Fandom culture thrives in Pittsburgh
By Isabella Colaianni, For The Pitt News
July 17, 2019
As one of the major cities in the country with over 300,000 who call it home, Pittsburgh’s fandom culture is incredibly diverse. These fandoms are celebrated in several ways — reading comics, participating in cosplay, watching films and attending comic cons.
Winter is here: Bar of Thrones opens doors in Market Square
By Delilah Bourque, Senior Staff Writer
April 10, 2019
Winter has come to Pittsburgh’s Market Square. While the weather has been warming up, Bar of Thrones, a Game of Thrones themed pop-up bar, has opened downtown. The bar serves Game of Thrones-themed cocktails, along with beer, wine and certain food offerings.
Tyler Oakley reflects on YouTube fame and activism
By Elizabeth Donnelly, Staff Writer
April 9, 2019
Little did Tyler Oakley know, 12 years after he began his YouTube channel he would be sitting in the William Pitt Union speaking about his social media career, LGBTQ+ activism and life as an internet celebrity to a room full of more than 250 Pitt students — only a small segment of his fanbase.
Weekend Watchlist: The best of the worst
By The Pitt News Staff
April 4, 2019
This installment of our recurring Weekend Watchlist blog takes a slightly different approach — we wrote about the absolute worst shows and movies we could find online. These films and shows are just so bad they’re good, and we really can’t get enough of the cringey comedy unintentionally found in this week’s watchlist.
‘Pitt Tonight’ celebrates women with annual empowerment episode
By Neena Hagen, Senior Staff Writer
April 2, 2019
In the darkened William Pitt Union Assembly Room, an unusual array of images graced the stage. Some slides flashed quotes from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Others featured statements from female Pitt students, who wanted to send a message of thanks to the strong women in their lives.
Staff Picks: Top Brad Pitt movies
By The Brad Pitt News Staff
March 31, 2019
Here at the University of Brad Pitt-sburgh, we adore our lord and savior, Brad Pitt. We believe all of his films deserve A+ ratings, but today, we are rounding up our most favorite films done by the god himself. From “Fight Club” to “Moneyball,” we all have our No. 1 favorite film from our beloved Brad Pitt.
New ‘Queer Eye’ season brings joy to fans with diversity and a dog
By Apoorva Kethidi, Staff Writer
March 21, 2019
Season three of the breakout, Emmy award-winning reboot “Queer Eye” hit the streaming service on Friday, to much excitement from the show’s many fans.
Streaming now: must-see foreign language films, TV
By Victoria Pfefferle-Gillot, Senior Staff Writer
March 20, 2019
This year we have made several different watchlists of great, enjoyable TV shows and movies. Considering this school year is the Year of Pitt Global, you should take some time to celebrate foreign-language media too.
Blog: Spring break watchlist
By The Pitt News Staff
March 7, 2019
As promised in our 2019 spring break bucket list, The Pitt News staff is here with yet another installment of our Weekend Watchlist blog series.
Blog: Weekend watchlist, take five
By The Pitt News Staff
March 1, 2019
For the fifth time, The Pitt News staff is sharing our top picks of films and TV shows. For a post-midterms binge-watching session, look no further than the TPN Weekend Watchlist.
Blog: Our weekend watchlist, LGBTQ+ edition
By The Pitt News Staff
February 15, 2019
Valentine’s Day is a day of love, but here at The Pitt News, it is also the day we release our annual Sex Edition, which this year had an LGBTQ+ focus. To continue with this theme, this Weekend Watchlist features series and movies with a strong LGBTQ+ presence.
Blog: Our weekend watchlist, take three
By The Pitt News Staff
February 8, 2019
For the third time, our weekend watchlist is back by popular demand. This time with both television shows and movies featured on popular streaming services.
Tiny Meat Gang captivates crowd at Smiling Moose
By Elizabeth Donnelly, Staff Writer
February 5, 2019
YouTube comedy duo Cody Ko and Noel Miller, known as the “Tiny Meat Gang,” spent Thursday evening cracking jokes to an eager audience.
