Moviefone Editorial

Tag: @studiod

  • The Best Shows for Reality TV Addicts

    UnREALEver since MTV introduced “The Real World,” viewers have been obsessed with the genre it created: reality television. Even now, more than 20 years later, audiences still can’t get enough of cameras following people around as they live their supposedly spontaneous but actually scripted lives — whether it’s the Kardashians or the Real Housewives of wherever. Whether you’re already a huge fan, or ready to get in on the fun of reality TV, here are five reality shows that need to be seen to be believed.

    ‘Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo’ (2012 – 2014)

    America’s obsession with child beauty pageants took an unexpected turn in 2012 when TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras” launched “Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo” as a spinoff. Following frequent pageant contestant Alana “Honey Boo-Boo” Thompson and her family, the show captures their antics as they prepare for her pageants while living in Southern poverty. It’s unclear if the audience is meant to laugh with, or at, the family but it’s definitely hard to look away from them. If nothing else, “Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo” is a perfect course for parents on what not to feed their children (Spoiler alert: copious amounts of butter are not great for a kid’s diet).

    ‘Property Brothers’ (2011 – )

    “Property Brothers” is an HGTV staple, because everyone loves watching two hunky guys (Jonathan and Drew Scott) transform dumpy houses into dream homes. Although the format never changes — a complaining couple is shown a turnkey house that’s out of their price range, they pick one of three shoddy houses, and the brothers transform it into a palace — somehow, “Property Brothers” doesn’t get old. The twins’ ability to stay positive despite the inevitable construction setbacks, not to mention the buyer couple’s shocking sense of entitlement, will likely keep audiences returning for years to come.

    ‘UnREAL’ (2015 – )

    “UnREAL” is a scripted drama about the producers of a fictitious reality show — “Everlasting,” a thinly veiled version of “The Bachelor.” “UnREAL” works on two levels: The show is both a sobering reminder that all reality TV is scripted — and anything but real — and it also stands on its own as a compelling drama. Producer Rachel Goldberg (Shiri Appleby) is charged with manipulating contestants for ratings while creating a facade of romance, and the show maneuvers around the constant tension of doing what’s best for the participants versus what will gain the most the viewers. Think of “UnREAL” as all the fun of reality TV, without the guilt.

    ’16 and Pregnant’ (2009 – ) and ‘Teen Mom’ (2009 – 2012)

    Arguably the most realistic reality TV franchise, MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” — and its follow-up series “Teen Mom,” “Teen Mom 2,” and “Teen Mom 3” — tracks the lives of young women through their journeys into motherhood. All four shows depict the overwhelming joy of having a child while presenting many of the grim realities at the same time, to the point where watching an episode can feel like sitting through a high school Sex Ed class. While some critics have been troubled at the instant-celebrity status that follows the mothers after appearing on the show, most agree that all the shows in the franchise are worth watching as a series of parables.

    ‘America’s Next Top Model’ (2003 – )

    One of the longest-running reality TV shows of all time — 13 years have yielded 22 seasons so far — “America’s Next Top Model” is an elimination-style game show where aspiring beauty queens vie for a chance at $100,000 and a modeling contract. Led by fashion legend Tyra Banks, who left the show as host in 2015 but remains an executive producer, the models are given new challenges each week to prove they’re each more than just a pretty face. The drama on “Top Model” gets pretty intense — the show isn’t short on backstabbing, yelling, or petty arguments — but what has helped it endure is how well it shows the amount of work that goes into the fashion industry. The plots may not be real, but the models’ hard work definitely is.

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  • Top Rated Movies From the ’00s

    The Dark KnightThe 2000s were a great decade for movies. They saw the emergence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the rebirth of the movie musical. It was a decade when unconventional genres like science fiction and fantasy took home the Oscar for Best Picture. And it was a decade that had directors pushing the boundaries of what the medium can do. So what movies stand out as benchmark moments? Read on to find out.

