The Small Screen Diaries: 06/27/26
This diary is for yesterday, which I didn’t watch as much TV as usual. The day I’m writing this on is my birthday, and I got pulled to a filling Olive Garden lunch yesterday, which took a nice chunk, as did the nap after. I’ll give you a prize though, as Amazon has renewed Every Summer After for a second season, and I didn’t even need to start watching it yet. Meanwhile, Amazon hasn’t picked up Spider-Noir. Go figure. Since it is my birthday, today, not yesterday, I just wanted to thank everyone who has supported me along the way … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/27/26
Strum
First. You do not strum a violin. It is a bowed instrument, without the same fret board as a guitar. So the title of the film makes no sense, since violin is at the center of the film. Chloe Bailey plays Layla, a young violinist with a complicated past, who is offered a chance to tutor a wealthy kid in her home, in a tutor/nanny hybrid situation, which seems to have a very open end of what she’s here to actually do. It has all the vibes of previous films, where this family is full of secrets, and Layla has … Continue reading Strum
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/26/26
Lots of sixes yesterday. The month, day, and year all ended in a six. 666. I’d say the devil has risen, but I’d argue… people are saying… it’s gonna be huge… like no one has ever seen before… that maybe he’s already here. And on a TV related note, the creator of Adolenscence got a straight to series order for a new series with David Harbor and Millie Bobby Brown. They’ll play father and daughter, a dynamic I’m sure is new to them. TV Shows Watched: Free Bert: S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, Monarch: S2E9 (apple) with audio description, The … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/26/26
Going In Blind: Chapter 51
There are plenty of films about making movies. Some are documentaries, while others are traditional scripted fare, like the pandemic-era Netflix comedy The Bubble, which was very much a product of its moment and probably won’t be remembered much beyond that. Chapter 51 takes a different route. It adopts the mockumentary format, but underneath all of the absurdity is a surprisingly grounded core. The film centers on what is supposedly one of the most disastrous productions in movie history, with its reputation placed alongside famously troubled shoots like Apocalypse Now and The Wizard of Oz. You could certainly think of … Continue reading Going In Blind: Chapter 51
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/25/26
TV Shows Watched: Man On Fire: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Margo’s Got Money Troubles: S1E4 (Apple) with audio description, Deli Boys: S2E3 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Rise Of The TMNT: S2E8 (Paramount) with audio description, Scarpetta: S1E4 (Amazon) with audio description, SNL: Olivia Rodrigo (Peacock) with audio description, and Running Point: S2E7 (Netflix) with audio description Man On Fire- Shockingly, still not renewed, even though when I see it in my watchlist it has the title of Most Liked. I made a comment yesterday about Aldis Hodge living in the shadows of Morgan Freeman in Cross, and how … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/25/26
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/24/26
In case you’re keeping score, Peacock has opted not to do a second season of Ponies. The girls are fired after just one mission. TV Shows Watched: Nemesis- S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description,Your Friends And Neighbors: S2E5 (Apple) with audio description, Cross: S2E7 (Amazon) with audio description, St Dennis Medical: S2E9 (Peacock) with audio description, America’s Culinary Cup: S1E4 (Paramount) with audio description, and Virgin River: S7E8 (Netflix) with audio description Nemesis- I always feel so frustrated that this is the audio description for Nemesis. Someone looked at a predominantly black cast, and thought Vito was the guy. Nemesis is … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/24/26
Going In Blind: The Get Out
If you’re still hearing the clinking of a teaspoon against a teacup, you might have an obsession with a movie that has nothing to do with The Get Out. Although, if there’s a regional specific accent to The Sunken Place, I’m positive Crowe will find it, and it will sound vaguely Eastern European. Really, it’s for the Albanian’s to critique his accent, but its hard to not notice that he seems to really be devoting himself to roles that require him to vocally disappear over the last few years. The funny thing is, the voice you are accustomed to isn’t … Continue reading Going In Blind: The Get Out
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/23/26
TV Shows Watched: The Boroughs: S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, Witch Hat Atelier: S1E13 (CrunchyRoll) with audio description, Unconditional: S1E3 (Apple) with audio description, Will Trent: S4E12 (Disney Plus) with audio description, The Comeback: S1E9 (HBO MAX) with audio description, The Daily Show: Monday (Paramount) no audio description, Breaking Bad: S4E3 (Netflix) with audio description The Boroughs- I finally finished, and as I predicted, The Boroughs is excellent all the way through. They clearly set up a mystery for Season 2, which Netflix rudely rebuffed. I think they were on the right path with shooting the next two seasons back-to-back, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/23/26
