Category Archives: NBCUniversal
‘Fangasm’: The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Fangasm was airing on a different network.
I say this with residual bitterness after Syfy’s less than savory treatment of cosplayers in the six-episode run of Heroes of Cosplay. As if nerds weren’t already unfairly stigmatized, Heroes of Cosplay managed to make things worse by applying a tired reality show format and deceptive editing, making the cosplay community seem cutthroat and joyless. While I’ve eased up on placing individual blame, it continues to be difficult for me to mask my distaste whenever the show comes up in conversation.
Fangasm, on the other hand? Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.
Fangasm is a breath of fresh air, if the first episode is an accurate gauge of the rest of the season. It follows seven nerds of various backgrounds as they intern for Comikaze, a Los Angeles-based pop culture convention hosted by Marvel patriarch and cool dude Stan Lee. Their collective job is to market the convention and improve outside perceptions of geeks. The catty atmosphere of the show’s predecessor seems to have cleared, replaced only by the natural sort of tension one might expect when you put seven different personalities together under one roof.
Streaming is the New Cable: Why TV Networks Should Be Afraid of Netflix
Nine nominations is not a fluke, it’s something to brag about. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored House of Cards with nine nominations including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Kevin Spacey) and Outstanding Drama Series. Not too bad for a series that a majority of television viewers have never heard of.
How could this be? How could a show with such amazing talent, near perfect writing, and incredible pacing be overlooked? Surely this show is on a major network during a competing time slot; going against programs like Breaking Bad. The truth is, this show has no competition and doesn’t need a time slot. All one needs is a Netflix account and a device to stream it through. This allows them to have access to every episode of the first season of House of Cards and another fantastic show called Orange is the New Black.
The dangerous part of having access to full seasons of a program is a new addiction that comes with owning an account to Netflix or Hulu, most commonly known as “binge-watching”. Binge-watching occurs when you have total access to a program and you sit around all day and night until suddenly you realize hours have passed and you’ve watched 13 episodes of a show. Here in lies a problem that major networks like Fox and NBC are facing. There is no doubt the instant streaming has infiltrated every house hold and has changed they way people catch up on programming. There is no doubt that networks are using DVR and on-demand to their advantage, but what programs are left to record?
Top Dramas Coming Out This Fall
Mid-August is upon us. That means it is officially time to start preparing for the most wonderful time of the year. No not the holidays or the onset of school, but rather the fall season of Television. To say I’m excited for this season is an understatement, especially after last year, which which fell flat. This year however the networks have 57 new shows slated as of right now.
Basically, I should probably drop all my classes for the fall to make time… Or actually get DVR, dump my boyfriend, and start getting groceries delivered to my house to make time for all the awesomeness in store for this season. Thankfully, I have a couple weeks to decide my course of action. That being said, here are the dramas I’m most excited for this fall, in no particular order.
1. The 100 (CW)
The 100 follows a group of rebellious young adults, roughly 100 years after Nuclear Armageddon destroys the planet. These individuals are deemed expendable because of their crimes and as such are chosen to be part of an experiment to see if the Earth is once again safe for the human race to live on.
Why I’m excited: For one this show is buying into the post apocalyptic fad that is taking over now that vampires are starting to fade away. While this show ties into the trend, it doesn’t take too much influence from the Hunger Games. I also really enjoy that their lead, Clarke, is a female and seemingly strong from the previews. Aesthetically, the show is stunning and really well put together visually, which is also somewhat hysterical considering some of the radiation impacted animals, which are horrifying. It’s unique that the characters are all criminals in one way or another, which will bring a lot of interesting characters into the mix with strong personalities and story lines.
Late to the “Arrested Development” Party? No Problem!
Netflix released the fourth season of Arrested Development on May 26. Now that the initial frenzy is over, it is fair to say that fans who waited seven years for a new season were disappointed. However, I was not one of those fans, which worked out in my favor.
To be honest, I was 12 when I saw first two episodes, which means I was way too young to understand the show. Instead of jumping on the bandwagon once all my friends were declaring it their favorite show, I waited because popularity doesn’t necessarily mean good. Well, my friends were right this time: Arrested Development is an excellent show, but I am happy its new to me.
So, Why am I glad I was late to the Bluth party?
1. I haven’t been annoyed at Fox for the last 7 years.
For some reason, Arrested Development fans are hardcore. Fans who became fans well after Fox canceled the show were annoyed that the show was cancelled. Until recently, half the time a fan brought up Arrested Development, it would be followed by a bitter swipe at Fox. Granted, most fans do not have an attachment to the show that parallels Buster and Lucille’s relationship. However, those that do were the most vocal and tainted even the most well adjusted fans view of Fox and its treatment of the show.
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.
Amazon Wants You To Remember: Netflix Doesn’t Carry These Shows
Amazon Prime has been busy eating away at Netflix’s content library. The biggest problem for Netflix, so far, is it recently lost a ton of Viacom content. So what shows are Netflix customers now missing?
Here is a lengthy, yet non-exhaustive list of Amazon Prime exclusive shows.
Viacom
Nickelodeon
Dora the Explorer
Spongebob Squarepants
Yo Gabba Gabba
Blue’s Clues
The Backyardigans
Go, Diego, Go!
Osward
Ni Hao Kai-Lan
Wonder Pets
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Little Bear
iCarly
The Fresh Beat Band
Bubble Guppies
Little Bill
Danny Phantom
Gullah Gullah Island
The Wild Thornberrys
Team Umizoomi
Back at the Barnyard
CatDog
Invader Zim
Olivia
VICTORiOUS
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Hey Dude
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
House of Anubis
Big Time Rush
Doug
Fan Boy and Chum Chum
Fred: The Show
Rocket Power
The Amanda Show
Rocko’s Modern Life
All That
The Naked Brothers Band
Jimmy Neutron
Fairly Oddparents
Drake & Josh
Rugrats
Clarissa Explains It All
Hey Arnold
Kenan & Kel
Supah Ninjas
The Angry Beavers Read the rest of this entry
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