Stephen Colbert Brings Back "Stephen Colbert" For the Republican Convention

I'm sure this was probably planned for a while, but coming off the Emmy snubs and increasing whispers that Colbert and James Corden should trade time slots, this can't help but look like both a triumphant and welcome return, and possibly a tacit admission of failure on Colbert's awkward and uneven attempts to be himself with The Late Show. Let's face it, his show has not been good, and seeing the old right-wing pundit come back in a blaze of glory to lay waste to Donald Trump with The Word makes us wish he'd been here this whole time. He was desperately needed. So what now? Does Comedy Central Stephen Colbert return for weekly segments? Eventually a full-time basis? I wouldn't be too surprised if it ultimately happens- politics is what Stephen does best, and is so obviously what he prefers. There's no shame in admitting something isn't working. Embarrassment, yes, but if it involves bringing back the greatness, then hey, I'll take it.

Analysis of This Year's Emmy Nominations

Whew, so much to talk about this year! It was probably the most adventurous group of Emmy nominees I've ever seen, so there's some real evidence that the TV academy is taking the time to seek out the shows that are scattered all over the ever broadening television landscape these days and nominate some quality stuff. But as always, they have a tendency to cling to old faves that are way past their prime as well. I'm just gonna go by category here, so let's dig in, shall we?

COMEDY

Ellie Kemper gets her first Emmy nom for 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' while Titus Burgess gets his second

Woo-hoo! They love Silicon Valley more every year, hence the noms for star Thomas Middleditch (yay!) and all those directing and writing nods. But I'm sorry, where the hell is the TJ Miller nomination?? Come on you guys- you love the show, but not Erlich? That makes no sense to me. On the actress side, here's to Ellie Kemper getting her first nod for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! But why did they have to kick out Jane Krakowski in supporting? She was awesome this season, better than she was last year. Hmph.

I quit Veep this year, and apparently it had a fantastic season, but...eh. I don't feel the motivation to catch up. I will say that I'm very happy to see Matt Walsh get nominated after all this time- he was always one of my preferred characters in a cast of people I mostly hated (their characters, not the actors).

'Catastrophe' lands a writing nom for the funniest show on TV

Aaah!! A writing nomination for Catastrophe (my FAVORITE comedy on all of television, yes, even more than Kimmy Schmidt). I had no hope that this show (which is actually an import from the UK) would get any attention paid to it, so that's thrilling. Because the show is hilarious. Seriously, people, watch it.

I really need to catch up on Master of None. So much love for Aziz Ansari, who pulled off a mini-Louis CK in obtaining all those nods for himself in different categories. I promise to watch it before the ceremony airs. But honestly, this looks to me like it's Veep's to lose again. After a stellar season (look at the sheer number of directing nods for the show), I think it's in for a repeat, but I have some real hope that Silicon Valley can certainly win this category eventually, maybe even next season.

DRAMA

'The Americans' finally breaks into the major categories

Welp, for me you know this is all about The Americans. After all these years, we have Emmy nominees Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, plus writing and the show itself. I'm practically giddy! And no, I don't think it's winning anything this year, but now that's it's finally in (and I'm aware that this is probably due to Mad Men being over and the slot opening up), I think it can certainly win before the end of its run. And that's awesome enough, since shows that haven't been nominated by their fourth seasons never are. This one finally broke the mold.

Maslany continues to rule 'Orphan Black' with new clones

Tatiana Maslany! I will never not be psyched that she's getting nominated for Emmys for such a trippy, sci-fi genre show on BBC America. If they still went by episode submission/committee process, I'd have zero doubt she'd win, but without that I fear she's still essentially an unknown and it won't happen. I'll never lose hope though, especially with next season being Orphan Black's last.

The Mr. Robot love is cool and kind of a surprise I guess, especially in series, but it had been popping up all year at places like critics awards, guild awards and the Golden Globes, so we could kinda see it coming. Rami Malek deserves that win in lead more than any of the other actors, in my opinion.

Game of Thrones got FIVE actors in all of a sudden, adding Kit Harington and Maisie Williams to the Dinklage, Headey and Clarke trifecta. That's pretty cool and the show had a great sixth season, coming off its less than deserving fifth season, where it had finally won. I believe it's going to repeat for that reason, and probably take both Dinklage and Headey with it this time.

