2024 in review from ABC, NBC, Vox, Google, and Time for New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve! I say my farewells to 2024 beginning with ABC News summarizing The biggest news stories of the year: ABC News' 2024 year in review.

ABC News recaps the biggest headlines and moments of the year.

This video won out over the next one, 2024 Year in Review: Presidential election, Trump, drones, severe weather, brat summer, and more from NBC News because I liked the preview image more.

Rewinding 2024 with the ultimate mashup of the year’s major events.

The main omission the ABC News viewers noted was their video not mentioning the earthquake in New Jersey and New York. NBC News made up for it. Both videos also exemplified "It's not just news value that's driving it," which I shared most recently in Local news coverage of marching bands in the 2024 Macy's Parade for Thanksgiving. Both videos showcased Disney animated features, Moana 2 for ABC News and Inside Out 2 for NBC News. Inside Out 2 is the number one movie of the year, so NBC News would have been remiss in not mentioning it, but Moana 2 is still in theaters. Since ABC is a subsidiary of Disney, it's in the parent company's interest to promote it. The same is true of Wicked, an NBCUniversal production. Ah, capitalism and media consolidation!

Next, the video with the most comprehensive description, Vox recounting 2024, in 4 minutes.

Did you vote?
...
2024 saw over 60 elections worldwide, many of which were marked with controversy. It was undoubtedly a divisive year both within and along borders. The war in Ukraine is now in its third year. Syrian rebels toppled the Assad regime after years of fighting. South Korea erupted into chaos after the prime minister declared martial law and was subsequently impeached. In the United States, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed VP Kamala Harris, who ultimately lost to Donald Trump.

Despite the tumultuous, seemingly never-ending wave of current events people still found escape and unity in the Olympics, Brat summer, and a rambunctious pygmy hippo.

2024 had much of the world voting for change. Onward, to 2025 where we will find out what it means.

Normally, the video description would have been enough for me to place this first, but I didn't want to give the re-election of convicted criminal Donald Trump and especially the assassination attempt any more attention than necessary.

I'm continuing with a retrospective that driven by the users, not filtered through professional expert news judgment, Google — Year in Search 2024, although it's still self-promotion in the corporation's interest.

This year, we're celebrating the Breakout Searches of 2024. From iconic performances, to history-making breakthroughs, see the moments that shaped our year in ways we didn't see coming.

That was uplifting in ways the other retrospectives were not, even the look back at celebrities who left us this year. Speaking of which, I'm closing out the videos with TIME's In Memoriam: A Tribute to Those We've Lost in 2024.

A tribute to some of the noteworthy people who died in 2024.

RIP, Jimmy Carter.

I conclude by linking to Jon Swift Roundup 2024, "The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves" at Vagabond Scholar.  I submitted John Oliver examines Clarence Thomas and makes him an offer on 'Last Week Tonight', the most read entry of the year, and Batocchio linked to it. It makes for a good summary of the year as recorded by liberal bloggers.

That completes 2024's blogging. Stay tuned for the 2025 version of Some of my favorite bands at the Rose Parade for New Year's Day to begin next year.

The top TV shows of 2024 from TIME, The Hollywood Reporter, and WatchMojo

I concluded '2024 becomes the world's hottest year on record, fueling extreme weather events,' the year in climate and weather with the following maybe.

It's early enough that I might post an entry about the year's best TV shows today. Stay tuned to see if I do, followed by the overall year in review for New Year's Eve.

O.K., I'm doing it. Since Grace Randolph hasn't made a definitive best streaming series of the year video yet — watch, she'll upload one while I'm writing this or, worse yet, after I post it — I'm beginning with The 10 Best TV Shows of 2024 from TIME.

One of the greatest pleasures of the Peak TV era was that an excellent series could come from almost anywhere. Lifetime could greenlight the smart, satirical thriller You (which would become a hit for Netflix after failing to attract an audience on cable). The lyrical coming-of-age saga David Makes Man could find a home on OWN. TNT could serve up madcap Floridian crime soap Claws while BBC America made Killing Eve an obsession on this side of the Atlantic.

