TV Shows Watched: The White Lotus: S3E7 (MAX) with audio description, American Idol: S23E5 (Hulu) no audio description, Adolescence: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Win Or lose: S1E7 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Side Quest: S1E2 (Apple plus) with audio description, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver: Current (MAX) no audio description
Best Episode (Tie): Adolescence and Side Quest- Yes, predictably the Netflix show finished on a strong note as the last episode focused on Jamie’s family, and specifically his father’s birthday, as he tried to have some normalcy in his life. Just yesterday, the Uk government announced they were making the series available to all of their schools because of the potential benefit kids would have in watching it. Maybe they could start a conversation. Maybe it will win an Emmy. But, i also know that I just saw the second episode of Side Quest, which revolves around a comic book shop, and that episode I wanted more than anything to become its own series. Often we talk about back door pilots, and I liked that episode and those characters so much, that I would absolutely follow them into their own show. I know it is a one in a million chance, but Apple should take that leap.
Runner Up: the White Lotus- It was still great, just two other shows hit me in a more impactful way.
Best Audio Description- Win or Lose- Exploring the life of yet another player, we got more imaginative and excellent audio description.
Runner Ups: The White Lotus and Adolescence- Both shows had strong audio description that supported their narratives.
Best Performance: Stephen Graham (Adolescence)- What a birthday for Eddie. If Graham’s performance over the course of the episode doesn’t win you over, the series basically ends on him in a moment that will break your soul. Graham did such a lovely performance in the two episodes he was featured in of this limited series.
Runner Ups: Walton Goggins (The White Lotus) and Bria Henderson (Side Quest), the Platinum Ticket Winner *(American Idol)- Goggins has pretty much stolen the whole season of the White Lotus. It’s some of the best work of his career. bria introduced us to Cherry, who was at the center of all the craziness in the comic book shop in Side Quest. She made me want to watch more. and, without saying who it is, that Platinum Ticket winner deserved it. what a vocal talent.
Best Moment Of Audio description: What your coach really means (Win or Lose)- i like the cleverness of having the text translated (which I guess was subtitles) from what a coach says to what they really mean, or at least what kids hear.
runner Up: The car rides (Adolescence)- Technically two moments, but both had to be well supported by audio description for us to feel the weight. there’s the car ride to the store, which despite certain things felt jovial, and there’s the ride home which is the total opposite. Audio description doesn’t always need to be flashy, sometimes it just has to perfectly capture actors choices, and the intended mood of any given moment, and that happened here.
Worst Of…- I still believe ABC has no excuse for not audio describing American Idol anymore.
