tv review
Reviews of family-focused TV; television series' that celebrate the highs and lows of life with your nearest and dearest.
Looking through the eyes of Love
I’m old. Let’s face it I’m probably a good deal older than a lot of people who read the Vocal pieces or write for Vocal but I love TV and all things Netflix, Hulu and some of the Australian streaming services like Stan where I live in Australia. A quiet night at home, especially during winter, just me and my dog and being able to chill and watch a great Netflix or Hulu series, wrapped in a warm blanket, sugary cup of tea in hand, is my idea of heaven.
By Jackie Nugara5 years ago in Families
Here's the Thing About 'Hilda'
I have always loved cartoons. Being born in the late 80s to parents born in the late 40s left me exposed to the greatest animation that every decade of the genre had to offer. As I grew up, it became clear that cartoons were not going to be left behind as my G.I. Joe's had been. The shows I clung to as a child gave way for the early days of Adult Swim when I was a teenager, soon followed by the new golden age of animation that boomed as I became a full fledged adult. When I found out that I was going to be a father, the decision to see what children's programming I had been missing out on was an easy one to make, and soon enough I was pulled into the world of Hilda.
By John Dodge5 years ago in Families
Single Moms Viewing Club
Being a single mom in this day and age is a tough job. Statistics show that in 2019 there were around 15.76 million children living with a single mother in the US. That’s a lot! And since I am one of them myself, I can commiserate. We are not only the mother, but the father, the maid, the nurse, the cook, the teacher, among other roles. We work, we take care of the house and the kids. Most of us look forward to evening time when we can rest and relax. Watching television is probably the most favored activity for respite. There’s a reason why tv apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, and Peacock are currently popular.
By Rachel Campbell5 years ago in Families
My So-Called Life Tells Us What It Means That This Is Us
A lot of shows resonate with me, but one series reverberated more profoundly than the rest: My So-Called Life. One instance in particular gets me where I live. It's a simple moment really, when Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes, and Rayanne Graff, played by A. J. Langer, exchange shoes. (Happens during "Pilot," and is highlighted during the opening credits.)
By Christy Munson5 years ago in Families
From The Holiday to 90 Day Fiancé
What’s the perfect formula when deciding what to watch next? If you’re a viewer like me, you want programming that’s going to offer you an escape from your everyday dwelling, allow you to blurt out solutions to other people’s silly problems, and results in making your life seem put together and better off than others.
By Diane Stewart5 years ago in Families
From Dr. Quinn to Elizabeth Thornton
Of course different people enjoy different types of television shows. When I was young I liked Little House on the Prairie and I still enjoy watching the reruns today. Then when I was in my twenties I fell in love with Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. If you are like me and you also loved Dr. Quinn, which started airing in 1993 on CBS, I think you will also like When Calls the Heart on the Hallmark Channel. Dr. Quinn ran for six seasons with the final episode airing in May 1998. When Calls the Heart started as a movie before becoming a series in January 2014. I just started watching When Calls the Heart in 2019 but I have been watching the seasons I missed on DVD. Michael Landon, Jr., is an executive producer of When Calls the Heart. Many people will recognize his name because he is the son of the late Michael Landon, who starred on Little House on the Prairie. All three shows that I have just mentioned are very wholesome and involve life during a much simpler time. Life is so complicated today and watching When Calls the Heart is like a breath of fresh air.
By Margie Anderson 5 years ago in Families
From Intern to Admitting
November 6, 2018, I was seriously injured at work. While furiously preparing our high-end grocery store cheese department for the Thanksgiving rush, I stepped on a haphazardly placed piece of metal shelving and slashed my left achilles tendon.
By Becky Rynkiewicz Dodson5 years ago in Families
Love It or List It
As a millennial, I don’t have cable TV. It’s not that I can’t afford it (avocado toast isn’t that expensive), it just seems like the vestiges of a bygone era. These days, everything is on demand. You can watch whatever you want, whenever you want, for as long as you want, til you run out of content.
By Lindsay Rae5 years ago in Families
There's Always Money in The Banana Stand
Full of life lessons, crazy family drama, and telenovela levels of plot twists and turns, Arrested Development is truly a show worth binging. From the very first episode, you're thrown into this family's life as the head of the family and the Bluth's real estate development empire, George Bluth, is arrested for stealing millions of dollars and illegally building houses in Iraq for the infamous Saddam Hussein. Quite the story starter, am I right?
By Isla Berry5 years ago in Families
This Is Us
This is Us follows the lives of the fictional Pearson family. A love story centred around main characters Jack & Rebecca, who soon fall pregnant with triplets. When I first put this on I had run out of programs to watch and my hopes were not high from the synopsis. Within 20 minutes I was hooked. Hooked in that unhealthy way, where you find yourself not wanting to leave your new-found television friends and being so emotionally involved in the storyline. You need water, you need lunch, dinner, the toilet; but you just can’t find a way to pause the television. Amazon Prime also have a sneaky way of starting the next episode so swiftly that you don’t really have a chance to say no. One episode merges into the next and in the blink of an eye your day is over!
By Kayleigh Fraser ✨5 years ago in Families
