State of the Blog: template, auto pagination, OWF & TV Calendar

Before we start, let me just say that I'm going to be very busy with "real world" matters today, so updates will be affected—beyond this post, of course. Anyway... the eagle-eyed may have noticed a few more blog improvements, courtesy of Alan Woodward, who's been tinkering away and doing a brilliant job tightening DMD's aesthetic and ironing out some kinks.

The latest changes:

• The blue Facebook "like box" beneath blog titles when you open individual pages has been erased. This always looked like a waste of space and a redundant feature, so now each post's header image is tucked directly under the title—conserving space.
• The floating social button bar (to the left of what you're reading right now) has been updated. You can now 'Google +1' a post you like, and send a link through to a Tumblr. This is in addition to the existing social networking buttons: Facebook "shares", Twitter "re-tweets" and StumbleUpon.
• Every post on the main page has a time-stamp, not just the latest post of each day! Also, individual posts have a time-stamp under the title!
• Next to the time-stamp on each individual post, there are now Labels—so you can quickly navigate through to other posts without relying so much on the Label Cloud and "In Review" boxes.

You may also have noticed that DMD's front page now only displays 9 blog posts, instead of the usual 15. This is apparently auto pagination that Blogger's been rolling out since 2010—which means they're trying to boost the load times of blogs by forcing bloggers to show less content on their main pages. I have no idea why they've decided to limit me to 9 posts (is it calculated by filesizes?), but there you have it! It's also strange that it's taken over a year for this initiative to affect DMD, but there you have it!

Oh, and it also makes no sense that Blogger have this kind of control, as it should be down to authors to decide how their blog looks! I'm very upset about this uncalled for interference. I hope this isn't the start of Blogger imposing further "rules" on their customers.

It's particularly annoying because I've had to delete a few widgets from my sidebar, to ensure the sidebar's the same length as the reduced length blogging column. This includes my Twitter window and an advert box. How ridiculous that Blogger are even making me cut my own revenue stream because of this! How unfair is that?! I may have to rethink my "In Review" box, by shrinking the graphics there, so I have room for more important things.

Hopefully you visit DMD daily, so the above won't really matter, because you're always aware what the latest blog updates are. But if not, I encourage you to check out the "older pages" and archive, as posts will drop off the main page much quicker now (3-4 days).

I've stepped down from writing for Obsessed With Film, for the time being. It's an amicable "separation", purely because of financial reasons, so maybe I'll return at some point in the future. But in the meantime, all reviews of TV premieres will no longer be exclusive to OWF and will instead be posted at DMD once more.

Finally, to answer a long-standing argument, some people seem to think my TV Calendar should be organized according to premiere date (chronologically), not show title (alphabetically). I disagree, because I think people want to know when a TV show returns, not what's on in any given month.

But what do YOU think? Vote in the poll below to have your say. I promise to obey the result. It closes on 10 June @5PM GMT.



P.S: I'm actually very busy today with "the real world", so there won't be further updates until later on Thursday. I have Primeval and The Killing reviews lined up, and MTV's Teen Wolf perhaps following on Friday.

Read more...

State of the Blog: underlining & IT

This week: coding, IT at work, Twilight Zone

First, I'd like to openly thank longtime reader Alan Woodward, who helped me fix a long-running problem with DMD this week: the inability to underline links in blog posts. It's a minor thing, yes, but a tougher challenge than it would appear to be. Alan kindly spent a number of days re-coding DMD's template and, after some trial and error, I'm very pleased that links are now underlined in posts.

Alan also worked out why DMD's re-tweet buttons weren't displaying the full title of posts. For some reason the code hates the inclusion of apostrophes! Maybe we'll be able to fix that soon, but in the meantime I've ditched using apostrophes wherever possible in post titles.

So thank you, Alan! I'm very grateful for your time, effort and kindness this past week or so. *round of applause*

In other news, my IT problems have abated slightly, as I can now use the internet at work, but there's unfortunately no chance of Blogger and Disqus working for me. I'm stuck with IE6, which doesn't work with Blogger very well now, and the network people have blocked any access to Disqus. So you'll have to get used to most weekday updates being posted after 5pm GMT, although I'm trying to auto-post stuff from the night before (TV Picks, Jump the Blast, etc) just to tide things over. It's a shame--as there's less chance of me being first with a few UK TV news pieces, but that's how it goes.

I'm still planning to review episodes of The Twilight Zone in bite-sized form, remember. I've watched six episodes so far, and aim to release my first review of seven episodes later this week. It will primarily be a way to take up some slack here, as most US network shows go off-air. However, I'm not falling into the trap of assuming summer equals a TV drought--what with Breaking Bad, True Blood, Torchwood and many others airing new seasons. There will be plenty to be getting on with.

As always, this is the place to ask any questions, discuss something off-topic, bring something to my attention, or start a conversation about anything you like. Over to you!

Read more...

State of the Blog: IT hates me

My workplace underwent a big IT upgrade last week, but the results haven't meant a huge improvement--well, at the moment. For instance, I'm still lumbered with Internet Explorer 6, so the inability to read or leave comments with Disqus won't improve. Even worse, there have been a number of glitches in the system, so I'm not actually able to browse the internet at work, or send/receive e-mails to external contacts.

Subsequently, my usual method of blogging (uploading content during tea breaks, perhaps filling some time by writing the occasional review) is currently impossible. This means DMD is going to be restricted for awhile--in the sense that content will have to be written at home, and perhaps uploaded later in the evening, or auto-posted for the following day. Hopefully it won't be an insurmountable issue, but you'll have to excuse any peculiar delays or things being uploaded at funny times of the day.

There's really nothing I can do until they fix the internet. There have been signs that e-mail could be repaired soon, which will definitely help matters. So I just ask for your patience and understanding.

To leave you on a positive, this has actually forced me to tinker with my Firefly review more often than usual, so there's a very good chance that could finally be posted in the near-future!

Every cloud has a silver lining...

Read more...

State of the Blog: updates & Thrones

My Blogger/IE6/Disqus issues are back in force, so just don't expect many updates or replies to your comments until after 5pm on weekdays. There will be a few instances when I can auto-post things from the day before (TV Picks, Jump the Blast's, Polls), but in general DMD won't be updating until late-afternoon now. It's all beyond my control, but could be fixed by May when my workplace finally upgrade IE. I'll keep you informed!

