Fanboy News Network Episode 70

“We’re Back”

The first new episode since the hiatus and the first in Jeff’s new studio.

The boy’s talk about what is going to be happening on Fanboy News Network going forward.

Honoring the passing of the great Stan Lee.

Emerald City Comicon and the issues surrounding how they are arranging the entrances.

Jeff talks about Captain Marvel and the obnoxious behavior being directed at it by extreme factions in fandom.

Jeff has discovered a still operational Drive-In theater, the Rodeo Drive-in, near his new home.

A discussion of the plan to end Arrow on CW next season during the annual crossover.

The boys talk about The Umbrella Academy.

Jeff is catching up on Mike Schur shows.

Daniel talks about the demise of Wynonna Earp.

DC comics and the need for them to get on top of their production schedule.

The books the boys have read during the hiatus.

Fanboy News Network Episode 69

“Hubward bound”

The boys dance around the obvious jokes related to it being the 69th episode.

There will be a hiatus due to the studio moving.

We celebrate Momocon on doing inclusion right.

Daniel Sees Avengers: Infinity War and Rampage allowing him and Jeff to finally talk about them.

Nostalgia from the boys on the movie clue

Daniel talks about Ocean’s 8 and finally seeing Coco.

Jeff talks about Hotel Artemis.

Jeff abandon’s the last four episodes of Arrow.

News out of E3 on the upcoming titles Fallout 76, Cyberpunk 2077, and Elder Scrolls 6.

Jeff talks about old role-playing games he owns that he will get access to again soon.

Daniel prepares to read all the Discworld novels and is debating on what order to take read them in.


Fanboy News Network Episode 26

“D3 Expo”

Jeff starts out with an announcement about upcoming updates to the site.

Discussion on the fall out of Fantastic Four flopping.

R.I.P. Yvonne Craig

R.I.P. Rowdy Roddy Piper

Jeff talks about his love of wrestling, the history of wrestler Stardust and the upcoming match with Arrow star Stephen Amell.

The announcements out of D23 expo, including Marvel, Star Wars, Jungle Cruise, Pirate of the Caribbean and more.

Recent events in comics.

The difference between comics that have clear endings, ongoings with status quo and ongoings that evolve.

 


Fanboy News Network Episode 21

Fanboy News Network Episode 21

“Fanboy News Network 2.0”

The podcast returns from hiatus with a new format

In this episode

Jeff introduces his new co-host Daniel Christensen.

Wishing Nichelle Nichols a speedy recovery.

Going over the harassment incident that happened at Momocon.

The Hugo Awards and the Sad Puppies

Comic Book inspired TV shows:

  • The Flash
  • Arrow
  • Agents of SHEILD
  • Gotham
  • IZombie
  • Daredevil

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Tomorrowland

Mad Max: Fury Road

What Jeff and Daniel are looking forward to.


Fanboy News Network Episode 19

Fanboy New Network Episode 19

“The Fall TV season”

Jeff takes a look at the new comic book inspired shows of the new season

Jeff talks about Gamer Gate and how the nature of the social media sites contributes to harassment.

Finally Jeff offers some thoughts on the latest Wild Cards book Lowball

 


Fanboy News Network Episode 16

Fanboy News Network Episode 16

Comic movie and TV News

This episode

What Andy Serkis is doing on the set of the Avenger: Age of Ultron

Pre-buzz on Guardians of the Galaxy

What Dave Bautista did to get ready to play Drax

The Batman v Superman trailer at SDCC

The picture of Gal Godot as Wonder Woman

Why Gotham may not be that good an idea.

Buzz for the coming seasons of Arrow and The Flash.


Fanboy News Network Episode 14

Fanboy News Network Episode 14

The year in Geek TV

Jeff takes a look at the season finales for several geek appealing shows and also what we can look forward to next season.


Fanboy News Network Episode 2

Fanboy logo

In this episode:

A follow up on the subscribers getting their copy of Detective Comics #27

News on a possible Sandman movie

DC title cancelations.

Comic Industry market share.

A look at the fall finales of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Arrow.


Fanboy News Network Episode 1

Fanboy logoThe First Episode of The Fanboy News Network Podcast

Trigger Warning: This episode will discuss a sexual assault at the end.

This episode Jeff goes over recent news in geek culture.

The Casting of Wonder Woman in the Superman/Batman movie.

Subscribers not getting issue #27 of DC Comics.

DC’s success with the TB series Arrow.

The events surrounding the alleged sexual assault at Aki Con in Seattle.


Surprisingly good TV Shows

sleepyhollowEvery TV season the networks hope to lure in viewers for their new programs, and that will require a lot of pre-publicity on the shows. When deciding what you are going to watch, a lot of judgment goes into trying to decide what you are going to watch and what is not worth your time. Over the last three TV seasons, I have come to learn that I cannot trust my initial assessment of shows based on preview material. I can name six shows, two from each of the last three seasons, that I was convinced were going to suck, and now are shows I don’t want to miss.

These shows are Once Upon a time, Grimm, Arrow, Hannibal, Sleepy Hollow, and The Blacklist.

So what was it about these shows that caused my initial dismissal of them, and what do they have that has made them appointment viewing?

Let’s find out.

For the first question, my answer is that I didn’t think any of them would be a sustainable series and be able to get up to nine episodes. For everything, but The Blacklist, a big part of my negative view was due to their being adaptations. Once Upon a Time and Grimm took it a step further, in that they were both shows using fairy tales as their basis, and I figured one would eventually cannibalize the other. In the case of Arrow, it was another superhero show on the CW and so I was expecting another watered down and drawn out story like Smallville. Hannibal was doubted because I didn’t see how a network TV show could possibility go to the dark places that the story would demand. With Sleepy Hollow I will admit that I assumed it was going to be a Twilight like take on the story. Finally, The Blacklist just seemed to be a thin premise that I could not see sustaining a season believably.

Clearly, I was wrong on all counts.

Once Upon a Time and Grimm are nothing alike, I don’t even think of them as having a common origin point anymore. Arrow is not watered down in the least. Watching Hannibal I am regularly shocked at how far the network has allowed this series to push the imagery. Sleepy Hollow, while nothing like the story that inspired it, is not following in the Twilight path. And The Blacklist is a fun series that teases at a greater mystery.

But I think there is more to it than my being wrong in my initial assumptions. All of these shows have two things in common that make me tune in week after week.

First is the fact that there is focus on characters and their story arcs. I am invested in what happens to these people and want to see where they are going. Even the worst written of these six shows (Once upon a Time) has me hooked by this, even for the villains.

The other thing is the overall story and series mythology. Each show is going somewhere and doing it at a good pace. To use Smallville as an example again, they dragged out their main arc, Clark Kent becoming Superman, for 10 years. By the end, it just felt ridiculous. In contrast. Arrow dealt with its main arc (Oliver going after the people on his father’s list in the first season) and wrapped that up; Once Upon a Time also wrapped up its main arc (breaking the curse on Storybrooke) in the first season. Both of these series then went on to have new arcs in their following seasons.

So good characters and good story pacing, really this is what we should want from any series.

And to wrap up, I would like to point out that I am not always wrong. I had bad feelings about both Dracula and The Tomorrow People. I was not wrong. In fact the only reason I am still watching Dracula is to give it a fair shot for when I review it, so you have that to look forward to.

If you have not checked out any of the series I have focused on here, I would recommend giving them a try. Of course, we will have to see how the rest of the season plays out. And maybe we will visit them again after this season is over.