Josh Peck talks YouTube, Nickelodeon and Oprah during CMU visit
By Sarah Connor, Culture Editor
January 31, 2019
Former star of the sensational TV show “Drake and Josh,” Josh Peck, stopped by CMU to speak about his life and newfound YouTube career. College students from both Pitt and CMU were excited to hear what Peck had to say, as many grew up watching his TV show.
Blog: What to watch this wintery weekend
By The Pitt News Staff
January 18, 2019
With bad weather on the way, it’s looking like this weekend will be spent indoors. For the best indoor entertainment, our staff has shared their top picks of shows from online streaming services.
Always watching ‘You,’ new series sparks controversy
By Delilah Bourque, Senior Staff Writer
January 17, 2019
If you frequently use the internet, you’ve probably heard about the new Netflix series “You.” The show is intriguing, but utterly creepy.
PPC hosts comedy competition, winner to open for Nicole Byer
By Alex Dolinger, For The Pitt News
December 7, 2018
Pitt junior Kathryn Human won the opportunity to open up for renowned comedian Nicole Byer at PPC’s event “So You Think You’re Funny.”
‘Queer Eye’ star Antoni Porowski speaks to sold-out audience on campus
By Apoorva Kethidi, Staff Writer
November 29, 2018
More than 200 students headed to the WPU Ballroom Wednesday night to listen to a lecture — and watch a cooking demonstration — from reality TV star Antoni Porowski.
‘Pitt Tonight’ takes on 4th season
By Sarah Connor, Culture Editor
August 30, 2018
The staff and stars of the University of Pittsburgh's first -- and only -- late-night talk show recorded the show's season premiere on Aug. 26.
Lingering Laughter: Pitt’s LGBTQ+ community takes on the comedy scene
By Sarah Connor, Culture Editor
May 30, 2018
When Andrew Dow isn’t making crowds of people laugh as the host of Pitt Tonight or performing onstage with the improv group Ruckus, he can be found spending his summer in his hometown of Abington, just 15 miles outside of Philadelphia. As he cozied up to his dog on a mid-May evening, he and his mot...
‘Stranger Things’ season two returns twists, turns and the 80s
By Sarah Morris / Staff Writer
November 1, 2017
Putting the number two after a title is dangerous — sequels are hard to make and rarely live up to the originals. And while the second season of “Stranger Things,” released last Friday, falls victim in some ways to the sequel slump, it was a solid nine episodes that indulged in the things people...
Column: Bourdain challenges Pittsburgh narratives in flawed ‘Parts Unknown’ episode
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
October 23, 2017
When Anthony Bourdain goes to any city, locals are bound to complain that he missed one of the best restaurants or didn’t talk to an important person. But when Bourdain’s Pittsburgh episode of “Parts Unknown” aired on CNN Sunday night, many Pittsburghers were furious, claiming the show didn...
“Rick and Morty” fan base flourishes as millennials continue to embrace dark humor
By Lexi Kennell / Culture Editor
September 4, 2017
“Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s going to die. Come watch TV.” Morty Smith says this to his sister Summer in season one, episode eight of “Rick and Morty,” referencing the show itself along with its nihilistic and existential premise. “Rick and Morty” ...
Game of Thrones awkwardly rushes plot in season seven finale
By Luke Stambaugh / Staff Writer
August 29, 2017
Watching the “Game of Thrones” season seven finale was as entertaining as it was frustrating. The creators of HBO’s fantasy and action juggernaut provided six seasons of carefully crafted dynamic characters and complex interwoven storylines. But the finale of season seven was unfortunately rushed...
‘Shall we begin?’: Dragons, the undead and murderous mortals take their final places in ‘Game Of Thrones’ premiere
By Matt Maielli / Contributing Editor
July 19, 2017
In the “Game of Thrones” season seven premiere, “Dragonstone,” the remaining pieces of the Great Game finally move into their places on the board. A large part of prestige television — which viewing audiences are drowning in lately — is waiting. That is definitely true of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and also true of S...
From Pitt to Hollywood: Eugene Garcia-Cross
By Kelechi Urama / Staff Writer
February 21, 2017
Eugene Garcia-Cross was one of us just over a decade ago: holed up in the Cathedral of Learning and studying for exams. “The Cathedral was the center of my universe,” said the Pitt alum, who graduated in 1999 with a degree in history and English, and completed his MFA in creative writing in 2...
