WILD, WILD COUNTRY: IS THIS DOCUSERIES 2018’s MAKING A MURDERER?
Every once in a while, a documentary comes along that literally drops your jaw. Wild, Wild Country is one of those documentaries, and like Making A Murderer before it, it’s not necessarily the quality of the filmmaking that leaves you reeling… it’s the real life events.
read more
JESSICA JONES S02E01: WILL FEMALE-LED SEASON TWO FIX MARVEL’S PROBLEMS?
Jessica Jones S02E01 has landed on Netflix today along with the other twelve episodes to complete a female-centric second season of Marvel’s best show
read more
WACO S01E06 “DAY 51” WHY IT’S A WRITERS JOB TO TELL THE TRUTH
After a meandering start, Paramount Network’s six-part mini-series, Waco really kicked into gear once the actual siege began to play out. The series went from strength to strength, culminating in a powerful finalé entitled Day 51.
read more
MIRROR WORLD-BUILDING: WHAT’S WRONG WITH COUNTERPART’S UNIVERSES?
When Counterpart launched its first episode two full months before we'd get to see the second, it seemed a fresh and original concept. A gripping idea of an alternate universe accessible only from a subterranean door under a grey, Kafka-esque Berlin government...
read more
BETTER CALL SAUL SEASON 4: VINCE GILLIGAN SHARES SOME WRITING TIPS
“No man is an island,” they say. Except for one man – Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator, Vince Gilligan. He’s an island… Gilligan’s Island.
read more
WACO S01E03 OPERATION SHOWTIME: WRITING & DIRECTING ARE 2 VERY DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES
Further to my recent post about it taking a hell of a storyteller to both write and direct a TV series, I thought I’d try and back it up with some evidence from the show-in-question; Waco.
read more
“WE’RE DOOMED” WHO ARE THE NEW STAR WARS WRITERS?
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to a galaxy far, far away, Kathleen Kennedy has announced that Game of Thrones head writers, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will write and produce a new series of Star Wars films.
read more
DIG IN, WACO SETS UP ITS STALL: IT TAKES A HELL OF A STORYTELLER…
The problem with historical dramas like Paramount Network’s Waco is you already know what’s going to happen – The Titanic will surely sink taking sprout-faced Leonardo DiCaprio with it and Apollo 13’s astronauts will, malheureusement, survive. Therefore, it is vital to find an intriguing aspect of the story that hasn’t been told before.
read more
DAMNATION SEASON 1: SHOWS EXACTLY HOW TO BUILD YOUR TV WORLD
After the pilot episode aired in November, I laid out my hopes that Damnation would be the spiritual successor to Deadwood. Though its execution didn’t live up to the promise of the pilot, Tony Tost’s tale of a preacher and his strikebreaker brother remains a blueprint for any budding writers on how to set out your characters and themes.
read more
HOW THE WALKING DEAD IS ABOUT TO RUIN ONE OF TV’S BEST SHOWS. TWICE
As The Walking Dead continues to flounder, AMC yesterday announced which character would be making the jump to Fear The Walking Dead… and with it, sign the spin-off show’s death warrant.
read more
13TH DOCTOR’S NEW LOOK: DID THE TARDIS STOP OFF AT PLANET PRIMARK?
Jodie Whittaker’s outfit has been revealed by the BBC and it looks as though the TARDIS’ first stop for the new Doctor was Primark!
read more
THE STRANGER THINGS 2 FINALÉ: HOW IT SHOULDA GONE DOWN IN HAWKINS
Just like its predecessor, Stranger Things 2 was a joyous romp. The sophomore season of the Duffer Brothers’ Spielbergian horror delivered more of the same, but bigger and bolder, as sequels should; this time hordes of demadogs acting as Aliens to the prequel’s singular Alien.
read more
MR ROBOT’S DEMISE DISCOVERED: FROM QUADRANT FRAMING TO THE UPSIDE DOWN
Discussing the demise of Mr Robot’s third season with a friend, we clutched at straws to try and find reasons. “Esmail’s lost the story arc,” he suggested. I agreed – Sam Esmail originally planned the show as a movie.
read more
MR ROBOT IS OFFICIALLY DEAD: FROM TV’S BEST SHOW TO UNWATCHABLE MESS
Forgive me, I’ve been away a while what with work and stuff and, in the words of Barliman Butterbur, landlord of the Prancing Pony in Bree, I let one thing drive out another.
