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Jen Chaney

TV Critic
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@chaneyj
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Vulture and New York TV critic Jen Chaney previously worked for the Washington Post and has bylines at the New York Times and Vanity Fair. She also wrote As If: The Complete Oral History of Clueless.

  1. tv review
    HBO’s Crashing Is Yet Another TV Show About a Comedian That Mostly WorksIt’s at its best when it reveals the hard knocks of stand-up life.
  2. TV Actors Who Have Reinvented Themselves in New RolesFrom Jon Hamm to Jennifer Aniston.
  3. tv review
    The Good Fight Is Very Good TVThe follow-up to The Good Wife admirably does its own thing.
  4. tv review
    Doubt Is Both Obvious and Better Than You Might ExpectKatherine Heigl’s new CBS show does that thing legal dramas do, but is elevated by its cast.
  5. girls talk
    Some Advice for Ray on Girls: Stop Being a DoormatSome words of wisdom for Marnie’s so-called boyfriend.
  6. tv review
    Humans Is the Best Robot Show on TVThe AMC series is back with a season two that’s more fascinating than the first.
  7. 100 jokes
    The Jokes That Get Told Over and Over Again on TV“There are certain classic situations that have been done a million-zillion times.”
  8. close reads
    When Did TV Get So Meta?Self-aware, fourth-wall-busting television is still everywhere. But what makes meta good versus bad?
  9. 100 jokes
    The Origins of Hollywood Shuffle’s Enduring Satire ‘Black Acting School’“Chappelle said when he saw the film, it made him want to do sketch comedy. I had a conversation with him where he said, ‘You laid the foundation.’”
  10. Comedy Central’s Detroiters Is Pretty Damn FunnySam Richardson and Tim Robinson are here to act stupid. And they are never going to run out of stupid.
  11. the daily show
    The Daily Show’s Head Writer on How Trump Has Changed the Way They Work“It’s refreshing to be hit with a firehose constantly. It’ll be very energizing until we all have heart attacks in a few weeks.”
  12. the vulture tv podcast
    Why Riverdale Makes for Such a Perfect Teen SoapMoody teenagers!
  13. Training Day Is Cop TV at Its WorstThis CBS series, based on the Denzel Washington–Ethan Hawke film, is an inferior follow-up.
  14. Powerless Isn’t Super Yet. But It Could Be.The DC Comics sitcom shows promise, if not super-abilities.
  15. state of the rom com
    Why the Grand Romantic Gesture Will Never DieWe may be cynical about schmaltzy rom-com moments, but we still crave them.
  16. the rom com lives
    The Romantic Comedy Is Not Dead — It’s Just Not the Same As You RememberToday, Vulture begins a weeklong examination of the state of the genre.
  17. sag awards 2017
    The SAG Awards Made for Poignant, Politically Relevant TVSunday night was a weird time to watch an awards show, but the SAGs turned out to be a surprisingly cathartic experience.
  18. tv review
    Z Almost Gives Zelda Her DueThe new Amazon series about Zelda Fitzgerald is sometimes compelling, but a little too restrained.
  19. the vulture tv podcast
    The TV Shows and Characters We’ve Changed Our Minds On“I now realize that Emily Gilmore is always right and the real heroine of the show.”
  20. chat room
    Elizabeth Marvel on Homeland, Donald Trump, and Playing the President“It’s not every day that, as a woman, you get to run the show.”
  21. tv review
    Riverdale Is Your Next Teen-Soap AddictionArchie, Betty, and Veronica, like you’ve never seen them before.
  22. The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s Greatest LegacyAccepting less money to tackle a tough job and smiling all the while: That’s what Mary does. That’s what a lot of women still do.
  23. tv review
    New Edition, But a Familiar Music BiopicThe New Edition Story has a great cast. But by night three, you might be ready to cool it now.
  24. kudos
    The Good Place Pulled Off a Forking Great Twist EndingHoly shirt, that was mind-blowing.