Through its storied history, Pitt’s Music Building plays a role in Rogers’ legacy
By Lexi Kennell / Staff Writer
January 4, 2017
Children from around the country grew up singing “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” along with the Mr. Rogers they saw on TV. But children in Pittsburgh needed only to walk down the street to see the TV personality in person. Rogers’ presence is still tangible in his steel city hometown,...
After #OscarsSoWhite, TV steps up
By Kelechi Urama / Staff Writer
October 20, 2016
One of the most talked about scenes in FX’s “Atlanta” happens at the beginning of the first episode. The series’ protagonist, Earn Marks, played by creator Donald Glover, lies in bed with his on-again, off-again girlfriend and daughter’s mother Van (Zazie Beetz). Their playful banter about ...
Q&A: Don’t make fun of us, Hannibal
By Dan Sostek / Senior Staff Writer
September 29, 2016
As a college student, Hannibal Buress never expected to be found on prominent IMDB pages. Instead, he was on his way to having a listing in the Yellow Pages. If told he’d be a prominent actor and comedian then, Buress assumes he would’ve said, “What are you talking about? ... I’m a business m...
Late night and Trump: It’s complicated
By Matt Maielli / Senior Staff Writer
September 22, 2016
If you were the host of America’s most-viewed late-night show and you had a guest that was a presidential candidate known for hateful rhetoric against minorities and immigrants, what would you do with him? Did you say ruffle his hair? Because that’s what Jimmy Fallon and NBC thought was the righ...
Extra, Extra: Finding work on the fringes of film
By Amanda Reed / Contributing Editor
September 15, 2016
When Lena Gallagher walks on set, she can’t just go where she pleases. She has to walk at a specific pace in a specific path multiple times in a row until the director says “cut.” But when David Fincher’s new series, “Mindhunter,” premieres on Netflix in 2017, you won’t see Gallagher’s...
Island of medicated minds: “Ward” aims to change stigma surrounding mental illness
By Lexi Kennell / Staff Writer
September 7, 2016
While directing a script about a first-year college student struggling with symptoms of depression, Zack Williams was trying to manage his own mental illness. The senior communication major’s health fluctuated during the four months he spent filming a movie that takes place in the psychiatric unit...
Beyond stereotypes: Star Trek turns 50
By Alexa Bakalarski / Senior Staff Writer
September 7, 2016
With its first canonically gay character, the Star Trek franchise went this summer where no mainstream sci-fi blockbuster had gone before. But the progress came with some controversy. The decision to make Hikaru Sulu — played by John Cho in the reboot films — gay in “Star Trek Beyond” caused debate over whether or not a new character or an existing charac...
Time to put the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope to rest
By Alexa Bakalarski / Contributing Editor
August 20, 2016
WARNING: SPOILERS The LGBTQ+ community has a history of tragic demises — in our own world and countless fictional ones. On television, the deaths of gay, lesbian and bisexual characters in particular have become known as the “Bury Your Gays” trope. According to AutoStraddle’s list “All 162 Dead Lesbian and Bisexual Characters on TV and How They Died,” the trope began with the death o...
‘Pitt Tonight’ nominated for two college Emmy awards
By Brady Langmann / Contributing Editor
August 11, 2016
Following a first season that included a live autopsy, an acapella battle, and an appearance by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, campus talk show "Pitt Tonight" has another reason to be excited leading up to Season Two: A college Emmy nomination. Earlier this week, "Pitt Tonight" received two College...
AMC’s ‘Preacher’ is worth an hour a week
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
June 28, 2016
Wait, is heaven in space? This is only one of the many questions you may have while watching an explosive new series about a small town facing some huge threats and the utterly persuasive power of religion. Developed by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and “Breaking Bad” writer Sam Catlin, “Preacher”...
‘Horace and Pete’: C.K.’s brilliant gamble pays off
By Ian Flanagan / Culture Editor
May 31, 2016
If anyone is able to marry comedy and tragedy effectively, it’s Louis C.K., but never has he done it so deftly as with “Horace and Pete.” The exploration of family and human life through the ancestral owners of a century-old bar and their customers is the comedian’s boldest and most mature crea...