    The ‘Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy (2001 – 2003)

    It’s impossible to single out one film from director Peter Jackson‘s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic, so let’s pretend “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers,” and “The Return of the King” add up to one nine-hour-long movie. Many had thought “LOTR” to be impossible to capture on film, but Jackson’s love for the source material is evident in every frame. He transformed New Zealand into Middle Earth and brought it to life in exquisite detail, creating gorgeous sets and breathtaking action sequences. The casting is perfect, from Ian McKellen‘s gruff but warm Gandalf to Viggo Mortensen‘s noble Aragorn to Sean Astin‘s devoted Samwise Gamgee. “The Return of the King” took home 11 Oscars in 2004, and it was obvious that it was the Academy’s way of rewarding the entire trilogy as a masterpiece.

    ‘Moulin Rouge’ (2001)

    As a genre, the movie musical was at death’s door until Baz Luhrmann shocked it back to life with his spectacular “Moulin Rouge.” A retelling of the Orpheus myth, “Moulin Rouge” follows starry-eyed young writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) as he descends into the Bohemian underground of Paris and falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman), the sparkling diamond of the Moulin Rouge nightclub. “Moulin Rouge” is full of razzle-dazzle as it captures the atmosphere of the club with opulent costumes and dizzying camera work. But it was the way “Moulin Rouge” relied on well-known pop songs to convey the emotions of the characters that clicked with audiences. You’ll never listen to “Roxanne” the same way again.

    ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003)

    Pixar’s fourth film, “Finding Nemo,” took the studio to a whole new level. The story of a father clownfish searching for his son who was caught by fishermen, “Finding Nemo” struck the perfect balance in appealing to both kids and parents. For the kids, you have the cute sea turtles and the irrepressible Dory, voiced to perfection by Ellen DeGeneres. For the parents, you have a poignant tale of a parent’s desperate need to protect his child, no matter what the cost. Just hope its sequel, “Finding Dory,” captures the magic of the original.

    ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)

    “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” a bittersweet romantic drama, explores the concept of completely erasing someone from your memory. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are Joel and Clementine, a couple that recently went through a painful breakup. When Joel learns that Clementine has undergone a procedure that erased him from her memory, he endeavors to to do the same. However, once the treatment begins, Joel realizes he doesn’t want to give up his memories, sending him and his memory version of Clementine on a trippy journey through his brain. Equally absurd and poignant, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is a meditation on relationships and the choices we make when we love someone. “Meet me in Montauk …”

    ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

    “Batman Begins” was all well and good, but director Christopher Nolan truly blew the world’s collective mind with “The Dark Knight.” Fanboys initially rallied against the casting of Heath Ledger as the Joker, but Ledger proved them all wrong, turning in a brilliant performance that netted him every supporting actor award of the season and became the defining moment of his tragically short career. The sheer amount of life Ledger poured into the role was made all the more potent after his tragic passing in January 2008. Ledger’s untimely death may have brought more attention to “The Dark Knight,” but the movie stands on its own, packed with thrilling action sequences, tense standoffs, and ruminations on what it means to be a hero. Many would argue that it’s the greatest superhero movie of all time — and it’s hard to disagree.

    ‘The Hangover’ (2009)

    What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? “The Hangover” chronicles a bachelor party gone wrong, as three friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis) wake up after a wild night in Vegas with no memory of what transpired the night before. As they retrace their steps trying to find the missing groom (Justin Bartha), they discover just what happened on their wild night. “The Hangover” is one of those lightning in a bottle type of movies that no one sees coming. It was a mix of the perfect cast, the perfect story, and the perfect amount of raunchy humor that made it connect with audiences.

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  • Top Rated Movies From American Directors

    The GodfatherThe U.S. has produced some ridiculously talented movie directors, filmmakers with a legacy of repeatedly creating profound emotional experiences for audiences. But every one of these cinematic titans has a single movie that established that claim to fame — the one that proved they could grip audiences with their visual storytelling. Here are six classics that represent the best of the best in American movies.

    ‘Do The Right Thing’ (1989)

    In 1986, Spike Lee achieved mainstream success with “She’s Gotta Have It,” a movie that established the writer-director as an artist who could challenge social norms while telling a compelling story. Three years later, he followed it up with “Do The Right Thing,” a movie that depicted a day in the life of residents of a Brooklyn neighborhood — and reflected racial tensions with brave realism. The cinematography and use of music showcase impressive film-making, but it’s the movie’s ongoing social relevance that makes “Do The Right Thing” one of Lee’s best.