"Am I reviewing Game Of Thrones?" I hear you all cry. Well, a few of you. The answer is: um, no. I had every intention to make Thrones a weekly review after my pilot appraisal at OWF, but after watching episode 2 it dawned on me that I'm not enthused enough to bother. I quite like the show and enjoyed episode 1 (more for its potential than content therein), but it's not something I feel passionate enough about to wade through in next-day reviews.

If I was being paid, there would be no problem. I'd happily sit through each episode a few times, make extensive notes and research the material. But I don't get paid. I blog for fun and a desire to communicate, and Thrones isn't speaking to the passion necessary for that. As I sat down at my laptop, facing a blank Word page, trying to distill my thoughts on "The Kingsroad", I realized that writing 800-1000 words on that episode would just be a drain on me.

My apologies if you were looking forward to regular Thrones reviews here, but my state-of-mind takes priority. I'll still be watching the show, so there's an outside chance I'll find away to chime in with a quick mini-review of an episode that speaks to me more, but don't bank on it.

In a similar vein, my reviews of Camelot and The Killing are still on shaky ground, owing to low comments/page-hits since they started. As I've said before, there's no point stealing time away from reviews of shows people DO care about to cover ones most people DON'T. Of course, those shows are on US cable channels, currently not being shown in the UK, so it's possible the core audience for these reviews just aren't in sync with me. That's always the risk you take with reviewing brand new US cable shows.

Finally, owing to the fact I have quite a few unfinished reviews/articles scattered about, I may put those all together for a special post soon. This will include: an aborted Being Human Series 1-3 DVD review, a short review of Dexter Season 4's DVD, an episode of Caprica, and a partial review of Dollhouse's Season 2 DVD.

By popular demand, what are my favourite shows right now? In descending order of greatness:

Doctor Who (S6)
Fringe (S3)
The Good Wife (S2)
Justified (S2)
Arrested Development (S2)
Community (S2)
The Killing (S1)
Game Of Thrones (S1)
Camelot (S1)
The Event (S1)
Chuck (S4)
The Ricky Gervais Show (S2)
Rubicon (S1)
Glee (S2)
Nurse Jackie (S2)
Campus (S1)

Read more...

State of the Blog: Easter break

I'm off on another jaunt from today until Easter Monday (which includes seeing Derren Brown live -- woohoo!), so blog updates will be less frequent. This week's reviews of Rubicon, Fringe and Camelot will be delayed, but I'll do my best to ensure Doctor Who gets reviewed for Sunday (but no promises.) My review of Justified's season 2 premiere will go up tomorrow. You know the drill by now: there won't be a total blackout, but don't expect "normal service" until next Tuesday.

As for the future; I've decided to review Doctor Who, Torchwood, Game Of Thrones, Breaking Bad, True Blood, Camelot, The Killing and Psychoville every week this spring/summer. The Borgias didn't appear popular enough to justify investing time writing reviews, although I'll keep watching it. Mildred Pierce will probably only get a premiere review at OWF, if that, owing to low enthusiasm and weak reviews from the US. Falling Skies is more likely to find a place on my weekly schedule, if it's good.

So that's 8 or 9 shows being covered over the next few months, with the possibility of a few more being added to the mix. As always, comments, links, and page-hits will help me determine the long-term prospects of some reviews. Right now, I'm unconvinced the audience who voted for Camelot are fully engaged with the show, so it's on the wobble here already. The Killing has also elicited far less feedback than I expected, but we'll see how it goes... for now.

Remember: if you appreciate a review here, please leave the occasional comment. It's the only way I know if something's truly popular and worth persevering with.

My problem accessing Blogger at work appears to have cleared (maybe it wasn't an incompatibility with IE6 after all), but the situation with Disqus has worsened. I wasn't able to leave comments, but now I can't even read comments! It looks like my workplace have blocked access to Disqus itself. Great. Consequently, I'm in the dark about what comments are being left on DMD until I get home. Please continue to leave them, but just know won't be reading/replying until later -- sorry!

On a related note, for anyone wanting to create a Disqus profile and upload an avatar, here is the process to follow:

If you're NOT already registered with Disqus, click "subscribe by e-mail" or "subscribe by RSS" under the 'Add New Comment' box. A pop-up window will appear, where you must then enter your email or RSS option in it. It's THAT easy! Once done, visit www.disqus.com, enter your details to access your profile, and upload an avatar. Et voila!

Sounds like hard work? Okay, fine, let's disagree. But it's worth it because many sites/blogs use Disqus now. Once you're signed up, you may be surprised by how many places you visit online that now has your avatar preloaded into the comments area. And if you're a regular commenter here, why not seal the deal by signing up properly?

Finally, by popular demand, I've created a TV pilot/premiere calendar. The calendar is readily accessible on the main page's sidebar, just underneath the "In Review" widget (formerly "On The Box".) I hope you'll bookmark it and, if you can, help maintain it by e-mailing me about amendments. Its design may change, as I try to find the best, easiest way to make the information clear.

Let me know your thoughts, if you have any!

Read more...

Patience, Blogger problems

I suspect Blogger are upgrading their system, which means I'm unable to access my dashboard with Internet Explorer 6 at times. It's an outdated browser, I know -- but that's what I'm forced to use at work. Consequently, I'm sometimes unable to post anything from my work computer, although the matter currently seems to be restricted to just the mornings!

I'll try and "auto-post" a few things the evening before (like these very words you're reading now), but if there's a suspicious lack of updates... well, you know why now. Worse case scenario is that a day's updates will go up in a batch around 5pm.

All this in addition to the fact Disqus have updated their coding in 2011, which has meant I can't reply to comments from work with IE6, either! Oh well, can't be helped. On the plus side, I hear that my workplace will be upgrading Internet Explorer in May, so hopefully this problem's not going to last much longer than a month or so. It may even sort itself out from Blogger's end soon, if they're actually the ones to blame.

In the meantime, please be patient. My reviews of TV pilots/premieres at OWF will not be affected by this, obviously -- but I won't be able to immediately alert you to their existence at DMD. If you're pretty sure a premiere review's due one day, I suggest you check OWF directly.

Thank you.

Read more...