read more
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY CHOOSE YOUR PAIN “IS SO FUCKING COOL”
Star Trek: Discovery is far from perfect – its bizarre pacing means and verbosity mean each hour is almost utterly devoid of excitement, characters make some bizarre decsions and Jeff Russo’s theme tune and the opening titles feel nothing like the universe should
read more
GAME OF THRONES SEASON EIGHTWILL COST $15 MILLION PER EPISODE
Have you lost your minds, HBO? A report out of Hollywood indicates that Game of Thrones final season will cost around $100 million for six episodes.
read more
USA NETWORK’S THE SINNER BETRAYS ONE OF THE CARDINAL WRITING SINS
USA Network, the broadcaster that brought us Mr Robot has another mysterious offering for us in the form of The Sinner, but the New York State-based detective show consistently breaks one of writing’s first rules.
read more
HOW LOST BOSSED ABC STORIES MORE ON HOW STORY B SHOULD REFLECT STORY A
After our recent look at ABC Stories within South Park, let's take a quick look at Lost to see how it should be done, though you'll need to watch the episode to fully understand what I'm talking about. The episode in question is S01E16 Outlaws. Its on-island story,...
read more
SOUTH PARK: SEASON PREMIERE ABC STORIES: HOW STORY B SHOULD MIRROR STORY A
Can you believe South Park began its 21st season this week? I can't - not because it makes me feel so goaddamned old, but that creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have managed to keep it fresh through 278 episodes. First off, I'm not a die-hard South Park fan - I've...
read more
MISTY KNIGHT’S BIONIC ARMREVIEWERS SHOULD WATCH THE TV THEY WRITE ABOUT
Marvel TV’s latest two outings, The Defenders and Iron Fist may have offered up the most boring superheroes in existence and invented a new style of screenwriting for Millennials’ short attention spans…
read more
BLACK MIRROR SEASON FOURDARK, HARROWING, INTELLIGENT SCI-FI IS BACK SOON
Morning Sheeple! Yes, you’re quite right, that is Jesse P. Lemons in a captain’s uniform on the bridge of a Starfleet-looking set. But the Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad and Fargo star hasn’t signed up for Star Trek: Discovery – that’s the U.S.S. Callista from season four of Black Mirror.
read more
DEFENDING THE UNDEFENDABLEBAD CONTINUITY & EDITING WITHIN THE MCU
There was so much wrong with The Defenders that, frankly I could have picked any number of topics to highlight its lazy production but, for today’s lesson I’ve decided to write about continuity both in the traditional sense and in terms of editing…
read more
LET’S GET SOME PERSPECTIVE THE IMPORTANCE OF POV, SHOT SIZE & PACE
I’ve written extensively about this week’s Game of Thrones and its maginificent battle scene but here’s a behind the scenes video from HBO that shows how the crew brought the equivalent of an F-15 fighter jet to a medieval battle!
read more
THE SPOILS OF WAR BATTLEGAME OF THRONES’ IMPOSSIBLE GEOGRAPHY
Game of Thrones’ Spoils of War contained a battle that fans oare calling the best yet. Admittedly, it was stunning and had everything, burning men, more burning men and dragons and… impossible geography.
read more
TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL WRITING ABOUT CAUSE, EFFECT & COINCIDENCE
After loathing episode one, it took me a week to dive into the subsequent episdoes but I ended up thoroughly enjoying Top of the Lake: China Girl.
read more
OZARK: BOATS, LAKES, REDNECKSAND THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCATION
After watching the pilot and second episodes of Netflix’s newet crime show, I was struck by how much of the story was shaped by its setting. You see, Ozark gets one hugely important thing right that other shows often miss…
read more
THE MIST’S “THE WAITING ROOM”A LESSON IN HOW & WHEN TO USE FLASHBACKS
This week’s The Mist S01E05, The Waiting Room limped along at its usual dullard pace but at least tried a couple of daring character arcs and more ambitious storytelling. Neither worked.
read more
DR WHO XMAS SPECIAL TEASERWILL “TWICE UPON A TIME” USE 4 DOCTORS?
There might be 154 shopping days until Christmas but the BBC have released a Doctor Who Christmas Special trailer already! What next? Christmas trees in the shops at Hallowe’en? Regent Street lights at Easter? Hippie wigs in Woolworths?
read more
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD S03BWILL NICK GO OFF THE RESERVATION?
