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Jen Chaney

TV Critic
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@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. Vida Is a Fresh, Latinx Take on GentrificationIn only six episodes, the Starz series says a lot about cultural, sexual, and ethnic orientation.
  2. The Rain Is a Gripping Apocalyptic Drama, But It’s a Bit Too FamiliarIf you’re up for another grim TV show about the end of the world, Netflix has the Danish show for you!
  3. tv review
    Cobra Kai Is a Clever, Reverent Update to The Karate KidThe new YouTube Red series will remind you of The Karate Kid, but it’s also an interesting look at nostalgia.
  4. Unsolved Creator on What Really Happened to Tupac and Biggie“The Tupac of it all is really quite simple,” but “the Biggie of it all, that’s more complicated.”
  5. No, Michelle Wolf Didn’t Mock Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s LooksWhy the criticism of Wolf’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner roast is so maddening.
  6. tv review
    Netflix’s Bobby Kennedy for President Will Break Your HeartIf you didn’t live through the ‘60s, this docuseries captures what it was like to witness the rise and fall of RFK.
  7. close reads
    The Utter Shock of Philip and Paige’s Fight on The AmericansThe father-daughter sparring match is instantly one of the show’s most memorable scenes.
  8. The Unerring Power of ‘This Woman’s Work’Kate Bush’s ballad has a fascinating history in movies and TV shows, and The Handmaid’s Tale gives it new relevance.
  9. Miriam Shor on The Americans and the ‘Joy’ of Puking All Over Keri RussellThe Americans actress talks her big role in the final season of FX’s spy drama.
  10. vulture lists
    The Very Best Schoolhouse Rock Songs by Bob DoroughBob Dorough, who died this week at age 94, wrote and performed some of the most beloved Schoolhouse Rock songs.
  11. Theater Kids Are Everywhere on TV and in MoviesDrama club is officially the coolest extracurricular.
  12. The Handmaid’s Tale Is Back and Still BrutalThe second season of the Hulu series is intense, upsetting, and once again elevated by a wrenching performance by Elisabeth Moss.
  13. Lost in Space Gets a Fine, But Not Must-Watch RebootThere is still plenty of danger, Will Robinson. Also: lots of Parker Posey.
  14. chat room
    Noah Emmerich Won’t Miss Playing Stan on The Americans“Stan’s ready for a job change. Maybe he can open up a surf shop in Hawaii.”
  15. The Simpsons’ Apu Response Is What Happens When You’re on the Air for Too LongWhen you’ve been on TV for nearly 30 years, it’s hard to come across as the rebellious outsider sticking it to the man.
  16. Killing Eve Is Instantly Addictive TelevisionIt has the potential to be BBC America’s new Orphan Black.
  17. Roseanne Is a Political Series and Let’s Not Pretend OtherwiseIn its second week, the sitcom is actually even more political than it was in its first episode.
  18. The Last O.G. Is a Hopeful Comedy That Brings Tracy Morgan Back to TVMorgan returns in this engaging comedy, and Tiffany Haddish is along for the ride.
  19. tv review
    The Pilot for The Crossing Is Trying to Be the Next LostIt’s unclear so far whether the intriguing premise will be worth the commitment.
  20. Jesus Christ Superstar Live: The Highs and the LowsAnd the very deep Vs.
  21. The Wild Wild Country Directors Still Wonder Who Is Right and Wrong TooPlus, how they got all their footage, and what was left out.
  22. The Importance of Peter Gabriel to The AmericansThe sound of his voice functions like an alarm the show is sounding to make sure we pay attention.
  23. The Americans Team Walks Us Through Their Favorite Alter EgosMatthew Rhys hates Clark!
  24. tv review
    Alex, Inc. Is a Show About Podcasting That’s Not Worth the DownloadIt’s really a too-cute family sitcom disguised as a workplace comedy.
  25. Splitting Up Together May Not Be Worth the CommitmentJenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson go through divorce in the nicest way possible.
  26. Roseanne Is Back Wearing a Trump Hat, But Showing Progressive TendenciesRoseanne still does what it did well in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but with a stronger political streak.
  27. Silicon Valley Is Savage About T.J. Miller’s CharacterIt’s a slightly milder version of what Chuck Lorre did to Charlie Sheen’s character on Two and a Half Men.
  28. tv review
    Barry’s Killer Comedy Is a Great Showcase for Bill HaderThe tone is tricky, but Hader’s new HBO show will get under your skin.
  29. Silicon Valley Season 5 Doesn’t Need T.J. MillerErlich is gone, but Pied Piper bumbles on.
  30. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys on Saying Good-bye to The AmericansThey aren’t as sad about the end of their show as you might think.
  31. Cynthia Nixon Is Running for Office, But Some Can Only See Miranda HobbesMany were immediately dismissive of the actor-activist’s candidacy.
  32. Wild Wild Country May Be the Craziest Series You Watch All YearAs promised, it’s wild as hell.
  33. Let’s Talk About the End of LoveIt surprised me at a moment when I wasn’t necessarily expecting any surprises from Love.
  34. All the Ways Rise Is Different From the Book That Inspired ItA breakdown of the many differences between NBC’s TV show and Michael Sokolove’s book Drama High.
  35. The This Is Us Finale Confirms This Show Is No Longer Comfort FoodOh my God, this show is the saddest thing on network television.
  36. Jason Katims on Rise and the Tricky Art of Adaptation“Friday Night Lights wasn’t far from my mind.”
  37. NBC’s Rise Is High School Musical With a Friday Night Lights VibeThe Jason Katims show is lovely, but not without its flaws.
  38. Nailed It Is the Cooking Show You Did Not Know You NeededThis Netflix series, hosted by Nicole Byer, finds the positive in total baking fails.
  39. Love Ends, With a Few SurprisesThe final season of the Netflix series goes to unexpected places in its third act.
  40. American Idol Is Back and Desperate to Inspire YouNow on ABC instead of Fox, the original singing competition has gotten sprinkled with a bit of Disney pixie dust.
  41. J.J. Totah Is the Breakout Star of Mindy Kaling’s Mostly Solid ChampionsMindy Kaling’s latest gets funnier post-pilot, and its young performing-arts student is a big reason why.
  42. tv review
    You Owe It to Yourself to Watch Divorce Season TwoThe second season was a vast improvement over the first.
  43. The Messy E! Oscar Pre-Show Proved That Red-Carpet Coverage Needs to Be RevampedKeeping Ryan Seacrest on E! was a bad move.
  44. Unsolved Is Worth Watching Even If You Know Everything About Biggie and TupacThis limited series adds compelling shades and angles to an American crime story that might have seemed too familiar.
  45. Good Girls Arrives at the Right Cultural MomentThe NBC series about three moms turned criminals is Breaking Bad meets Time’s Up.
  46. Ugly Delicious Is Satisfying TV That Will Make You So Damn HungryWatch this show from Momofuku’s David Chang. But seriously, don’t do it without snacks.
  47. close reads
    Celebrity Big Brother Is a Very Political Show, But Not Because of OmarosaLike it or not, shows like Celebrity Big Brother reflect the state of politics in 2018.
  48. vulture lists
    The 5 Things That Make an Olympics Broadcaster GreatTara Lipinski and Johnny Weir are the gold standard of what Olympics coverage should look like.
  49. tv review
    Everything Sucks! Most Definitely Does Not SuckThe new Netflix comedy about teens in the 1990s is nostalgia-heavy, but sweet.
  50. tv review
    This Close on Sundance Now Is a Subtle, Groundbreaking GemThe new Sundance Now series is a refreshingly low-key portrait of deaf best friends and their relationships.
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