    ‘The Godfather’ (1972)

    While it’s easy to describe “The Godfather” as one of the best mafia movies of all time, the film’s strength lies as much in its character dynamics as it does in its depiction of organized crime. The three threads of the movie — the relationships between the three Corleone brothers, the crime family’s rise to power, and Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) complicated love story — are woven together beautifully, and showcase director Francis Ford Coppola‘s abilities as a storyteller and visual artist. “The Godfather” has been imitated repeatedly, but the original will always remain a classic.

    ‘Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope’ (1977)

    The first act in George Lucas‘s space opera, “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope” (or as it was known back then, “Star Wars”), introduced characters and story lines that would quickly become integral parts of modern culture. By now, much of the adoration heaped on the movie is largely influenced by nostalgia, but beneath all the hype is a genuinely good movie — Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) journey to become a Jedi is both the quintessential origin story and a heart-racing adventure for all ages.

    ‘Iron Man’ (2008)

    It’s hard to imagine a time when comic-book blockbusters didn’t dominate movie theaters. But back in 2008, the term “Marvel Cinematic Universe” was just a glimmer in the eye of a few nerdy filmmakers — including director Jon Favreau. In a gamble to fight off impending financial ruin, Marvel invested in making the now-legendary movie “Iron Man.” The stakes were high. Prior to release, Marvel had agreed to give up the movie rights to every character they hadn’t already sold (that’s right, every last Avenger) if the movie wasn’t a success. Lucky for Marvel, “Iron Man” blew audiences away with its take on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his super-suit, and the movie’s mix of intrigue, action, and humor set the tone for the billion-dollar franchise — proving the risk was well worth it.

    ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ (2001)

    Wes Anderson‘s “The Royal Tenenbaums” defined what’s come to be known as the hipster aesthetic — the seminal movie is slightly intellectual, meticulously put together, and highly stylized with offbeat colors, fonts, and fashions. Packed to the gills with an all-star cast (including Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, and Alec Baldwin), “The Royal Tenenbaums” uses what would become an eventual trope for the director — deadpan, nearly emotionless acting — and creates character growth from it. The result is as heartwarming as it is stylish. As the members of the Tenenbaum family learn to support each other as people instead of commodities, the audience gets more and more invested in each of them.

    ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)

    It’s hard to talk about great American movies without discussing “Citizen Kane.” Considered by many to be the greatest movie of all time, “Citizen Kane” is from director Orson Welles, and depicts the life of fictional publishing magnate Charles Foster Kane. “Citizen Kane” established film-making and storytelling techniques that are now considered standards — the story told through flashbacks, the deliberately slow pacing of its protagonist’s life story — so much so, that it’s easy to forget that they originated with Welles. More than that, however, the story of “Citizen Kane” is the story of the American dream, and the movie works as a monument to an ideal as much as it does a classic tale of a man’s tragic life.

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  • Top Rated Movies That Made Directors’ Careers

    Fruitvale StationIt takes everybody time to find their own personal style. Every GQ model did some “experimenting” — whether they had frosted highlights or wore ultra-baggy jeans — before they became fashion icons.

    And so it goes with movie directors. Some movies were growing pains for budding directors, and some were explorations of style. These are the “aha!” explosions that made everyone stand up and take notice.

    The Post-New Wave

    Movies have always had them, but directors weren’t always the figureheads they are now — it wasn’t until the French New Wave of the 1960s that movie geeks started to subscribe to the idea that a movie expressed the personal vision of its director. That theory came courtesy of director François Truffaut, who said, “There are no good and bad movies. Only good and bad directors.”

    By the time the ’70s hit the States, it wasn’t just the ‘zines that paid attention to directors — even the casual moviegoer was in on the game. Low-budget, troubled productions like “Jaws” and “Star Wars” put Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on the map, but it wasn’t until his third swing at a feature that Martin Scorsese found his signature love of New York and Italian crime families in “Mean Streets.”

