The Best TV Episodes of 2025

January 31, 2026

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CREDIT: ABC/Screenshot

A surprisingly perfect crossover produced an unforgettable culture clash, while some of the usual suspects got up to the same old new shenanigans.

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Best TV Shows of 2025

January 30, 2026

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CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): Apple TV/Screenshot; Apple TV/Screenshot; HBO/Screenshot; Hulu/Screenshot

Sometimes I arrange my Best TV Shows of the Year list around a gimmick or an alternative perspective. But this year, I just decided to stick with a straightforward roundup of the series I loved the most. So here’s my list of my top 20 shows for 2025, along with some thoughts about why I was happy to have them as part of my regular viewing routine.

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Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 1/30/26

January 30, 2026

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I’ve got a case of the Wockas (CREDIT: Disney Plus/ABC/Screenshot)

Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.

Movies
–The Moment (Theaters)
–A Poet (Theaters)
–Send Help (Theaters)
–Shelter (Theaters) – The latest Jason Statham January pic.

TV
-Grammys (February 1 on CBS and Paramount+) – Trevor Noah hosts again, reportedly for the last time.
–Good Sports (Tuesdays on Amazon Prime) – This premiered back in November, but Amazon failed to remind me in a timely manner. Anyway, Kenan Thompson and Kevin Hart are back at it following their Olympics gig.
–The Muppet Show (February 4 on ABC and Disney+) – Hopefully this revival lasts for one more episode.

‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Straps Us In and Doesn’t Let Go

January 29, 2026

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You’re probably wondering how they got there… (CREDIT: Row K/Screenshot)

Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, John Robinson, Kelly Lynch

Director: Gus Van Sant

Running Time: 105 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: January 16, 2026 (Theaters)

Dead Man’s Wire captures the real-life story of Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård), who in 1977 stuck a contraption onto his mortgage broker Richard Hall’s (Dacre Montgomery) neck that would set off a point-blank shotgun blast if  Hall tried to escape. It’s one of the most exhilaratingly strange and disturbing kidnappings that I’ve ever witnessed, and now I can’t help but ask: what are our own dead man’s wires? If life is just one long march to death, then what are those seemingly ever-present albatrosses that will wipe everything away if we lean forward a little too much? Personally, I like to think that I’ve got enough equilibrium to not be dealing with anything like that right now. Maybe I’m not being reflective enough, or maybe that’s just a sign of healthy baseline security. Either way, I’m thankful. But to anyone out there who feels like sharing: did this movie metaphorically resonate with you in a way that was a little too close for comfort?

Grade: 0 Safeties out of 1 Mood Board

Does ‘Mercy’ (the Movie) Take Mercy (the Virtue) on Our Souls?

January 27, 2026

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Is this the face of mercy? (CREDIT: Amazon MGM Studios)

Starring: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, Kylie Rogers, Kali Reis, Chris Sullivan, Kenneth Choi, Rafi Gavron, Jeff Pierre

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Running Time: 100 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: January 23, 2026 (Theaters)

Have Mercy? In the latest Screenlife venture from director Timur Bekmambetov, some dude played by Chris Pratt must prove his innocence vis-à-vis the murder of his wife to an AI judge embodied by Rebecca Ferguson within an hour and a half, or else he will be instantly executed. So now that I’ve seen this movie, I of course must ask the question: did it make me want to be replaced by artificial intelligence? To which I’ll answer: of course not!

But if that replacement hypothetically must happen, would I prefer that it be Rebecca Ferguson-style? Well, when you put it that way, she does at least bring something unique to the occasion. But I’d still be fighting against it, because it’s just not living up to its supposed potential. Anyway, the movie kind of abandons its Screenlife gimmick for the last ten minutes or so as it gives way to a frenetic climax, and it’s overall a pretty rollicking time at the movies.

