Big announcement today, folks: a week from tomorrow, I will be leaving The Star-Ledger full-time and going to work at HitFix.com, and this blog will be going with me. Please allow me to explain...
Here's the deal: on Monday, May 3, I'll say goodbye to The Star-Ledger newsroom, post my review of that night's "Chuck," and prepare to make the virtual move to HitFix (a great general interest entertainment site I've linked to a time or 20 because my old friend and podcasting partner Dan Fienberg is an editor and writer there). Starting Tuesday, May 4, this version of the blog will continue to exist as an archive of my writing from the fall of 2005 through now, but all my new material will be posted to HitFix.com/whatsalanwatching
In many ways, not much will change. The blog there will work the same way it always has here, with lots of reviews of the shows I watch each night, plus column-style entries reviewing shows in advance, commenting on the news of the TV business, checking in on series midway through a season, revisiting old shows in the summer (up next: "The Wire" season 3), etc. But rather than splitting my online presence between this version of the blog and the one at NJ.com (where all my Star-Ledger columns appeared), everything will now be in one place.
I've been given permission by my new
So why am I doing this? Several reasons. For one, The Star-Ledger is the only job I've ever had. I started there as an intern a week after I graduated college, backed my way into a TV critic position there within a few weeks, and have been doing the same thing for 14 years since. And while it's been a great home to me for all those years, eventually, a man's gotta try something different. I began my career writing about TV online with the "NYPD Blue" fan site in college, and even with the blog these last few years, I've still felt more print journalist than online guy. I like the idea of being at a website, and I've been really impressed with what Dan, Drew McWeeney and everyone else at HitFix have been doing over the last year. So when they approached me recently about the chance to join the team, I was excited.
(My bosses at The Star-Ledger, by the way, have been very gracious about this, and in fact we've arranged for some of my column-style HitFix stories to appear in the paper on a regular basis. So those of you who live in New Jersey and have gotten used to reading me in the paper can still do so over your morning bagel.)
The goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible. There's of course going to be an adjustment period, but I hope HitFix will feel just as homey as this place in short order.
In the meantime, I have a sign-up form below for an e-mail alert telling you when new posts are up on HitFix, and you can also go to sign up to comment at HitFix. My new e-mail address, meanwhile, is sepinwall@hitfix.com.
One more week here, then exciting new adventures. I can't wait.
Find out First
Congrats, I think? I was going to say that it's not often that someone leaves a print paper for an online media, but that's not really true these days, now is it?
ReplyDeleteVery best wishes to you, Alan. I do worry about people who write for newspapers in these difficult times.
ReplyDeleteThat is great news! Congratulations -- and thanks for keeping a hand in at the Ledger, my mom hates change ;).
ReplyDelete(Hey Aaron!)
I'm completely fine with this except that now I know I won't be able to get full texts of your posts in my RSS reader, which is unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteI hope the move and your new home treat you well.
Will there be an RSS feed for your HitFix page? I just tried to subscribe in Google reader and it said no feed was available.
ReplyDeleteCongrats and good luck!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, though, that I really dislike the commenting system over there. Maybe the prospect of your 100+ comment threads coming with you will inspire some changes to that.
Wow, best of luck, Alan.
ReplyDeleteMy only question is how is this gonna effect The Fien Print? I'd hate to lose Dan's stuff on TV.
what about the weekly banner at the top will that be coming as well?
ReplyDeleteWill you still be tweeting a link when a new column is posted?
ReplyDeleteCongrats! This sounds like a great opportunity.
ReplyDeleteHope you aren't leaving the lovely Garden State though?
Good luck Alan at your new venue. Your blog has been my one-stop for years now to read about my favorite TV shows and I'm sure going to follow you to HitFix.com (which I only found out via you before but I have been reading it for some time now too - and listening to your's and Daniel's podcats :)
ReplyDeleteGood Luck, Alan.
ReplyDeleteAlan, will this site still be available for those of us that haven't gotten all the way through some shows (i.e. me and the Wire)?
ReplyDeleteWow, i'll be sure to follow you over there. Hope everything works out for the best, I know it will!
ReplyDeleteand what about the header? is that going with you? nice bit of weekly makeyourbrainwork food.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with the move, hope everything works out well.
ReplyDelete@Brian, take a look on the right-hand column. There's a link for the RSS feed for Alan's column over there.
ReplyDeleteAlan, are you still going to play around with a rotating blog logo? I realize you don't own the page logo, but will you have control over the column logo?
congratulations! seems like a good fit... and you don't have to bother with the painful move off of blogspot (a step, it seems, we've either all gone through or are about to).
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to Alan's new RSS feed w/ HitFix.
Lol love the pic for this announcement too, btw.
ReplyDeleteWow, big move! Congratulations! As long as I can keep reading your columns, I'll be happy.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Alan! I think you are making a very wise move in many ways. It's a heartbreaking fact of life that jobs at print media aren't secure in the long term.
ReplyDeleteI've got the iPhone app for HitFix but have never registered. I will be correcting that oversight in the next few minutes.
Question... will you still be covering TCA? I sure hope so! I just love your TCA coverage.