    For some movie-makers, it wasn’t critical praise that hit home, it was approval from the smaller drive-in crowd. The frenetic camera work of ultra-cheap “The Evil Dead” introduced the world to director Sam Raimi, who went on to helm “Spider-Man,” while the dumpster fire of “Piranha 2” gave fledgling director James Cameron another fiery idea. The image of a robotic skeleton rising from a pit of flames came to him during a stress-induced fever dream — so he took the effects skills and budget management he’d learned and put them into “The Terminator.”

    The ’90s Indie Crew

    Today, you can make a movie on your smartphone, but in the ’90s (when people first starting taking breaks from their cassette collections and Segas to watch indie films), you had to max out your credit cards and develop a taste for ramen to kick-start a directing career. That’s exactly what Kevin Smith did when he sold his comic book collection to make “Clerks,” and what Robert Rodriguez did when he called in every favor under the sun to raise the $7,000 budget of “El Mariachi.” In ’98, Darren Aronofsky helped wrap up the decade with Sundance darling “Pi,” a trippy $60,000 thriller about math that opened the door to studio contracts and a warm seat at the Oscars with movies like “Requiem for a Dream” and “The Wrestler.”

    The New New Wave

    One year, a director puts out a meditative, racially charged indie drama. Two years after that, he’s got enough clout to pull Sylvester Stallone out of Rocky retirement for “Creed.” And after that, Marvel Studios taps him for a surefire mega-hit, “Black Panther.” Such is the story of “Fruitvale Station,” the movie that made Ryan Coogler‘s career.

    And he’s not the only one leading a savvy new charge of camera slingers. Remember the guy who made a feature on his iPhone? Yeah, that’s Orange Is the New Black” scribe Sian Heder just sold the streaming rights to her feature directorial debut, the kidnapping comedy “Tallulah,” to the tune of $5 million. Director, meet career.

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  • The Best Shows for Dog Lovers

    pit bulls and paroleesIf your dog is your best friend, your TV is pretty much your second best friend. Think about it — it’s always there when you need it; it’s kind of warm; sometimes it’s a little fuzzy; it might even annoy the neighbors when the volume gets out of control.

    But when it comes to friends, there’s really no need to pick favorites. Today’s reality TV landscape is a kennel bursting with awesome, cuddly dog shows for you to adopt into your viewing rotation. Imagine the dog-lover possibilities — you can watch these TV shows about dogs with your dog, who is a dog watching dogs on TV. That’s right: It’s time for dog-ception.

    ‘Dogs in the City’ (2012)

    Though his methods might’ve drawn a touch of controversy, credit goes to the original “Dog Whisperer,” Dogs in the City,” dog care entrepreneur and animal behaviorist Justin Silver takes a swing at the dog-whispering genre for seven warm, fuzzy episodes. Where Millan’s steamy, Latin-flavored style focused on intense man-on-dog staring contents, Silver — who’s also a standup comedian — levels with pups and their owners in a humble, funny, down-to-earth way. There’s no pretension here — this show’s more New York than a papaya dog.

    ‘Pit Bulls and Parolees’ (2009 – )

    Pit bulls. Parolees. Two great tastes that taste great together, right?

    Actually, yeah, they do. And that’s because Animal Planet’s “Pit Bulls and Parolees” — an uber-addicting reality series that follows trainer Tia Torres as she and her crew of paroled felons rehabilitate abused pups and pair them up with new owners — hits on something magical about dogs: A dog’s love is blind. The beautiful duality of “Pit Bulls” is that there’s redemption on both sides. People who’ve been dealt bad hands extend those hands to dogs who’ve been hurt or abandoned, and those dogs turn right around to make brand new owners very happy people. It’s a hard-knock love-in.

    ‘Lucky Dog’ (2013 – )

    While “Dogs in the City” was a short-lived treat, CBS put “Lucky Dog” right at the top of its Saturday morning Dream Team slot and has kept it there for three seasons, so far. In contrast to the humor and distinctly New York vibe of “City,” there’s no gimmick, no hook, and no outlandish personality in Brandon McMillan‘s real-life doggy drama — it’s just a straightforward show about an animal trainer rescuing difficult, untrained, or abandoned dogs from various shelters, grooming them into model pets, and finding them grateful new families.

