From its first episode, “Plan B,” which debuted on Netflix back in 2015, “Master of None” has always been an experiment in metatext. The series, from co-creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Young, puts a spin on their own experiences growing up as first-generation immigrants, struggling to make it into Hollywood and navigating through all kinds of anxious “Is this growing up?” experiences, from uncomfortable first dates to career setbacks.

Continue reading ‘Master Of None: Moments In Love’: Naomi Ackie Breathes New Life Into Netflix’s Metatextual Series [Review] at The Playlist.

With the advent of Peak TV and the silver era of the Streaming Age, it’s really crazy to consider just how much television has essentially closed and ended the gap between itself and the perceived quality of “cinema.” One format used to be decidedly elevated, and now, thanks to the Streaming Wars—and even the way the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the problems for the theatrical experience—TV and film are basically on par, more or less.

READ MORE: The 65 Most
Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2021

The “oh, it’s just television” stigma is long gone.

Continue reading Summer TV Preview: Over 40 Series To Watch at The Playlist.

After months of bare TV release schedules, May shows a return to form with plenty of new and returning series. While streaming services still monopolize many of the more popular releases, series such as “Pose,” returning for its final season, and “The Girlfriend Experience” offer a return to form for network television.

READ MORE: ‘Mythic Quest’ Season 2 Is A Reminder That Workplace Comedies Can Still Be Great [Review]

While May will be the first in months to not offer a new high profile Marvel series for event TV watching, Disney+ is filling the voice with the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” spinoff “Star Wars: The Bad Batch.” Elsewhere, there’s the return of 2020 under the radar favorites such as Apple TV+ comedy “Mythic Quest.” Most exciting however is the latest from director Barry Jenkins as he returns to the world of television with the highly anticipated adaptation of the best-selling novel “The Underground Railroad.” 

READ MORE: ‘The Girlfriend Experience’: Season 3 Is An Engaging & Elusive Look At Sex, A.I.

Continue reading 12 TV Shows To Watch In May: ‘Pose,’ ‘Underground Railroad,’ ‘In Treatment’ & More at The Playlist.

In one of the worst-kept secrets in TV, all the rumors are true—Netflix’s Emmy-winning comedy series, “Master of None,” is returning in May with a brand-new season, four years after the end of the previous. But even though we all knew this was happening, it appears that series creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang had some surprises up their sleeves.

READ MORE: Netflix Seemingly Lowkey Announced ‘Master Of None’ Season 3 Arriving Next Month

As seen in the new trailer for “Master of None” Season 3, dubbed “Moments in Love,” the series is returning in an all-new way.

Continue reading ‘Master Of None’ Season 3 Trailer: Lena Waithe Takes Over As Aziz Ansari Stays Behind The Camera at The Playlist.

Four years ago, in 2017, Netflix released Season 2 of “Master of None.” The second season was a bigger hit than before and earned numerous awards for its co-creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, as well as writers such as Lena Waithe (who also acts in the show). Since then, the series has been stalled, mainly due to a ton of off-screen drama involving Ansari.

Continue reading Netflix Seemingly Lowkey Announced ‘Master Of None’ Season 3 Arriving Next Month at The Playlist.

It’s been a long while since “Master of None” became a critical darling and award-winning comedy series for Netflix. In fact, it’s been nearly 4 years since Season 2 debuted on Netflix in 2017. But it appears that after an extended break (which we’ll get to in a bit), “Master of None” is reportedly in the middle of shooting Season 3 in the UK.

READ MORE: The Best TV Shows & Mini-Series’ Of The Decade [2010s]

According to UK outlet, Chortle, Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, co-creators of “Master of None,” have already been working on Season 3 in secret since last year, but the duo had to pause production due to the COVID-19 pandemic last spring.

Continue reading ‘Master Of None’ Reportedly Already In The Middle Of Season 3 Production With Naomi Ackie Joining The Cast at The Playlist.

The now-ubiquitous phrase “Peak TV”—coined by FX networks chief John Landgraf— only first appeared in 2015, but it certainly defined the entire decade of television in the 2010s. The streaming wars are upon us now, really taking off in November 2019 for anyone wanting to keep track— with the arrival of Disney+ and Apple TV+, and the debuts of HBO Max, Peacock, and others in the near future.

Continue reading The Best TV Shows & Mini-Series’ Of The Decade [2010s] at The Playlist.

The Directors Guild of America won’t be announcing the film nominations for the DGA Awards until tomorrow, but this morning they revealed the TV honorees and it goes without saying “Game of Thrones” ruled.

