Tag: Peacock

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The Small Screen Diaries: The Weekly Rankings

John Stark

I actually finished a lot of shows this week, which should free up a ton of space and shake up the list next week. Joining the list this week are Dexter Resurrection (Paramount Plus), Building The Band (Netflix), Back To The Frontier (HBo MAX), Foundation (Apple Plus), Sullivan’s Crossing (Netflix), and The Art detectives (Acorn). Also, I took a look at A Different World (Netflix) which has audio description! WINNER: Squid Game (Netflix) with audio description- I’m not quite done with the final season, and I’ve basically lost all the new characters I was rooting for, yet something about this … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: The Weekly Rankings

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The Small Screen Diaries: 07/12/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Building The band: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, All Of Us Are Dead: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Dexter: Resurrection: S1E1 (Paramount Plus), And just Like That: S3E7 (HBo MAX) with audio description, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: S10E10 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Sullivan’s Crossing: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, King Of the hill: S2E6 (Hulu) no audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: S1E25 (Amazon) with audio description, and The Office: S3E17 (Peacock) no audio description Best Episode: And Just Like That, Runner Up: All Of Us Are Dead Best Audio Description: Dexter Resurrection, Runner Up: And … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/12/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 07/11/25

John Stark

TV News: there’s been enough movement the past couple of days for me to recap some of the decisions. Netflix gave Virgin River an early Season 8 renewal, as Season 7 concludes filming. Apple also did the same for Slow Horses, which got a Season 7 renewal, even though Season 6 has yet to premiere. Apple also picked up the new Sci-Fi series MurderBot for a second season. ABC has gone straight to series on the Scrubs revival after Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke solidified deals to return to the series, which could land as early as mid season. In … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/11/25

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Dorian TV Awards Winners Announced! ‘Hacks’ and ‘The Pitt’ Take Honors

John Stark

Among the other things I do, I am a proud member of GALECA: The Society for LGBTQ Film Journalists, so naturally, I should announce the winners of the awards I voted for. for those who follow my small Screen diaries, you’ll note my finger is on the absolute pulse, as it also is for the many critics and entertainment journalists who voted in these awards.With Emmy nominations only days away, will these serve as a bell weather for things to come on that front as well? GALECA is the 2nd largest Entertainment Journalist organization in the world, boasting over 560 … Continue reading Dorian TV Awards Winners Announced! ‘Hacks’ and ‘The Pitt’ Take Honors

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The Small Screen Diaries: 07/09/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Black Mirror: S3E3 (Netflix) with audio description, The Buccaneers: S1E7 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Tires: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, motorheads: S1E10 (Amazon) with audio description, Destination X: S1E7 (Peacock) with audio description, Dexter: S5E4 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Department Q: S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, prison Break: S1E3 (Netflix) no audio description, Poker Face: S2E10 (Peacock) with audio description Best Episode: Poker Face, Runner Up: The buccaneers Best Audio Description: Poker Face, Runner Up: Dexter best Performance: Natasha Lyonne (Poker face), runner Up: Vince Vaughn (Tires) Best Moment Of Audio Description: The inciting incident … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/09/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 07/07/25

John Stark

Today was a great day. I hope to give more on that later. But for now, you came to find out whaat i watched. TV Shows Watched: The Waterfront: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Smoke: S1E3 (Apple plus) with audio description, the bear: S4E10 (Hulu) with audio description, Bet: S1E10 (Netflix) with audio description, The Better Sister: S1E8 (Amazon) with audio description, A Different World: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Scrubs: S1E4 (Peacock) no audio description, King Of The Hill: S2E4 (Hulu) no audio description, Silicon Valley: S2E10 (MAX) wit audio description, The office: S3E16 (Peacock) no audio description, The … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/07/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: The Weekly Rankings