State of the Blog: 10 Questions

It's question time again! Every so often I like to ask everyone 10 questions regarding DMD and its output, to keep me aware of changing opinion and expectations of the readership here. A blog's nothing without happy, engaged readers.

1. The polls appear to be popular. I sometimes squeeze two into a week (mainly to fill gaps), but do you prefer one per week? And as follow-up questions: would you like instant, real-time results, or is a separate "Poll Result" post more fun? Also, should polls run for longer than 5-7 days?

2. Would you like less or more TV news? Or is the balance right, where I tend to only post news that's relevant to the shows I watch?

3. Are there any current TV shows you wish I'd cover? In particular, I'm in two-minds about reviewing The Borgias, Rubicon and The Killing every week -- would you be up for that?

4. I've made an effort to do more TV Ratings this year. Are those posts appreciated, or don't you care about them? I don't expect many comments, but do you read them?

5. Would you like a permanent, regularly updated page that lists return/premiere dates of TV shows in the US and UK?

6. What's the general feeling about weekly comedy reviews? Pointless because "what's funny is funny", so they don't need to be critiqued so much? I only ask because some people were confused I reviewed Friday Night Dinner's first episode, but ignored everything since.

7. State of the Blog posts like this one: are they still worth doing? Could they be improved in some way? Irregular? Fortnightly? Monthly? Is weekly too often?

8. How many updates do you expect to see every day? Would it matter if updates were less frequent (sometimes NONE) if the benefit was more in-depth reviews, or the chance to cover entire box-sets?

9. Are there any long-running TV reviews you think should be dropped here, as I've done with Glee recently?

10. Talking Points thrived during February/March, but some were more popular than others. What works best about them? What makes a great Talking Point? Topicality, a la the Midsomer Murders and racism post? An unusual question?

Read more...

State of the Blog: record-breaking

There was a great response to my post about a campaign to get BBC2's Whites back on TV, but that paled into insignificance compared to the deluge of hits my interview with writer Ben Richards (Outcasts) had last week. The comments are still trickling in, approaching the 200 mark!

I think that breaks records for DMD, which is great, for a few reasons:

• It all helps promote DMD online in various forums.
• I genuinely believe more UK TV talent should engage with their audience in this manner (ideally before their show airs, too.)
• It draws a large number of newbies to DMD, so hopefully a percentage will stick around. It's always great to shake things up and get some new opinions and perspectives here.

From reading the interview's many comments, people clearly appreciated Ben Richards answering a few early questions himself, and it was certainly a surprise to see that the vast majority of commenters loved (nay, adored) the show.

Cutbacks!

You may have noticed I've stopped reviewing some shows in recent months. Being Human USA was an understandable case, as it was recycling so much of the original for my taste (although I did a catch-up review); The Event has been on the precipice for ages, but its limp relaunch pushed it into an abyss; but Glee was a bigger surprise because it's in the throes of a second season. Usually, if I've stuck with a show for a whole year, I'll continue until its dying breath (just ask ABC's V.) But things are a-changing, folks, and I'll be ditching shows quicker from now on.

This is partly because (a) I'm growing tired of a few established shows in their middle-age, (b) I need to make room for new shows that are premiering this year, and (c) I get the feeling people appreciate the extra news or feature-based content I don't often have time to do with so many reviews. For example: many of the recent Talking Point posts have received 40+ comments, my pieces on Whites and Outcasts practically went viral, my recent "10 Ways To Improve 10 O'Clock Live" post received a notable amount of page-hits, and a few videos about greenscreens were surprisingly popular. There's clearly an appetite for variety here, so I'll keep that in mind.

However, DMD's a TV review blog at heart. That won't ever change. It's the driving force behind what I've always wanted to do here. Diversifying more will just help keep me fresh, so the surviving reviews are better.

Lack of content

We're at that funny time of the year where many shows have reached (or are about to reach) their end, but new shows for spring/summer aren't seamlessly taking over. If you look at my "On The Box" widget in the sidebar, I'm down to 3 shows being reviewed weekly. It was closer to a dozen in February!

To compensate, I may start reviewing a few shows I wouldn't ordinarily write about. Or do some special one-off reviews. I may also return to a few shows I've dropped, just to fill gaps occasionally. But more likely, I'll use the free time to post things that aren't so expected; like more Talking Points (which have gone down a treat in 2011), a weekly Poll, continue the Jump The Blast meme, and maybe a few other unique features. As always, your suggestions are welcome for ways to take up the slack, before new shows like Doctor Who and Camelot start up in April.

Ideas for features, thoughts on the blog, opinions on recent output, suggestions for future reviews, off-topic questions? The floor is yours...

(P.S - I'm unable to comment here during working hours again, as Disqus have done something to their coding that prevents older browsers from working properly. As always, I DO read every comment, but any response from myself will be delayed.)

Read more...

State of the Blog: social, donators, commenters, etc.

Social spread

I'm pleased to see people re-tweeting posts on Twitter, as that's a great way to spread DMD's content to people who may not otherwise find it. In particular, @BeingHuman3 has been very supportive of my Being Human reviews this series. I'm sure you're aware of DMD's embedded buttons for you to re-tweet and "share" posts on Facebook. If you're a member of any of those social networking sites and want to help DMD (rather than comment, if you don't have the inclination), clicking one of those buttons would be much appreciated. It would be particularly great to see more Facebook "shares", as very few people seem to ever use that function. It seems to be the more news-based items that appeal to Facebookers.

Anyway, just a polite reminder that the buttons are there to be used, if you think something would be of interest to your friends/followers, or just deserves wider attention.

Generosity of donation

In the previous SotB I drew your attention to my new PayPal donation button in the sidebar, and I'm extremely grateful some of you kindly donated money. Many were astonishingly generous. As I said last time, blogging charity is one of those awkward things to raise in a public forum without feeling like you're pressuring people whose visits and input you already value. I'm just very happy that some of you decided my daily blogging these past five years has been worth a few pennies. Rest assured that all money received will go towards blog-related issues (such as paying for online storage space) and not frittered away on drink, drugs and women.

