Aug 262015
 
Changing the Channel: Some Final Thoughts

Hello one and all, and welcome to my final article as the writer of Channel Chaser. Yes, you heard right: it’s the last one. But before I go, I thought that I might try to tie things up with a bit of a reflection on why I talk so much about TV, and why this form of entertainment that everyone [Read more…]

Aug 192015
 
Ascension’s Ship in a Bottle Really Soars

Welcome back to Channel Chaser! Last year, some of you may have seen that SyFy released a mini-series called Ascension that was billed as a return to form for a channel that many, myself included, believe has lost its way. Instead of sticking to its science fiction roots firmly set in space sagas like Battlestar Galactica or Star Trek, it’s [Read more…]

Aug 192015
 
This Week in Anime: Battle of the Monster Girls

This anime season includes a pair of titles that feature some rather… unique characters. Both Monster Musume and Actually, I Am include a handful of normal humans, but the majority of their casts are made up of aliens, vampires, centaurs, and other fantastic creatures. When a pair of shows use monster girls as a primary selling point, there’s only one [Read more…]

Aug 132015
 
The End of an Era: Jon Stewart Signs Off

Welcome to another edition of Channel Chaser! While I acknowledge that I may be a bit behind the times, last week was a landmark moment in television as audiences across the country and the world said goodbye to a comedy legend. I’m speaking of course about Jon Stewart, who had his final night on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show last [Read more…]

Aug 052015
 
Wet Hot American Remix: A Review of… You Get the Idea

Welcome back to Channel Chaser! I’m not sure how many readers will be familiar with it, but back in 2001, a comedy film called Wet Hot American Summer came out. It was mostly buried and got terrible reviews at the time, but it quickly evolved into a cult classic on the level of The Big Lebowski and similar films. But [Read more…]

Jul 292015
 
The Dark Side of the Whoniverse: A Review of Torchwood

Welcome to another edition of Channel Chaser! For those out there who, like myself, are fans of Doctor Who, you may remember some passing references to a group called “Torchwood” over the course of the series. Not only is the group central to the plot of at least one season of Doctor Who, but the writers even saw fit to [Read more…]

Jul 292015
 
This Week in Anime: Back in Black (Lagoon)

I recently picked up the tenth volume of Black Lagoon, the first installment of the deceptively clever action manga to be released in quite some time. Despite the lengthy hiatus between books, I had no trouble jumping back into the bulled-riddled city of Roanapur. That’s a fairly impressive feat, and it inspired me to take a closer look at how [Read more…]

Jul 232015
 
Facing the Music: The Best TV Soundtracks

Welcome back to Channel Chaser! One of the things that can really make or break a series in my experience is the clever use of music. Whether it is a simple orchestral soundtrack or an addition of popular music into the story and drama of a TV series, music has lead to some truly magical and touching moments in television [Read more…]

Jul 172015
 
Analyzing Doctor Who’s Series Nine Trailer

Welcome to another edition of Channel Chaser! Well, it’s that time of year again: time to speculate on what could be coming next on that wackiest of sci-fi shows, the long-running British series Doctor Who. The creators of the show recently put out a trailer for the new series to start in September, and oh my, is it exciting. First [Read more…]

Jul 172015
 

It’s been a couple weeks since I traveled to Anime Expo, which means I’ve had a chance to gather my thoughts about this enormous monster of a convention. So, for This Week in Anime, I thought I’d assemble some of those musings into a vaguely coherent article. The good news is that you don’t have to stand in line for [Read more…]