Author Archives: Les Chappell

About Les Chappell

The Mad Hatter of media criticism. Co-founder of This Was Television, contributor to The A.V. Club, founder of A Helpless Compiler and The Lesser of Two Equals.

Mad Men: Season Five Roundtables (with Cory Barker and Andy Daglas)

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Les Chappell

Episodes 1-2: “A Little Kiss” Episode 3: “Tea Leaves” Episode 4: “Mystery Date” Episode 5: “Signal 30” Episode 6: “Far Away Places” Episode 7: “At the Codfish Ball” Episode 8: “Lady Lazarus” Episode 9: “Dark Shadows” Episode 10: “Christmas Waltz” … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A Little Kiss, At the Codfish Ball, Bert Cooper, Christmas Waltz, Commissions and Fees, Dark Shadows, Don Draper, Far Away Places, Jared Harris, Joan Harris, Jon Hamm, Lady Lazarus, Lane Pryce, Mad Men, Mad Men Season 5, Mad Men Season 5 Roundtable, Mystery Date, Peggy Olson, Pete Campbell, Roger Sterling, Signal 30, Tea Leaves, The Other Woman, The Phantom | Leave a comment

In Memoriam: Adam Wright

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Les Chappell

Les pays tribute to a fellow critic and good friend gone far too soon. Continue reading →

Posted in News Reaction | Tagged Adam Wright, obituary, TV Done Wright | 8 Comments

Pilot Review: Revolution

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Les Chappell

Before writing this review, I took an informal survey of the contents of my apartment. At the present time, I have no fewer than 20 electronic devices in my apartment: two iPhones (one work, one home), an iPod, an iPad, … Continue reading →

Posted in TV Criticism | Tagged Ben Matheson, Billy Burke, blackout, David Lyons, Eric Kripke, Falling Skies, Flash Forward, Giancarlo Esposito, J.J. Abrams, Jon Favreau, LOST, Miles Matheson, mythology, post-apocalyptic. NBC, Rachel Matheson, Revolution, Sebastian Monroe, Supernatural, Terra Nova, The Cape, The Event, The Hunger Games, Tom Neville, Tracy Spiradakos, Zak Orth | Leave a comment

Barker Chappell Daglas Roundtable: Breaking Bad, “Madrigal,” “Hazard Pay,” “Fifty-One”

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Les Chappell

It’s been a few weeks since the Barker Chappell Daglas reviewing agency has had a chance to catch up on the activities of the Heisenberg drug empire, but we’ve finally found a place to work and the house has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Back and Forth, Breaking Bad Roundtable | Tagged Aaron Paul, AMC, Andy Daglas, Anna Gunn, Barker Chappell Daglas, Betsy Brandt, Bob Odenkirk, Breaking Bad, Breaking Bad discussion, Breaking Bad review, Breaking Bad roundtable, Bryan Cranston, Cory Barker, Dean Norris, Fifty-One, Gus Fring, Hank Schrader, Hazard Pay, Jesse Pinkman, Jonathan Banks, Laura Fraser, Lydia, Madrigal, Marie Schrader, methamphetamine, Mike Ehrmentraut, RJ Mitte, Saul Goodman, season five, Skyler White, Walter Jr., Walter White | 1 Comment

Barker Chappell Daglas Roundtable: Mad Men, “Commissions and Fees”

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Les Chappell

Two episodes left in what’s been a hell of a run for Mad Men this season. We’ve seen agency fortunes rise and fall, we’ve seen acid trips and fisticuffs, split narratives and unstuck timelines, guest appearances from Leland Palmer, Alex … Continue reading →

Posted in Mad Men Roundtable | Tagged AMC, Andy Daglas, Ben Feldman, Betty Draper, Betty Francis, Christina Hendricks, Commissions and Fees, Cory Barker, Don Draper, Elisabeth Moss, Glen Bishop, Henry Francis, Jaguar, January Jones, Jared Harris, Jay R. Ferguson, Jessica Pare, Joan Harris, John Slattery, Jon Hamm, Kiernan Shipka, Lane Pryce, Mad Men, Mad Men Commissions and Fees Recap, Mad Men Commissions and Fees Review, Mad Men Roundtable, Mad Men Season 5, Mad Men Season 5 Discussion, Mad Men Season 5 Episode 11, Matthew Weiner, Megan Draper, Michael Ginsberg, Peggy Olson, penultimate, Pete Campbell, Roger Morse, Roger Sterling, Sally Draper, Stan Rizzo, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, Vincent Kartheiser | 1 Comment