Commenters: Super 7

Do you ever check the "Top Commenters" under the "People" tab in the Disqus widget in the sidebar? I don't very often, as I've never been convinced it's very accurate, but you may like to. Maybe Disqus have got it working properly, because it looks more plausible now. Bob is the current leader with 245 comments, although David has 74 "likes". I guess that means Bob's more prolific, but more people like David? Oh, this could cause some arguments! Anyway, I thought I'd highlight that feature.

Regarding "commenting culture" here: I've noticed a few discussions have been straying from the subject at hand recently. I know topics can naturally broaden when you start discussing something, but please try and keep your comments on-topic, or steer things back to a relevant point if you go off on a tangent. Others readers who don't comment themselves probably don't want to read a thread that spirals off into irrelevancy.

Addendum

As usual, feel free to use this post as a place to ask me questions, suggest ideas for the blog, or comment on shows I'm not watching or reviewing, etc.

Read more...

State of the Blog: donations, sponsors, friends, etc.

Penny for the blog?

I've decided to add a PayPal "donations button" to DMD, near the top of the sidebar. The reason for this is simple: while I've always blogged as a pastime (partly to sharpen my writing and work ethic), I think the blog's reached the point where I'd be a fool not to take advantage of an opportunity to earn some extra pennies. An opportuntiy many blogs of lower output/quality take advantage of. So, a few donations would be very much appreciated... but never expected.

I'm quite happy for everyone to keep visiting DMD, as usual, and simply leave comments. This is the way it's been for five years, and I'm quite happy with that arrangement to continue for another five. But, if you do have deep pockets and would like to show your gratitude in a more material way, that option now exists. If you don't feel comfortable donating, for whatever reason, no offence is taken. Honestly. But maybe you'll instead consider clicking a few of the blog's adverts instead? That also earns me commission, while taking nothing from your own piggy bank! Win-win, right?

Businesses: advertise here!

In a related matter, are you a business that would like to sponsor DMD? This blog attracts thousands of visitors every single day, so an advert placed here for 12-months will be seen by over a million people with an interest in entertainment media. And that number's rising all the time. Please email me to discuss rates.

Oooh, fwiend!

I know many of you kindly follow me with a RSS feedreader, via Twitter, or have joined DMD's Facebook page for updates, but I thought I'd mentioned a lesser-known method to get alerts: Google Friend. Scroll down to the blog's footer and you'll find a widget with 71 people who have chosen to follow the blog's updates that way. If you'd like to increase that number to 72, at the very least, I'd appreciate it. 100? Even better! 200? I may just faint.

Boxed up

You've probably noticed DMD's new header logo, of a blue TV next to the blog's title. Every weekend, I'll be changing the logo so a relevant person-of-the-week is framed in the TV screen. It will alternate gender, too. Most celebs will reflect the return of a particular TV show in the week to come, but there may be the odd surprise or comical misuses. Most of the faces will be familiar, some won't be. Occasionally there may even be relevant objects, just to keep you on your toes!

Read more...

State of the Blog: stars, memes, treatment, poll, etc.

For any new readers, State Of The Blog is a recurring feature of Dan's Media Digest where I basically update everyone on things relating to the blog. It's nothing more complex than that. So if you like reading some inside thoughts and updates about what's happening at DMD, or what I'm planning for the future, this should be right up your alley. If you don't, you may as well click "back" on your browser right now. It's also an informal place where you can ask questions or start discussions on anything you like, provided it's vaguely entertainment-related.

Seein' stars!

I occasionally get asked what my star ratings mean, to me. So, here's the "key" of each star's definition, as I see it:

½ - dreadful (i.e impossible to imagine anyone finding value)
1 - very bad (i.e mostly poor, with a few competent moments)
1 ½ - bad (i.e not good, but contains worthwhile elements)
2 - average (i.e reasonably entertaining but missed clear opportunities)
2 ½ - good (i.e solid work, enjoyable but with problems)
3 - very good (i.e entertaining and involving, with caveats)
3 ½ - great (i.e mostly excellent, but with nitpicks)
4 - excellent (i.e. outstanding on most levels, harsh to pick fault)

Hopefully that elaborates the mystic art of assigning stars to reviews, which is admittedly tricky in the context of TV, because you're effectively rating "chapters of a book" most of the time. BTW, I reserve the right to deliver a ZERO star rating, but it's never happened... yet. One day I'll be forced to break the glass and use one, I'm sure.

But the dreaded "all-grey" star rating does exist. Behold:



See? It's not just a tale horny teenagers tell their friends around campfires. I guess my natural taste means I happen to avoid all the TV drama that would deserve one.

Me-meme-meme-meme-meeeeeme!

What are your thoughts on the irregular "Jump the Blast" meme, which has been running throughout January? It's getting to the point where I'm considering its future after a month's trial. I don't expect comments on those posts, but nobody's submitting their own finds, and I'm unsure if people enjoy this meme. So, do you?

Good treatment, bad treatment

Also, its great news that In Treatment season 2 is finally being shown in the UK. Unfortunately, it's moved from Sky Arts (which I have) to Sky Atlantic (which I don't), so I'm still going to have to wait for the DVD. However, to stay positive, because In Treatment's going to premiere on Sky Atlantic from April, that seems to have hurried the DVD release to 27 June. It'll be one of my summer box-sets this year! It's still a real pain the UK's so far behind with this show, though -- as HBO recently finished season 3 in the US.

OWF - Sky's Best Blog?

You may remember awhile back I asked everyone to vote for Obsessed With Film in a poll run by Total Film magazine. Unfortunately, said poll was vandalized by unfair voting, so it was closed amidst a shitstorm of bitter commenting. Oh dear. Fortunately, Sky Movies have a similar poll, where OWF is one of the four nominees for Best Contributor-led Blog of 2010, and it's being handled in a more gentlemanly way.

The Sky poll actually closes today Sunday! When I last checked, OWF had overtaken its biggest rival Hey U Guys by about 200 votes and was on course to win! But it's changing all the time, so every single vote matters a great deal. I've been tweeting about this poll for the past few weeks, so thanks if you've already voted for OWF. But if you haven't, and you're on Facebook, please visit this page, find OWF under the "contributor-led" tab, and "like" us to effectively leave your vote.

As I've said before, this kind of award may seem trivial, but it can have an astonishing impact for the winning blog -- in terms of increased readership, which leads to ad revenue, which leads to sponsorship, which can lead to the contributors getting paid for their efforts. You can effectively help jump-start a fledgling online business in less than the 15 seconds it takes to vote? Isn't that worth it? I think so.

