THE ALTERNA-TV.COM MINISITES

The Big Bang Theory During an age when the majority of television sitcoms are “dumbed down” in order to appeal to the widest audience possible, along comes the CBS comedy, The Big Bang Theory, to prove it is possible to be both intelligent and funny. The alterna-tv minisite contains a collection of articles and episode recaps pertaining to this classic sitcom.

Dollhouse Although lasting only twenty-six episodes, the FOX drama Dollhouse was able to explore the nature of fantasy, produce an dissertation on identity, create a first-class conspiracy thriller and provide a cautionary tale of the dangers of unchecked technological advances. The alterna-tv minisite contains a collection of essays, reviews and episode recaps pertaining to this Joss Whedon creation.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Despite consisting of simply three fifteen-minute acts and produced by a Hollywood insider, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is still arguably the webseries that fully put the medium on the entertainment industry map. The alterna-tv minisite contains a collection of articles and reviews pertaining to this online musical sensation.

The Guild While ostensibly about online gamers and the worlds they create, in actuality The Guild is a very funny situation comedy about a group of dysfunctional loners discovering the rewards that genuine friendship provide while one struggles with personal identity and the difficulties of real life. With crisp writing, a solid plot and great acting, The Guild proves that the webseries medium can be just as entertaining and enjoyable as television.

Lost In many ways, the ABC drama Lost acts as a metaphor about the life and struggles of every man (or woman) but taken to an epic level as the purpose of our very existence is argued on an island void of morals and reason. The alterna-tv minisite contains a collection of articles, essays and reviews pertaining to this sci-fi masterpiece.

The Office Corporate America serves as the brunt of the jokes and hijinks on the NBC comedy The Office, a spot-on satire of the struggles the majority of Americans face while trying to make a living in a white-collar work environment. The alterna-tv minisite contains a collection of articles and reviews pertaining to this comic classic.

Television Reviews Welcome to the Third Golden Age of Television. Whether it’s great writing or character development, a psychological study or social critique, television indeed has it all and the alterna-tv minisite contains a collection of reviews for some of the best currently on the air as well as classics from yesteryear.

Webseries Reviews The Internet landscape is dotted with a variety of webseries—averaging around ten-minutes per episode—created by both relative unknowns like Felicia Day (The Guild) and television veterans along the lines of Joss Whedon (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog). The alterna-tv minisite contains a collection of reviews spotlighting the best of this growing narrative medium.

 

 

ADDITIONAL ALTERNA-TV.COM REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:

24 Shapes Our Cultural Experiences During the Age of Terrorism Review of the book Jack Bauer for President: Terrorism and Politics in 24 and how the FOX drama has influenced the cultural and political climate of the United States.

Are Local Newspaper Television Critics Still Needed? Opinion piece that analyzes the viewpoints of Rick Ellis, co-founder of AllYourTV.com, and Robert Bianco from USA Today, using Pittsburgh Post-Gazette critic Rob Owen as a focal point (September 17, 2007).

Buffy Season Eight: The Return of the Vampire Slayers Article exploring the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book, released by Dark Horse and executive-produced by Joss Whedon (July 26, 2007).

EQAL Takes lonelygirl15 Creators from YouTube to CBS Article about the recent announcements by start-up social entertainment company EQAL, including the ending of KateModern, a contract with CBS and a new lonelygirl15 Italian offshoot (June 16, 2008).

Firefly/Serenity Fans Raise Money for Charity Fans of Joss Whedon’s Firefly universe continue to make their presence known through the annual ‘Can’t Stop the Serenity’ fundraiser for Equality Now.

The Future of Internet TV: An Interview with Chris Brogan The co-founder of PodCamp talks about how he forsees Internet television evolving over the next few years (September 10, 2007).

How to Create a Sustainable Web Series: The PodCamp Pittsburgh 2 Session Justin Kownacki, the creative force behind Something to Be Desired, discusses the webseries as part of PodCamp Pittsburgh 2 (October 1, 2007).

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the Economy An exploration the FX comedy It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and the show’s season five satirical commentary on the economic crisis of 2008.

The Legacy of Joss Whedon Article on the tenth anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the man who created it (March 8, 2007).

Mad Men: The Wisdom of Roger Sterling A series of quotes and observations made by Roger Sterling of the AMC drama Mad Men during the show’s first three seasons.

Online Communities Prepare for the Return of Jericho Article exploring the Internet fan communities of Jericho and the various online media available in preparation of the drama’s February 12, 2008, return to CBS (February 11, 2008).

Rubicon: 'The Outsider' Details the Ins of Inteligence Work The fourth episode of the AMC drama Rubicon explores the mechanics and emotional toll of the intelligence analysis profession.

Serenity Still Soars Regardless of the Medium Review of the first two Serenity comic books based upon the short-lived television series Firefly.

Sing Along With Buffy Feature on the Buffy Sing-Along phenomenon and its sell-out performance in Pittsburgh on September 23, 2006 (December 1, 2006).

Television Fans Unite In Support of Striking Writers Article exploring fan campaigns in support of the Writer’s Guild of America and what impact, if any, they may have on the current labor dispute (November 26, 2007).

The Television Will Be Revolutionized, and Vice Versa Book review of The Television Will Be Revolutionized by Amanda Lotz, analyzing her assertions that changes in the industry will result in more creative television content.

Television Writers Take Their Talents to the World Wide Web Article about the newly launched StrikeTV, Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible musical webseries, as well as other recent Internet endeavors by television writers (July 7, 2008).

Veronica Mars, In Memoriam Opinion piece questioning why television can’t nurture intelligent shows regardless of their ratings, using the cancellation of Veronica Mars as a catalyst for discussion (June 20, 2007).

Writer's Memoir Serves as Historical Analysis of a Television Era Book review of Billion-Dollar Kiss by Jeffrey Stepakoff and its historical analysis of the television industry from 1988 though 2004.