John Stark

Once again I’m running down the sixty shows on my broad watchlist. Joining the list this week, which was fairly slow for new shows, are The Sandman (Netflix), All Of Us Are Dead (Netflix), The Office (Peacock), Such Brave Girls (Hulu), Nautilus (AMC Plus), Dexter (Paramount Plus), and Prison Break (Netflix). I wrapped some shows, and anything that would rank outside the top 60 dies. WINNER: Squid Game (Netflix) with audio description- I knew I was going to lose my favorites. After the tragic uprising didn’t work last season, it meant playing out Squid Game till the end. I’m only … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: The Weekly Rankings

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The Small Screen Diaries: 07/05/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: FUBAR: S2E4 (Netflix) with audio description, The Sandman: S2E1 (Netflix) with audio description, The Bear: S4E8 (Hulu) with audio description, Revival: S1E2 (Peacock) finally with audio description, And Just Like That: S4E6 (MAX) with audio description, yes Chef: S1E10 (Peacock) no audio description?, Prison Break: S1E2 (Netflix) no audio description, Dexter: S5E3 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, King Of The Hill: S2E3 (Hulu) no audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: S1E24 (Amazon) with audio description, the office: S3E16 (Peacock) no audio description, and Sherlock and Daughter: S1E4 (MAX) no audio description Best Episode: The Sandman, Runner Up: The … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/05/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 07/04/25

John Stark

Hope you had a fun National Day To Watch The Film Independence Day. You know you did. We all did. TV Shows Watched: Duster: S1E8 (MAX) with audio description, Murderbot: S1E9 (Apple Plus) with audio description, tires: S2E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Adults: S1E5 (Hulu) with audio description, Lazarus: S1E13 (MAX) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S1E10 (Netflix) with audio description, Peaky Blinders: S1E6 (Netflix) All Of Us Are dead: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, King Of The Hill: S2E1 (Hulu) no audio description, Breaking Bad: S1E7 (Netflix) with audio description, Yellowstone: S5E13 (Peacock) with audio description Best Episode: … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 07/04/25

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Despicable Me 4

John Stark

Despicable Me 4- A Screenplay That Feels Like It Was Written By 10 Minions Quick Take: The fourth outing, and the sixth technically in the franchise at large, Despicable Me 4 has a lot happening. it feels like the script was written and then rewritten almost like a game of “Yes, and” where the next person added another subplot. this movie is so scattered, so disorganized,it makes the third film seem better. I wasn’t a fan of the third, because I didn’t think Steve Carell should have voiced both. It was a missed opportunity to go in a completely different … Continue reading Despicable Me 4

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Didi

John Stark

Didi- Kids Actually Feel Like Kids In This Winning Indie Featuring Joan Chen While it has been a minute since I’ve viewed Focus Features Sundance acquisition, I’m aware this is being campaigned as a possible Supporting Actress bid for Joan Chen.Knowing that, I expected to be moved by her work, but the film really is just mostly about kids doing shenanigans, with a hint of that specific culture thrown in. Chen plays the Grandmother to our lead, an aspiring artist. The film really does belong to the main kid, and the silly things kids do, but Joan does have some … Continue reading Didi

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Spooky Season- 10 Peacock Titles To Rip Your Face off

John Stark

As audiences everywhere were dismayed to find out that Peacock was dropping Winnie The Pooh: Blood and honey 2 without audio description, it is not eligible for this list. These are the 10 scariest titles that are on Peacock and have audio description. I still refuse to tell you what this movie is about. If by some chance this movie has not been spoiled for you, see it before it is. All I’ll confirm is that, yes it does belong here. yes, there is gore. And Yes, this is still one of my favorite titles this year. i gave it … Continue reading Spooky Season- 10 Peacock Titles To Rip Your Face off

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The bike Riders

John Stark

I always find the work of Jeff Nichols to be engaging in its cinematic form even if I’m not completely enamored with his offerings. the bike Riders is one of those films that seemed good on paper, and then I ended up with a film that matched the worthiness of a viewing, but not necessarily the praise that would elicit multiple viewings, or encourage others. the movie is also a bit of a tough sell, audio description wise, since the movie takes place in a certain time period, where the aesthetic takes over, and actors are likely finding subtle ways … Continue reading The bike Riders