A few years into the industry’s contraction, and in the wake of writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023, the television landscape looks a lot different.

Since TIME didn't even hint at this year's best TV shows in the video description, I'm listing them here:

1. Shogun
2. Industry
3. Say Nothing
4. Penelope
5. Fantasmas
6. Somebody Somewhere
7. Interview with the Vampire
8. The Sympathizer
9. Baby Reindeer
10. Pachinko

Not a bad list, although I hadn't heard of 3-5, Say Nothing, Penelope, and Fantasmas, before. Like TIME's top ten movies, this list reflects "reflects expert critical taste," which means it includes some obscure choices.

Next, THR Critics Pick the Best TV Shows of 2024 | THR News, which The Hollywood Reporter just uploaded this morning.

From an epic historical drama to a wild surrealist comedy, our TV screens took us on all sorts of thrilling and intriguing adventures in 2024. As we head into 2025, we're taking a look at some of The Hollywood Reporter's television critics' picks for the best TV shows of 2024.

"In no particular order," THR's picks are Shogun, Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Fantasmas, Shrinking, Hacks, Somebody Somewhere, and My Brilliant Friend. I'm much more familiar with the series on THR's list, which indicates their critics are more in tune with popular taste than TIME's.

Speaking of popular taste, I can't resist WatchMojo, which I've called "high-quality, well-researched clickbait," so I conclude with their Top 24 Best TV Shows of 2024.

From gripping dramas to hilarious comedies, 2024 was a stellar year for television. Join us as we count down the most captivating and innovative series that kept us glued to our screens. Whether you're into sci-fi, crime thrillers, or heartwarming stories, there's something for everyone on this list! Our countdown includes shows like "Industry," "Hazbin Hotel," "Dead Boy Detectives," "Heartstopper," "Ripley," and many more. We'll explore why these series stood out and what made them the best of 2024. Which show was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

I knew a lot more of WatchMojo's list and even the one I didn't, Bad Monkey, looks like one I should know. In addition, TIME's and THR's choices Industry, Ripley, and The Sympathizer made WatchMojo's list below tenth. Speaking of which, here's WatchMojo's top ten.

1. Shogun
2. X-Men '97
3. Fallout
4. Arcane
5. The Penguin
6. Hacks
7. The Boys
8. Baby Reindeer
9. English Teacher
10. Agatha All Along

Looks like everyone agrees on Shogun and Baby Reindeer, making them favorites of both critics and the people. Who am I to disagree?

Stay tuned for a final year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.

'2024 becomes the world's hottest year on record, fueling extreme weather events,' the year in climate and weather

As I promised yesterday, it's time to review the year in climate and weather beginning with France 24 English reporting 2024 becomes the world's hottest year on record, fueling extreme weather events.

In 2024, billions of people across the world faced climatic conditions that broke record after record: logging ever more highs for heat, floods, storms, fire and drought. As the year drew to a close, the conclusion was both blatant and bleak: 2024 was the hottest year since records began, according to European climate scientists. Story by Alice Brogat, Axelle Simon and Eliza Herbert.

Seeing this reminds me of the first two questions I ask my students while watching Chasing Ice.

1. Chasing Ice opens with a montage of natural disasters. Name three of them.

The three that come to mind are floods, fires, and droughts. All of those, along with dangerous heatwaves and stronger hurricanes and tropical cyclones, appear in this report. For what it's worth, those are also among the possible answers to a question I ask about Treasures of the Earth: Power: "What are the expected effects of global warming? List three examples." Back to Chasing Ice.

2. How many of the past 20 years, as of 2012, were the hottest on record?

As of 2012, 16 were the hottest on record. According to the image below, it looks like it's now 17, as 1998, 2002, and 2003 fall outside the past 20 years, although the past ten years remain the hottest decade on record.


Yikes!

First, welcome to the 400 ppm world. Second, are you scared enough by climate change? My readers should be.

Firstpost from India has more, including some good news, in Greening Antarctica, Flooded Sahara: 2024 - Year of Climate Change | Firstpost Earth Year Ender.