Good luck Alan,
ReplyDeleteJust curious on whether you'll be able to write about anything and everything like you have on your blog. It seems like over at HitFix and many entertainment sites, they all have to share the series they write about. Are you going to have to give up writing about some of your favorite shows because someone at HitFix already has dibs?
Glad to see the 34th street connection continues... from a fellow long-time resident of the Pink Palace
ReplyDeleteThanks, guys. To answer a couple of the questions:
ReplyDelete1)As I said in the post, this blog goes nowhere. It's still here as an archive, if you happen to be discovering, say, Mad Men for the first time. And when I do the Wire season 3 posts for HitFix, I'll put a link to them here so the unification is complete.
2)Unfortunately, the rotating photo logo won't be going with me. There are copyright issues, which weren't a big deal here on this quasi-official version of the Star-Ledger blog, but aren't okay now that I'll have one full-time home. But David J. Loehr designed the funky new one (a spin on his Firewall & Iceberg logo), just as he did the rotating photo one, so the same talent is involved.
I'm sure we can come up with a new game of some kind at the new place. Maybe even a weekly "what do these four people have in common" photo gallery?
Best wishes with the move!
ReplyDeleteMany congratulations! The lack of a real RSS feed is a big issue, though, especially since I read you most often on my iPhone, and HitFix's site is very cluttered and hard to load and read on a mobile device.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you keep doing this awesome blog, I guess this fan can approve your move...
ReplyDeleteBut seriously though, pretty sure every fan that posts here supports you if this move improves your creative outlet. Good luck and also whatever excuse you can put up a picture of Stringer Bell is good enough for me.
Sounds like a great opportunity Alan! It will definitely consolidate some of my websurfing. I spend a decent amount of time at hitfix already (because of you pointing out Fienberg over there of course!)
ReplyDeleteMy only concerns are: can they please get rid of that screen-bug for their iPhone app? (I don't mind online advertising, but their tv bug-like placement makes it hard to read the last 5 lines on the screen...)
Also, I hope your archiving will be as efficient there as here. I love clicking on the show tags and finding exactly that. (In contrast, I love "Monkeys as Critics", but can only search shows chronologically. Clicking a "Survivor" tag doesn't take you immediately to a cluster of reviews, but more of a general search term.)
But overall, congratulations Alan. This sounds like a perfect fit for you, and a great time to make the move. I hope it works out well for you (and obviously, for us too!)
Best of luck to you, Alan! I know my dad loves reading you in the paper, so I'm glad you'll still have some content in the SL. I am not excited to hear that the RSS on your blog will require clicking into the post to read the content, but your content is so good, I'll just have to deal! (But seriously, if you have any pull and agree with that sentiment, see if you can get it set up that a RSS reader would pick up everything.) Hope exciting things await you in your new position!
ReplyDeleteOh, as for the archives: If it's technically feasible to copy these Blogger posts over to the new system, please do so.
ReplyDeleteA great pleasure of reading your blog is browsing through a bunch of posts about Lost or any other series. It'd be a pity if the reader had to jump around various sites to do that, especially as it would make it harder to return to the main site after wondering into the archives.
Wow! Best of luck with the new gig. See you in another life (er, merely at another website.)
ReplyDeleteI'm okay with that, as long as this means more Sepinwall/Fienberg-cooperation. Congratulations.
ReplyDeletecongrats and best of luck to ya!
ReplyDeleteThe move sounds very exciting - I don't know how much pull you have over there yet, but it would great if your RSS feed would give you the full posts instead of just the first few sentences.
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
Congratulations, Alan! I wish the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'll be getting more for the reading between you and Daniel, etc.
Not a big fan of the commenting system however this will spur me on to be more active not only on your online blog but on Daniel's.
On another note, it has sadden me in what has happened to print journalism.
I wish the best on your new endeavor!
Looking forward to seeing you on HitFix!
Merci beaucoup!
Congratulations on the move! Like so many others, you're my standard for tv commentary, so I will gladly follow you to hit fix.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I would like to echo the note about the commenting system at hit fix. As much as I enjoy following Dan on Twitter, on hitfix.com I've never found anything near the level of community as on this site. I hope the influx of readers, and commenters will help them rethink their tools. Part of what makes the experience of your writing special is the thoughtful discussion following each post. It would be a shame to lose that in the shuffle.
Otherwise I think this is an exciting move, and I look forward to reading you there.
And I guess this explains the choice of this week's banner.
ReplyDeleteThis is exciting news, and a valuable addition to HitFix. I was going to ask about Lost, since I believe McWeeny does those write-ups for them (or is it Ryan McGee?), but if I'm reading this correctly, all you're doing is moving over there while keeping your same M.O., redundancies be damned. And I think that sounds like a wonderful idea; usually fans have to cruise multiple sites to find different opinions and analysis of their favorite shows, but HitFix might be my only stop now.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, though I know you don't really need it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Alan! Your blog ist my No.1 adress when it comes to TV-Critic and I will move with you to Hitfix.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Alan change is always good!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Take it from someone who's worked in five different places in the last 18 years: change is good.
ReplyDeleteAlan,
ReplyDeleteWill you be linking to your HitFix posts on your twitter account?