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Abigail

John Stark

I firmly believe this is one film that should be watched with you knowing as little about it as possible. The more you know, the less fun it is. It was clearly crafted that way, and the people who make trailers do not give a crap. I’ll spoil all day every day if the spoiler isn’t really a spoiler, or if the movie is god awful, or some slog that exists simply to have a twist, but Abigail is none of those things. I caught this on peacock, and without being too revealing, i thought the audio description was really … Continue reading Abigail

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Back To Black

John Stark

The short life of Amy Winehouse is explored in this biopic by Sam Taylor Johnson, who starts with a clearly very talented Amy (Marisa Abela) before she signs to a major label, and her career explodes. Her tumultuous life is explored in a somewhat neutral tone, where no one really seems to be at fault, including Amy, for anything that happened. While she begins a rocky relationship with what many of her fans believe was an enabler, but much like everyone in Amy’s life, it seems to suggest that no one really tried to make her go to rehab, but … Continue reading Back To Black

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State of Consciousness

John Stark

This movie is on Peacock, it has audio description, the description is fine, and the movie is awful. Emile Hirsch is stuck in this, and we owe him an apology. I think he got sucked into movies this terrible because we did not give him his much deserved Oscar nomination for Into The Wild. Into The Wild, at last glance, was still in the IMDB Top 250, because most people have realized it is a terrific film that we missed the boat on and thought it only needed a Hal Holbrook nomination. Granted, that is a fantastic nomination, but now … Continue reading State of Consciousness

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Monkey Man

John Stark

Before watching this, I had already heard all the interesting tales of how this came to be. As Dev Patel was making his directorial debut, while starring, he managed to injure himself a few times, and still kept filming.It seems like the kind of press you leak to get fans of action films uniquely excited for the experience as the action scenes must be intense for Patel to have sustained multiple injuries. This isn’t just a tragic accident like Dylan O’Brien on the set of the Maze Runner sequel. Patel got knocked down, and chumbawumba’ed himself back up again multiple … Continue reading Monkey Man

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Kung Fu Panda 4

John Stark

Ska-doosh once again. I do believe the official word origin of “skadoosh” is Shakespearian. One of his lesser known works. Don’t bother fact checking that. Google only knows the popular ones. But, because someone needs money, Kung Fu Panda 4 is here, po is back, and the budget has been trimmed. Po’s teammates, the furious voice cast of Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, and David Cross are nowhere to be found. Is that a good thing? First up, this has audio description on Peacock. Oddly, the only entry in the franchise that currently resides on the service with AD. … Continue reading Kung Fu Panda 4

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Migration

John Stark

Illumination has struck again, much like the flock of geese struck that airplane Sully was flying. Migration is one of those animated films that follows the formula set by other films like it, but it isn’t sure where to make good choices. The end result is like playing Duck Hunt and missing all your shots. I skipped the theatrical release and waited for Peacock. I’m proud of that choice. Kumamoto Nanjiani plays the patriarch of a little duck family, with a wife (Elizabeth Banks), an uncle (Danny Devito) and two ducklings. He’s always been afraid his whole life of leaving … Continue reading Migration

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Drive Away Dolls

John Stark

Now that we’ve officially seen what Joel Coen does by himself, and Ethan by himself, I think we can all agree that the Coen brothers are far better as a team than in their individual pursuits. Often, The Coen Brothers find films that offer that slice of Americana, with some small town personality, and quirky characters. So then what went wrong. Is it simply that Ethan Coen can’t do this by himself, or that he attempted to do a niche 90’s lesbian road trip comedy? The good news, is that this film does have audio description, and the description is … Continue reading Drive Away Dolls