    And sometimes, that’s all you need to get those happy tears flowing. “Lucky Dog” is crunchy, kibble-y comfort food for dog lovers.

    ‘Dogs Might Fly’ (2016)

    Alright, let’s go from no gimmick to the biggest gimmick you’ve ever heard. “Dogs Might Fly” is a reality TV show about dogs flying airplanes.

    Go ahead. Take a moment.

    You processed that one yet? “Reality” TV wasn’t a typo — in “Dogs Might Fly,” host Jamie Theakston takes us through a 10-week training period in which Britain’s best animal behaviorists work alongside a dozen hand-picked pooches, with the ultimate goal of teaching a chosen few how to pilot a single-engine airplane.

    Even if you’re stateside, you can stream “Dogs Might Fly” for free at Sky 1’s site. Might as well stop reading now and go do that, because there’s no possible way this article — or anything else that might happen to you today, tomorrow, or the next day — is going to top dogs flying airplanes. It’s just not going to happen.

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  • TV Shows to Watch That Shonda Rhimes Wrote

    shonda rhimes's private practiceWith “Grey’s Anatomy,” Shonda Rhimes became the first African-American woman to both create and executive produce a top-10 network TV series. Don’t worry, though. Shonda’s awesomeness might be one in a million, but because this overachiever is also a prolific writer, she’s happy to share some of it with you.

    ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ (2005 – )

    Like a lot of the best entertainment, “Grey’s Anatomy” came from a very real place. After a bit of success as a screenwriter for movies like “Crossroads,” post-9/11 reflections, ponderings on motherhood, and a fascination with watching surgeries on TV led Shonda Rhimes to write her first pilot. And so the world was gifted the distinct medical drama cocktail that is “Grey’s,” a one-of-kind mix of ethnically and socially diverse casting, sharp writing, eye candy, and characteristically shocking season finales.

    Twelve seasons later, “Grey’s Anatomy” is still ticking. Any show that lives through three presidential terms earns its legendary status.

    ‘Private Practice’ (2007 – 2013)

    You know what to expect when a spinoff hits: Whether it focuses on a breakout character or a different side of the show’s story, the mantra is usually “the same, but different.”

    Shonda Rhimes didn’t settle for that when she created and contributed scripts to the “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff, “Private Practice.” Sure, Kate Walsh‘s Dr. Addison Forbes bridges the “Grey’s” gap as she moves from a hospital full of gorgeous people in Seattle to a hospital full of gorgeous people in L.A., but the straight-faced melodrama of “Practice” is worlds apart from the smirking banter of the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital.

    Critics and fans had a mixed response to “Private Practice,” which dug deep into topics like social engineering and shades-of-gray morality. But one thing’s for sure — when Shonda took a swing at the spinoff, she swung hard.

    ‘Scandal’ (2012 – )

    No cute titles, here — “Scandal” wears its twisting, turning, bitingly political heart on its sleeve. Not only did creator and sometimes writer Rhimes find her perfect muse in powerful star Kerry Washington, the politicizing is explosively mixed with presidential love affairs, espionage, and insanely magnetic cast chemistry. It’s the kind of show that inspires everything from social media tsunamis to its own fashion line — that’s precisely how “Scandal” jells with the pulse of the nation.

    So Shonda is three series deep as a writer, but she’s apparently not into vacations. While her shows rack up Emmys, she racks up GLAAD Media and NAACP Image awards, which she probably puts on her desk right alongside scripts for the stacks of shows she produces, like “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Catch,” and “Still Star-Crossed.”

    Sounds like she’s following Dr. Cristina Yang’s advice from Season 4 of “Grey’s”: “Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature.” For Shonda Rhimes, that’s check, check, and check.

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  • Disney’s Top Rated Movies

    disney's beauty and the beastDisney Studios is just a few years shy of its centennial, and its astounding impact on family entertainment remains unmatched. So many kids were introduced to the very concept of movies through a Disney release. Even as an adult, you probably have vague memories of sitting in a theater for the very first time, balancing a small tub of popcorn on your lap, thrumming with anticipation, and finally watching the Disney logo — Cinderella’s castle — sparkle across the screen. Countless friendships have been formed over playground dragon-slaying and singalongs from Disney’s iconic musicals, animated and otherwise.

