e399. The Show Must Go On! Navigating Main Character Exits and Recasts

There’s this funny thing that happens with TV shows. Because of the nature of human actors, TV shows are the one type of serialized media where a natural change to the series might be FORCED to occur because forces outside of the narrative require the change of the narrative. That is to say that in…

e48. Political TV and Nostalgia

In the current age of Trump, we’ve noticed a peculiar trend. People yearning for the days of an earlier president… a great orator… a wise statesmen with decorum… a calming presence on television. Not Barack Obama (well, maybe he too). We’re talking about Jed Bartlet, fictional president on television’s The West Wing. Of course, he…

Call for Comments: Bartlet for America 2020?

From Hannah: Since the 2016 election, I’ve participated in (and noticed) a trend: turning to optimistic, liberal leaning television shows to escape the reality of our current political system. Shows like The West Wing, Parks and Recreation, and Madam Secretary allow us to imagine that the people running our government take the term public servant…