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Night Swim

John Stark

Night Swim hurts like jumping off the high jump with a belly flop into a kiddie pool. If you thought I was going to buck the trend on night Swim, and tell you it is the most groundbreaking horror of the year, you haven’t seen Night Swim, or you just woke from a coma since birth, and this was the only movie you’ve ever seen and have no point of reference. Night Swim ultimately fails to deliver any chills or thrills, and instead devolves into a frustrating mess. Whether it is underveloped characters, a half baked plot, or its reliance … Continue reading Night Swim

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Lisa Frankenstein

John Stark

Sometimes it’s fun to watch the reactions to a film, and then to watch it for myself, and still enjoy a film that seemingly not many people enjoyed. I think that is very much the case with Lisa Frankenstein, which is currently streaming on peacock with audio description. The directorial debut of Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late Robin Williams, off a script from Juno scribe Diablo Cody. Clearly, Williams has a quirky sense of humor, no doubt influenced by her father, and all the gaming they did together. Robin was a big fan of World Of Warcraft, and … Continue reading Lisa Frankenstein

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Stormy

John Stark

When I heard this dropped at SXSW I really thought something would come of it. I didn’t realize it would just quickly shift to Peacock. The funny thing, is that I subscribe to the “ad supported” version. It normally doesn’t bother me, because with a movie, you get a bunch of commercials up front, and then the movie is uninterrupted. Stormy had commercials throughout. Peacock really didn’t care about this doc. Should you? Why am i even asking this question. If you don’t already have an opinion on this going into it, I’d be shocked. yes, it’s a Stormy Daniel’s … Continue reading Stormy

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Megamind vs The Doom Syndicate

John Stark

I should have been alerted to the quality of this when it just showed up on Peacock with little to no fanfare. Kung Fu Panda 4 went theatrical, and it did so without the Furious Five involved. So, if Dreamworks was willing to make massive sacrifices for a theatrical sequel, imagine what they were willing to do for a straight-to-streaming sequel. Of course, gone is the charming original star studded voice cast of Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, and even David Cross. Instead, we’ve got… Laura Post. Wait, what? Come to find out, Laura does more than … Continue reading Megamind vs The Doom Syndicate

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The Trolls Trilogy

John Stark

In preparation for watching the third entry in the series, Trolls Band Together, I decided to just do the whole darn trilogy. Somewhere back on my site is my reaction to the original Trolls, which I was able to see before losing my eyesight and transitioning to blind film critic. So I understand the character designs. The second film, I skipped. i didn’t like the second. Now, I’m trying to talk about audio description, so let’s just cover all three of them, shall we? The first one introduces us to the world of Trolls.I had a few of these as … Continue reading The Trolls Trilogy

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Boscoe

John Stark

You’ll have to excuse me once again as I catch up on the forgettable start to 2024. With this film, I even commented in my YouTube review how I was certain there was no way I would remember this film at the end of the year. Every year, I look at my list of nearly 300 titles reviewed, and there are 1-3 movies I can’t remember what they were about, who was in them, what streaming service they were on… anything. there is a slight chance, because her career has been almost non-existent that I will remember Nikki blown sky … Continue reading Boscoe

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The Small Screen Diaries- 03/19/24

John Stark

Not surprising at all, but CBS will continue to air its Australian import, NCIS: Sydney for its second season, despite already having two NCIS shows, and currently in development on two more. Fun fact, this entire franchise only exists thanks to a series being rescued from cancellation. Possibly the smartest “save our show” ever has turned out to be CBS picking up JAG after it was cancelled at NBC after one season. Without that, they wouldn’t have had the long and successful run of the original show, nor would they have NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, NCIS New Orleans, NCIS Hawaii, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/19/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 03/16/24

John Stark

Apples Never Fall (Peacock) is just a travesty. Mostly, the show suffers from poor direction and writing, but I can pinpoint some specifics. This show centers around a retired wife (Bening) who goes missing from her family, and former tennis star husband (Sam Neil). Her kids think something is afoot, so they start investigating, and over the course of 7 episodes, we will learn why Apples Never Fall (far from the tree). They introduce a character, Savannah (Georgia Flood), who shows up in the middle of the night supposedly fleeing domestic abuse. Flood delivers one of the worst performances I’ve … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/16/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 03/14/24

