TV & Video
Portrait of an opportunist
There are many eerie parallels between the life of Joseph McCarthy and Donald Trump in the upcoming PBS series, “McCarthy.” But Bill Lueders says the documentary missed an opportunity to point them out. Read more
Hanging in there
Determined to keep the store open, Four Star Video Cooperative’s Lewis Peterson has been training volunteers to help run the store at a new, smaller location. Read more
Feline flicks
Here, kitty! Isthmus staff and freelancers share their favorite onscreen cat characters. Read more
Accidental genius
Stoughton natives Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett return to their stomping grounds with the 15th annual Found Footage Festival, a celebration of good intentions that go bad. Read more
Sly pilot
After crowdfunding a TV pilot, former Madisonian Ben Mulhern is raring to make more episodes of “The Heathen Shane Stevens,” a sitcom featuring a camp counselor at a Christian Bible camp who happens to be an atheist. Read more
Netflix
Woke, queer and snarky
The Netflix series “Special” — created by its star Ryan O’Connell — tackles issues of disability and identity with humor and pathos. The show is presented in eight bite-sized episodes that pack a punch. Read more
Rataj Berard
The little store that could
Although the current owners are looking to move on, Four Star Video Cooperative is surviving, despite the odds. Read more
Courtesy of HBO
Comedy beyond the spectrum
The members of the sketch comedy group Asperger’s Are Us met, as they say it, in “Aspy camp.” A behind-the-scenes HBO doc follows their live tour. Read more
Allyson Riggs Allyson Riggs / Hulu
March Television
Lift your spirits and your consciousness with “Queer Eye,” “Project Runway,” “Billions” and “Shrill” Read more
January TV
January can be a great time to hibernate, and this month has plenty of shows to offer, from the final season premiere of Broad City to the return of the HBO drama True Detective. Read more
Courtesy of HBO
Forget holiday shows
If you look past the holiday specials, December has some dramatic and comic gems coming up on your home screens. Isthmus TV critic Alex Claiborne recommends the new doc “Say Her Name” and “Roma” from Alfonso Cuarón. Read more
Darkness and light
In Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” a young half-witch must make a choice between the light and the darkness. Read more
The return of Making a Murderer and other spooky Netflix options
Isthmus TV critic Alex Claiborne highlights some spooky movies and TV shows coming out this month. Read more
September television preview: The return of “BoJack Horseman,” “American Vandal” and “The Good Place” – and “Murphy Brown” is back!
Remember Murphy Brown? Isthmus TV critic Alex Claiborne highlights some of September’s television highlights, including the Sept. 27 reboot of the groundbreaking show featuring an outspoken TV news reporter . Read more
August Television Preview
If the heat’s too oppressive, get indoors and watch TV. This month’s highlights are a new medieval animated show from Matt Groening, two excellent documentaries on youth, and the highly anticipated return of “Ozark.” Read more
Erica Parise/Netflix
Screen time
Our screens are exploding with great TV shows. Isthmus TV critic Alex Claiborne breaks it down to her fave four for 2018. Read more
Cara Howe / Netflix
Who’s afraid of Michelle Wolf?
Her brilliant savagery at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner put Michelle Wolf into the spotlight. Her new Netflix show is going to keep her there. Read more
June Television Preview: “Pose” looks at underground “ball culture” in 1980s New York
A new show about NYC’s underground drag scene in the 1980s, an HBO drama about a family squabbling over a media empire, and a new satire on the fashion industry top the must-watch list this month. Read more
May Television Preview: Standup from John Mulaney, “Being Serena” and a new “Fahrenheit 451”
Isthmus TV critic Alex Claiborne takes a look at upcoming shows: Comedy from John Mulaney, “Being Serena” and a new “Fahrenheit 451.” Read more
FX
April Television Preview: More “Legion,” the return of “Westworld”
This month brings new episodes of an atypical superhero show, a dark drama with some surprising leads, and the return of two of the most haunting shows on TV. Read more