“Game of Thrones,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Better Call Saul” lead WGA Awards TV nominees

The HBO drama series took three nominations for episodes directed by Alan Taylor, Matt Shakman and Jeremy Podeswa. 

Continue reading ‘Game of Thrones’ Simply Dominates The 2018 DGA Awards TV Nominations at The Playlist.

Another year, and another Golden Globes ceremony in the bag. The big winner tonight was “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” which took Best Picture — Drama, Best Actress,  Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay.

The quartet of wins for the Fox Searchlight was somewhat of a surprise, given that during much of the awards season run-up, the love for the film seemed to be somewhat cool for the guilds.

Continue reading 2018 Golden Globes Winners: ‘Three Billboards’ Wins Best Picture at The Playlist.

It’s always difficult to tell ahead of time which of our year-end lists will prove the most divisive among the usually harmonious Playlist team. But perhaps reflecting the inarguable explosion of quality TV over the past decade, and therefore the fact that not any one of us has seen everything, and every one of us has their favorites among stuff that no one else saw, this year that dubious title may just fall to the feature you are about to read.

Continue reading The Best TV Shows Of 2017 at The Playlist.

It’s time to add a new word to your lexicon. We all know about binge-watching, but binge-racing — as defined by the wordsmiths at Netflix — is watching the entire season of a show within 24 hours. According to the streaming service, 8.4 million subscribers are into that habit, and they’ve released the list the top twenty shows that get consumed in the span of a single day.

While we may be living in the era of Peak TV, people still enjoy their disposable programming, as the top five slots are occupied by “Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life,” “Fuller House,” “The Ranch,” “Marvel’s The Defenders,” and something we never heard of called, “The Seven Deadly Sins” (it’s an anime series).

Continue reading Netflix Reveals Their Top “Binge-Raced” Shows, Plans To Release 80 Original Films In 2018 at The Playlist.

The Service Also Picks Up New Pilots From ‘Master Of None,’ ‘The Office,’ ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Creators

The so-called “Rotten Tomatoes effect” came into question again this weekend thanks to an fascinating New York Times article that stirred up the ongoing debate once more about the film review aggregator and how it impacts movie going culture. Studios currently hate Rotten Tomatoes, but it got me to thinking about several of the complex factors at hand.

Continue reading Wong Kar-Wai To Direct Amazon Drama Series ‘Tong Wars’ at The Playlist.

Donald Glover took the equivalent honor at the Golden Globes, but was snubbed without a nomination at the SAG Awards as was every actor from “Atlanta.” “Transparent’s” Jeffrey Tambor has won this category for the past two years and could easily take it again. We’re betting on Glover, but Tambor could snag the three-peat. [Updated July 27]

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

1.

Continue reading 2017 Best Lead Actor In A Comedy Series Emmy Predictions at The Playlist.

If there is justice in the world, Lena Waithe‘s deeply personal “Master of None” episode “Thanksgiving” will take this Emmy. If not, either “Veep” episode (we’re going with the funnier “Georgia”) or “B.A.N.” from “Atlanta” are next up. [Updated July 27]

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

1. “Master of None,” “Thanksgiving” by Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe
2.

Continue reading 2017 Best Writing For A Comedy Series Emmy Predictions at The Playlist.

Yes, it’s almost time to reveal the nominations for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards and some of the world’s biggest stars have learned to care and fret about the Emmys like they never have before. And so are the networks and streaming services behind the series, limited series and TV movies vying for those pretty gold statuettes.

There are no official statistics as of yet, but, based on just the live events staged by Netflix and Amazon over the past few months, this has been arguably the most expensive Emmys campaign to date.

Continue reading Emmy Nomination Predictions: ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘The Crown’ And ‘Atlanta’ Will Dominate at The Playlist.

When “Master of None” creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang sent their lead character, Dev (played by Ansari), to Italy at the end of the show’s pitch perfect first season you had to wonder if they could duplicate that success when the Netflix program inevitably returned.  Over a year later the answer was a resounding, “yes.” The two Italian episodes might not have worked for everyone, but they were the foundation for an exemplary second season that featured, arguably, three of the best half-hour narrative episodes anywhere on television so far this year.

Continue reading ‘Master of None’: Aziz Ansari On That “Heartbreaking” One-Take Scene And “Wanting What You Can’t Have” [Emmy Interview] at The Playlist.

If there isn’t already, there ought to be an improbably long German compound word to describe the slightly panicky, drowning feeling of overwhelmed anticipation that is one’s natural state when contemplating just how much good TV there is out there — and that’s even before additional shows like this week’s “GLOW” and “The Mist” have been piled onto the queue. Add in an appreciation of just how few hours there are in a day, and just how much “other stuff” one is supposed to be doing with one’s life, and the prospect of even making a dent in the mountain of unwatched Golden Age TV can actually trigger a full-blown panic attack.