John Stark

I’m not really sure what was going on with the actress playing Crystal on The Connors (Hulu), but her few lines were some of the worst line readings I had heard in a long time. Honestly, it felt like a regular person had won the chance to be on The Connors from their live studio audience, and had never acted before. I loved the meta moment where Darlene was trying to answer a trivia question in which she would be the answer in the real world. I also watched Abbott Elementary’s (Hulu) very special post-Oscar episode, which was hilarious as … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/14/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 03/01/24

John Stark

Timing is everything. Netflix announced the cancellation of The Brothers Sun right after I finished the final episode of the season. I liked the show, and I would have come back for a second season, but I could say that about a number of shows Netflix sends into the void every year. I’m not angry enough to tweet them, or X them. I don’t know why Elon had to go and make that weird. I want to send tweets, not whatever the hell we call it now. But, Michelle Yeoh’s Netflix show is short lived. I will testify that Halo … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/01/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/29/24

John Stark

Actually typing out the 29th of February feels like a mistake, until you convince yourself that yesterday was, in fact, Leap Day. So, how did I spend it? With some disappointing audio description. Of course, that means Abbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu), which Disney has apparently just decided to throw down the tubes this season for blind people. If ABC wanted to experiment with whaat seems to be AI generated audio description on every level, perhaps start with not your number one show. Just a thought. Over on Will Trent (ABC/Hulu), this show did have audio description, but it really felt lacking … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/29/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/24/24

John Stark

Man, i hope the SAG awards stay on Netflix. no commercials. Say anything you want. Fantastic. The predictable awards were predictable, and the other trophies painted a picture of the Actor and Actress race. Cillian Murphy has now won both the BAFTA and SAG, defeating Paul Giamatti at both. I cannot shake the feeling that Giamatti is winning for The Holdovers. It may just be because of how much I adore Paul, but I love both films and performances. On the actress side, Lily Gladstone closed the gap between her and Emma Stone by winning the SAG Actress trophy, while … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/24/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/16/24

John Stark

I’m now only one episode away from learning which of the three contestants I don’t care about wins Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix). Of course, I could just look it up, since this was decided a while ago, but I don’t binge shows. I like my cliffhangers. I’m glad Ashley didn’t make the final 3, since she couldn’t see the irony in someone not following with a selfless group act. But, I’m also not sure I want Maya to win. I’m not sure I want any of these three to win, because this show has been more interested in getting … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/16/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/15/24

John Stark

Did you feel like you got hit on the head yesterday? That’s because Paramount Global has axed streamer Noggin, which launched as a cable channel in 199, before developing its own paid service in 2015. Nine years later, Paramount Global is on fire, and they need to cut costs. A lot of the basic core programs of Noggin are available on Paramount Plus anyway, so I’m sure this is just a redundancy they felt was needed. I was more surprised that 800 people worked for Noggin. Just to balance themselves out, they also cancelled Evil. So, something on either end … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/15/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/13/24

John Stark

Happy Valentine’s Day! For this Valentine’s I got you some TV News to start your day. Apple has renewed Invasion for a 3rd season, while Netflix has picked up Survival Of The Thickest for a second season. The latter of the two took way too long, and must have come down to a budgeting wire. I am shockingly still with Boy Swallows The Universe (Netflix), which is actually better once you get past the pilot. Still, it’s a very odd show, but the 4th episode continues with the boys trying to adapt to living with their estranged alcoholic father, wanting … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/13/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/12/24

John Stark

Welcome back Jon Stewart, who has returned to The Daily Show once a week through at least the election. Also, Katy Perry is making this her last season of American Idol. Dear Producers, *PLEASE* get an alumni. It is so awkward that two of them have been on The Voice, but not American Idol. It’s time to bring home Kelly, Carrie, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Jordon Sparks, or any of the myriad of female artists whose career has been launched by this show. Honestly, I wish the whole panel was alumni. And with that, I knocked out another episode of My … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/12/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/04/24