2024 has been a landmark year for climate change, with record-breaking heat and extreme weather events dominating the globe. From the Sahara’s rare floods to the Arctic’s rapid melting, the planet is feeling the heat. But there’s hope too—renewable energy is booming, and conservation efforts are gaining momentum. Join us as we reflect on the highs and lows of a tumultuous year.

Good news that I can share with my students, but not nearly enough to inspire me to post Professor Farnsworth. Still, welcome to blogging as professional development.

I conclude with ABC News reporting on the Billion-dollar disasters of 2024.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the total cost of disasters this year was $61.6 billion.

I'm recycling my reaction from 'Weathered: Earth's Extremes' asks 'What Happens When the Land Runs Out?'

I close by recycling another program note from 'The "dirty side" of a hurricane, explained' by Vox.

So far, this season's 18 named storms, including 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes, have borne out NOAA's 'Most Aggressive Hurricane Season Forecast On Record' for 2024, which predicted 17–25 named storms, 8–13 hurricanes, and 4–7 major hurricanes. I might revisit this and other forecasts next month. Stay tuned.

I have two more weeks to do this, so stay tuned for this year's version of 2023 is the hottest year on record and other climate and weather stories. That's when I plan on posting the follow up.

There's been no change since I wrote this, so I think ABC News's report suffices.

It's early enough that I might post an entry about the year's best TV shows today. Stay tuned to see if I do, followed by the overall year in review for New Year's Eve.

Best and worst movies of 2024 from Beyond The Trailer, TIME, and WatchMojo

I finished 2024, another busy year in space, according to NASA, ESA, Reuters, and New Scientist by telling you, my readers, "Stay tuned for year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve, continuing with the year in movies and TV for the Sunday entertainment feature." TV is too much for today, so I'm sticking to movies. I begin the final entertainment feature of the year with Grace Randolph of Beyond The Trailer's Top Ten Best Movies of 2024.

Top Ten Best Movies of 2024 today! Beyond The Trailer host Grace Randolph gives a review of her Top Ten Movies of 2024 including a breakdown as to why each one made the cut! Find out where Wicked, Deadpool & Wolverine, The Brutalist, Inside Out 2, Conclave, A Complete Unknown, Dune Part 2, Challengers, Nosferatu and Alien Romulus land on this list! And share your own Top Ten of 2024 now that you've seen some full movies and not just the trailers!

Here is Grace's top ten in one frame.


This is a good list, although I would have put Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Twisters in my top ten instead of Challengers and Alien: Romulus.

For a list that reflects expert critical taste, I'm sharing The 10 Best Movies of 2024 from TIME Magazine.

This has been a difficult year. You may have been buffeted by anger you didn’t want to feel, and didn’t know how to productively process. Breeding grounds for misinformation—and its even more treacherous sibling, disinformation—have proliferated. AI is coming, supposedly to make our lives easier, but in reality it may just be taking our jobs. Sometimes it has seemed that soullessness has become the order of the day—as if having a soul were simply too much bother.

But as of right now, at least, most movies are made by human beings, and they are still one of the most extraordinary ways for humans to talk to one another. The conversation may seem one-sided. After all, a filmmaker makes the movie, and then you buy the ticket or pay to stream it. But if you care about movies at all, then surely there have been times you’ve gone so deep into a film that you’ve almost taken up residence within it—or, rather, it has taken up residence within you. This is why filmmakers do what they do. Some are deeply invested in capturing the texture of life that surrounds them, so that viewers in California or Iowa or New York will have some sense, say, of what it’s like to be a woman making her way alone in a densely populated, noisy, complicated city like Mumbai. For a filmmaker, even just asking the question, “What do women want?” can yield rich, pleasurable rewards. Asking what women need is even more dangerous. Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has risked his life to do so; you can’t put more faith in the art form than that.