Grade: 4 out of 5 Acts of Clemency

Lead vs. Supporting Conundrums: 2025 Edition

January 26, 2026

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CREDIT: Buzzfeed/Screenshot

Every Awards Season, I like to step forward and offer my own take on the dilemma of whether certain acting performances in the conversation should be Lead or Supporting. There are still a few contenders I’ve yet to see, but I haven’t heard any cries of Category Fraud related to those, so here are my assessments:
-Unlike last year’s first part, both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are Leads in Wicked: For Good (Ariana even more so than Cynthia).
-Though I can see the argument for Lead, Chase Infiniti is Supporting in One Battle After Another.
-Though he carries himself like a Lead, Paul Mescal ultimately settles into a Supporting space in Hamnet.

BONUS!: Is This a Comedy?
The following movies have been categorized as comedies by awards bodies that split films into genres, thereby raising the Skepticism Hackles of some awards watchers. So here’s my verdict on whether or not they are in fact comedies:
–One Battle After Another: Kind of, but not really
–Marty Supreme: Yes!
-Should we stop splitting movies into “Drama” and “Comedy” but also nominate The Naked Gun for everything, regardless of genre?: Yes!

This assessment originally appeared in the Official Jeffrey Malone Newsletter. Subscribe here!

Jeff’s Wacky SNL Review: Teyana Taylor/Geese

January 25, 2026

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How’s it honking? (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)

Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.

Hello, People of Reality! If you’re reading this in a storm-affected region, thank you to the Electricity Gods for not knocking out your power. Anyway, it’s time to discuss yet another fresh episode of Saturday Night Live. This one features the hosting debut of newly-minted Oscar nominee Teyana Taylor. Before her acting career really started taking off, I knew her best for dancing in a music video and winning The Masked Singer. Has anyone else ever discovered that they would be up for an Academy Award while in the midst of prepping for some sketch comedy?

Rounding out the lineup for this episode are musical guest Geese, a group of cultishly adored rockers who (just like Ms. Taylor) originated in The City That Never Sleeps. I’ve yet to explore most of their discography, but I’m ready to dive in.

And because Geese are the musical guest, my Review Gimmick shall be Honking. So I might grade sketches out of a certain number of Honks, or perhaps I will express my enthusiasm or lack thereof with approving or disapproving Honks.

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Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 1/23/26

January 23, 2026

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Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.

Movies
–Arco (Theaters) – Oscar-nominated French animated movie that counts Natalie Portman among its producers.
–Mercy (Theaters) – The latest Screenlife effort from director Timur Bekmambetov.

TV
–Shrinking Season 3 Premiere (January 28 on Apple TV)

Music
-Megadeth, Megadeth
-Poppy, Empty Hands
-Lucinda Williams, World’s Gone Wrong

The 2025 Podcast Roundup

January 20, 2026

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CREDIT: How Did This Get Made?

My annual Best of the Year coverage currently encompasses the worlds of Cinema, Television, Music, and Podcasts. That last medium is perhaps the most expansive, despite also being the youngest. So since listening to every new podcast of 2025 would have been a disturbingly Herculean task, this isn’t a countdown of the best podcasts of the year, but instead a collection of highlights from the ones on my playlist.

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Jeff’s Wacky SNL Review: Finn Wolfhard/A$AP Rocky

January 18, 2026

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Rock on! (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)

Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.

Well, if they insist, I’m happy to keep watching them debut new comedy sketches live from New York City on Saturday night. To clarify, I’m currently talking about the NBC television program Saturday Night Live, specifically the tenth episode of the 51st season, featuring host Finn Wolfhard and musical guest A$AP Rocky. The former is best-known for the Netflix series Stranger Things, which I famously have not watched beyond Season 1, despite having some desire to catch up. As for the latter (frequently also referred to by certain jokesters as “As Soon as Possible Rocky”), he’s got a very new album that I’ve been listening to, as well as a co-star in common with his host. Furthermore, before watching this episode, I wondered if some of his other funny recent co-stars might be inclined to make a cameo. Let’s find out!

For my Review Gimmick, I shall be returning to an oldie but a goodie of Transcribing the Notes I Took While Watching the Episode.

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