John Stark

the way my week works, is that I typically try and introduce new shows on Sunday to my rotation, and then Monday starts going through another episode of each show I’ve decided to continue with. So, this Sunday, my watching of Sexy Beast (Paramount Plus) was so disjointed and interrupted, I decided I’d just use its “second” episode that would happen later this week to rewatch the pilot coherently. but, technically I tried. While I do really enjoy the Jonathan Glazer film on which the series is adapted, it’s been years since I’ve seen the film. At least twenty, but … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/04/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 02/01/24

John Stark

Looks like NBC is trying to review Suits, with a pilot order for Suits: LA. Also, Netflix made a giant announcement yesterday confirming several series will bow in 2024, including the final seasons of Sweet Tooth, Umbrella Academy, and Cobra Kai, along with new seasons of The Diplomat, Emily In Paris, That 90’s Show, The Night Agent, and Outer Banks. Waiting until 2025 for sure, are Stranger Things, Wednesday, Virgin River, and Ginny and Georgia. That last one surprised me, as it doesn’t seem like a show that takes a long time to put together, and with the relative youth … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/01/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/25/24

John Stark

It’s been so long since any news that I was not shocked that Wolf Pack was cancelled by Paramount Plus after one season. I kinda already thought it had been. Especially with Paramount going through a much reported mass firing shortly. Fool Me Once (Netflix) I see is still trending in Netflix’s top 10. Harlan Cobin’s adaptations seem to always attract enough attention, and the British audio description on the series is solid. In this episode, a car alarm was triggered in a way I hadn’t thought of, but I thought the narrator did a nice job of explaining it. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/25/24

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Murderball

John Stark

When I decided to start revealing my failings with Oscar nominees I hadn’t seen yet, I remembered having seen a certain title on the list for Peacock, and I knew what I was watching. Somehow, despite the fact that the majority of the described content on Peacock does not predate the streaming service, even with their own content, and even with titles that have known audio description, Murderball has audio description. It’s not a Universal or Focus release, it is 20 years old, and a documentary I’m sure isn’t climbing their ratings ranks. However, this nominee qualifies. Yes, nominee. It … Continue reading Murderball

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/19/24

John Stark

I found out that Apple isn’t moving forward on a third season of Schmigadoon. Honestly, I was shocked they made a second. Very pleasantly surprised, as I love that show, but still surprised. Not shocked by the cancellation, especially after they also ditched The After Party last year. I also wasn’t surprised by who won Celebrity jeopardy (Hulu) this week. That’s the person that I assumed would win the whole thing, so the fact they made the final three doesn’t shock me.I laughed at the audio description. At the very end, when our lovely narrator is filling in that lead … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/19/24

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The Small Screen Diaries: 01/15/24

John Stark

The Emmys were last night, and Succession predictably did well, while Better Call Saul finished its run with not a single win for anything ever. I’m most excited for Paul Walter Houser who won Supporting Actor in a Limited for Blackbird, which was on Apple Plus in July 2022. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should. He’s fantastic. And now, the shows I actually did watch. My Life With The Walter Boys (Netflix) has some audio description that has grown on me. Of course, four episodes in and I have a bit more of a grasp on this show … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 01/15/24

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The Too Much TV Roundup- 01/14/24

John Stark

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! I don’t think I watched anything yesterday that fits with today. Maybe I’ll try to do that on the day of, but then I’ll be mentioning it the next day. It’s like having a Newsweek subscription nowadays, when everything has already been discussed. The Critics Choice awards last night were pretty predictable. I did see one site refer to Emma Stone’s win as a “shocker”. Really? Yes, Lily won the Globe… but so did Emma. They were just finally in the same category. Interestingly, the same “journalist” had nothing to say about the “shocker” … Continue reading The Too Much TV Roundup- 01/14/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/11/24