'UnREAL' lands noms for writing and supporting actress

Look at that drama supporting actress category- Constance Zimmer got in for UnREAL!!! And Maura Tierney for The Affair! See, those kinds of nominations tell you somebody really is watching stuff, because the shows weren't in overall. Although UnREAL also got a writing nom, so congratulations Lifetime! You've arrived! That is so cool, I can hardly believe it actually happened. These aren't the Emmys that I know.

Then again, we've also got Homeland, Downton Abbey (thank GOD this show won't be there next year), House of Cards...blech. And honestly, when you look at some of this stuff you see that the new blood came in by virtue of old shows finally ending their runs, so voters are still kind of lazy about rubber-stamping things that really shouldn't be there anymore. And they have so many good choices like Outlander for example, which got criminally overlooked except in costumes and production design. Sigh. What are you gonna do, right?

And it's worth noting here, Orange is the New Black got completely skunked for its third season. I really have to wonder if this would have happened had they left the show in comedy like they should have. There's such a thing as dark comedy and it did amazingly well there in the first season, less so in drama last year, and now nothing in drama this time. I always thought its outrageous tone meant it would have a hard time competing with other dramas. I think I was right. Wonder what it means for next year, given that this current season was perhaps its best ever.

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

'People vs OJ Simpson' dominates the acting slots

I predicted every single actor who got in for the OJ show. Sorry, I just had to toot my own horn for a sec there. But it's true, you can check my twitter feed. I won't say they were all equally deserving (I know some people hated Travolta's Robert Shapiro- I actually didn't, I thought he was entertaining and campy, and the show had a bit of a campy feel to it anyway, so it worked), but I don't mind the noms. It was a great cast. I think Vance and Paulson have their Emmys locked up, but I REALLY want Sterling K. Brown to win as well in supporting.

'Fargo' breakout Bokeem Woodbine gets recognition for his scene-stealing assassin

The Night Manager is severely overrated. 12 nominations is far too many for what was a slick, beautifully shot but kinda routine spy story. Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie I won't object to, but the series and lead actor noms should have been replaced by David Simon's Show Me a Hero and Oscar Isaac, which got unfairly ignored.

The Fargo love is terrific, and I'd honestly root for any of those actors (especially Bokeem Woodbine), but the People vs OJ cast is going to dominate and I really can't complain about that. It'll be a big night for Ryan Murphy and this is a much better show than the various American Horror Story entries over the years. Although I still don't quite agree with Fargo being labeled a limited series just because the cast is different every year. It all takes place in the same universe and town, just at different times- how is that not a drama series?

REALITY/VARIETY

Sam Bee gets in for writing but is overlooked for lesser shows in variety/talk series

I'm not an expert in the reality shows, so I'll just make my best predictions for those when the time comes. As for variety, well...the snubbing of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee is what hurts the most of all the nominations today. She is fantastic, her show was fire right out of the gate and is getting loads of attention, yet the Emmys continue their longstanding tradition of never nominating a woman in that talk show category. But never fear, she got in for writing, which means she will be there next year in series. Right? She better be.

James Corden's Carpool Karaoke launches him into the Emmy race

Speaking of snubs, there was zero love for Stephen Colbert's Late Show or The Daily Show, now hosted by Trevor Noah, so that's the first time without those two fixtures in many, many years. And it's not really a snub, to be honest. Colbert has severely disappointed with the Late Show and it's got to be a real slap in the face for them to actually nominate James Corden's Late Late Show over his. I mean, that's really gotta sting, right? Should Corden be the one at 11:35pm, leaving Colbert free to actually do what he does well at 12:30? Maybe so. Won't happen, but this will fuel the talk even further that it should.

As for Trevor Noah running The Daily Show into the ground (okay that's probably too harsh), he just hasn't made an impression or crossed into cultural relevance, obviously. Samantha Bee has totally outmaneuvered him in that area. But it looks like they'd rather nominate Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Another ouch. Actually, a show that's been overlooked here is Late Night with Seth Meyers, which has really become must-see viewing lately for political junkies. In fact, I'd go so far as to say they should replace Bill Maher's Real Time rubber stamping with Meyers next year. The constant, two decade teasing of Maher with the nomination and NEVER the win is getting cruel. Cut the chord already guys, you know you're never gonna give it to him.