    The best Disney movies are the timeless ones. Think about your own favorite — you may even have a living relationship with it. You may see something new in it every time. You’ve probably shown it to your own kids and other young relatives, because you consider sharing it your duty. And you want to be there when they watch it.

    These five Disney movies stand out from the rest of the pack, whether it’s by virtue of their cultural significance, creative excellence, or pure popularity.

    ‘Fantasia’ (1940)

    Disney was already experimenting with feature structure and blurring the lines between high and low entertainment by the time “Fantasia” came around. Now widely regarded as a masterpiece, this movie pairs eight unconnected animated shorts (including one featuring the studio’s biggest star, Mickey Mouse) with pieces of classical music like Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” Younger kids may take a snooze during long stretches without dialogue, but adults can appreciate Disney’s bold commitment to animation as a true art form.

    ‘Mary Poppins’ (1964)

    Julie Andrews was deemed not famous enough to play Eliza Doolittle in the movie “My Fair Lady,” even though she’d occupied that role on stage. Instead, in that very same year, the songbird was cast as “Mary Poppins,” an enigmatic super-nanny who uses her considerable magic to bring one disconnected London family together before she floats off to wherever she’s needed next. Andrews won an Academy Award for the mostly live-action musical, ironically beating out Audrey Hepburn in the role that Andrews missed out on.

    ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)

    In 1991, “Beauty and the Beast” became the first animated movie to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Disney was in the middle of a creative golden age at that time, with composers like Alan Menken translating their Broadway musical sensibilities to animated narratives to great acclaim. Bookish heroine Belle is beckoned to an enchanted castle; her kindness helps a selfish prince discover empathy and break the spell that changed him to a beast. The fairy-tale based movie is still so beloved that a live-action adaptation starring Emma Watson is scheduled for 2017.

    ‘Toy Story 3’ (2010)

    Many of Disney’s biggest hits from the ’00s and the ’10s hail from its subsidiary studio Pixar, an inventive hotbed of stunning yet accessible computer animation with a talent for weaving sneakily poignant tales. The third movie in Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise had Buzz and Woody shenanigans for the children, and meditations on aging for their parents. As their boy Andy prepares to leave home and go off to college, the toys in his toy box wonder what will become of them. “Toy Story 3” garnered a Best Picture nomination and the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, among many other accolades.

    ‘Frozen’ (2013)

    As wonderful as the Disney old-school classics are, they don’t always fit in with widely held modern beliefs about gender equality. In other words, today’s audiences want complex, self-sufficient princesses, not damsels in distress. The creators of “Frozen” turned a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale into a feminist story about sisterly love and self-acceptance. Princess Anna leaves her kingdom to bring back the only family she has left — her sister, Queen Elsa, who has run away because she fears her own power. The movie took home the Animated Feature Academy Award and Best Original Song for Elsa’s fierce anthem of empowerment, “Let It Go.”

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  • Canadian TV Shows to Watch in One Sitting

    young drunk punkCanadians call Alberta “the Texas of the North,” because everything’s bigger in Canada. And they’ve got a point. Canada isn’t just known for its extremely polite people, it’s also got enormous national parks, the biggest mall in North America, and, the world’s largest Easter egg. True facts.

    But some things from Canada are a little more compact, like these easy-to-binge Canuck TV shows that you can easily watch over the course of a lazy weekend. Once you’ve gotten through all 10 seasons of “Trailer Park Boys,” that is.

    ‘Across the River to Motor City’ (2007)

    When Canadian TV network City threw its hat into the gritty murder-mystery ring, it did something a little different. An award-winning six-episode miniseries, “Across the River to Motor City” flashes back and forth from 1963 to the present day, following two bizarrely linked cases — insurance investigator Ben Ford’s fiancée disappears on the day of the Kennedy assassination, and her body shows up out of the blue 40 years later.

    Post up on the couch in your coziest Maple Leafs jersey and pop over the Detroit River into Windsor, Ontario. You’re in for a trip dark enough to make you forget how nice Canadians are.

