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Thomas West

Thomas J. West III earned a PhD in film and screen studies from Syracuse University in 2018. His writing on film and TV has appeared at Screen Rant, Screenology, FanFare, Primetimer, Cinemania, and in a number of scholarly journals and edited collections. He co-hosts the Queens of the B's podcast and writes a regular newsletter, Omnivorous, on Substack. He is also an active member of GALECA, the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

20 classic TV shows that still hold up

These are the shows that are both popular in their own time and somehow still manage to be just as popular and beloved, if not more so, for subsequent generations. When TV magic happens, it creates something that lasts beyond a single TV-watching generation.

20 groundbreaking LGBTQ+ characters from the TV & film world

The LGBTQ+ community has had a very vexed relationship with popular culture. For a very long time, members of the community were either not represented at all or were shown to be disturbed or villainous. However, the past couple of decades have seen a sea-change in representation, and though there’s been some backsliding, there are more LGBTQ+ figures on TV than ever before. As Pride Month is around the corner, it’s worth looking back at some of the most groundbreaking figures in film and TV and appreciating just how far society has come and how far it still has to go.

The 20 greatest sibling rivalries on TV

TV thrives on exploring the fraught relationships between various siblings, demonstrating the extent to which being a part of the same family doesn’t necessarily mean everyone has to get along. Families are complicated, and over the decades, television has been quite adept at exploring the many situations that arise.

The 20 most clever TV shows of all-time

These shows often make viewers think and laugh at the same time, and, as such, they are deserving of an especially important and esteemed place in the canon of great television.

20 films that best depict Hollywood's infatuation with Wall Street

Hollywood has long had a fascination with finance and Wall Street. Given how the corporate world exerts a potent hold on American life, this is quite an understandable impulse.

20 iconic film scenes that always gives viewers goosebumps

Goosebump-inducing scenes demonstrate the extent to which movies retain their power to awe, inspire, and terrify their audiences.   

20 marvelous movies that have bittersweet endings

There’s something remarkably and uniquely powerful about a movie with a bittersweet ending. Though movies often provide escapism, they can also capture something real and true about the real world outside the theater.

20 films that flopped at the box but are still worth watching

Film history is filled with films that flopped at the box office yet still managed to be good. Some of these films would receive critical re-evaluation in subsequent decades, revealing the extent to which box office numbers shouldn’t be the sole barometer by which movies are judged.

20 intense films that will leave viewers completely shook

Many non-horror movies manage to be quite intense, demonstrating the extent to which cinema can terrify viewers even outside the confines of the horror film. In addition, such films demonstrate the extent to which cinema as a whole is a medium predicated on feelings of one sort or another.

20 iconic TV shows you can only really watch one time

There’s no question that television has gone from strength to strength over the past couple of decades, giving viewers many extraordinary series. However, it is also the case that many series, despite their remarkable strengths, end up not being worth a rewatch for one reason or another.

20 legendary TV shows where the cast feuded with each other

If there’s one thing that fans of TV love almost as much as the shows themselves, it’s the drama and gossip that often surrounds production. 

20 popular TV shows that were imitations of previous shows

Sometimes, knockoffs manage to become something special in their own right, while at others, they never quite break free of the shadow of the shows they were imitating. 

20 beloved characters who actually committed a serious crime

While antiheroes are by definition capable of either committing crimes or at least behaving in a way that goes beyond the bounds of the morally acceptable, there are some more lovable — or at least likable — characters who are guilty of committing crimes. 

Who are the 20 showrunners behind iconic hit TV shows?

Recent entertainment history is filled with examples of great showrunners, many of whom were actually able to produce more than one successful show.

20 popular TV shows where the original stars became secondary characters

Television, even more than film, has the remarkable ability to shift and change as it goes on, giving characters the chance to grow, develop, and change, just as do people in the real world.

The 20 saddest television finales of all-time

Sitcoms particularly excel at creating sad endings since it’s often quite wrenching to say farewell to characters that audiences have come to love and care about. At the same time, many dramas have also produced some very sad finales, many of which show how the characters have, or haven’t, changed during the course of the show.

20 A-list actors who seemingly fell off the face of the Earth

Unfortunately, recent Hollywood history is full of stars who were everywhere but subsequently largely disappeared from popular consciousness, revealing just how ephemeral success can be in entertainment and how nothing is ever really guaranteed.  

The 20 most memorable depictions of God in films

God is almost impossible to render in a way that doesn’t seem limiting or downright blasphemous. Despite this, several movies have actually sought to depict this figure in one way or another, often with reverence but sometimes with comedy and sometimes outright mockery. 

20 TV shows that pulled off jaw-dropping secret identity reveals

Even the simplest of people often have more going on with their lives and their identities than one might assume at first glance. Quite a few people in TV, it seems, are not at all what they seem.

The 20 most fascinating villain origin stories from the film world

At their best, villain origin stories help flesh out the psychologies and motivations of the antagonist, showing that darkness usually has some sort of root. Moreover, these films demonstrate why villains almost always become more fascinating than the heroes they oppose.

The 20 grossest horror movies

While many such films fall into the category of body horror, several other horror movies aim to gross out their audiences as much as they do to frighten them.

Good grief: 20 films that can help viewers process trauma

The best films that contend with trauma also demonstrate how much this is a key part of many people’s experiences, giving viewers more nuanced and poignant understanding of the role it plays in human psychology.

20 iconic film plots that are driven by obsession

The best movies driven by obsession keep viewers riveted and glued to the edge of their seats, even as they are also cautionary tales about how obsession can destroy lives and leave wreckage in its way. 

The 20 greatest Canadian TV shows

From sketch comedy to drama, documentaries to sitcoms, several notable Canadian series have succeeded in the country itself and the rest of the world, particularly the United States.

20 TV retcons that were absolutely maddening for viewers

Short for “retroactive continuity,” these are essential facts about a character or a show's mythology that is changed from one episode, one season, to another. TV history is filled with several particularly egregious retcons that still outrage fans.