Jerry Seinfeld takes President Obama for a ride in his nominated web series

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will win variety easily, and I think Key and Peele (since this was their last season) will take the second ever sketch series award from Amy Schumer. Her most recent season was hardly buzzed at all, and K&P are done, so they really ought to be rewarded. I'd hate to see a rubber stamping of a past winner in such a new category.

It'd be funny to see Lemonade win that Variety Special award. Could it beat the Adele live show? Beyonce vs Adele for an Emmy. Huh. Didn't see that one coming.

Final note: there is no need for an "EmmysSoWhite" hashtag. This is what diversity looks like, people, and television is clearly where the opportunities for everyone lie these days. It's quite a change from years past and it's only headed in the right direction. That's real progress if I ever saw it.

Beyonce is nominated for 'Lemonade'

'Game of Thrones' and 'People vs. OJ Simpson' Lead 2016 Emmy Nominations

It was a great day for HBO and FX, as the networks lead the TV Academy nominees, with GoT managing 23 noms against PvOJ's 22. That's an amazing haul and both shows are way out in front in their respective categories of drama and limited series. Veep leads again on the comedy side, although Silicon Valley is catching up with nominations in writing, directing and finally star Thomas Middleditch, and there were very impressive showings for newbies Master of None and Mr. Robot. But my absolute favorite thing this year was the fact that TV's best show The Americans was FINALLY NOMINATED!!! Yup, in a very rare debut that didn't happen until after its fourth season, it landed noms for writing, lead actor, lead actress and drama series! This makes today a great Emmy day, people. I'll be back with more analysis of the overall really good picks this year. For now, here's the full list:

COMEDY:

BEST COMEDY SERIES
“Black-ish”
“Master of None”
“Modern Family”
“Silicon Valley”
“Transparent”
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
“Veep”

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)
Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”)
Will Forte (“The Last Man on Earth”)
William H. Macy (“Shameless”)
Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”)
Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent”)

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”)
Laurie Metcalf (“Getting On”)
Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)
Amy Schumer (“Inside Amy Schumer”)
Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Louie Anderson (“Baskets”)
Andre Braugher (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”)
Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”)
Tony Hale (“Veep”)
Keegan-Michael Key (“Key and Peele”)
Matt Walsh (“Veep”)

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anna Chlumsky (“Veep”)
Gaby Hoffmann (“Transparent”)
Allison Janney (“Mom”)
Judith Light (“Transparent”)
Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Niecy Nash (“Getting On”)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Larry David (“Saturday Night Live”)
Peter MacNicol (“Veep”)
Tracy Morgan (“Saturday Night Live”)
Martin Mull (“Veep”)
Bob Newhart (“The Big Bang Theory”)
Bradley Whitford (“Transparent”)

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Christine Baranski (“The Big Bang Theory”)
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (“Saturday Night Live”)
Melora Hardin (“Transparent”)
Melissa McCarthy (“Saturday Night Live”)
Laurie Metcalf (“The Big Bang Theory”)
Amy Schumer (“Saturday Night Live”)

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING
“Master Of None,” “Parents”
“Silicon Valley,” “Daily Active Users”
“Silicon Valley,” “Founder Friendly”
“Transparent,” “Man On The Land”
“Veep,” “Kissing Your Sister”
“Veep,” “Morning After”
“Veep,” “Mother”

BEST COMEDY WRITING
“Catastrophe,” “Episode 1”
“Master Of None,” “Parents”
“Silicon Valley,” “Founder Friendly”
“Silicon Valley,” “The Uptick”
“Veep,” “Morning After”
“Veep,” “Mother”

Aziz Ansari breaks through with noms for himself in acting, directing and writing

DRAMA:

BEST DRAMA SERIES
“The Americans”
“Better Call Saul”
“Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“House of Cards”
“Mr. Robot”

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Kyle Chandler (“Bloodline”)
Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”)
Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”)
Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”)