Pitt Tonight performs season finale
By Noah Coco / Staff Writer
April 22, 2016
Most Pitt students remember Mr. McFeely from “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” as the delivery man, but few expected to see him sink his first shot in “Pitt Tonight Pong” Thursday night. David Newell, the actor who portrayed Mr. McFeely, appeared on Pitt Tonight’s fifth and final episode at 8 p...
Bill Nye charms student audience
By Lexi Kennell / Staff Writer
April 12, 2016
Capping a lecture that transported audience members back to the third grade, Bill Nye tied his signature bow tie on stage, prompting a standing ovation from the audience. Nye rose to fame in elementary school science classes around the country in PBS and Disney’s “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” which r...
In defense of ‘The Walking Dead’ season six finale
By Jack Trainor / Culture Editor
April 4, 2016
Across the Internet, fans of the comic and show alike are howling in distress over the season finale of “The Walking Dead” Sunday night, when the show brutally killed off a character — then hid their identity. Some critics have even vowed to stop reviewing the show. While “The Walking Dead” has ...
Baldwin lends voice to city
By Jack Trainor | Culture Editor
April 1, 2016
Alec Baldwin announced yesterday he is making a considerable donation to the University of Pittsburgh — his voice. The “30 Rock” actor said after he performs with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on April 16, he will then record new audible crossing signals at intersections throughout Oakland a...
‘Fuller House’ overcrowded
By Sarah Schneider / for The Pitt News
February 29, 2016
Returning to the Tanner’s is like going to grandma’s house — not much has changed, and everyone’s a little older. With “Full House’s” 1995 conclusion, watching the family-friendly show’s reruns became a beloved pastime across America. But Netflix’s “Fuller House” quickly prov...
Dubnik falls in Jeopardy final
By Amanda Reed / Staff Writer
February 14, 2016
Although she didn’t win the $100,000 grand prize in the “Jeopardy!” College Championship finals Friday night, Sarah Dubnik walked away with bragging rights and enough money to travel wherever she pleases. The Pitt senior chemistry and computer science major finished third in the competition, winni...
Debunking Hillman’s dirtiest secret
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
February 12, 2016
Playboy Magazine once ranked Hillman Library’s first floor as one of the best places in the country to meet women. Fact or fiction? Urban legends already hold a special place in our culture — Bigfoot, Goatman, Johnny Appleseed — but how does something that is published become an urban legend? Like a ...
‘The Bachelor’ out of touch with modern love
By Tarun Sathish / Staff Writer
February 12, 2016
For a show running 20 seasons and counting, “The Bachelor” still doesn’t get modern dating. The show, in which one enticing man whittles 20 women down to just one, and vice versa for “The Bachelorette,” takes participants on dates only millionaires could afford in exquisite and exotic lo...
Who is, ‘Sarah Dubnik’? Pitt student reaches final in ‘Jeopardy’ competition
By Amanda Reed / Staff Writer
February 10, 2016
Sarah Dubnik is frustrated at what transpires before her. “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek queries contestants of the show’s annual College Championship semifinal round: “The [Nobel] Peace prize went to the National Dialogue Quartet of this North African country,” for $1,600. As the cont...
Daily Dubnik: Pitt senior to compete in college ‘Jeopardy!’ semifinal Wednesday
By Jack Trainor / Culture Editor
February 9, 2016
Who: Pitt senior Sarah Dubnik What: Competing in the Jeopardy! College Championship semifinals Where: NBC When: Wednesday Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. Why: Dubnik was one of the semifinal round’s two highest point-earners after the five regular-game winners at $14,801. She will take on North Carolina State’s ...
A fortunate turn of events: Netflix will give series new life
By Meghan Bray / Staff Writer
February 9, 2016
Fans of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” have reason to believe their misfortune is over. After a less-than-satisfying 2004 film adaptation, the Baudelaire orphans might finally return to relevancy via Netflix, which is releasing an episodic series of the narrative in August. The dark children’s...
