A north-side native who spent his youth frequenting Wrigley Field and following the gospel according to Del Close, Jake Johnson is Chicago to the core.
Category: Small Screen
Posted inFilm
Chicago Academy for the Arts students debut TV pilot at Music Box Theatre
Due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, the students were forced to put their show on hold. Now, a long two years later, students in the high school’s media arts program are premiering their television show pilot, Stitched Together, on the big screen at Music Box Theatre.
Posted inFilm
‘If we burn out, who’s here for the kids?’
The problems with public schools seem like a broken record, but leave it to the NBC hit show Abbott Elementary, perhaps premiering at the right time . . . to make people think critically about the state of education in America’s major cities.
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best shows to binge-watch in weed in 2021
The year 2021 was another great one for binge-watching weed content. We’ve seen some new series premiere as well as new seasons drop from old ones. Whether you’re into comedy, […]
Posted inFilm
The Afterparty
Billed as a genre-defying murder mystery, the only thing this tone-deaf pastiche-fest defies is a reason to be seen.
Posted inFilm
Black female friendships are taking over the small screen
The film and its cast earned many awards and nominations, but perhaps Girls Trip’s largest reward is the sheer number of television shows centering Black womanhood and friendship that’ve been green-lit since.
Posted inFilm
Coming out, queering tennis, and taking joyrides in phallic spacecrafts
The small break of new releases at the start of the new year allows for a much less stressful, and sometimes even more enjoyable, media binge: a crop of Chicago-made web series that can be viewed from the comfort and safety of your home.
Posted inSmall Screen
Expanding the universe of South Side
It’s been over two years since South Side debuted on Comedy Central and made many Black Chicagoans from the city laugh in a way that felt personal. Amongst the many […]
Posted inFilm
Chicago Party Aunt? More like Chicago Party Rant!
Have you ever played Oscars Bingo? You know, where you and your friends write bingo boards filled with awards-season cliches and hyperspecific references to the year’s nominees in order to […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Get baked with Bambi Banks-Couleé
The drag superstar is decolonizing weed “from the kitchen to the couch” with her new cooking webseries.
Posted inFilm
Panic revives the young adult adaptation
The new series takes a familiar formula to unexpected places.
Posted inFilm
Jana Schmieding is holding open the door for Native sitcoms
A conversation about representation, creative hustling, and the future of marginalized voices on TV.
Posted inFilm
Colton Underwood and the gay reputation laundry machine
Coming out does not absolve you of your sins.
Posted inFilm
Devil in Disguise resurfaces the story of John Wayne Gacy
Archival footage offers a compelling window into the case, but no ground-breaking revelations are uncovered.
Posted inFilm
Made for Love redefines the modern sci-fi genre
The HBO Max series stands out with slapstick comedy, a complex look at female liberation, and incredible performances.