TV Features

A few years ago, NBC comedy was in a bad place. Though critically adored and beloved by many, flagship shows Parks & Rec and 30 Rock simply weren’t ratings juggernauts, so NBC had a choice to make: go broader with comedy development or continue to focus on smaller, quality projects. As with most things in television, the pursuit of money won out.

The HBO show ends its six-season run on Sunday and while it may not have been for everyone, we’ll miss it dearly. To pay tribute to this special show and its characters, let’s take a walk down memory lane to back when it all started in April 2012, and look at what the future has in store for this impressive ensemble.

With last year’s pilots Frequency and No Tomorrow both unlikely to see renewals, The CW is looking for a big hit that isn’t attached to the DC universe and can add to the critical clout they’ve gained with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane the Virgin. See what’s next for the CW in our preview of their 2017 drama pilots.

The Tracking Board presents the 4th annual edition of The Runway! The premise is simple: we read, review and prognosticate on the future of every single network show picked up to pilot. So fasten your seatbelts, because pilot season is about to take off.

With both YouTube and Hulu launching their own TV subscriptions, what are the pros and cons of various TV networks working with the subscriptions and are these streaming options really a good thing for viewers?

In recent years, we’ve seen more and more miniseries and anthologies on TV and many of them have been incredibly successful. Neil Turitz takes a look at the efficacy of these eight or six-hour stories and all their exploits that give them a leg up on the traditional 22 episode, season-to-season model.

Over the past five years FX has asserted itself as the network with the best programming lineup. In both comedy and drama, FX is consistently putting out the most successful shows that are enjoyed by fans and critics. Neil Turitz examines the network’s rise to prominence and how long he thinks they’ll stay at the top.

Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates deliver the laughs to a loud and loving Dolby Theatre crowd while Cuba Gooding Jr. reminds us why Angela Bassett might be immortal. Executive Producer Brad Falchuk promises cross over characters as story opportunities present and explains format was the key to cracking the Roanoke mystery.

The Scandal panel at PaleyFest was short on tidbits on upcoming episodes, apart from the 100th, but heavy on appreciation for the stars, writers, and above all the fans.

Jonathan Nolan is a veteran of fan events, well-practiced in only giving fans information that he wants them to know, and Westworld‘s PaleyFest event was no different… until a reveal regarding the season one finale caught the audience completely off-guard.

With Pretty Little Liars facing its final ten episodes, the creators and cast reflected on their time spent working together and how the series has impacted their lives, both on and off screen.

Comedy shows have been having a tough time the past year as they attempt to walk the line between commentary and an encouraging future, and this theme hung over PaleyFest and its Bob’s Burgers panel.

The Orphan Black panel opened up with a huge surprise for the audience, followed by an hour of tears, hugs, and family. With Orphan Black officially wrapped on their final season, the executive producers and cast reflected on their time spent working together and how their own characters will influence them as people moving forward.

West Wing alum Bradley Whitford took a turn on the other side of the table as he moderated the Late Late Show panel at PaleyFest with host James Corden and executive producers Ben Winston and Rob Crabbe.

CBS brought out the stars of NCIS: Los Angeles at this year’s PALEYFEST, but the fun procedural had a sadness hanging over it due to passing of Miguel Ferrer.

Even before Iron Fist dropped its first 13 episodes to continue the Marvel saga of street heroes, the show was getting scrutinized for using a white actor to play the lead role — but in the Marvel comic created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, he was white. That said, the problem with the series isn’t whitewashing — it’s poorly executed television.

Between the one-two punch of FX’s Legion and Disney’s juggernaut live-action Beauty and the Beast remake that just opened, British actor Dan Stevens is having a tremendous time of it. Look back on his career, however, and this sudden boom in both his career and the attention heaped onto him, is not much of a surprise.

Grey’s Anatomy has been famous since the beginning for its steamy relationships, but discussions at PaleyFest reminded us that it is female friendships at the the core of the series.

With the surprise guests, heartfelt moments, and an audience on the edge of their seats, the This is Us panel at PaleyFest felt akin to every episode of the hit series. Tearful ending included.

Andrew Kreisberg and Stephen Amell led the panel and showed just why powerless Oliver Queen is still the leader that the CW-DC universe need in the panel highlighting Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow.

The Walking Dead doesn’t need any monsters. It is a monster. Paley Fest’s feature of this iconic show proves that each actor is beloved by fans, and even the executive producers get a little bit of action, too.

Does it seem like Ryan Murphy is coming out with a new show all the time? Well he is and Neil Turitz thinks that his interest in creating an increased number of shorter series is the brilliance behind his success.

The Oscars might be the apex of hosting gigs for personalities, because it’s the biggest audience and the most publicity and the greatest prestige, and so everyone wants to do it, but almost every time, they are doomed to fail, because that’s how all this works. Neil Turitz examines past hosts to address his predictions for Jimmy Kimmel this Sunday.

Great writing begins with getting your vulnerabilities out on the page — the parts of you that you don’t normally express, the truths that you don’t normally look at, the characters that exist inside you: both the beautiful ones that you want to share with the world, and also the ones that scare or disgust you, who often represent parts of you that you don’t want to believe are possible, or that you’d never express in the outside world.

Season 5, Episode 13 – On this week’s Arrow, after a mass shooting Oliver realizes he might have better luck saving the city this time as mayor, not the Green Arrow. Meanwhile, Dinah finally moves into a proper apartment.

Season 4, Episode 3 – “The Four Horseman” brings King Roan to Octavia’s doorstep with a mission, while Jaha, Bellamy and Clarke seek out a possible salvation. It’s more difficult moral choices on The 100 this week.

The success of television series grows from the same place, by growing their unique structure organically from their characters, and from the voice of their writers, rather than imposing an external structure upon them.

In the last few years, television has set a high bar for relationships whether it’s a traditional married couple, best friends, or arch rivals. In honor of the day of love, we’re highlighting fourteen of our favorite couples on television.

It’s Valentine’s Day so here’s a heartfelt letter to the best TV couple of all time: Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation. From the little town of Pawnee, Indiana to hearts across the world, this is how and why they’re the best when it comes to TV love.

Season 1, Episode 3 – The clock ticks on in the third hour of 24: Legacy as Eric must find the USB of sleeper cells Ben has hidden before it falls into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, Rebecca confornts Nilaa abou the leak and hack, but does she have the right person?