Way to go, Alan. I hope HitFix is offering you a lot of money, because you'll definitely be classing the place up. Just kidding...No, seriously.
ReplyDeleteSee you over there.
Will you be linking to your HitFix posts on your twitter account?
ReplyDeleteThat is the plan, yes. I just need to mess around with my auto-tweet program next week.
Also, for those who complained about reading HitFix on an iPhone, the site has an iPhone app that I've used a lot to read Dan's stuff, and it's very clean-looking and easy to use.
Congrats to new beginnings!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL4L4Uv5rf0
And, guess I finally have to sign up for hitfix!
Congrats, Alan! Already subscribed to the new RSS feed, and can't wait to... well, to continue reading your stuff, just like I do now.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you but wish there was someway you could continue to use Blogspot. I like the look and feel of it.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Stringer Bell!
ReplyDeleteHitfix's iphone app is not available in my country, that's too bad.
Well, this is news. Hope it works out well for you, and maybe now Feinberg can do a little more movie coverage.
ReplyDeleteThat said, while the content is good, I've never really been a fan of HitFix's layout (especially because my office won't upgrade from IE6, but I can't blame HitFix for that.) Too cluttered and hard to find things.
Im curious, will there be reviews about a show from both of you, Dan and Alan? Because I really like to read both of your opininions, especially on "Chuck". If not, you have to make more podcasts. ;)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and good luck at HitFix. I look forward to continue reading your work there.
ReplyDeleteRich, Denver
Congratulations on being excited about the move. I feel sort of bad about the Star-Ledger -- I've been reading you since it was you & MZS and also enjoy Whitty's writing, and now they'll be syndicating you from a website -- but that's sort of the way of the world. (Also, their website is ugh.)
ReplyDeleteConsidering the diligence and the quality of the write-ups here, it's always been more than a standard-issue personal blog; I certainly won't moan about this writing being co-opted into a larger entity (and I've got ad-blocker, so life can continue to be tolerable). I'll be following you over there as a reader, though not -- after a quick, dissuasive look at the registration form -- as a commenter.
Wishing you continued success, always.
Congrats, Alan. I'm also a journalist who made the move from newspapers to online, and it's the best decision I ever made. No space limitations! Keep up the good work, and I look forward to reading the reviews from your new home.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Alan! I wish you all the best. I hope that many of the frequent commenters here will move with you. There isn't a smarter or more eloquent group of tv fans anywhere else on the interwebs. I always learn something or gain new perspective from reading the comments. Alan, you are my tv criticism idol and I will follow you wherever you go!
ReplyDeleteanonymous 2:23
ReplyDeleteStarting Tuesday, May 4, this version of the blog will continue to exist as an archive of my writing from the fall of 2005 through now
A huge congrats & best wishes. More Alan & Dan, a win for your fans for sure.
ReplyDeleteSo does that mean better sound quality on the podcast? ;)
ReplyDeleteWill copyright issues affect your freedom in picking screencaps to lead off your reviews? Because they're always aptly chosen, and much better than the usual publicity shots.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping HitFix gives you the incentive to keep this blog going for many years (and doesn't interfere with too many editorial notes).
Oh my God, they killed Alan's blog Logo! You b******s!
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you and yours.
"See you in the next site, Jack"
Alan:
ReplyDeleteJust before Christmas last year, my partner left the company he'd worked for for forty five years (since he left high school) and started a new job. For both of us it was scary and exciting, so all the best to you in your new home!macguffi
David Simon is not gonna like this!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I've been reading you since the NYPD Blue days, and I'll make the transition for the content.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I demand more Firewall and Iceberg integration, however.
ReplyDeleteYay! I hope your transition is smooth and wonderful and that you continue to do the blog as always.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Alan. That is most awesome. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to 2nd what Andrew said about searching on HitFix.com. It really just doesn't work. Even if you searched for a specific episode title the results are all over the place.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and good luck Alan.
ReplyDeleteTo J (3:11), I do hope you’ll reconsider and move along with Alan as a commenter. I enjoy reading your comments (although I may not always agree). The same goes for many of the commenters here – I’ll still enjoy reading what Alan has to say, but it wouldn’t be the same if many of the commenters disappear. And FWIW, I registered over there with an email address I don’t use regularly – that, your name (could be fake) and a zip code (doesn’t have to be yours) are the only “personal” info you have to provide.
Congratulations Alan!
ReplyDeleteA couple of questions:
Will you have control over the look of the site? I realize you can't take your logo, but i do hope you take your easy navigation. After listening to the podcast, i wanted to check out Dan's writing, and have found that site very cluttered and it's not nearly as easy to find stuff. After several viewings, I decided it wasn't worth it, and that i would just catch up with Dan on the podcast.
Will write the same volume as now? I noticed that Dan doesn't post much (less than one per day). I would be sad if you had to drop some of your(my) shows.
Best wishes!
As someone who has never even seen a physical copy of the Star-Ledger, (outside of Tony Soprano's hands, that is), and discovered you over the internet, congrats!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter to me where I read you, just so long as I can!!
Alan,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the move to HitFix! Looking forward to the status quo with a Feinberg twist!
