Matthew Gilbert
The Boston Globe
United States
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Past articles by Matthew:
Hey, hey we’re the bands TV invented
There have been so many fictional music makers on TV over the years, you could fill the Partridge Family's bus many times over. Here are eight of the most memorable. → Read More
‘Perry Mason’ shows some improvement in season 2
It’s an easier viewing experience, still slow and shadowy but nonetheless more straightforward. And our leads — Perry (Matthew Rhys), Della Street (Juliet Rylance), and Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) — have become more dimensional. → Read More
‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ goes its own way just enough to avoid being secondhand news
The show, which premieres Friday on Amazon, follows a fictional 1970s Pittsburgh band from its hungry early days and eventual merging with singer-songwriter Daisy Jones to its world-dominating status with a mega-hit album. → Read More
In ‘Shrinking,’ Harrison Ford is acting his age, and it’s a revelation
In "Shrinking," the 80-year-old actor shows that he still has new tricks up his sleeve, including comedic chops. → Read More
Watching war encroach on a peaceful place in ‘All Creatures Great and Small’
As we saw this season, which ended in December of 1939, the sweetly pastoral world of the fictional Darrowby is not immune to the ills of the outside world. → Read More
With nuance, TV reflects the many shades of grief
Recent shows, including "The Last of Us," have explored the topic of loss with rich emotional honesty. → Read More
Can ‘Transatlantic’ revive slumping Netflix?
Although it's a pioneer of streaming original series, Netflix hasn’t introduced many memorable shows lately. → Read More
Super Bowl alters schedule of ‘Last of Us’ release
Sunday’s episode, the season’s fifth, is going to be available to stream on HBO Max on Friday at 9 p.m. It will still run on Sunday night at 9 on HBO. → Read More
Sorry, book snobs, you’ve come to the wrong place
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Looking at TV as a wasteland is a pretty dated point of view. → Read More
This week’s TV: Why we watch the Super Bowl, a Marc Maron special, and the State of the Union
If New England or Tom Brady aren’t in the running, then, for most people I know, the big football event isn’t really much about football. Here are a few of the real motives for watching. → Read More
15 shows to binge while you’re chilling out during this deep freeze
You're definitely staying indoors. So grab a snack and watch. → Read More
Another cancellation to lament: ‘Reboot’ gets the boot
The ax came down from Hulu on Monday, inspiring a grief-filled social media post from cast member Johnny Knoxville. → Read More
In ‘Shrinking,’ the therapist is completely unfiltered. How does that make you feel?
It’s all a bit cockamamie, but the Apple TV+ series starring Jason Segel is an endearing and earnest comedy, and all of his ridiculously unprofessional behavior is in service of affectionate character studies and a boatload of healing. → Read More
Adam Sandler tapped for Mark Twain Prize
This year, the ceremony will be held on March 19, then run on TV on March 26. But the telecast is moving from its former home, PBS, to CNN for the first time. → Read More
10 TV shows we’ll be watching this winter
Highlights this season include Mel Brooks helming "History of the World, Part II," a drama about a Fleetwood Mac-like rock group in 1970s LA called "Daisy Jones & The Six," plus new series starring Natasha Lyonne, Bob Odenkirk, Damian Lewis, and Connie Britton. → Read More
The antidote for all those feel-bad shows
I understand the desire for shows that can provide good feelings, shows that aren’t straight-up sitcoms but that don’t ask you to dig into difficult issues or watch violent interactions. Here are seven suggestions. → Read More
This week’s TV: Peak TV may have peaked, ‘That ‘90s Show’ arrives, and a Zora Neale Hurston doc
FX chief John Landgraf predicts that last year's output of 599 original scripted series will likely mark the peak of Peak TV, and the numbers will begin to decline. I’m hoping he’s right. → Read More
The way some shows see it, multiple points of view make for good TV
In recent years, a few series have been toying with the notion of subjectivity, devoting entire seasons to the so-called Rashomon Effect, named after the 1950 film about a murder seen from four contradictory perspectives. Episodic television is an excellent way to pursue those differing takes. → Read More
In ‘The Last of Us,’ horror and humanity at the end of the Earth
Like the best post-apocalyptic stories on TV, the extraordinary new HBO drama finds moments of deep feeling in the midst of ugliness and disaster. → Read More
This week’s TV: Golden Globe apathy, ‘The Last of Us’ arrives, and all about ‘Velma’
After the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was exposed for its ethical lapses and lack of diversity, NBC canceled the Golden Globes telecast last year. But on Tuesday night, the network and Peacock are bringing back the show, kicking off awards season. → Read More