Finally, folks!

I've struggled to find time to watch the remaining five episodes of Caprica, ready for bite-sized reviews to round that series off, but I now only have 3 to go. Sorry it's taking so long, but I have to prioritize things here -- and a defunct sci-fi drama most people hated doesn't rank highly on my agenda!

That's it! Well, beyond a quick mention that my "will you be watching Sky Atlantic?" poll closes today at 5pm GMT. Leave a comment below, if you'd like.

Read more...

State of the Blog: 'Firefly', Disqus, replies, rankings

Short break

First, a quick heads-up that I'm away for a few days until Saturday, so updates will be a little erratic until I get back. Luckily, V and No Ordinary Family are on a break, so I probably won't miss too much.

Fireflying high

You may remember I promised to tackle my long-awaited Firefly review over Christmas, for a January post. Did I manage that? Yes! Did I manage to complete the review? Um, no. I think I'm going to stop giving updates on reviews that are tough to fit into my schedule. Doing so used to encourage me to get a move on, but I've becoming immune to that tactic now. And I'm sure you're bored of me updating you on my slothful pace in a few areas. Also, whenever I get some fee days, I don't feel like filling them with more writing. I need those breaks! But still, rest assured that my Firefly (and Alien Anthology) reviews ARE ongoing and WILL surface here one day. Hopefully they'll be worth the wait!

Disqus demystified

To clarify a few concerns about Disqus: Firstly, Disqus is the name of the third-party software that handles DMD's commenting system. A few people didn't know this and were confused reading my last SOTB entry! Sorry about that; I thought it was common knowledge. Secondly, I have been made aware of a weird bug where the commenting box doesn't expand if you type more than a box-full of text. It should adjust automatically, but there have been occasions when the box remains fixed in size and anything you type gets "hidden" if you type more than five lines or so. Sorry if this happens to you! It's not MY fault, but an issue with Disqus itself. I'm enquiring about this error with them, so hopefully they'll have a fix soon.

Also, a few people were wondering how to create avatars, after I suggested more people use them -- especially if they've become, or want to become, regulars visitors. Apparently the process isn't very intuitive, but a few people did manage it. Maybe someone can write a quick how-to guide in the comments. I would assume you just need to visit www.disqus.com and signup for an account. It may ask you some weird questions, but you're not signing up to create a blog/site, just registering your profile. You can also link the created profile to Facebook or Twitter, so if your avatar changes there Disqus will grab the latest version. I know a few commenters here are linked to Twitter in such a way, including myself. It's very handy.

Incidentally, that issue with the commenting space not automatically enlarging as you type is being looked into. It's a fault Disqus are aware of, so just be patient and it'll hopefully be fixed soon.

Silly Face of the Week

CHUCK - "Chuck Versus The Gobbler"

Leave a comment, I'll get back to you...

Finally, in case you'd forgotten, it's impossible for me to reply to comments between 9-5pm (GMT) now, owing to a recent Disqus upgrade that doesn't work with Internet Explorer 6. If you're kind enough to leave a comment anywhere, I'm still able to read them online, but I can't respond until I get home. I'm not being rude if it takes 8-hours to answer any questions you may ask in a comment, etc. Anyway, maybe this will encourage commenters to discuss things amongst yourselves more? That's always good to see.

That's so... rank!

A few readers have asked how I'd rank all the currently-airing TV shows I'm watching, so... ask no more:

1. Fringe
2. Human Target
3. Being Human
4. Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena
5. Chuck
6. The Good Wife
7. Caprica (catchups)
8. No Ordinary Family
9. Glee
10. V
11. Being Human (USA)
12. Primeval
13. Episodes
14. The Cape

Naturally, that list fluctuates every few weeks.

Read more...

State of the Blog: DMD3, 'Caprica', features, etc.

New Year, New Look

Obviously, the planned revamp of DMD went ahead on New Year's Day without too many hiccups. A few minor issues were swiftly dealt with that weekend (such as a "sharebox" that obscured text in lower screen resolutions), and minor improvements are ongoing. I was surprised and delighted that there was no outright hatred of the changes, with most people very happy to see DMD get a fresh lick of paint. Phew!

I'm not sure if this is related to the revamp itself, but traffic increased over that launch weekend, with DMD even breaking its page-hit record on two consecutive days -- with over 4,000 visitors! I hope those extra people continue to visit. It perhaps shows how much people appreciate a cleaner, improved design to the sites/blogs they read. Or maybe this was a total coincidence and things will quickly get back to normal...

There are still some changes to DMD on the backburner, mainly because I'm not skilled enough to make complicated coding changes myself. My main priority is restoring "labels", although it doesn't seem to have affected things too much without them -- as people tend to use the Label Cloud, my bespoke "On The Box" widget, the LinkWithin thumbnails, and search box to find what they want. Is that the case?

Caprica catchup

Secondly, I've had a few emails and tweets about resuming my reviews of Caprica -- the remaining episodes of which Syfy recently "burned off" in one evening. Indeed, I'll be covering those final episodes sometime fairly soon, in bite-sized form.

Get Obsessed

Finally, most of you will know this, but I thought it was worth reminding people that I also write TV news pieces for Obsessed With Film. I retweet my OWF work on Twitter, but otherwise don't call attention to those posts here. You'll just have to keep checking OWF, bookmark this page, or follow me for alerts. The only OWF articles I draw attention to at DMD is the exclusive TV premieres I write for them. I just thought it was worth reiterating this situation, as there may be new readers who aren't aware that I split my blogging. If that's you, then I hope you check out OWF!

Also, continued thanks to the regulars here who occasionally chip in with comments at OWF. I feel proud that my reviews there attract an above-average number of hits and comments, which is what OWF hired me to achieve, and I simply can't do it without you guys! Always great to see a recognizable avatar and username over there.

Avatars: don't be blue

Speaking of which... I've noticed that quite a few people I'd class as "regulars" haven't uploaded avatars to go with their Disqus account! This means their comments always appear alongside a grey square. How boring. So, if you have the time, why not upload an avatar of some kind? It adds extra colour and personality to DMD, which is nice, while also getting rid of that weird feeling of anonymity avatar-less commenters have. Take a leaf from reader Alex Mullane's book -- a brand new DMD commenter, blessed with one of the coolest avatars from the get-go!