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Claire Danes (“Homeland”)
Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”)
Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”)
Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”)
Keri Russell (“The Americans”)
Robin Wright (“House of Cards”)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”)
Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”)
Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”)
Michael Kelly (“House of Cards”)
Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline”)
Jon Voight (“Ray Donovan”)

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”)
Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”)
Maggie Smith (“Downton Abbey”)
Maura Tierney (“The Affair”)
Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”)
Constance Zimmer (“UnReal”)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Mahershala Ali (“House of Cards”)
Hank Azaria (“Ray Donovan”)
Reg E. Cathey (“House of Cards”)
Michael J. Fox (“The Good Wife”)
Paul Sparks (“House of Cards”)
Max Von Sydow (“Game of Thrones”)

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Ellen Burstyn (“House of Cards”)
Allison Janney (“Masters of Sex”)
Margo Martindale (“The Americans”)
Laurie Metcalf (“Horace and Pete”)
Molly Parker (“House of Cards”)
Carrie Preston (“The Good Wife”)

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING
“Downton Abbey,” “Episode 9”
“Game Of Thrones,” “Battle Of The Bastards”
“Game Of Thrones,” “The Door”
“Homeland,” “The Tradition Of Hospitality”
“The Knick,” “This Is All We Are”
“Ray Donovan,” “Exsuscito”

BEST DRAMA WRITING
“The Americans,” “Persona Non Grata”
“Downton Abbey,” “Episode 8”
“Game Of Thrones,” “Battle Of The Bastards”
“The Good Wife,” “End”
“Mr. Robot,” “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov”
“UnREAL,” “Return”

'The Americans' finally lands deserved noms for stars Mathew Rhys and Keri Russell

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES:

BEST LIMITED SERIES
“American Crime”
“Fargo”
“The Night Manager”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson”
“Roots”

BEST TV MOVIE
“A Very Murray Christmas”
“All the Way”
“Confirmation”
“Luther”
“Sherlock: The Abominable Bride”

BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTOR
Bryan Cranston (“All the Way”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock: The Abominable Bride”)
Idris Elba (“Luther”)
Cuba Gooding Jr. (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
Tom Hiddleston (“The Night Manager”)
Courtney B. Vance (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)

BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTRESS
Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”)
Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”)
Audra McDonald (“Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill”)
Sarah Paulson (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
Lili Taylor (“American Crime”)
Kerry Washington (“Confirmation”)

BEST MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sterling K. Brown (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
Hugh Laurie (“The Night Manager”)
Jesse Plemons (“Fargo”)
David Schwimmer (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
John Travolta (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
Bokeem Woodbine (“Fargo”)

BEST MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kathy Bates (“American Horror Story: Hotel”)
Olivia Colman (“The Night Manager”)
Regina King (“American Crime”)
Melissa Leo (“All the Way”)
Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story: Hotel”)
Jean Smart (“Fargo”)

BEST MOVIE/MINI DIRECTING
“All The Way”
“Fargo,” “Before The Law”
“The Night Manager”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “From The Ashes Of Tragedy”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “Manna From Heaven”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “The Race Card”

BEST MOVIE/MINI WRITING
“Fargo,” “Loplop”
“Fargo,” “Palindrome”
“The Night Manager”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “From The Ashes Of Tragedy”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “The Race Card”

'People vs. OJ Simpson's' stellar cast set to take home lots of Emmy gold

REALITY/VARIETY:

BEST REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
“The Amazing Race”
“American Ninja Warrior”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“Project Runway”
“Top Chef”
“The Voice”

BEST REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron (“Dancing With the Stars”)
RuPaul Charles (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”)
Steve Harvey (“Little Big Shots”)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”)
Jane Lynch (“Hollywood Game Night”)
Ryan Seacrest (“American Idol”)

BEST STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
“Antiques Roadshow”
“Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”
“Lip Sync Battle”
“MythBusters”
“Shark Tank”
“Undercover Boss”

BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
“Born This Way”
“Deadliest Catch”
“Gaycation With Ellen Page”
“Intervention”
“Project Greenlight”
“United Shades Of America”

BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES
“Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live”
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
“Late Late Show with James Corden”
“Real Time with Bill Maher”
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”

