Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #50: “Dexter”

Small-Screen 66 – #50: Dexter (Showtime, 2006-13) “Tonight’s the night. And it’s going to happen again and again.” We crack the Top 50 (God, that meant a lot more when I was doing 100 of these) with the show that introduced me to the wonders of Contemporary Cable Drama…and binge-watching. It was a dangerous combination.…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #51: “Pokémon”

Small-Screen 66 – #51: Pokémon (Syndication / WB / Cartoon Network, 1998-Present) In my Film Favorites countdown, I briefly considered the question of what constituted the best “video game movie” of all time. But when it comes to TV series, there is no debate. With more than 850 episodes over 18 seasons (and counting), Pokémon is…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #52: “MythBusters”

Small-Screen 66 – #52: MythBusters (Discovery, 2003-Present) “Don’t try anything you’re about to see at home.” “We’re what you call ‘experts.’” This admonition, in addition to being whole-cloth hogwash (if no one ever “tried this at home,” how could anyone BECOME an expert in the first place?) opens each episode of today’s selection. Fortunately, the…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #53: “Adventure Time”

Small-Screen 66 – #53: Adventure Time (with Finn & Jake) (Cartoon Network, 2010-Present) Let me start by saying that those who like this show tend to REALLY like this show. If I come across as an insufficiently devoted fanboy, I apologize in advance. Adventure Time originated as a seven-minute short produced by series creator Pendleton…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #63: “The Joy of Painting” [and “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “How It’s Made”]

Small-Screen 66 – #63: “The Joy of Painting” [and “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “How It’s Made”] (PBS, 1983-94) / (CBC/PBS, 1963-2001) / (Discovery Channel Canada, 2001-Present) Okay. This is definitely the most ungainly selection of the Countdown. Lumping three shows into one post may seem like cheating. Unlike Hercules and Xena, they aren’t “twin” series by…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #65: “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” / “Xena: Warrior Princess”

Small-Screen 66: #65: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys / Xena: Warrior Princess (Syndicated, 1995-99 / 1995-2001) In my “Film Favorites” countdown, I mentioned that 1998’s Merlin introduced me to the live-action fantasy genre. In retrospect, that’s not entirely true. Today I’ll be addressing a pair of twin series which predated Merlin by several years, and which…