John Stark

Starting off my column of the day with bad news. MAX has inexplicably struck again, cancelling Julia after two seasons, thus ending Sarah Lancashire’s terrific performance as the famous chef. I refer to everything I said when they cancelled Our Flag Means Death, reminding you that this is a company that used a completed film as a tax write off. But, sadly, Julia isn’t the only show exiting stage right. ABC has announced this will be the final season of the Good Doctor. After failing to produce a spinoff, it’s time for the ABC drama to go away, I guess. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/11/24

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The Holdovers

John Stark

Where I Watched it: Peacock English Audio Description?: Yes Cast: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’vine Joy Randolph, and Carrie Preston. Written By: David Hemingson Directed By Alexander Payne What would be fun would be to start each year, try and find some grand master list of all the projected titles for the year, and predict my top 10. if I had done that, I would have predicted The Holdovers. It feels like something that was made for me. Not that films like this don’t disappoint me, or that I’ve been let down before, but ever since i heard about The … Continue reading The Holdovers

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/06/24

John Stark

The creative arts Emmys were last night, and some really interesting choices were made. Did your show win any of the below the line awards? Was your favorite guest actor or actress awarded a trophy? Also, the National Society of Film Critics (an aspirational group for me) named Past Lives as the film of the year, but my favorite pick of theirs was giving an honorable Mention to Rachel macadams for Are You There God, It’s me Margaret? I did think it was weird that Zone of Interest was the Best Picture honorable mention, won director, and was recognized as … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/06/24

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The Too Much TV Roundup- 12/28/23

John Stark

The exciting TV news for the day? Night Court has axed Neil. of course, with my limited time, I was planning on axing Night Court anyway. Also, expect even less day and date releases in 2023, since the strikes pushed back a lot of films on the 2023 calendar. Now they are worried that 2023 could be a really slow year at the movies. Well, maybe you should have stopped trying to replace everyone with AI. 1) Neon (Netflix) English Audio Description?: Yes Status: Not Yet Renewed Santi pushes his crew further away as he chooses his fake alliance with … Continue reading The Too Much TV Roundup- 12/28/23

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The Too Much TV Roundup- 12/27/23

John Stark

Really, it’s the doldrums of TV news right now. Even in the world of movie news, the best I got is that I just learned there was a movie in theatres called Anyone But You that stars Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. Talk about the wrong time of year to open a film like that. Wow. Getting clobbered by films with big budgets and Oscar fare, with two people who really aren’t marketable romcom stars. 1) Everything Now (Netflix) English Audio Description?: Yes Status: Not Yet Renewed Clashes begin in the friend zone when people seem at odds with each … Continue reading The Too Much TV Roundup- 12/27/23

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Mr Monk’s Last Case

John Stark

Where I Watched It: peacock English Audio Description?: Yes cast: Presumably, the cast of Monk. This one is barely a review. It’s more of a conversation. I probably could break this down, and review it, but I don’t think I should. Truthfully, I’ve never watched Monk. I only watched this because I was with someone else who loved Monk, and the only reason I’m bothering with a post is because it had audio description. And yes, the audio description seemed to be fine. it is a detective story, so picking up clues along the way feels integral. It also really … Continue reading Mr Monk’s Last Case

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The Too Much TV Roundup- 12/21/23

John Stark

Jake Johnson mentioned yesterday that he does not believe Starz will renew Minx. I’m telling you, it’s the only reason I haven’t cancelled yet. I’m living on a prayer. The good news is that they immediately cancelled and pulled Heels right after the finale, and cancelled shining Veil immediately, so the fact they are even thinking about minx means it has a shot. 1) Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix) English Audio Description Provided By: XTraX Status: Limited Well, the second episode is weird. Scott is *spoiler*, and the episode focuses almost entirely on the evil ex group and a power … Continue reading The Too Much TV Roundup- 12/21/23