BEST VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
“Documentary Now”
“Drunk History”
“Inside Amy Schumer”
“Key and Peele”
“Portlandia”
“Saturday Night Live”

BEST VARIETY SPECIAL
“Adele Live In New York City”
“Amy Schumer: Live At The Apollo”
“The Kennedy Center Honors”
“The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Prime Time Special”
“Lemonade”

With no Colbert/Daily Show in the mix, John Oliver is the frontrunner to win his first Emmy

Bruce Campbell Returns in the Bloody Teaser for 'Ash vs. Evil Dead' Season 2

For anyone who liked the first season, get ready for the return of this Starz comedy-horror series, debuting in October, appropriately in time for Halloween. The gory teaser makes it look like a blast, and includes all the gross-out Sam Raimi-esque touches. 

Noel Neill 1920-2016

The original Lois Lane, Noel Neill has passed away at the age of 95. You may not know her name, but Noel Neill was the very first live-action portrayal of the iconic character onscreen. Neill played Lois Lane opposite Kirk Allen's Man of Steel in the 1948 film serial Superman, and its sequel, 1950's Atom Man vs. Superman. In the pre-television era, 15-20 minute film serials basically played as weekly episodes before the full length feature to movie audiences of the day. Then, when the George Reeves starring show Adventures of Superman began airing in 1951, Noel Neill reprised the role of Lois when the actress who played her, Phyllis Coates, left after the first season. She continued to play her through 1958, when the show was canceled, and went on to appear at festivals, conventions and in many Superman related productions ever since, including bit parts in 1978's Superman, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Superboy and 2006's Superman Returns. I'd say that's commitment to the character, wouldn't you?

Riz Ahmed Stars in HBO Miniseries 'The Night Of'

A new miniseries is coming out next week, and it's HBO's big summer programming, premiering on July 10th. Based on the 2008 British television series Criminal Justice, this one is an 8-part crime procedural that takes us through the workings of the New York City justice system after Ahmed's character is arrested for murder. Steven Zaillian, longtime Hollywood screenwriter, who scripted Moneyball and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, among others, is behind this one and directed several episodes. Early word is strong, so I'll definitely be checking this out.

REVIEW: "OJ: Made in America"

The OJ Simpson story. It embodies so much drama, soap opera, historical context, culture, insanity, tragedy- it's hard to believe it was a thing that really happened, something that really played out all over our TV sets as millions of people watched it live. In 2016 we've been gifted with two amazing series about the subject- FX's The People v. OJ Simpson, and now ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series, OJ: Made in America. As entertaining as the FX show was, the documentary is something else entirely. It feels like history. It feels essential. And it's the best show of the year so far.

I think the OJ Simpson story is a cultural touchstone that plays on a different level for people who remember watching it happen. I said before in my review for the FX series that I am not one of those people, so everything it dramatized felt more or less new, kind of like I was being taught something. That's the case even more so with Ezra Edelman's extraordinary film (which premiered at Sundance and played in select theaters before debuting on television, so it will qualify for Oscar consideration as a documentary feature), that not only takes us back to the trial, but operates on a much more ambitious scope, as it encompasses the entire story of Simpson's life as a celebrated football player and celebrity before the murders, and also takes us through the history of racism in Los Angeles and the relationship of the black community to the LAPD for decades before the trial took place.

The historical context makes all the difference in understanding the impact of the story and the reason for the reactions that took place as the shocking verdict was read in 1995. You may have some knowledge of the systemic racism within the police department in LA, and you may remember the Rodney King riots, which occurred shortly before the murders and rocked the city to its core, but seeing history unfold through mostly live footage and hearing witnesses explain what they felt through years of seeing one injustice after another is an illuminating experience on its own. To juxtapose it with the story of OJ Simpson himself, which is almost a spectacularly Shakespearean tale of rise and fall, is at once provocative, absorbing, entertaining and emotionally stirring. Each piece of OJ's life, his childhood, his college football career, his NFL years and his amazing success within the world of white celebrity and wealth, is explored as being an essential part of his desire to run as far away as possible from the trappings of the black community, to be accepted within the white world as one of them. As opposed to other famed black athletes in the civil rights era, like Jim Brown or Muhammad Ali, he rejected the notion of black activism and sought every glory for himself and his personal standing, which led him to incredible heights in the 1970's as a celebrity and corporate spokesman.