Burr brings comedic genius to Netflix in “F is for Family”
By Tarun Sathish / Staff Writer
January 21, 2016
When Netflix revealed it was teaming with vulgar, rambling comedian Bill Burr for an animated comedy, I was naturally skeptical. The product, “F is for Family,” to my thrill, turned out to be an undeniable success. The Vince Vaughn-produced show, released Dec. 18, takes place in the 1970s and ce...
Golden Globes offers few surprises
By Britnee Meiser / Staff Writer
January 12, 2016
For as much predictability as TV and film awards bring every year, it always feels better when the obvious choice isn’t the same as last year’s. Sunday night’s 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards saw much of the usual winners but with a few highlights that, while expected, will prevent this year’s awar...
A pop culture review of 2015
By Jack Trainor / Culture Editor
January 6, 2016
“Back to the Future Part II” may have predicted tablets, flat screen televisions and video conferencing in 2015, but not even Doc Brown could have foreseen Jon Snow’s fate. Last year hosted many unpredictable scenarios and return-to-forms, from Justin Bieber’s chart-topping comeback to “True Detective...
Students bring late night to Pitt
By Alessandra Roberto / for The Pitt News
November 24, 2015
The event with the most buzz at Pitt last week wasn’t a sporting event — it was a student talk show. With all 95 seats sold out, Jesse Irwin, senior political science and film studies major, will debut Pitt Tonight, Pitt’s first student talk show, Dec. 14. It will film its episodes in the Cathedral’s Studio Theater and wi...
UPTV returns with 24 hour film festival
By Brady Langmann / Staff Writer
November 24, 2015
At University of Pittsburgh Television’s 24 Hour Film Festival last Friday night, Zack Williams’ team had only three rules: The short had to be about a conspiracy, feature a pair of sunglasses and use the station’s green screen. “We were pacing around for an hour and a half and we had nothing,” William...
‘Master of None’ balances comedy with commentary
By Tarun Sathish / Staff Writer
November 17, 2015
Sometimes a show comes along at the perfect time, making a statement about the world right when the issue is prevalent. The first season of Netflix’s new show, “Master of None,” not only does that, but it avoids sacrificing any entertainment or artistic value in the process. The show Aziz Ans...
True or false: rating TV’s dorm depictions
By Britnee Meiser / Staff Writer
November 13, 2015
Small dorms, nonexistent closets, communal bathrooms, annoying roommates — these grievances compose the reality of college housing. Sure, it’s entertaining to see how the other — fictional — half lives, but these details give younger viewers false expectations of their new home away from home....
Game of Theory
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
October 22, 2015
Dragons can teach us a lot about politics, according to political science professor Andrew Lotz. Lotz will moderate a student-led discussion Thursday, Oct. 22, enticingly titled “Game of Thrones and Political Theory.” The program is part of the department of political science’s Current Issues in P...
Burr talks comedy, career
By Dan Sostek / Contributing Editor
October 8, 2015
As a stand-up comedian, actor, podcaster, amateur drummer and now animated series star, Bill Burr is a bit of a renaissance man. The edgy comedian will show off the first of those talents in Pittsburgh on Oct. 22, as he’ll perform two stand-up shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. at Heinz Hall. Tickets are $49.25....
Building his ark: Noah kicks off late night career
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
October 5, 2015
The stage may be new, but the “Daily Show” goes on all the same. Last Monday, Trevor Noah, a comedian from South Africa and previous “Daily Show” senior international correspondent, went from correspondent to host as Jon Stewart’s 17-year tenure on the desk ended. Fans, critics and everyo...
‘Empire’ strikes back
By Tarun Sathish / for The Pitt News
October 5, 2015
What do you do once you’ve reached the top? That is the question the cast and crew of FOX’s hit family/music drama, “Empire,” are trying to answer in the show’s second season, which airs its third episode Wednesday. The Lee Daniels-created drama, which follows a family’s control of a hi...
After delay, Davidson leads night of laughs
By Matt Maeilli / Staff Writer
September 28, 2015
A drove of 375 students formed a line in and around the ground floor of the William Pitt Union, ending at the Pizza Hut, Sunday night — though they weren’t there for cheesy bread. By 8 p.m., more than a half-hour in advance, students gathered outside the WPU assembly room to see “Saturday Night L...