Features-a-go-go!

Finally, I'm still intending to introduce more new features to DMD, even if success with these has been mixed in the past. At the launch of DMD3, I started the "Jump The Blast" meme (screengrabs of people avoiding explosions in TV and film), which appears to be popular in terms of page-hits, if not comments and user submissions. I'll be running a few new ideas in the near-future (like themed Top 10's, maybe something involving standup comedy), but I generally rely on feedback to decide if I should continue with something new.

That's it for the first State of the Blog update for 2011! Any questions, thoughts, opinions, suggestions, or OT conversations? This is the place to air them.

Read more...

Christmas & New Year Break

As is customary, my output will be restricted over the Christmas and New Year period. Specifically, 21 December - 1 January. This is unlikely to mean a total absence of new content, as there are festive specials I'm likely to review. I may also drop in for some random festive posts, and my New Year TV Picks will kickoff next week, but don't expect 100% normality until January. But, equally, don't expect a blackout.

Incidentally, there's also DMD's revamp to look forward to, as I hope "DMD3" will launch on New Year's Day. This isn't a promise, as it may be delayed by a few weeks, but that's my hope. It may launch in an incomplete form, and then evolve/improve once it's up and running. Otherwise I could wait weeks for every little kink to be ironed out.

If anyone's interested in helping me troubleshoot the existing template, send me an email and I'll select a small "beta-testing group" of trusted regulars to get an early look this week.

Read more...

State of the Blog: cold snap and revamp

There was a cold snap last week in the UK. The snow and ice was particularly bad where I live, so this led to various problems for me: a flat tyre, a frozen handbrake, cancelled/diverted buses, and a broken front door lock. A miserable, expensive time. I wasn't able to get into work for most of last week, and because my already delayed review of Mad Men's "Chinese Wall" was on my work computer (long story), it's resulted in a knock-on three-week gap in my reviews. I'm aiming to post "Chinese Wall" later today, finish my review of "Blowing Smoke", start writing "Tomorrowland", and probably post those two as a double-bill. I hope to have Mad Men's fourth season done and dusted by this time next week.

You may have heard me mentioning my plan to revamp DMD for New Year, in comments here, or on Twitter. That's still going ahead. I may ask for "beta-testers" to trial DMD's new design once it's ready (hopefully later this month), but more on that closer to the time. I'm not actually coding the new template myself, which means the speediness of its delivery is out of my hands. It's an existing template available online which the author is tailoring to my specific needs. He's doing it for free, which is fantastic and very kind, and I'll sing his praises once it's uploaded and running.

This redesign of DMD will coincide with a rethink of DMD's content, too. As a one-man operation (now with split commitment to Obsessed With Film), it's becoming a struggle to keep on top of everything I watch and want to review. I've always tried to deliver comparable output to the bigger blogs (many of which are run by fulltime writers who are lucky enough to be employed doing that) but it's been difficult.

There's a chance only TV shows I'm passionate about will be reviewed in the usual way (Dexter, Misfits, Mad Men, Fringe, etc) and others that are mainly just passing time may be reduced to, say, three paragraphs (No Ordinary Family, The Event, Human Target, etc.) This will result in less content overall. However, the long form reviews that remain should be better because I have time to polish them. Quality over quantity.

This will consequently free my time to tackle the box-set reviews that are such a struggle to write otherwise. I know there are people who'd prefer I get my gestating Firefly review done instead of bothering with No Ordinary Family every week, for example. That will be more likely if I start writing more bite-sized reviews for 40% of the shows I watch.

I was also wondering what people thought about some of my irregular features here, as I'm thinking of ditching the least popular ones, improving features that have promise, and thinking up some new ones.

TV Picks: Every Monday I list the majority of TV shows premiering in the UK over the coming week. It's a handy glimpse at what's to come, aimed at my native countrymen, including my "Pick Of The Week". Is this still useful for Brits? Interesting for everyone else?

Talking Point: A question is posed to readers (usually something I'm interesting in knowing the answer to, or just curious about), and hopefully a discussion will blossom from the comments below. Or not. I want to make these more regular. Do you enjoy these when they're posted?

State of the Blog: You’re reading one! A little update on blogging concerns, mainly letting you know about changes and my plans for the future. Possibly only of relevance to regular readers, but basically a place to let you know what's going on "behind the blog". Readers can also ask off-topic questions here, if they want.

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: A monthly list of discs being released in the UK, usually with a personal star-rating included. These don't draw comment, but are popular draws via search engines. I take it people browse the upcoming releases?

Competition: An occasional contest, usually to win a DVD or Blu-ray, sometimes with a few extras like posters, key-rings, etc. These are targeted at UK and Ireland residents, but I'd happily do competitions for overseas readers if any marketing/PR companies want to get in touch.

Incidentally, owing to the fact Disqus has undergone another modification, I'm unable to post replies to comments from work. That's right, my browser's unable to handle whatever coding they've decided to use. So, please, continue to leave your excellent comments and discuss things amongst yourselves, but I won't be able to respond myself until I get home. It's not me being rude and ignoring you, basically.

Anything else you want to talk about, feel free to unburden yourself in the comments section below.

Thanks.

Read more...

State of the Blog: cold snap and revamp

There was a cold snap last week in the UK. The snow and ice was particularly bad where I live, so this led to various problems for me: a flat tyre, a frozen handbrake, cancelled/diverted buses, and a broken front door lock. A miserable, expensive time. I wasn't able to get into work for most of last week, and because my already delayed review of Mad Men's "Chinese Wall" was on my work computer (long story), it's resulted in a knock-on three-week gap in my reviews. I'm aiming to post "Chinese Wall" later today, finish my review of "Blowing Smoke", start writing "Tomorrowland", and probably post those two as a double-bill. I hope to have Mad Men's fourth season done and dusted by this time next week.

You may have heard me mentioning my plan to revamp DMD for New Year, in comments here, or on Twitter. That's still going ahead. I may ask for "beta-testers" to trial DMD's new design once it's ready (hopefully later this month), but more on that closer to the time. I'm not actually coding the new template myself, which means the speediness of its delivery is out of my hands. It's an existing template available online which the author is tailoring to my specific needs. He's doing it for free, which is fantastic and very kind, and I'll sing his praises once it's uploaded and running.