We see the two stories play out side by side over the course of eight hours, as the documentary takes us through OJ's rise, his toxic and abusive relationship with Nicole Brown, the growing tension between the citizens of Los Angeles and the police department after every horrifying incident, and then right up to the night of the murders, where it becomes a crime novel of the highest order. The incredible media story of the murders, the Bronco chase, and the trial itself is what has always been the most publicly played out of course, but it still captivates your attention to see events unfold and the details shown as we recap the players and the storyline of the most sensational "show" of the 1990's, as Larry King himself put it. It was the beginning of the blending of news and sensationalism as entertainment, a move that was undertaken for ratings driven profits, as the line between the two categories was completely blurred, and as we see now, has utterly taken over the corporate media with 24/7 cable "news" which barely disguises itself as information obtained for the public interest.

But it was still another era, and it'd be interesting to see how a story this attention-grabbing would play in the social media age. OJ as a public personality is nothing less than compelling from the very beginning, with his tall, commanding, charismatic presence and his media-savvy at play throughout most of the trial, but Edelman is convinced that he was guilty of those crimes and makes no bones about it, as the evidence clearly showed then and now. As we see however, the verdict was almost never even about him personally. As a man who rejected the black community most of his life, a man with all the fame, wealth and power to put together a spectacular defense, he was a symbol for the wrongs that had been done over years of systemic injustice, and payback was what the jury (as one of the jurors interviewed freely admits) and much of the African-American community was after. At that time and place, it was a flashpoint that seemed inevitable, and Simpson's "dream team" of lawyers took full advantage of it.

After the trial was another story, as the film continues to show us a post-acquittal OJ, whose life changed completely as he lost most of his assets, his formerly beloved status and continued his downfall, culminating in the infamous 2008 Las Vegas robbery (which plays out like a Keystone Cops mishap) that landed him in prison with a thirty-three year sentence that would have never been bestowed upon a first time offender (as Simpson technically was in the eyes of the law), and was seen as yet another form of payback, albeit from a ridiculous situation that he placed himself in. But it's another time now, and the tragedy of Simpson as an individual stands apart from the climate of Los Angeles in the early 90's, as living with the guilt and acquittal for murdering the mother of his own children takes a separate toll on a man who who committed a crime of passion, the effects of which seem obvious to the beholder as you see the shattered caricature his life became.

If there's any part to this sprawling, epic story that leaves you wanting more, it's in the area of OJ and Nicole's marriage, which is seen in scattered detail, with occasional glimpses of Nicole's diary inscribing a long history of domestic abuse from the very beginning of their relationship, when she was an 18-year-old teenager caught up in the possessive attentions paid to her by an older, famous and powerful man. We hear snippets of outsider accounts, the audio from the infamous 911 calls, enough to know that OJ's possessiveness and rage towards his wife was all consuming at times, yet without accounts of similar behavior toward other women, his first wife or even his children, this specific relationship remains something of a hauntingly tragic mystery, an area that invites further investigation for more insight, as the state of OJ's rage on the night of the murders was the inevitable breaking point of a relationship that was clearly, in prosecutor Chris Darden's words, a "ticking time bomb."

There's a slight missed opportunity in the lack of a wider context for which to place OJ's relationship with Nicole, possibly drawing on the connection between sports culture and domestic violence, obvious territory that remains unremarked on here or in other recent events (the Ray Rice incident comes to mind). But overall, there is no doubt that this film breaches almost every avenue of the wider impact of the trial to fashion itself as required viewing when it comes recent American history. It's a towering achievement that will you leave you in awe, utterly caught up in the broader implications of the man, the times, and the impact the "OJ episode" had on America, which feels even more like a hollow victory in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, which sadly reminds us that nothing much has changed in twenty years. As for OJ himself? He has to live with what he did, what he lost and how he's seen, more as a pariah than a cultural figure, and given what we learn about the public adoration he so constantly craved, maybe that notoriety is all he has left to hold onto.