    ‘Young Drunk Punk’ (2015 – )

    Time to get in on the ground floor. “Young Drunk Punk,” based on the play of the same name by Canadian comedy maestro Bruce McCulloch, just ran its first season in 2015, so you can catch right up with a solid binge.

    And a binge of any sort would do hopeless young punks like Tim Carlson’s Ian McKay proud, as “Young Drunk Punk” follows him and his hopelessly, ridiculously punk-rock ally Shinky through very-Canadian teen tribulations, like vying to meet a local hockey star or desperately trying to catch the Clash in Calgary. It’s about the closest you’ll get to being a punk in 1980s Calgary without a time machine and a handmade Minor Threat T-shirt.

    ‘Ascension’ (2014)

    Maybe Canada is obsessed with the year 1963, because “Ascension” also starts off then. But instead of JFK-centered conspiracy theories, this six-episode sci-fi drama supposes that ’63 is the year a nuclear-powered spacecraft started sending people on centuries-long voyages into unknown solar systems — with lots of mid-century-appropriate booze and baubles on their ships.

    “Ascension” deals with the interpersonal drama of second-generation astronauts who’ve been born into a journey they never signed up for, hurtling through the stars with early ’60s culture as their only reference point. If you ever wanted to mix “Battlestar Galactica” in a spaceship-shaped tin can and watch them explode, “Ascension” will grant that wish.

    ‘The Book of Negroes’ (2015)

    Did you know that they call miniseries “limited series” in Canada? Well, now you do. And you can expand your knowledge of the True North’s pop culture even further if you watch the 2015 mini — er, limited — series, “The Book of Negroes.”

    You’ll be expanding a lot more than your pop-culture smarts too. This CBC mini, which hit the states by way of BET, adapts Canadian writer Lawrence Hill’s historical novel into a hard-hitting dramatic six-parter. “Book” follows Aunjanue Ellis‘ Amanata Diallo as she’s sold into slavery from West Africa to South Carolina, eventually becoming a freedom fighter in Nova Scotia during the Revolutionary War. It’s sobering, soulful TV done Canadian style.

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  • Best TV Shows to Watch That Never Won an Award

    the wireIn this golden age of television, the sheer amount of quality programming makes it impossible for the Emmys to recognize every show worthy of awards, which is both wonderful and incredibly frustrating. The following five shows are perfect examples of the how the Emmys failed to recognize brilliance.

    ‘The Wire’ (2002 – 2008)

    It’s often at the top of the critics’ charts when it comes to the greatest television shows of all time … so how exactly did “The Wire” only manage to garner two Emmy nominations for writing over the course of five seasons? It’s one of television’s greatest mysteries. While the gritty drama about the drug scene in Baltimore may have been too intense and dark to gain traction with voters, “The Wire” certainly paved the way for a show like meth-fueled “Breaking Bad” to win multiple Emmys.

    ‘Parks and Recreation’ (2009 – 2015)

    On the comedy side, NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” definitely takes the crown when it comes to the best shows that never won at the Emmys. While it started as a poor imitation of “The Office,” “Parks” became a unicorn among the more cynical sitcoms. Amy Poehler was a perennial Best Actress nominee for her iconic portrayal of Leslie Knope, but she only took home one Golden Globe over the course of the seven-season run. The ensemble was one of the strongest on television with Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Adam Scott, and Rob Lowe representing the wacky citizens of Pawnee. But the biggest injustice is the fact that Nick Offerman never got a single nomination for his work as Ron Swanson, the gruff government-hating boss with a heart of gold. To quote Ron, “Awards are stupid. But they’d be less stupid if they went to the right people.”

    ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997 – 2003)

    “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” never really had a chance with Emmy voters, given that it was a show about vampires airing on the WB. If voters had looked closer at Joss Whedon‘s masterpiece, they would have seen that it wasn’t just about killing vampires. “Buffy” was never afraid to tackle subjects like school violence, substance abuse, and teens coming to terms with their sexuality, and it did so unflinchingly. Sarah Michelle Gellar‘s Buffy gave girls a heroine to look up to, as she proved that the blonde cheerleader was also capable of kicking demon ass.