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/21/2026
TV Shows Watched: House Of The Dragon: S3E1 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Widows Bay: S1E5 (Apple) with audio description, Berlin: S2E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Mia: S1E3 (peacock) with audio description, Last Week Tonight: Most Recent (HBO MAX) no audio description, Dutton Ranch: S1E4 (Paramount) with audio description House Of The Dragon- The Dragon That Had Yet To Be defends The Queen That Never Was, to the chagrin of the Prince Who Will Never Be, and all because The Spare Who Shouldn’t Be and The Queen Who Is are fighting over the Land That Shall Become. Roy Samuelson performs … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/21/2026
The Best And Worst Nominees At The 2026 Dorian TV Awards
GALECA The Society For LGBTQ Entertainment Journalists recently announced their nominees for their Dorian TV Awards, and it should come as no surprise, Heated Rivalry did very well. Of course, so did Hacks, which has been a favorite of GALECA for its entire five seasons. Here’s my thoughts on the best and worst of the Dorian Award nominees.The Worst: Missing Categories I’m going out on a limb to say it’s weird to have a Limited Series category, but the actors are shoved into comedy and drama. For anyone who follows TV at all, this choice disproportionately affects the Drama races. … Continue reading The Best And Worst Nominees At The 2026 Dorian TV Awards
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/21/26
Big week for returning shows. House Of The Dragon just came back last night, with the final season of The Bear dropping this week, as well as the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, and The Agency with Michael Fassbender on Paramount Plus. And don’t forget, Avatar: Fire and Ash lands on Disney Plus on Wednesday. TV Shows Watched: From: S4E9 (MGM Plus) with audio description, Star City: S1E3 (Apple) with audio description, Million Dollar Secret: S2E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Top Chef: Final 6 (Peacock) with audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: S2E7 (Netflix) with audio description, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/21/26
Going In Blind: Color Book
Color Book is the perfect film arriving at the perfect time for Father’s Day. After building a strong reputation on the festival circuit and picking up awards along the way, Color Book finally landed on Netflix on June 19, giving a wider audience the chance to discover this deceptively simple story about a father trying to take his son to a baseball game. Of course, there has to be a little more to it than that. The film is shot in black and white, a stylistic choice that gives Atlanta an almost timeless quality. But the most notable decision is … Continue reading Going In Blind: Color Book
The Small Screen Diaries: 06/20/26
Happy Father’s Day to all those out there who are, who ahve one, who don’t have one, and all the father figures in our lives. TV Shows Watched: Vladimir: S1E9 (Netflix) with audio description, The Audacity: S1E3 (AMC Plus) with audio description, Half Man: S1E6 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Ted: S2E4 (Peacock) with audio description, Young Sherlock: S1E7 (Amazon) with audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Virgin River: S7E7 (Netflix) with audio description, and The Four Seasons: S2E4 (Netflix) with audio description Vladimir- Still making my way through this limited series about a professor whose … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/20/26
Love Story: Season 1
Ryan Murphy is undeniably talented. That’s what makes Love Story, JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette so frustrating. This isn’t a trainwreck. It isn’t even bad television. In fact, there are moments throughout the series that remind you exactly why Murphy became one of the most influential television producers of the last twenty years. The problem is that the qualities that once made his work feel daring and emotionally insightful now increasingly feel secondary to a desire to shape reality into whatever version of the story he finds most entertaining. Love Story doesn’t suffer from incompetent writing. It suffers from selective … Continue reading Love Story: Season 1
Never Change
Many of us have probably imagined what a high school do-over might look like. Maybe we’d make better choices. Maybe we’d get better grades. Maybe we’d finally talk to the person we spent four years quietly admiring from across the cafeteria. Maybe we’d avoid the mistakes that still occasionally pop into our heads decades later. High school occupies a strange place in our memories. As adults, I’m sure there are things you learned in high school you realize you have yet to use on your own, but there are also skills and knowledge you found missing after you graduated. Why … Continue reading Never Change