Matt's Musings

  This last week was the Network Upfronts presentation, a week I've long looked forward to an enjoyed. It's a time when networks announce what to expect in the Fall. Below is a look at each of the five networks and my thoughts on the slate. I'm going in order of schedule release. NBC The Peacock has football in the Fall, which always gives it a boost and shortens the window of programming needed. Mondays and the first part of Tuesday still belong to The Voice , with the Chicago trilogy on Wednesdays and the Law & Order trio on Thursdays. That doesn't leave a lot of holes. Last year's lone survivor, La Brea , will team with the final season of New Amsterdam to round out Tuesdays as NBC moves on from This Is Us . Meanwhile the network is only launching two new shows this Fall. The first is a re-boot of Quantum Leap , this time fronted by Raymond Lee, that will anchor Monday nights. I enjoyed the original but I'm skeptical we need this show back. The second ...

  Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown! Dr. Mark Greene :  People come in here and they're sick and dying and bleeding, and they need our help. Helping them is more important than how we feel. ER (1994-2009) Starring: Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, George Clooney, Maura Tierney, Sherry Stringfeld, Eriq La Salle, Juliana Margulies, and Laura Innes Favorite Episodes: "24 Hours," Episode 1.01; "Blizzard," Episode 1.10; "Love's Labor Lost," Episode 1.19; "Hell and High Water," Episode 2.07; "Night Shift," Episode 3.11; "Exodus," Episode 4.15; "The Storm," Episode 5.14 and 5.15; ...

  In 2022 I'm revisiting my favorite films of all time, doing a countdown of the Top 50 throughout the year. Check back each Friday for the latest installment in the countdown of films, which include releases through 2019. Agree? Disagree? Have a thought on the choice? Be sure to share in the comments below! Captain Miller:    I'm a schoolteacher. I teach English composition... in this little town called Adley, Pennsylvania. The last eleven years, I've been at Thomas Alva Edison High School. I was a coach of the baseball team in the springtime. Back home, I tell people what I do for a living and they think well, now that figures. But over here, it's a big, a big mystery. So, I guess I've changed some. Sometimes I wonder if I've changed so much my wife is even going to recognize me, whenever it is that I get back to her. And how I'll ever be able to tell her about days like today. Ah, Ryan. I don't know anything about Ryan. I don't care. The man means...

  The 2022 NFL Draft is in the books and it's a good time to take stock of the Broncos' roster heading into Training Camp. Today I continue with a look at the defensive line group. Defensive Line On the Roster DE : Dre'Mont Jones, Marquiss Spencer, Jonathan Kongbo, and Eyioma Uwazurike On the Roster DT : McTelvin Agim, Jonathan Harris, D.L. Jones, Mike Purcell, DeShawn Williams, and Matt Henningsen About: Figuring out personnel for the Broncos' front seven is always an interesting proposition given the free movement between defensive line and outside linebacker. However, this is the group currently listed for defensive line. There are 10 players on the roster. My best guess is that the Broncos will keep six here going into the regular season, which means some interesting cuts. A few figure to be safe or locks to make the final roster. I think Dre'Mont Jones, Agim and D.L. Jones are locks. D.L. Jones was one of the free agent acquisitions, figuring to be a run-stuff...

  We’re into May with a small lull before some of the biggest films of summer start to drop. Last week we got a bunch of smaller releases, and I saw nearly all of them. Below is the review of the new films I saw this week. If you’d like to see more of my scores for films and thoughts, feel free to follow me on Letterboxd here . Firestarter (Theaters/Peacock) Starring: Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and Michael Greyeyes Synopsis : Stephen King has long crafted stories that have appealed to the masses. His novel Firestarter has been adapted before, but this newest take was dropped just in time for Friday the 13th. It got a release in theaters but dropped on the Universal Streaming platform, Peacock, on the same day. No matter how you got to see it, likely you were underwhelmed. The adaptation wasn’t particularly tense or frightening, nor was it particularly compelling. Efron feels miscast here while the rest of the story is a snoozer. This is the second big release of the summ...

  We’re halfway through May and coming close to the end of the network season. Yet, we’re still getting some interesting releases on cable and streaming. As you’re spending these longer Spring evenings relaxing around a fan, which of these series is worth checking out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Spring. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Thursdays: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Streaming Thursdays on Paramount+ (Premiered May 5) About : The world of Star Trek on Paramount+ has expanded, this time back on the starship Enterprise. This one is a prequel to the original, focusing on the time when Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) was the captain of the Enterprise. Spock (Ethan Peck) is there, and we get the familiar Star Trek opening. This one follows an adventure-of-the-week format and is a heck of a lot of fun. If you’re a Star Trek fan, get giddy. If you’ve never followed the world,...

  The 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone, and with it we’ve seen where the Class of 2022 will play and how that figures to impact rosters. As draft season is beginning, it’s the ideal time to look at some updated positional rankings. Mondays throughout May I’ll be offering my revised dynasty positional rankings, continuing today with running backs. As we’re approaching the season, I’m expanding the number of players I consider. For running backs, I’ll be looking at my Top 60 at the position, divided into tiers—RB1s, RB2s, RB3s, RB4s, and RB5s. RB1s: (RB1-RB12) ·        Jonathan Taylor, Colts ·        Najee Harris, Steelers ·        Javonte Williams, Broncos ·        D’Andre Swift, Lions ·        Dalvin Cook, Vikings ·        Christian McCaffrey, Panthers ·      ...