While some may believe cinema to be far superior to television by default, anyone who's been paying attention to what's happening on the small screen in recent years likely knows that television has raised its game in many respects, including the talent it showcases and good storytelling in general. Patton Oswalt has been paying attention, and the comedian/writer/actor recently went on an epic Twitter rant to express his appreciation for what the small screen has to offer, dropping more than a few titles in the process. Among them, Broad City, Bob's Burgers, Hannibal, Better Call Saul and more...
Uproxx caught wind of Oswalt's excellent TV-themed tirade, which began -- and could have easily ended -- last night with the following statement...
Oswalt may have been watching AMC's Better Call Saul at the time, as he followed this up with some praise for Michael McKean.
And from there, it was a nod to Comedy Central's Broad City...
Followed by love for John Oliver's excellent weekly HBO news series Last Week Tonight...
And then HBO's Togetherness...
And then he jumps around, moving from Comedy Central to some of TV's promising superhero offerings, to basic cable's darker shows, and the back to network TV for more humor...
It's at this point that Oswalt declares TV's current phase as "American cinema in the early 70s"...
He actually apologizes for the "feed-choking" rant after that, but then remembers he has a ton of other great shows lined up and waiting for him in his DVR...
He also shows some love for some kids programming (and True Detective)...
Not to be forgotten is Hannibal...
It's that remark that strikes me as particularly interesting, not only because I'm sure Hannibal fans will appreciate the high praise, but also because it points out what's been staring us in the face for some time now. TV is doing great things. What's more, the lines between the big and small screen seem to be getting a bit blurrier. We have networks like HBO distributing feature-quality films, and Netflix lining up big deals with the likes of Adam Sandler to bring movies directly to the small screen. And then, we have only to look at any of the shows Patton Oswalt listed among his favorites to note that TV has raised its game dramatically, and the medium isn't likely to be done evolving anytime soon.
Beyond loving that Oswalt shared some love for some of TV's best offerings, these tweets are a reminder of why I'm a fan of Oswalt - because he's a fan. Though he's found his own success as an actor, it's evident that he remains an enthusiastic spectator of the arts as well, and he's not above sharing his thoughts on the things that work (and sometimes the things that don't).
And now I'd like to see him show up in every one of the shows he's listed (a couple of which he actually has shown up in, come to think of it).