On another note, is there an opening at NJ.com now that you are leaving? I would love to submit for their TV blogger. How would I go about that?
Any help would be great. Thanks!
Joey
Good luck, Alan. I've been reading your stuff since those NYPD Blue columns you wrote in college. I was likewise in college at that time. I enjoyed them then, and enjoy them now, though there were a number of years where I wondered where you were writing. Hope the move goes smoothly.
ReplyDeleteAs a relatively new site, a lot of things about HitFix are a work in progress. I know that the search function and category tags are a high priority, and if people have problems commenting, feel free to e-mail me at the new address and I'll pass the messages up the chain. The more you contribute, the better the site will be - not only in terms of the content from your comments, but the form and function.
ReplyDeleteWill write the same volume as now? I noticed that Dan doesn't post much (less than one per day). I would be sad if you had to drop some of your(my) shows.
ReplyDeletePlan is roughly the same volume, though things will always wax and wane (I haven't been able to find time for "Fringe" lately, for instance, and haven't found myself really missing it).
And Dan writes a ton for HitFix; it's just in a bunch of different places, including his own blog, the Monkeys-as-Critics recap blog, news, etc. My stuff will all be at the What's Alan Watching? blog, just like now (and, again, with the added bonus that all my "columns" will appear there as well, sparing you the extra click).
I've never been to the HitFix website and am very disheartened to read about the commenting, RSS feed, organization, mobile, and clutter problems. Reading you here has been a pleasure!
ReplyDeleteCongrats and best of luck on the move.
ReplyDeleteonly problem with commenting I really see is that most recent is at the top, which, in the case of something like Lost or Mad Men, would possibly discourage people from reading all previous posts.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not always like that, but that's thing that looked like it could be a problem.
Hey, congrats!!! And I mean on the move as well a being called "rightfully adored" by the A.V. Club. There's no doubt that's true, but who knew those guys could be so NICE?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.avclub.com/articles/rightfully-adored-tv-critic-alan-sepinwall-leaves,40487/
Congrats, Alan. I'll definitely be following you over there, even though I lurk more than post.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Alan. It's always nice to try something new, especially when that something new is a venture you are excited about. I've only browsed HitFix, but generally like their writing style, so I'm sure you'll be a great fit.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Alan, and good luck! I'll be following you there.
ReplyDeleteAlright, so I understand that this blog will remain archived, but what about all your Star-Ledger articles? Will those be kept around?
ReplyDeleteAlright, so I understand that this blog will remain archived, but what about all your Star-Ledger articles? Will those be kept around?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the paper or NJ.com have any plans to scrub me from the site. After all, traffic is traffic.
Aboslutely, Congrats! This sounds like a wonderful new adventure for you. As a new-ish Chuck commenter I'll make the move with you, so you'll get at least some of us over at the new site. I do hope a bunch of people will come along, "just as soon as..." you make some relevant comment at the end of your postings.
ReplyDeleteBut, just FYI: this column is my guilty break-time pleasure at work, and hitfix doesn't make it through work's web filter Websense, so it will have to be at night reading only. :-)
(Any way to fix the Websense problem?) :-)
Congrats Alan. I'm already a reader of Hitfix.com (Drew's articles mostly), and it will be good to see you over there to help expand their readership even more.
ReplyDeleteUGH.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, let me say that I am happy for Allen. Having a job working for a newspaper is about as much an x on your back as could be these days. Glad you were able to get out and find something before it was too late.
But on an entirely selfish stance, I'm saddened by this news. No offense to the fine people at Hitfix. But the site just isn't good. I started checking out Dan's stuff after hearing him on the podcast. And it's terribly impossible to navigate and find stuff. It's your typical flashy graphics and pictures over substance site. Half the crap I end up clicking on is those stupid top 10 lists that every entertainment site does where you have to click 20 times to see a couple photos. I LOVED this blog because it was content first and formost. And none of that other web bs that all the tmzish entertainment sites put out. Those sites are more interested in # of user clicks than quality. And they'll do anything and everything to sucker the user to click around their stupid site 100 times just to read 1 article.
The internet is such a great thing. Yet at the same time a terrible one. And this is just another example.
Congratulations on your new position Alan!
ReplyDeleteI have never been to the United States, I live in England and found you completely by chance a few years ago. Since then I have discovered some of the best TV shows I'd have never seen otherwise, and in fact, you have led to television becoming my primary passion (And ultimately, I'd like a career doing what you do)
So, as others have said, provided I still get to read your thoughts, I don't mind what website it's on. Whatever works for you dude!
One question though... Are you "That's It For Me" on Fringe? I always check in hope for a post after I see an episode, just wondering if I should stop? (I'd understand if you have given up, but the past few episodes have been very strong).
Anyway, congrats again!
See you on the other side.
(CAPTCHA: 'clicare' - Appropriate since you're moving, and luckily I care not where I click. I have no clicare!)
"I'm sure we can come up with a new game of some kind at the new place. Maybe even a weekly "what do these four people have in common" photo gallery?"
ReplyDeleteHitFix will LOVE that. The more pictures and less words the better. It's the #1 rule of the internet. People love looking at pictures on the internet. Words scare off the masses!!! Welcome to the 2 and a Half Men crowd, Alan!!