Viola Davis makes history at 67th Emmy’s
By Tarun Sathish / for The Pitt News
September 22, 2015
Viola Davis earned the spotlight at the 67th annual Emmy Awards show. After becoming the first black woman to win in the Outstanding Actress in a Drama category, Davis quoted Harriet Tubman before speaking from her own heart, which was just as memorable as the win itself. “The only thing that separa...
Nothing to fear: ‘Walking Dead’ spinoff can’t resurrect zombie genre
By Valkyrie Speaker / Staff Writer
September 10, 2015
As someone who thought they couldn’t get enough of the AMC television show “The Walking Dead,” watching its Los Angeles prequel companion series, “Fear the Walking Dead,” is the definition of the phrase “more is less.” In its first episodes, “The Walking Dead” thrust us into a freshly...
67th annual Emmy Awards could be one for the history books
By Walter Howard / Staff Writer
August 30, 2015
This year’s Emmy awards could prove to be the most historic in decades. In response to the rising popularity of streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has knocked down the strict eligibility requirements for this year’s Emmy Awards, giving previousl...
Thirteen-hour sentence: Netflix makes prisoners of us all
By Nick Mullen / Staff Writer
July 7, 2015
Fans of Netflix’s hit original series “Orange Is The New Black” were imprisoned by the desire to binge-watch all 13 episodes of the new season before the finale on June 11.Binge-watching has changed the way that audiences watch television. Online streaming services like Netflix and Hulu make ...
Who wants to be a Ninja Warrior: Competition sucks — but “Vampire Professor” back for more in “American Ninja Warrior”
By Brady Langmann / For The Pitt News
May 26, 2015
Pitt’s “Vampire Professor” Joel Brady upped the stakes for his “American Ninja Warrior” audition this year — by about 30 feet.“I got up and got a chance to do a dive off of the 30-foot platform in my professor suit,” he said, referring to the garb he wears to class each day.“I hung ...
Gustin to be back in a flash on the CW
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
May 26, 2015
The FlashSeason 1: Recap/ReviewGrade: B+Starring: Grant Gustin, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos ValdésCreated by: Greg Berlanti, Andrew KreisbergFor those who are tired of the mainstream superhero, the CW’s “The Flash” goes back to the iconic superhero’s classic DC comic book roots.Barry Allen (Gr...
‘Mad Men’ advertised vintage appeal to 2015
By Nick Mullen / Staff Writer
May 19, 2015
The story of the seemingly picture-perfect life of advertising executive and anti-hero Don Draper came to an end this past Sunday with the airing of the series finale of “Mad Men”on AMC.The show is set in the 1960s at a Manhattan advertising agency and stars Jon Hamm as Don Draper, an advertising executive wh...
Netflix to ‘Save our Bluths’ with new season of ‘Arrested Development’
By Nick Mullen / Staff Writer
May 5, 2015
“Taste the happy” “Arrested Development” fans, because producer Brian Grazer has confirmed on Bill Simmons’ B.S. Report podcast that the show would return for a 17-episode fifth season on the online streaming service, Netflix. However, many fans wonder if the recently announced fifth seaso...
Dirty Cartoons: How children’s television secretly caters to stoners
By Jack Trainor / Staff Writer
April 20, 2015
Cartoons these days are getting seedy. Millennials can remember spending their childhood Saturday mornings watching beloved, more innocent shows that now only exist in reruns, like “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Courage the Cowardly Dog” and “The Powerpuff Girls.” The audience for the newest ...
Monday Night Live: Kenan Thompson entertains Pitt
By Andrew Fishman / Staff Writer
April 14, 2015
Most current college students grew up in the ’90s and vividly remember the days of VHS tapes, Dunkaroos and significantly funnier television shows on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. On Monday, students reconnected with one of their ’90s icons, Kenan Thompson, who is now armed with a more adult arsenal o...
‘Last Man on Earth’ a breezy, strange post-apocalyptic comedy
By Matt Maielli / Staff Writer
April 2, 2015
"The Last Man on Earth"Sundays at 9 p.m. on FoxGrade: B+What would you do if you survived the apocalypse? No rapture, no zombies, no aliens, no vampires created by a supposed cure for cancer. Nobody else — just you and the open world. Would you drive around the country searching for people? Steal y...