I’ve written extensively about season 3A of Fear The Walking Dead, often stating that the spin-off has usurped its big brother, The Walking Dead – which finally seems to have cottoned on to the fact it was getting boring as hell!
read more
THRONES JUMPS THE STARK WITH MORE RABBIT THAN SAINSBURY’S
Happy Days invented it when Fonzie waterskiied over a shark. Dallas managed it when a whole season, including Bobby Ewing’s murder was revealed to be dream…
read more
THOUGHTS ON JODIE WHITTAKEROR HOW I ALMOST BECAME A DAILY MAIL READER
I admit, there was a part of me that was unsure if The Doctor should be female, and it was worrying the hell outta me.
read more
THE 13TH DOCTOR IS FEMALESO THAT’S DECIDED THEN?
After this week’s season ten finalé, Doctor Who all but confirmed that the next Doctor will be a “girl”… (their choice of words, not mine)
read more
FARGO REALLY IS A TRUE STORY ABOUT REALITY IN TRUMP’S POST-TRUTH USA
Fargo’s third year may not have had the suspense of last season but Noah Hawley’s show was the best so far for exploring what’s really going on in America.
read more
THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR PROVES WHAT’S MISSING FROM DR WHO
It’s been three years since the Doctor Who fiftieth anniversary episode saw Matt Smith and David Tennant team up with John Hurt and watching it again made me realise what we’ve been missing…
read more
AMERICAN GODS NEEDS TO MAKE SOME CH… CH… CHANGES
I’m really enjoying American Gods but is it everything I hoped from a series that mashes the talents of Neil Gaiman, David Slade and Bryan Fuller and his trusted crew that brought us Hannibal?
read more
PLEASE LET RICHARD AYOADE BE THE THIRTEENTH DOCTOR!
Couchpotato realises it’s a long shot, and that Doctor Who has just filled a diverse role with Pearl Mackie jumping aboard the T.A.R.D.I.S. but P.L.E.A.S.E. can Richard Ayoade be the next Doctor?
read more
COULD CAPALDI’S SWANSONGFEATURE ANOTHER DOCTOR?
With the rumor-mill over at the BBC all but confirming the next Doctor, couchpotato asks if Peter Capaldi’s last outing might see him joined by a familiar face…
read more
THE LEFTOVERS IS NOT TV: IT’S A MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE
“Forget everything you know…” The Leftovers isn’t a TV show, it’s a Goddamned mystical experience… and I’m not just talking about the religious storyline, nor the Christmas Eve levels of excitement I have towards the show, nor the fact it aired on Easter Sunday.
read more
ZOMBIES! THEY’RE EVERYWHERE… BUT WHY?
From Ancient Sumeria to Sunday night TV, zombies have plagued mythology, storytelling and folklore for thousands of years but what peeks our fascination with the undead?
read more
WHY BETTER CALL SAUL IS THE ANTITHESIS OF AMERICA
Better Call Saul returned to our screens Monday night and the season three opener, continuing the story of loveable rogue Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), his loathsome, elder golden-boy brother, Chuck (Michael McKean) et al where we left off, made a welcome, relaxed and...
read more
24: LEGACY’S HIDDEN AGENDA IS LIKE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Last year, in a scathing review of the MacGyver reboot, I wrote that while its network CBS was being left behind in the cotton fields of the 1860’s and minstrel shows of the 1930’s, Fox’s forthcoming series, 24: Legacy would be different by featuring a black protagonist. How wrong can a man be?
read more
WHAT IF ELLIOT & DARLENE AREN’T BROTHER & SISTER?
It’s been a while since we’ve come up with any of our crazy theories here at Couchpotato HQ, but as we sat down to watch some of the old episodes, something struck us – that Elliot and Darlene aren’t actually Brother and Sister…
read more
YO SHORTY! WHAT’S IN DA BACKPACK?
Elliot’s backpack is the equivalent of Batman’s Utility Belt, just less… yellow…
read more
HAVE WE UNEARTHED MR ROBOT’S BIGGEST SECRET?
The Season Two Finale gave us so many secret clues to so many questions that we burnt out our internal CPUs just thinking about Season Three…
read more
IS “PRESIDENT” TRUMP ABOUT TO SHUT DOWN MR ROBOT?
As Sam Esmail sits down to write Season Three, we ask could President Trump cancel Mr Robot?
read more
THIS MR ROBOT THEORY WILL MAKE YOU QUESTION REALITY
It’s becoming more and more obvious, on a daily basis, that we live in a world that isn’t real…
read more
OUR BATSHIT INSANE BACK TO THE FUTURE THEORY…
Explains why Mr Robot is about to go full on Sci-Fi…
read more
BOBBY CANNAVALE TO PLAY DOM DIPIERRO’S DAD?
Not only did we recently learn the Season 3.0 release date, but also that Bobby Cannavale will be joining the show.
read more