And everyone who says that HitFix's layout is terrible is dead on. Yikes. That's a garbled site.
Best of luck man.
I will echo Truthiness in saying that the format of this site is far superior to HitFix's, so I hope that doesn't create a problem.
ReplyDeleteI'll miss these digs, that's for sure.
Alex, as mentioned earlier, "Fringe" isn't quite That's It For Me! (which reflects that I'm just fed up and don't want to waste my time anymore) as not quite interesting enough to make the effort to watch and write about it in a timely fashion, given how many things it airs against. I guess it's more like an "NCIS": something I'll watch more often than not, but rarely on time, and rarely with enough passion to write about it later.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! Looking forward to spending time with you in your new home.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Alan! We all know what a dying industry newspapers are. Good for you to get out of that mess.
ReplyDeleteThat said, HitFix needs some serious design help. Don't like that site at all. Neither from a aesthetic standpoint or from a navigational one. Just not good. Here's hoping their next hire is a web designer.
I love how the picture for this post is of the great Stringer Bell. Check out Elba in "The Losers," enjoyable movie and dope role for him. But good luck with the new job man I enjoy this blog alot and I'll definitely follow you over. I go to hitfix now and then but truth be told when it comes to TV I just want recaps. And honestly I'm not a big fan of the way they recap over there. I want a review, more focused on analysis and everytime I read one over there it's generally just a play by play that someone who didn't watch and lives in a cave without hulu can read to catch up. Not much opinion and way too wordy. I really hope the content of this blog stays the same during the move and that maybe you can even impart your style on the other writers who cover shows that you don't. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks for speedy reply Alan.
ReplyDeleteI was like that for pretty much the entire run of Fringe to this point, but the past few episodes have been a definite step up in my mind. It feels like the show has renewed purpose. But I appreciate you're busy, and if I have to lose you writing about one show I like, Fringe would be the first one I threw on the fire anyway.
Congrats again! Guess I'll head on over and sign up for HitFix...
Welcome to the 2 and a Half Men crowd, Alan!!
ReplyDeleteYes, because I have a long history of valuing style over substance and going heavy on art at the expense of text. By "photo gallery," I just meant a post with four pictures in it.
Yeesh.
Re: Fringe, you should definitely catch up, even if you don't write about it, because the Walter/Peter arc has been wonderful. I've started watching it live and taping Office/30 Rock instead of the other way around because it's that good :-)
ReplyDeleteGood luck over at HitFix! I'm sure I'll comment over there at some point, assuming I can figure the damn place out (sorry, it really is a cluttered, awful mess of a site).
Congratulations and best of luck Alan, hopefully this is the best thing for everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteWow, exciting news. Hope you can sit back and have a cup of coffee like the guy in the "we take moving seriously, so you don't have to" ads on tv and have a stress-free virtual move. See you on the other side.
ReplyDeleteWow, congrats, Alan!
ReplyDeleteThank you for keeping this blog and the archives. I'm slowly working my way through the shows recommended here and then going back to read your analysis.
I've never been on HitFlix's site, but I guess I'll be a reader now.
I am sad for the Star-Ledger for losing you.
But as long as you keep writing, I'm happy. =)
Not to be nosy, but was this the good news you referred to while you were on hiatus for a couple weeks?
ReplyDeleteCongrats Alan! I read Dan's columns thanks to you and your twitter feed.
Congrats Alan. I found your blog a few years back looking for Fs&Gs episode write-ups and ever since you've been my primary guide to worth watching TV. Sons of Anarchy, Chuck, Justified and Mad Men are just a few of the shows that have brought me immense pleasure that I quite possibly wouldn't have bothered with but for your write-ups. And no-one else does a better Lost dissection.
ReplyDeleteSo although on my casual browsing I have to agree a little with some of the criticisms of the HitFix site, that is small beans compared to your continued gainful employment doing what you do well.
(And I'm also a big fan of the commenters here - one of the better online communities. I occasionally feel I have something to add, but I always enjoy reading. I hope you all make the move too.)
Best of Luck Alan!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to HitFix, but I'll check it out now. I love your blog, so I plan on continuing to read it over at the new site.
I agree with the folks who love the simplicity of this blog, i.e., format not content :)
I'll go over to HitFix with an open mind and hope for the best.
Hello Alan,
ReplyDeleteWill you do the podcast on the new site?
Not gonna lie, I only started reading the blog because I moved from Jersey. I'm glad to hear your writing will still be in the Star Ledger.
ReplyDeleteWow. Wow! I'm just seeing this now (it's been a BUSY day), but I wanted to add my congratulations to the throng. I know you've been nervous about the Star-Ledger's continued viability from time to time, so this is a great way to spread your wings AND move into a new media model.
ReplyDeleteI'm really happy for you, Alan!
Holy crap! I am a regular reader, but I found out via the sidebar of the Onion TV Club page. I do very much love the Ledger with my coffee and bagel, so I am glad you'll still be connected. Congratulations. I shall follow you to HitFix.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Alan! I'm secretly completely crushed because hitfix.com doesn't make it through my work's internet filter (and this one has always remained accessible) but I guess it just means more quality nighttime internet reading for me. :)
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Alan. I've enjoyed your commentary, even when I've disagreed with it, since the early days of the NYPD Blue newsgroup. Onward and upward!