Deadline’s ‘Pilots 2015: The Year of Ethnic Casting’ a tone-deaf take on TV diversity
By Kelechi Urama / For The Pitt News
March 30, 2015
For the first time in Hollywood’s history, casting directors are turning actors away from roles because of the way they look, according to Deadline’s TV editor Nellie Andreeva.In a recent article “Pilots 2015: The Year of Ethnic Castings – About Time Or Too Much Of Good Thing,” Andreeva uses the word “ethnic” so many times it likely broke a Guinness World Record...
‘Better Call Saul’ captures winning feel of ‘Bad,’ but carves own path
By Jack Trainor / Staff Writer
February 26, 2015
As the final season of AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” wound down in 2013, creator Vince Gilligan announced that a spin-off would follow the beloved series, putting fears and uncertainty of a post-“Bad” world to rest — for now. “Better Call Saul” is very aware of its massive expectations, w...
Bye bye, Li’l Sebastian: A farewell to ‘Parks and Rec’
By Dan Sostek / Assistant Sports Editor
February 23, 2015
“Parks and Recreation” seemed like an idea doomed from the start.From its first trailers and TV spots in 2008, the show, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, appeared to copy the style and feel of the popular fellow NBC sitcom “The Office,” trying to find comedy in a single-camera mock...
‘Togetherness’ a mostly satisfying new indie entry for HBO
By Dylan Galper / Staff Writer
February 9, 2015
Given its history with high-budget, “cinematic” programming, it’s surprising that HBO is now a hub for indie television shows.The company’s newest venture, slotted nicely between its highly acclaimed “Girls” and somewhat lackluster show “Looking,” is “Togetherness,” a new original se...
‘Empire’ pushes against TV’s status quo in dynamic, entertaining ways
By Jack Shelly / For The Pitt News
February 5, 2015
"Empire"Wednesdays, 9 p.m. on FoxFour episodes viewed for reviewAfter a brutal fall season of underperforming debuts, Fox finally has a new hit on its hands.The network’s newest primetime drama “Empire” has been the rare freshman frontrunner of ratings weekly — it debuted to 9.9 million and later n...
Warm up to new and returning TV shows with their trailers
By Britnee Meiser / Staff Writer
January 7, 2015
The first weeks of January can be a dumping ground for dozens of pilots that won’t make it to February. But here’s a preview of some of the most-anticipated returning shows (and one new show) — based solely on the so-far-released trailers.“Portlandia”Returns Thursday, Jan. 8 on IFCThe sketch...
Steel City ‘Godfather’ less than convincing
By Jack Shelly / For The Pitt News
December 1, 2014
A&E’s new reality series, “Godfather of Pittsburgh,” doesn’t have anything to do with the Mafia. The show, which premiered this month, follows the life of Allegheny County entrepreneur Vince Isoldi as he manages multiple strip clubs and a limousine business, in addition to living with his wife...
Hannibal Buress talks ‘comedic jokes,’ writing for television
By Mahita Gajanan / Managing Editor
November 5, 2014
An interview with Hannibal Buress is an intimidating prospect — after all, he eviscerated an article published by The Daily Eastern News in 2009 during a Comedy Central stand-up special in 2012. In the special, Buress mocked the piece for racist undertones and for describing his humor as “comedic jokes....
Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ brings moral urgency to LGBT television
By Dylan Galper / For The Pitt News
November 3, 2014
Society’s attitude towards the LGBT community has experienced a dramatic change over the past few decades and with it, so has our television programming. A Gallup poll from May showed that support for gay marriage has reached an all-time high at 55 percent, and state government officials are responding by striking down same-sex marriage ...
Pittsburgh Supervillain: Anthony Jeselnik talks evil persona, death and Twitter
By Shawn Cooke / A&E Editor
October 13, 2014
Anthony Jeselnik, the man, couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. But, Anthony Jeselnik, the performer, wants that same group to hate his guts.“The persona onstage is a complete villain, who has nothing but complete disregard for the audience,” Jeselnik said...