If you've been here before, you should already be able to tell, just from first glance, how different things look around here, and how hard we've worked to make "TV WORTH WATCHING: The Next Generation" an even more compelling place to visit for all things related to quality television. And if you're a new visitor, welcome. This is a place where writers and readers who care about, and seek out, excellent TV, come to congregate, debate, and find new things to watch...
The site is still in transition, but TVWW 2.0 definitely is up and running.
Rather than do a blow-by-blow, item-by-item list of all we've done, let me just, for today, point out the highest of highlights.
In addition to the two blogs that previously were showcased on the home page -- mine and Diane Werts' -- we now make room, at the bottom left, for the four most recent blogs by our contributing writers. Click on those stories, and read them on their own pages. Or click on the CONTRIBUTORS button on the navigation bar, and go to a collection of ALL contributors' blogs.
OR... and here's the fun part... go to the masthead on the right side of the home page, where ALL our writers are listed, along with their individual column names. Click on THOSE, and go immediately to their home pages, where every story they've written for or shared with TVWW is right there, in their own cozy space.
And what writers. Counting Diane and me, there are 15 of them -- and those of you in the industry, or who have read bylines of major newspapers over the past few decades, are likely to recognize a lot of them. Ed Bark. Diane Holloway. Noel Holston. Eric Mink. And so many more... well, just read them for yourself. The roll call, AND the columns. I couldn't be prouder of the company I'm keeping, or the website we're collectively generating.
Other new additions to the site are actual random bits of video (I held out long enough, but now it's easier), reviews of new and classic DVD releases (some with scroll-over hover text!), and -- but wait, there's more! There's also BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!, a collection of more fun stuff, from TV theme songs to my favorite Fresh Air reports and newspaper stories.
Please look around, and play around, and comment here to tell us what you think. I especially encourage you to read the other bloggers, and welcome them by commenting on whatever you find interesting, whether it's Ed Bark's review of Spike Lee's new HBO documentary or Tom Brinkmoeller's evisceration of NBC's upcoming Jimmy Smits drama...
And a special thanks, for their months of hard work and a Sunday of insane crash cramming, to the team that pulled this off with and for me: website designer Eric Gould (also a columnist here, as of late, and an excellent one), webmaster Rich Baniewicz, and Diane Werts, who as of today gets a much-deserved promotion, and even more work, as TVWW's managing editor.
And now, at about 10 p.m. ET Sunday, we're putting this puppy to bed. And then, shortly thereafter, ourselves...