ReplyDeleteOh god, I hate HitFix, horrible website. This is a big mistake man.
ReplyDeleteAw, man, now I have to go to another site. Grumble...
ReplyDeleteKidding, of course. Congrats on the new digs; better that you leave the print business of your own accord than be fired; granted, I know nothing of the state of affairs at the Star-Ledger, but print in general doesn't seem to be doing too hot, so staying online seems shrewd.
Anyway, can't wait to see how things look at Hitfix!
Good for you Alan - Best of luck (but with your talent you won't need it) -
ReplyDeleteI'm signing up on hitfix right now.
What would David Simon say?!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on this next grand adventure for you Alan! I've been enjoying your work for years and look forward to steering folks to HitFix
ReplyDeleteMan, congratulations, Alan. HitFix must be doing well if it can compete with a 14-year's-seniority-at-a-paper salary.
ReplyDeleteI haven't done a lot of poking around that site simply because I agree with many here that it's a bit of a sensory overload, but I will definitely follow you there. And I imagine the lack of anonymous commenters will probably be a boon. Best of luck!
Congrats on the move! I've been following your blog for years and the few new clicks to find your new home are definitely painless and so very worth it.
ReplyDeleteWhere Wallace at? Seriouslym watch out for Omar and Brother Mouzone.
ReplyDeleteI'm not from the US but you leaving the newspaper is just sad. I'm still a fan of print media and I hope they won't die.
ReplyDeleteI love this blog although blogspot sites are blocked in my office so I always need to sneak using proxies to read your blog but now that you are with hitfix, it will be easier for me since hitfix is not blocked :D
With that said, I hope the commenters here will still be active on hitfix, hitfix really has few commenters on their site
Best Wishes Alan
-forg
Congratulations! I was a fan of your Ledger column first and a blog fan after. I guess times, they are a changin'!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATS!!! Ur by far the best tv critic out there, and I am looking forward to joining u at hitfix. Keep up the awesome work
ReplyDeleteAlas, the iPhone app won't work well at all on my Blackberry...
ReplyDeleteand yes, HitFix's page design is absolutely *miserable* to deal with on the BB -- especially in Firefox emulation mode, which I pretty much have to leave it in because most sites are even worse if I tell them I'm on a Blackberry Browser.
Having to register yet another place (or worse, link my FB account to just anything at all) isn't all that pleasant either... but I'll bother with it for your commenterie.
Do please see, though, if they can come up with a lightweight alternate template for mobile browsers (of which, believe me, there are *lots* other than the iPhone), and tweet both, if you can figure out a way to do it.
Oh, and to Aaron: It's not all that common that a print journalist goes to web-inly *from a job they still have*.
ReplyDelete:-)
Congrats.
ReplyDeleteRSS Reader? Emails are annoying.
I hope you can keep the picture connection thing going in some way. I really enjoyed the changing headers.
Congratulations Alan! All the best with your move.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your reviews wherever they are.
First time commenting. Have been reading for about a year. I think I came across when I was worried about Chuck being cancelled last year and have thoroughly enjoyed reading your reviews of my favorite shows, both new (Mad Men) and old (the Office). I definitely enjoy my favorite shows more knowing that I have your review to look forward to for so many of them.
Congrats again!
Wow... well, congratulations, but this move seems like it will kill the community you've built here, unless HitFix manages to fix their awful comments system, and quickly. Though I can't blame you for accepting a paycheck for your amazing blogging!
ReplyDeleteGlad that the content isn't changing, and that I'll be able to easily find "Breaking Bad" and "Wire" recaps here as I slowly work through those series. I just hope this won't be like when TWoP's founders left, the site got way too busy, and I gradually stopped visiting there altogether (which still makes me a little sad...).
Well, I've already posted my "congrats and good luck" comment at the new site, so I'm just chiming in over here to say "thanks" for keeping this blog up as an archive. I can't tell you how many times I've linked here as a favor to folks just discovering Mad Men, or to Lost fanatics who had no idea what a great place this was for Lost fanatics, just to name a few examples. And I've had more than a few "thank you's" for doing so, by the way.
ReplyDeleteAnd one of these days, when I can afford to buy the DVD collection and if I can ever steel my courage enough to get past my grief, I'll read your Deadwood season 3 posts. And most likely from time to time I'll still lobby for you to host a "Group Watch/Re-watch" of Deadwood (like you've done for The Wire) for seasons 1 and 2. Sure, it may be a fool's errand, but I'll just have to be a fool, then.
Congrats Alan! Best of luck with the new gig.
ReplyDeleteWah! This makes me so sad. Well, I'm happy that this move is a win for Alan, but it seems like a lose for many of his readers, including me. I really want to follow you to Hitfix, but man, that site hurts my eyes. I too tried to read Dan's stuff there and gave up. I'll try harder for Alan, but there might be tears.
