows ever since its 2008 debut. Since so many people took time out of their busy summer schedules of doing nothing, it showed that horror is something channels should strive toward.
It’s a Done Dean! Community Fans Rejoice for a Harmon-ious Return
Last year, fans of Community were heartbroken to hear that showrunner Dan Harmon was fired. NBC realized that they “Britta’d” things up, so they “Chang’d” their minds. Deadline confirmed yesterday that Dan Harmon and co- executive producer Chris McKenna are returning for Community’s fifth season. There are also reports that Dino Stamatopoulos is returning as a writer, but let’s hope that he also comes back as “Starburns.” The show’s renewal comes after a very shaky and lackluster fourth season. Last year, it was placed in the Friday night “death slot”, and then the premiere was pushed back to mid-season.
Doctor, Who Should Be the Next Doctor?
Despite being confirmed for the eighth series/season of Doctor Who, Matt Smith steps down as The Doctor. A lot of fans, like myself, are sad to see Smith go, but we are excited to see who is going to fill his gigantic shoes. (Not that I know Matt Smith’s shoe size, I’m saying it’s a big role) Since the announcement on June 1st, fans have been picking out their favorite actors to replace Smith. Big names such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Rupert Grint (The Doctor would finally be ginger!), and Martin Freeman have been suggested to replace Matt Smith. Past stars of Doctor Who have also been mentioned: David Morrissey (Jackson Lake from “The Next Doctor”), Russell Tovey (Allons-y Alonso, anyone?), Olivia Colman (“Mother” from The Eleventh Hour), and even Billie Piper.
Wait! What's A Dial? 