Announcement: This Was Television

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Les Chappell

2012 is turning into a very eventful year for A Helpless Compiler. In my second year we’ve expanded our coverage far past this one site, with a guest column stint on CC2K and a freelance position with The A.V. Club. … Continue reading →

Posted in Updates | Tagged Andy Daglas, Cory Barker, Monsters of Television, Noel Kirkpatrick, The Vast Wasteland, This Was Television, This Was TV, TV Surveillance | Leave a comment

A.V. Club Review: The Borgias, “The Siege Of Forli”

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Les Chappell

There’s fires being set all over Italy on this week’s episode of The Borgias: Savonarola’s kicking off the Bonfire of the Vanities, Juan’s got a burning sensation when he urinates, and Lucrezia’s burning with lust for her suitor’s younger brother. … Continue reading →

Posted in TV Criticism | Tagged Bonfire of the Vanities, Cardinal della Rovere, Caterina Sforza, Cesare Borgia, Charles VIII, Colm Feore, David Oakes, Forli, François Arnaud, Gina McKee, Giovanni Sforza, Giralomo Savonarola, Giulia Farnese, Giuliano della Rovere, Holliday Grainger, Juan Borgia, Julian Bleach, Lucrezia Borgia, Micheletto, Neil Jordan, Niccolo Machiavelli, Peter Sullivan, Pope Alexander VI, Prince Alfonso, Renaissance Italy, review, Rodrigo Borgia, Rome, Sean Harris, Showtime, St. Peter's Basilica, Steven Berkoff, syphilis, The A.V. Club, The Borgias, The Choice, The Siege of Forli, Vanozza, Vatican | Leave a comment

Barker Chappell Daglas Mad Men Roundtable: Dark Shadows

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Les Chappell

It’s Thanksgiving in May on this week’s Mad Men (one of the show’s startling similarities with Cougar Town, more of which you can see if you look closely) and there’s a toxic smog covering both New York and the attitudes … Continue reading →

Posted in Mad Men Roundtable | Tagged AMC, Andy Daglas, Ben Feldman, Betty Draper, Betty Francis, Christina Hendricks, Cory Barker, Dark Shadows, Don Draper, Elisabeth Moss, Henry Francis, January Jones, Jay R. Ferguson, Jessica Pare, Joan Harris, John Slattery, Jon Hamm, Kiernan Shipka, Mad Men, Mad Men Dark Shadows Recap, Mad Men Dark Shadows Review, Mad Men Roundtable, Mad Men Season 5, Mad Men Season 5 Discussion, Mad Men Season 5 Episode 9, Matthew Weiner, Megan Draper, Michael Ginsberg, Peggy Olson, Pete Campbell, Roger Morse, Roger Sterling, Sally Draper, Stan Rizzo, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, Vincent Kartheiser | 2 Comments

CC2K Column: New Girl Wins 2011-2012’s “Most Improved Sitcom” Award

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Les Chappell

Friend of the blog Phoebe Raven is on a well-deserved vacation from her duties as CC2K’s TV editor, and following my column on the virtues of Revenge she asked if I wanted to fill in for her. I did, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Television Columns | Tagged Backslide, CC2K, Cece, Control, Dermot Mulroney, Fancyman, FOX, Hannah Simone, Injured, Jess and Julia, Lamorne Morris, Liz Meriweather, Lizzy Caplam, New Girl, Nick Miller, Phil Hendrie, Schmidt, Secrets, Tomatoes, Winston Bishop, Zooey Deschanel | Leave a comment

A.V. Club Review: The Borgias, “Day Of Ashes”

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Les Chappell

It’s time for a crisis of faith on The Borgias, as the lightning strike of last week’s episode has pushed Alexander into repentance mode. But is it legitimate, or is this one of his brief moments of morality aside from … Continue reading →

Posted in TV Criticism | Tagged Cardinal della Rovere, Caterina Sforza, Cesare Borgia, Charles VIII, Colm Feore, condottieri, David Oakes, Day of Ashes, Forli, François Arnaud, Gina McKee, Giovanni Sforza, Giralomo Savonarola, Giulia Farnese, Giuliano della Rovere, Holliday Grainger, Juan Borgia, Julian Bleach, Lent, Lucrezia Borgia, Micheletto, Neil Jordan, Niccolo Machiavelli, Peter Sullivan, Pope Alexander VI, Prince Alfonso, Renaissance Italy, review, Rodrigo Borgia, Rome, Sean Harris, Showtime, St. Peter's Basilica, Steven Berkoff, The A.V. Club, The Borgias, The Choice, Vanozza, Vatican | Leave a comment