ReplyDeleteI like simple site design as much as the next person, but if you imagine Alan's blog looking a lot like Dan's, is Dan's blog actually hard to navigate? It looks ... like a blog, to me. Yeah, there are the "Share" buttons and stuff, but I've certainly never had any trouble reading it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-fien-print
Not that I'm disagreeing that parts of Hitfix are busy, and I guess I'd be irked if I were fond of reading blogs on a phone, but ... I don't know. I don't really see that much of a problem. And you can certainly register to comment, but based on what I see, you don't actually have to.
I think it'll be fine. Congratulations.
best of luck alan. i have been reading you since the u penn nypd days, so i (while not a regular poster) have been a long time follower (and appreciator...is that a word?).
ReplyDeleteBest of luck! I sure hope you'd be keeping your 'cut scene' "as soon as I..."!
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the Hitfix website is not only pretty hideous but also very difficult to navigate. I'm used to it now, but sometimes I wish the website would match the caliber of its awesome writers sometimes.
Congrats and good luck on the move. I'll be following you over there for sure.
ReplyDeleteOne niggle, part of the reason that I like this blog so much is beacuse of the unusually cogent and interesting comments. I'm a little concerned about the HitFix commenting system, especially the decision to put the newest comments at the top.
But I'm willing to give it a shot and see how it goes.
Sorry to hear this. The HitFix site and I just don't get along. I tried to follow Moriarty over to HitFix from Ain't It Cool News, but that site is just wonky for me and, as others have commented, it's just a pain to navigate.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little concerned about the HitFix commenting system, especially the decision to put the newest comments at the top.
ReplyDeleteThat was one of my biggest concerns going in as well, and the new ant overlords have agreed to change it. By the time I set up shop, things should hopefully be rearranged so that comments will be posted in chronological order, not reverse.
It sounds like a great move for you. My only saddness is a completely selfish one...work blocks Hitfix. See what you can do about that. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDamn. Last night I wrote what I thought was a nice little comment but it seems to have disappeared (or my eyes are playing tricks on me and I'm simply not seeing it).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, in case it really is gone, I thanked you for keeping the archive up and also mentioned how many folks I'd told about this site and how happy they were that I'd done so. Good luck at the new digs!
COngrats, Alan, and good luck!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new job Alan, I gather this was the positive news behind the recent vacation. As with many of the other commenters I'm not much a fan of the design over at hitfix (The inability to call up one person's recaps of a specific show easily makes their site essentially non-functional within a few days of content being posted, and already limits how much Fienberg I read, I'd hate to have the same happen to your work), so I hope your impending arrival can spark them to make those changes, particularly since they've got a deep bench of critics being somewhat wasted on a "only the newest posts matter" web design. Anyhow, best of luck with the change, I'm glad to see that you leaving the newspaper business doesn't mean losing your writing altogether.
ReplyDelete"The inability to call up one person's recaps of a specific show easily makes their site essentially non-functional within a few days of content being posted, and already limits how much Fienberg I read, I'd hate to have the same happen to your work"
ReplyDeleteWhat he said!
I haven't been a fan of HitFix to this point. I stopped following Alan's links there because it never wanted to load on my old computer. (a quick visit there now shows that it's no longer a problem) The design is way too busy for my tastes. Besides, I got everything I needed to know about television right here, on an unassuming blog written by a guy in my old home county. Brilliant analysis of just about all the shows I like, and best community of commenters of any site on the web. Can't say I'm looking forward to this change.
ReplyDeleteBut times do change. Full time newspaper employment seems a risky long term bet. A few years back, when the Star Ledger was laying off staff by the dozens, I left a comment about how if Alan ended up leaving the paper I'd follow him online wherever he landed. And I meant it. So next week HitFix will become one of my frequently visited sites. No doubt about that. If anyone deserves to make money for blogging, he's the guy. So good luck with the new job, Alan, and I look forward to coming around to your new neighborhood in time for the next new Lost episode.
If whoever runs HitFix has half a brain, they'll read this entire thread and take a lot of notes.
ReplyDeleteBest of Luck to you on this new endever! Congrats on the new job and thank you for continuing to post in the Star Ledger! (paper wouldn't be the same without your reviews)
ReplyDeleteSorry, but like what some other folks here have voiced, I'm going in with trepidation. No one's disparaging your intentions, nor your right to move on in your career (you conspicuously not mentioning that you're now the latest in a long line of folks abandoning print is telling - of course why would you burn that bridge I guess). But this sounds like all sorts of bad (possibly!!).
ReplyDeleteNotice what happened to the fine folks at The House Next Door. A thriving group of writers, readers, and comments by the bucketful - now that they're incorporated into slantmagazine.com, go browse their site. Notice the comment counters: No comments, no comments, 2 comments, no comments. Folks couldn't be bothered w/ the transition - folks get comfortable with the environment, and going from a clean, no-frills design to a busy ad-supported flashy page, where instead of maybe 80% of the page real-estate devoted to actual content, to maybe 50% with a typical Hitfix section (Look at Feinprint - on initial page load, his latest post doesn't start until half-way down the page!). Folks will notice that - either consciously or sub-consciously. It's not like UI studies are based on nonsense. At the very least, I'm glad they fixed their ridiculous urls for their main sections… The Fein Print has as its launching url the actual *date* of when it launched - completely foolish and amateurish. Yours at least resolves to something that makes sense - no dates in the url! oy vey! Even their RSS feed is just a taste of their content, whereas yours is almost the entire enchilada. Again, they need eyeballs on their ad-sponsored pages, so this is understandable, but it's another change that folks will have to adjust to. Will they?