Grade: A

'Outlander' Picks Up Some Wins at the Saturn Awards

Yeah, you know why I led with that headline, lol. Any place that acknowledges Outlander as the great show that it is is fine by me. And Best Actress and Fantasy Series isn't too shabby. Elsewhere, Hannibal and The Walking Dead proved popular here, while Melissa Benoist's breakthrough win for Supergirl is perfectly deserved. I think it's funny that Netflix shows seems to qualify for this "new media" award, because people still can't seem to figure out if streaming should be competing against network and cable television. The answer is yes. It's all TV, people. Get used to it.

Best Science Fiction TV Series: Continuum
Best Horror TV Series: The Walking Dead
Best Action/Thriller TV Series:  Hannibal
Best Fantasy TV Series: Outlander
Best Presentation on Television:  Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series:  The Flash
(*)  Best New Media TV Series:  Marvel’s Daredevil

Breakthrough Performance: Melissa Benoist, Supergirl
Best Actor on Television: Bruce Campbell, Ash vs Evil Dead
Best Actress on Television:  Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Richard Armitage, Hannibal
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead
Best Younger TV Actor: Chandler Riggs, The Walking Dead
Best Guest Star on Television: William Shatner, Haven

'Mr. Robot' and 'People v. OJ Simpson' Lead the TCA Nominations

Before the Emmy nomination are announced in a few weeks, it's time for the Television Critics Association to weigh in. These guys basically have zero influence on the Emmy noms, so this list is essentially their own tastes entirely, and what I notice about it this year is that it skews very recent...as in, 2016 and up recent. It's a pretty good list though, with several of my faves making the cut, minus an Outlander or two (guess that one's just not gonna catch on with critics, is it?). I should mention that their big "Program of the Year" award basically means cultural hit of the year, not necessarily best. I'm going to guess they give that to OJ Simpson, right? I think that's the most zeitgeist-y one on the list, I mean, all the rest of those shows are so low-rated. Aside from Game of Thrones, which has already won that. I like the appreciation for the amazing Samantha Bee, but I really don't think I'd place her in the news/information category. Finally, take a look at that miniseries category this year. Man, that's where the great stuff is, isn't it? I expect the Emmys to have a similarly stellar list of nominees there. These awards are held August 6th.

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
The Americans, FX
Fargo, FX
Game of Thrones, HBO
Making a Murderer, Netflix
Mr. Robot, USA
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, FX
UnREAL, Lifetime

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
The Americans, FX
Better Call Saul, AMC
Game of Thrones, HBO
The Leftovers, HBO
Mr. Robot, USA
UnREAL, Lifetime

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
black-ish, ABC
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The CW
Master of None, Netflix
Silicon Valley, HBO
Veep, HBO
You’re The Worst, FXX

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The CW
Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Netflix
Master of None, Netflix
Mr. Robot, USA
Underground, WGN America
UnREAL, Lifetime

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES AND SPECIALS
All The Way, HBO
Fargo, FX
The Night Manager, AMC
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, FX
Roots, History
Show Me A Hero, HBO

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Bryan Cranston, All The Way
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Keri Russell, The Americans
Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Aziz Ansari, Master of None
Samantha Bee, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Aya Cash, You’re The Worst
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
CBS Sunday Morning, CBS
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TBS
Jackie Robinson, PBS
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, HBO
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO
United Shades of America, CNN

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMMING
I Am Cait, E!
The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth, Showtime
The Great British Baking Show, PBS
Making a Murderer, Netflix
MasterChef Junior, Fox
Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance, CBS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, PBS
Doc McStuffins, Disney Junior
Nature Cat, PBS
Odd Squad, PBS
Sofia The First, Disney Junior

HERITAGE AWARD
The Larry Sanders Show, HBO
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, CBS
Seinfeld, NBC
Star Trek, NBC
Twin Peaks, ABC

Full Trailer for HBO's 'Westworld'

This looks pretty wild, huh? It's the creation of Jonathan Nolan- yup, that's Christopher's brother. Sometimes HBO shows can have all the prestige, cast and budget, but still turn out to be nothing though, so I wouldn't go crazy just yet. But it's definitely intriguing.