This week’s rather straightforward episode of Watchmen (if any episode of Watchmen can ever truly be classified as “straightforward”) opened with a mixed homage to another superhero of the DC universe: Superman. The Clark family, childless Oklahoma farmers, are given a child right before something crashes down from the sky and lands in their cornfield. […]
Tag: HBO
His Dark Materials – Lyra’s Jordan (A Newbie’s Perspective)
I’ve never read the His Dark Materials series of novels. I know nothing about the story, the characters, the setting. All I know is what the new HBO adaptation tells me (which, if it’s a good show, should be enough to help understand why the novels have been so popular, and, in theory, to entice […]
His Dark Materials – Lyra’s Jordan Review (A Book Fan’s Perspective)
The BBC/HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials has finally arrived. It is a long-awaited TV adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s acclaimed series of novels and the biggest British TV series ever made. In an alternative world the Magisterium has ruled and oppressed for centuries. In this world people have a dæmon, the physical embodiment of their soul. Lyra […]
Watchmen – She Was Killed By Space Junk Review
So remember how I said in my review of the premiere episode of Watchmen that I wasn’t going to delve too much into the past iterations of the source material? It only took three episodes for me to have to break that promise. After an episode as steeped in the history of masked heroes like […]
Watchmen – Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship Review
“Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship” was pretty much what one expects from a second episode: answer some of the questions raised in the series premiere, raise several more, and keep the plot moving forward (which, in the realm of Watchmen, means taking a few trips to the past). It was a smart, competent hour of […]
Watchmen – It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice Review
A bit of housekeeping before I jump into my review of the Watchmen series premiere, “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice.” First up, I’ll be reviewing this exquisite new series on a weekly basis here at Pop Culture Maniacs, and I’m happy you’ve opted to join me on this journey. Next, as with […]
Succession: Television’s Most Relatable Unrelatable Series
Remember when Game of Thrones went off the air back in May and everyone wondered if HBO would ever have another hit show that captured the cultural zeitgeist? Well, who would have thought it would only take them a few months to clean-up once again? For those of us who fell in love (or fell […]
2019 Emmy Predictions: Who Should Win, Who Will Win, and Who Got Snubbed
A chill is in the air (at least in the Midwest and New England – sorry rest of the country) and fall is just around the corner. Which means it’s once again time for the Emmy Awards – a night for the television folks to pat themselves on the back for another year of way […]
Years and Years Review
Dystopian fiction is a popular genre in the UK. Former Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies offers up his take with the BBC/HBO miniseries Years and Years. Years and Years follow the Lyons family during a turbulent 15 years. During this time frame the world suffers from political and economic upheaval, technological advances, and environmental disaster. Whilst this goes […]
Thoughts on the 2019 Emmy Nominations
I’ve been writing about television for the past six years, and for much of that time, Emmy Nomination day was my second least-favorite day of the year (the Emmy Awards themselves were my least-favorite day, for a variety of reasons). Every Tuesday, I would read through the list of nominees and get angry over how […]