If you are a force for good in this case Alan, and your coming to the site helps usher in some positive change, then that's great. But why kid ourselves? It's just as likely that the powers that be at Hitfix have their own ideas on what will make them successful, and you'll be at loggerheads throughout. To cap off this cynical anonymous post I'd gamble that if things change for the negative, you'll hold out for the length of your agreement w/ hitfix (I figure a year), and then do what you should've always done - taken your personal site to the next stage, hire some web developers, etc., and build an empire around *you*. At the very least keep Roger Ebert on your electronic Rolodex. I hear he's trying to jumpstart something. ;-)
I truly wish you continued success! I'm just not going to turn a blind-eye to the new challenges facing you immediately going forward.
P.S. The logo they created for you sucks. It's a little indicative of artistic laziness if they just snagged the podcast logo and tweaked it a bit. I mean, come on.
Just another reason for me to stop subscribing to the Ledger on a daily basis. It's been in a downward spiral for sometime now, especially with regards to good columnists. You'll be missed Alan, but I'll continue to follow you in cyberspace. Good luck with the new venture!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I've enjoyed reading your blog for years. The series of posts on Freaks and Geeks is probably my favorite part of the internet.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for me, HitFix.com is blocked by my company's web content filter. Don't ask me why blogspot isn't, makes no sense.
I have to say I'm dreading the move to HitFix. I've been paying attention to my behavior with reading the blog the last few days. I will be patient and give it time at HitFix, but what worries me is the commenting.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm mostly here for Alan's views, but I am interested in what other commenters think (because Alan is willing to be opinionated, and so are we, and we back up our opinions with supporting statements). And the extra hoops commenters have to jump through at HitFix mean there will be less comments, and I know I'm personally less likely on other sites to click through to the comments if it's an ordeal.
What makes this blog excel is the way it spurs discussion, and I hope that continues. Your 'rules' also encourage people to read the whole of the discussion, which is remarkably egalitarian, and I fear that the limited comments that show up on page one (in reverse order) will mean that lazy readers won't bother. I hope your new overlords figure out quickly that intelligent conversation among Alan and his commenters is a huge part of the draw here and make sure that that conversation is facilitated.
In any case, congratulations on a move that seems to make you happy, Alan, and I hope it succeeds for you in whatever way you wish. I'm sure depending on print journalism for a paycheck must be terrifying these days, so you will probably sleep better at night. And I will be following and reading, and hoping that the blog continues to set a high standard for TV criticism.
Sorry Alan. But this is goodbye. HitFix is horrible. Good luck with that.
ReplyDeleteDude, you get to jump from a newspaper gig, and not get pushed? Sounds like an opportune time to break out the bubbly, to me.
ReplyDeleteMay all go well in your new home -- does HF allow registration through Google accounts?
I gasped when I read this post.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Alan, and I am glad that you will still be in the Ledger - I have been reading you since you and Matt Soller Zeiss were "All TV." (and I remember Jerry Krupnik fondly -- I grew up in a Ledger-reading house)
The Ledger has changed greatly -- especially this past year -- but I am glad to read that you were not "pushed out" like so many of the other changes in the paper. It is still the only real coverage of Jersey Arts (yes, Virginia, they do exist, even though we look to the City).
I know the media world is ever changing -- but I still have a newspaper with my tea in the morning, not my laptop. It's just not the same.
Best of luck with your new writing endeavors -- and I will continue to look forward to your writings on your new site.
Anon: "I'm happy for you but wish there was someway you could continue to use Blogspot. I like the look and feel of it."
ReplyDeleteJ: "I'll be following you over there as a reader, though not -- after a quick, dissuasive look at the registration form -- as a commenter."
Amen to what those two (and others) have said.
I've been commenting anonymously on Lost, Battlestar Galactica, House, and NCIS reviews here for a couple of years now, but there's no anon option at HitFix, so it looks like this comment will be my last.
I like the layout/UI here at blogspot, though I've never signed up, and while I will continue to occasionally read Alan's reviews over at HitFix, I won't be commenting anymore due to the lack of a simple anon option not asking for name/e-mail/etc.
Then again... BSG is dead, and in another month, Lost will be dead, too... and Alan doesn't review House and NCIS more than once a year or so, so I guess it really shouldn't matter, anyway. Pretty soon here, I won't have many reviews I feel the need to comment on. Somehow, that doesn't cheer me up, but oh well.
Good luck and godspeed.
Okay, heading over to hitfix.... Here's hoping it's an even greater success!
ReplyDeleteThanks to the amazing commenters here.
And, Alan, I hope you maintain the archive online in perpetuity. You have done some great work that is just unequalled. Your writing will serve as an important reference on the best stories of our era, and it will outlive all of us, to be sure.
Hats off! Onward!