  25. tv review
    Frontier, Wake Me Up When the Fur Trade EndsThe Netflix series starring Jason Momoa is a snooze.
  26. close reads
    How Trumpish Is The Young Pope?On the parallels between Jude Law’s Pope Pius XIII and our president-elect.
  27. the vulture tv podcast
    How Funny Does The Young Pope Want to Be?A conversation about this odd duck of a show.
  28. Amazon’s Sneaky Pete Is an Addictive Binge-WatchThe new crime-drama from Graham Yost, Bryan Cranston, and Davis Shore gets pretty addictive pretty quickly.
  29. tv review
    Victoria Is a Fine But Familiar British Period PieceIt’s well-acted and sumptuous to behold. But it’s probably not the next Downton Abbey.
  30. tv review
    Lemony Snicket Is Still Unfortunate, and That’s a Good ThingThe Netflix series is a faithful, darkly fun adapation of the books about the Baudelaires.
  31. close reads
    In Praise of Black-ish’s Extraordinary Election EpisodeThe ABC sitcom captures the mood in pre–President Trump America in a way that feels historic.
  32. close reads
    Pop Culture Can’t Escape Donald TrumpOn seeing the political climate in everything.
  33. Why Rita Moreno’s ODAAT Character Is Sexual“Once people turn a certain age, [sexuality] gets completely ignored by writers, and it’s a shame.”
  34. the vulture tv podcast
    Why Was The OA So Divisive?Plus, Rita Moreno on her eight-year affair with Marlon Brando.
  35. close reads
    The New Schneider on One Day at a Time Is BetterSchneider No. 1 would not have worked in 2017.
  36. The 2017 Golden Globes Were All Over the Place“What’s Goliath?”
  37. awards insider
    Join Vulture’s 2017 Golden Globe LiveblogVulture’s Jen Chaney, David Edelstein, and Nate Jones are here to guide you through every twist and turn of the night.
  38. chat room
    Rachel Bloom on Getting to Say Curses on CXG“Literally, they gave two shits.”
  39. Winter TV 2017 Commitment Calculator: How Many Hours Will You Spend Watching?Trust us: You’ll want to spend a lot of time indoors this winter.
  40. tv review
    In Bright Lights, It’s Debbie and Carrie ForeverAt times, it hurts to watch it.
  41. The Vulture TV Podcast: TV to Watch for in 2017, Plus Issa RaeFrom HBO’s The Young Pope to FX’s Legion.
  42. awards
    Who Should Win at the Golden Globes This Weekend?Moonlight or Manchester by the Sea? This Is Us or Game of Thrones?
  43. the vulture tv podcast
    How TV Shows Recycle the Same Romantic NarrativesPlus, the shows that subvert them.
  44. tv review
    The Wall Is the Most American Game Show on TVI pledge allegiance to Chris Hardwick and dropping glowing balls into oversize slots.
  45. golden globes 2017
    Who Would Benefit Most From a Golden Globes Win?What would a win mean for Issa Rae, or to the narrative arc of the Winona Ryder story?
  46. most anticipated of 2017
    The 23 TV Shows We Can’t Wait to Watch in 2017From The Young Pope to Twin Peaks, it’s the most exciting TV of 2017.
  47. year in culture 2016
    Generation X Lost Too Many Touchstones in 2016We said good-bye to a lot of greats this year, period. But Gen-Xers in particular bid farewell to countless greats who defined their childhoods.
  48. A Close Read of The OA’s Controversial EndingThe show’s unsettling climax doesn’t work for everyone, but it serves an important narrative purpose.
  49. year in culture 2016
    The 17 Breakthrough TV Performances of 2016Millie Bobby Brown, Sterling K. Brown, Riz Ahmed, and more.
  50. the vulture tv podcast
    Matt and Jen Discuss Their Picks for the Best TV Shows of 2016Plus, a Vulture Podcast conversation with Rectify creator Ray McKinnon.
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