Continue reading The 25 Best TV Shows Of 2017 So Far at The Playlist.

**Spoilers ahead**

Among the many, many treasures to be found in “Master Of None” season two, “New York, I Love You” is particularly special. The episode is notable for focusing on an array of characters that would usually not amount to much more than window dressing. Framing it all is “Death Castle,” a movie within the show “starring” Nicolas Cage, Tyrese Gibson, and Emma Watson that nearly everyone refers to at one point or another, before most of the players sit in the cinema at the end of the episode watching the much-hyped film.

Continue reading Nicolas Cage Turned Down Cameo In ‘Master Of None’ Season 2 at The Playlist.

For episode 7 of Bingeworthy™, I’m joined by Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist‘s editor-in-chief. The second season of Netflix‘s “Master of None“ arrived this month to even better praise than its first outing on the streaming platform. We discuss how the show improved from its first year, as well as our favorite episodes and characters.

As mentioned in the episode, there’s a great listing of all the season two restaurants on Eater for those who want to recreate the New York City culinary experience of Dev (Aziz Ansari), but perhaps with a little less romantic drama.

Continue reading Podcast: Bingeworthy™ On ‘Master of None’ Stepping Up Its Game at The Playlist.

With a wealth of critical accolades showered upon Aziz Ansari for “Master Of None” season two, the co-creator of Netflix‘s hit dramedy certainly has no shortage of options. In a strange way, Ansari is at a crossroads not unlike one his character Dev faces in the current season, when he’s given the opportunity to host “Clash Of The Cupcakes” for seven seasons.

Continue reading Aziz Ansari In No Rush To Make ‘Master Of None’ Season 3 at The Playlist.

On this episode of Adjust Your Tracking, Joe and I open the show with brief appreciations for the return of both “Master Of None” and “Twin Peaks.” After that, we discuss at length Ridley Scott‘s latest entry in his “Alien” prequel series, “Alien: Covenant.” Even though the film underwhelmed at the box office and received mixed responses from critics, there’s a lot to dive into.

Continue reading Adjust Your Tracking Talks Ridley Scott & ‘Alien: Covenant’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

“Master Of None” seasons two is finally here, and Aziz Ansari and co. are bringing more big laughs, great locations, and relationship woes to their hit Netflix series. But the latest batch of episodes also feature a wide array of music, and as you stream the series this weekend, you might want to keep this guide handy to look up whatever needle drop captures your attention.

READ MORE: Bingeworthy Breakdown: Should You Watch ‘Master Of None’ Season 2?

Continue reading All The Music In ‘Master Of None’ Season 2, From Ennio Morricone To Vengaboys at The Playlist.

The Bingeworthy Breakdown is an occasional look at new and returning TV shows. An estimated 500 seasons of scripted TV will air in 2017, and we’re here to help you sort the must-sees from the can-skips, because life is way too short, and Peak TV way too crowded, for investing in a show you’re not going to love. This week, we’re going to dive in to Season 2 of Netflix’s “Master Of None,” co-created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, so you can decide if you’re going to give yourself over to it when it airs on May 12th, or whether to spend that time on old episodes of “Columbo,” reading (lol) or, you know, bonding with your newborn or whatever.

Continue reading Bingeworthy Breakdown: Should You Watch ‘Master Of None’ Season 2? at The Playlist.

Just a few years ago, there was one aim for a TV series: to make it to the 100 episode mark, whereby you became most valuable for syndication, and sit back and watch the sweet Seinfeld/Dick Wolf dollars roll in. But the streaming era has changed things: a show can be any length (or have episodes of any length), with shorter seasons becoming more common — one of the things that’s led to the threat of the potentially imminent writer’s strike.

Continue reading Aziz Ansari Says ‘Master Of None’ Could End After Season 2 at The Playlist.

At the end of the first season of “Master Of None,” Aziz Ansari‘s Dev finds himself at a crossroads, and takes off for Italy to take a pasta-making course, and when the second season picks up, we’ll join him abroad. But like everything in else in the winning dramedy, the trip to Italy is one that has been well thought through by the writers.

READ MORE: Britt Robertson Takes Charge In Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Girlboss’

“One thing we want to do is, for whatever portion is set in Italy, we want to take advantage of where we are and make sure we’re telling a story that necessitates being told in Italy and takes advantage of the differences between the [Italian and American] cultures.

Continue reading Aziz Ansari Learns Life Lessons Again In New Trailer For ‘Master Of None’ Season 2 at The Playlist.