This redesign of DMD will coincide with a rethink of DMD's content, too. As a one-man operation (now with split commitment to Obsessed With Film), it's becoming a struggle to keep on top of everything I watch and want to review. I've always tried to deliver comparable output to the bigger blogs (many of which are run by fulltime writers who are lucky enough to be employed doing that) but it's been difficult.

There's a chance only TV shows I'm passionate about will be reviewed in the usual way (Dexter, Misfits, Mad Men, Fringe, etc) and others that are mainly just passing time may be reduced to, say, three paragraphs (No Ordinary Family, The Event, Human Target, etc.) This will result in less content overall. However, the long form reviews that remain should be better because I have time to polish them. Quality over quantity.

This will consequently free my time to tackle the box-set reviews that are such a struggle to write otherwise. I know there are people who'd prefer I get my gestating Firefly review done instead of bothering with No Ordinary Family every week, for example. That will be more likely if I start writing more bite-sized reviews for 40% of the shows I watch.

I was also wondering what people thought about some of my irregular features here, as I'm thinking of ditching the least popular ones, improving features that have promise, and thinking up some new ones.

TV Picks: Every Monday I list the majority of TV shows premiering in the UK over the coming week. It's a handy glimpse at what's to come, aimed at my native countrymen, including my "Pick Of The Week". Is this still useful for Brits? Interesting for everyone else?

Talking Point: A question is posed to readers (usually something I'm interesting in knowing the answer to, or just curious about), and hopefully a discussion will blossom from the comments below. Or not. I want to make these more regular. Do you enjoy these when they're posted?

State of the Blog: You’re reading one! A little update on blogging concerns, mainly letting you know about changes and my plans for the future. Possibly only of relevance to regular readers, but basically a place to let you know what's going on "behind the blog". Readers can also ask off-topic questions here, if they want.

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: A monthly list of discs being released in the UK, usually with a personal star-rating included. These don't draw comment, but are popular draws via search engines. I take it people browse the upcoming releases?

Competition: An occasional contest, usually to win a DVD or Blu-ray, sometimes with a few extras like posters, key-rings, etc. These are targeted at UK and Ireland residents, but I'd happily do competitions for overseas readers if any marketing/PR companies want to get in touch.

Incidentally, owing to the fact Disqus has undergone another modification, I'm unable to post replies to comments from work. That's right, my browser's unable to handle whatever coding they've decided to use. So, please, continue to leave your excellent comments and discuss things amongst yourselves, but I won't be able to respond myself until I get home. It's not me being rude and ignoring you, basically.

Anything else you want to talk about, feel free to unburden yourself in the comments section below.

Thanks.

Read more...

State of the Blog: review updates, New Year shows, revamp

We're speeding towards "winter hiatus" in mid-December, when UK shows are joined by festive offerings, and US shows... well, go off-air for awhile. I'm still mystified by that cultural quirk of US TV. Feels totally illogical to me. Anyway, it's a time when I start to reorganize things here: eyeing up new shows to review in the New Year, while deciding which ones to drop.

The Event is on shaky ground. I've already decided to stop reviewing at US pace, so I'll be tuning into Channel 4 every Friday now instead. The UK's a few weeks behind NBC, so I'm effectively taking a fortnight's break. Considering the lack of comments about it here, there's a chance I won't continue reviewing The Event next year -- unless its February "relaunch" is a marvel.

My apologies for dropping behind with Mad Men. A combination of ill health and "real world" concerns forced me to put it on the backburner. I hope to have a double-bill ("Chinese Wall" / "Blowing Smoke") up at the weekend. At the very least, "Chinese Wall" will be posted.

I intend to keep reviewing The Walking Dead on FX, as there are only a few episodes left of its six-part season. Likewise The Trip, which ends in a few weeks. I was going to review Todd Margaret, but episode 2 was so underwhelming I'd hate myself for even bothering. I also decided to drop Eastbound & Down from the rotation at the last-minute, without reviewing a single episode, mainly because of time issues. And as it wasn't very popular last year, I doubt there's an audience this year. I'll still be watching it every week, though.

In fact, there are quite a few shows I'm watching but not reviewing right now, which is unusual. I've been enjoying The Pillars Of The Earth miniseries (only have the finale left to watch), although the setbacks regarding the building of the cathedral have me gnashing my teeth every week; Community has become a welcome fixture on Viva; I'm still watching Boardwalk Empire (although I'm still 2-3 episodes behind HBO); and I sampled FX comedy Louie last night. The pilot was like a twisted hybrid of Seinfeld and a Buster Keaton (near)-silent comedy

As an update on some long-awaited reviews: Firefly will likely be a Christmas project for me, hopefully posted in January; the Alien Anthology review is 85% done, but I may have to limit myself to just reviewing the films, not the extras, because I simply don't have time; and, ironically, time is the main reason I haven't watched my Back To The Future trilogy Blu-ray yet. On the positive side, a DVD review of Dexter Season 4 is due at the weekend.

I've also been sidetracked with my intention to revamp DMD soon -- either for its 5th anniversary in March, or as a Christmas treat. It's been tricky finding a good design, that takes advantage of social networking, as I'm relying on someone who's kindly helping me (for free). I'll be looking for Beta Testers to help me decide if the template's up to snuff at some point. My guess is there will be concerns about the changes (especially how posts are displayed on the main page), and if that proves true... I'll need to merge the new design with the current one.

So what are the new shows I'm likely to start reviewing next year? V's return will certainly get looked at, series 3 of Being Human is a must (together with its US remake, which could air in tandem!), series 4 of Primeval will probably be reviewed, and US/UK comedy Episodes has my casual interest.

Over the Christmas period, I'm aiming to cover Dirk Gently (16 Dec) and Doctor Who (25 Dec) specifically, but I'm not going to guarantee a next-day posting for the latter -- as it's holiday time and I'm due a rest. Then again, you know me, I'll probably manage to do exactly what I'm warning you I can't. Hey ho.