    ‘Community’ (2009 – 2015)

    Fiercely beloved by the few who watched it, Community” is a gem that the Emmys never paid much attention to. While the episode titled “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” did win an Creative Arts Emmy for animation, “Community” was mostly ignored when it came to the Primetime Emmys. It netted only one nomination in writing — for the brilliant “Remedial Chaos Theory” — over the course of its six seasons. “Community” was the perfect show for pop culture nerds, as it played all sorts of television tropes, from homages to “Law & Order” to spoofing clip shows and spaghetti Westerns.

    ‘Penny Dreadful’ (2014 – 2016)

    The show just aired its last season, but there is still hope that awards bodies will catch on to Showtime’s Gothic thriller “Penny Dreadful.” Just wrapping up its third season, “Penny Dreadful” imagines a Victorian London where Dorian Gray, Victor Frankenstein, and Henry Jekyll team up with original characters to battle vampires, witches, and the devil himself. In a just world, Doctor Who” alum Billie Piper as a vengeful Bride of Frankenstein with a feminist agenda and ’90s hunk Josh Hartnett as Ethan Chandler, a sharpshooter with a terrible secret. It is genuinely terrifying every week, and Emmy voters should absolutely pay attention.

    Sources

  • The Best Shows That Embody Edutainment

    mythbustersRemember the lawyer-level debates you had with your mom when you were a kid? Like how strawberry ice cream must be good for you because it’s both a dairy and a fruit?

    The joy of being an adult is that you’re only debating with yourself. And at long last, you can finally win the argument that TV is good for you — at least, you can if you watch some of the best edutainment the tube has to offer.

    ‘MythBusters’ (2003 – 2016)

    For 13 years of glorious reality TV, MythBusters” crew answered all the questions you didn’t know you wanted answered in the first place, like: “Would the skydiving stunts from ‘Point Break‘ actually work?” “Can a snowplow cut through a car?” “Can you fold a piece of paper more than seven times?”

    As you might’ve guessed, it wasn’t the answers that were important — it was the process of discovering them. As Adam and Jamie constructed insane contraptions and held crazy field tests to prove or disprove just about every urban myth under the sun, viewers learned about everything from physics to robotics to biology along the way.

    Plus, there were explosions. Lots and lots of explosions.

    ‘Cosmos’ (1980) and ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ (2014)

    It’s one thing to know how short human history has been in the context of earth’s lifespan; it’s another thing to see it play out on your TV screen. But that’s exactly the gift astronomer Cosmos” when he visually walked through the “cosmic calendar,” starting with the Big Bang on January 1st, strolling through the dinosaurs and the growth of the first flower, and squeezing humanity and the written word into the final 10 seconds of the year. “Cosmos” is more than just a complete science course over 13 episodes — though it does span sciences from chemistry to cosmology — it’s also a visual treat from a very human tour guide who talks about science the way a poet talks about love.

    In fact, the original 1980 show had such an impact that Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” has the same mix of raw data and reverence as the original, but with updated scientific discoveries and flashier CGI. Way more fun than dissecting a frog.

    ‘TED Talks’ (2006 – )

    “TED Talks” are the potato chip of edutainment — you can’t have just one. The format is perfect for snackable viewing: Some of the world’s most exciting minds present their passions in the most engaging ways they can squeeze into an 18-minute time limit. Everyone from Bill Clinton to Bono has showed up, and they monologue about nearly everything — TED stands for “Technology, Entertainment, Design,” so it casts a very wide and very smart net.

    Whether you want to learn about rebuilding Rwanda, how DNA was discovered, 10 ways the world could end, or how to foster habits scientifically proven to boost your happiness, you can stream “TED” — for free — just about anywhere. Go ahead and have just one more.

    ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (2007 – )

    Yeah, “The Big Bang Theory” is a sitcom about socially awkward young professionals getting by in L.A. But those socially awkward young professionals just happen to be physicists. And while saying “Bazinga” or playing a game of rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock won’t make you any smarter, digging into a show that makes physics cool might just spark your intellectual initiative.

    Take it from people like Institute of Physics spokesperson Joe Winters, or Alex Cheung of physics.org — both told The Guardian that, as early as 2011, they believed the show was genuinely drumming up interest in physics education. So there you have it — sitcoms are officially good for your brain.

    Sources