The Evolution of SNL’s Weekend Update

February 28, 2014 | Ron Seifried

A successful franchise within a franchise is very rare. Saturday Night Live is in the middle of its 39th season, and only one recurring skit has continued almost unchanged since its premiere: Weekend Update. The news piece usually appears after … Read More

Heroes and the New Definition of a Mini-Series

February 26, 2014 | Ron Seifried

How can you milk a franchise if the cow dried up of original ideas during the second season?

In the old days of TV, episodic series were produced for 22 shows per season. The cable-TV revolution led by The Sopranos, … Read More

Sid Caesar: Comedy’s Professor

February 13, 2014 | Ron Seifried

The only person to be named an honorary cast member of Saturday Night Live. From an institution that produced countless legends, Sid Caesar stood apart from his peers and recognized by his comedic descendants as the one true inspiration to … Read More

Fargo: The TV Series

February 5, 2014 | Ron Seifried

It seems like every day this miserable winter; I’m scraping a layer of ice off my windshield. The slow, repetitive movements of my arm going back and forth never culminates in the frustrating gyration of one William H. Macy, but … Read More