Finally, I've heard a rumour that Sky Atlantic's going to launch on 24 January 2011, but take that with a pinch of salt. It's from the mouth of a Sky rep, via a follower of mine on Twitter. And while I trust my second-hand source, it's uncorroborated hearsay really. But does 24 Jan feel likely? That's sooner than I expected, although we know a few Sky Atlantic shows are scheduled to premiere in February, so I guess it's possible. Hopefully an official announcement from Sky is on the way.

Any reaction to the above plans? This is also the place to air your random, OT views.

Read more...

State of the Blog: on my plate...

It's a slow week, mainly because US politics put a few TV shows on hiatus (The Event, Glee, No Ordinary Family), and there was no new Fringe on Sky1. But that's not to say I'm not busily prepping stuff to be posted in the near-future. I'm aware a few things I promised to do over the summer have fallen by the wayside (The Good Wife review -- now very unlikely, a retrospective review of Profit's pilot, et al), but that's how it is. I do my best, but brand new TV has a habit of creeping up on me and stealing all my attention. And, fact is, most people would prefer I review the current weekly releases than bother reviewing shows that are months/years old. My activities at Obsessed With Film is another reason it's harder to find the time for everything. But, for those who care, here's a rundown of things I have on my to-do list, which I'm actively working on:

Alien Anthology (Blu-ray) I spent last weekend watching the first three movies, with the fourth still to revisit this Saturday, and that's before I dive into the bountiful extra features. It'll take awhile to get through this comprehensive box-set, but I hope to deliver four enjoyable and extensive reviews. I hope you enjoy them. I'll be promoting this post heavily online, considering the work that's going into it, so hope you'll help spread the word with links/tweets when the time comes.

Back To The Future Trilogy (Blu-ray) Similarly to the Alien Anthology, I'll get through this box-set over a few weekends and post a substantial review shortly after. Considering the fact they're old films, there's no rush, so please have patience.

Dexter: Season 4 (Blu-ray) Another of my occasional DVD/Blu-ray box-set reviews, primarily linking back to my existing archive of reviews, but with a look at the extra features. I'm sure it'll be of some interest. Well, I hope!

Dollhouse: Season 2 (Blu-ray) I'm 30% of the way through writing a review of this box-set, which will be exclusive to OWF. For readers here, you already know my thoughts on this series, but this will have to take priority over a few things.

Firefly (DVD) My summer project to catch-up with Joss Whedon's admired sci-fi drama went according to plan, but I just can't find time to write the damn review! The new TV season and my OWF commitment has proven too much of a diversion, as there are more pressing concerns. I will do my best to get a review done, chipping away at it whenever I get a spare half-hour, but it's possible this will have to wait for Christmas.

Read more...

State of the Blog: evolution

You may have noticed changes to DMD this past week. Most obviously, there's a LinkWithin widget to every post's footer now (a gizmo that suggests related posts to the one you're reading). Let me know what you think! Is it working for you? Are there any problems? I'm aware it doesn't display in old browsers like IE6 -- but that isn't a problem for most of you, right?

There is also a rotating video-advert in my sidebar, accompanying my Google Ads and VoucherCodes sponsorship. Now, I'm not going to arm-twist readers, but I'm sure you're aware that clicking on those ads benefits both the advertiser AND yours truly. I'll say no more...

I've also decided to stop linking to the IMDb pages of actors in my reviews. I've never been sure anyone clicks through on those, or if people find them useful. They certainly don't benefit me in any way -- they just eat up time having to create them. And while that isn't a huge undertaking, it can become a chore. Maybe I'll just link to IMDb if there's someone I want to draw special attention to in a review. Either way, such links won't be as common as they used to be. Sorry IMDb, I know you relied on me for 50% of your traffic...

Incidentally, does anyone ever click on the Amazon carousel of DVD/Blu-ray releases on my monthly listing of UK discs available to buy? Is that worth continuing with -- beyond the fact the carousel looks cool?

I may also start uploading larger photos in the body of reviews, instead of word-wrapped thumbnails. The original thinking was to conserve storage space on Picasa, while giving reviews more visual pizzazz, but now I've swung back the other way and think readers would appreciate bigger, clearer pictures. And I can afford to increase my Picasa account if I use up my free space. Do you agree bigger pictures would be best?

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts about these changes. Maybe you have ideas of your own you'd like to share, too? These alterations are preparation for an overhaul of DMD in the near-future. Not that there's anything wrong or ugly about this blog right now (um, right?), but I have ideas about how to improve things -- to take advantage of social networking like Facebook and Twitter, amongst other things. The web's constantly evolving, so you have to keep up with trends and developments.

Regarding that last point, if there's anyone reading who's a genius HTML coder and could help me fix some template code I'm having problems with... please do get in touch! There must be someone out there willing to help me. I can show my appreciation with a permanent link to your site/blog here, and will sing your praises in general. Anyone interested?

Read more...

State of the Blog: stopping, starting, resuming reviews

I've decided to stop reviewing HBO's Boardwalk Empire. I really like the series and intend to keep watching it, but writing weekly reviews has proven tough to fit into my schedule (even before my week's break put me two episodes behind), and it doesn't appear to have caught the interest of readers here. I'd rather focus my efforts on reviews I know are read, appreciated, and get commented on most weeks.

Caprica has attracted less comment than expected since it returned to Syfy, which puts it in a precarious position. Are people watching, but not caring enough to comment? Are most people just not following at US pace? Or has it fallen off everyone's radar post-hiatus? Given the disappointing direction since it came back, I feel myself ready to give up unless there's a big turnaround soon.

I haven't decided if I'm going to add No Ordinary Family to weekly review, but the two reviews I've written attracted some response so that's good. I may add it to take up the slack of Boardwalk Empire. For awhile, at least. I may also ditch The Event in the near future, although there seems to be a FlashForward level of interest for now. And as I said last week, I'm going to switch to reviewing Fringe at the UK pace, so reviews will resume from next Wednesday. Sky1 are only a few weeks behind the US and likely to catch up when Fox start taking breaks for sport.

Whitechapel is only three episodes long, so I'll continue reviewing it, but probably not in any great depth. I'll also have a review of BBC4's sci-fi special First Men In The Moon next week (with Mark Gatiss and Rory Kinnear), having received a screener a few days ago, so stay tuned for that!

I'm also watching Community (Viva) and Nikita (Living), but not reviewing them.

Read more...