Some of our favorite shows have started to return. Abbott Elementary (Hulu) is leading that charge, and sadly, they switched audio description providers. It is a pretty obvious artificial voice, and it barely spoke during the season premiere. There are definitely long stretches where if you just walked into the room, you would assume the program totally lacked audio description. It does not. It spoke maybe five times, and while I will not contend that the information given was useful, I will take issue with the fact that there were some other moments where experienced AD writers would have added … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/08/24

Disney waited patiently for me to finish the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney Plus) before renewing the show for a second season. You know what’s amazing? The total lack of representation. It’s amazing how the shitty character descriptions in this have removed race for blind people. Lance Reddick, a black man, (also, rest in peace), played Zeus in the final episode, and he’s just referred to as wearing a suit and being bald. You know, sighted people can see representation right? Little kids of color can see themselves represented on screen, but when you have audio … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/07/24

Well, production on Season 3 of Foundation has been pushed back. Not a great sign for a show that needs a lot of post-production. but, in good news for no one except the people on the show, FOX gave Animal Control an early Season 3 renewal. Sadly, they didn’t give it audio description. I finished Echo (Disney Plus), which has the weirdest ending. It feels like it’s building to this massive and epic fight, and it wasn’t as epic as the build up was. Still, a solid show, but I wonder if any Marvel show will ever truly hit me … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/06/24

I’m worried about a Paramount Plus purge as they started with purging content on their international versions, and now are purging international content from Paramount Plus. The list was a bunch of shows that never even aggregated into any of my feeds, unlike Netflix which constantly throws international content at you. So if it was underperforming, maybe Paramount Plus should advertise that they actually are making shows internationally? Speaking of, I did check out Sexy Beast (Paramount Plus) officially and while the ending was solid, it does take a while to warm up. It’s definitely a mature show, and I’m … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/05/24

So the Top 20 were chosen on Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), which is still easily the dumbest way of calling something a “challenge”. I don’t even know why only 20 people? All of them should have made it through, just expand the numbers. Did you really not have enough numbered vests? It would have been even more beneficial to be a higher number then. Plus, we should have a feeling like we had in the first Squid Game, that multiple people could win. That changed in the final challenge, but these guys didn’t need to know that multiple people … Continue reading the Small Screen Diaries- 02/03/24

A month has gone by. Damn. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney plus) gave its best character description so far. When Percy tries to enter Hadestown, he must first pass by a fellow demigod. We were told he was tall, gaunt, and had wispy hair. For Percy Jackson, that’s like amazing audio description. We then meet two other characters with decidedly less description. Especially Hades, who just kinda appears. Hell, Cerberus got more description. Barely. Also, Poseidon shows up, and I was so totally underwhelmed with his entrance. This is some of the most lackluster audio description I’ve heard in … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/31/24

The Brothers Sun (Netflix) continued its unique brand of action and comedy and the mystery of exterminating all evil… by doing evil? An interesting series, but Michelle Yeoh is mostly criminally underused. It’s like this movie didn’t know she was about to win an Oscar. I made good on my promise to watch a second episode of Death And Other Details (Hulu), because of Mandy Patinkin and he isn’t disappointing. He’s terrific, and while the show is incredibly borderline going week to week as to whether or not I’d watch another episode, it’s on the bubble because of him. Echo … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/30/24

What an odd day for television. Thank God I had Julia (MAX) at the end of the day as a dessert. It’s sad that show is coming to an end, because while watching that White House centric show, along with the speech around the publisher going blind, and Paul just being great all episode, this really reminded me of what a Julia Season 3 could have been if not cut tragically short by MAX. #SaveJulia Instead, I watched some new shows. I’m honestly not sure if I want to watch any of them again. Death And Other Details (Hulu) does … Continue reading the Small Screen Diaries- 01/28/24

i finally wrapped Lawmen (Paramount Plus), which absolutely could have a second season if they wanted. It was a fantastic series, with possibly the best audio description I heard in television this year. Definitely a Top 3 show. Amazing performances, the score was incredible, and just the whole production kept me engaged for all eight episodes. Has Been Hotel (Amazon) continues to be an oddity fitting of A24, as it combines this concept of redemption in hell with these bizarre characters and full musical numbers. Amazon needs to promote this show more, or it will fail. I’m recognizing several voices … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/27/24

Because it makes absolute sense, Temptation Island is moving networks again. Except, this time it’s not moving to a network. Netflix will now take the reins of the long surviving reality stalwart that just can’t stay dead. Originating on FOX in the boom of reality TV, the show took couples and “tempted” them to cheat with hot singles. What a premise. It’s amazing this show isn’t winning Emmy awards. Speaking of reality TV on Netflix, I did go with another episode of Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), which really has got to find actual challenges for these people. After watching … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/26/24