Making a film is more of a crapshoot than ever, especially if you’re hoping your work will be watched in theaters, on the big screen, rather than at home on the small one. But sometimes watching movies small is a necessity: unless you live within driving distance of a good art-house theater, some of the best movies of 2024 might not have come to a cinema near you. The 10 titles I share with you here are movies that have helped me through this fraught and sometimes confounding year. I hope you’ll find your way to at least some of them—and perhaps one or two or more of them will find a home in you.

The only movie on both TIME's list and Grace's is A Complete Unknown, although she has covered Anora, Babydoll, Emilia Perez, and Flow; they just didn't make her top ten.

WatchMojo has more popular taste than TIME, and the channel's Top 10 Best Movies of 2024 reflects that.

Lights, camera, action! We're diving into the most spectacular cinematic experiences of 2024 that redefined storytelling on the big screen. From epic sci-fi to intimate character studies, these films pushed boundaries and captured our imaginations in ways we never expected. Our countdown features incredible movies like "Dune: Part Two," "Challengers," "The Wild Robot," and more, showcasing the incredible diversity and creativity of modern cinema! What do you think was the best movie of 2024? Let us know in the comments.

WatchMojo's top ten is similar to Grace's with the substitutions of Sing, Sing, which wouldn't have qualified because of its release date, Anora, the one movie also on TIME's list, The Wild Robot, and The Substance for Deadpool & Wolverine, Alien: Romulus, A Complete Unknown, and Inside Out 2. I think cases can be made for all of them.

Follow over the jump for two worst lists.

2024, another busy year in space, according to NASA, ESA, Reuters, and New Scientist

I closed 'Can a twice-a-year shot help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic' — Science Magazine's 2024 Breakthrough of the year by telling my readers "Stay tuned for this year's edition of 2023 in space from NASA, ESA, Reuters, and PBS NewsHour tomorrow. Here's to 2024 being another exciting year in space!" It was.

I begin with NASA: Best of 2024.

Find out more about the NASA missions mentioned in this 2024 year-end highlight video by taking a deep dive with these resources.

The Great American Eclipse wasn't a breakthrough, so Science Magazine didn't cover it, but it was a big science story, and I'm pleased that NASA included it in their year-end summary. It also showed up in NASA Johnson's Space to Ground: 2024.

2024 on the International Space Station was a year filled with excitement, challenges, and milestones as we mark 25 unbroken years of humans living, working, and flying in humanity's home in low-earth orbit.

Seeing the umbra from above added a spectacular dimension to the event!

NASA missed one achievement in the year-end summary, which NASA Goddard described in Parker Solar Probe: Humanity’s Closest Encounter with the Sun.

Controllers have confirmed NASA’s mission to “touch” the Sun survived its record-breaking closest approach to the solar surface on Dec. 24, 2024.

Breaking its previous record by flying just 3.8 million miles above the surface of the Sun, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe hurtled through the solar atmosphere at a blazing 430,000 miles per hour — faster than any human-made object has ever moved. A beacon tone received in the late evening hours of Dec. 26 confirmed the spacecraft had made it through the encounter safely and is operating normally.

This pass, the first of more to come at this distance, allows the spacecraft to conduct unrivaled scientific measurements with the potential to change our understanding of the Sun.

NASA's year in review came out just a little too early to include this feat of science and engineering.

Follow over the jump for space news from both inside and outside the U.S., although the Russian space agency Roscosmos played a supporting role in the ISS highlights.

'Can a twice-a-year shot help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic' — Science Magazine's 2024 Breakthrough of the year

I closed yesterday's entry with a program note and a rhetorical question: "Stay tuned for year-end retrospectives. What did you think were the best and worst of 2024?" I didn't get an answer from my readers, so I turn to Science Magazine as it asks Can a twice-a-year shot help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, 2024's Breakthrough of the Year.

HIV infects more than a million people every year worldwide. While decades of research have led to effective treatments and pre-exposure prophylactic (PrEP) drugs that have dramatically reduced the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic, completely wiping the virus out has remained out of reach. Lenacapavir, a new twice-yearly PrEP injection, may be the solution. Two clinical trials this year showed the drug can offer near complete protection from HIV infection, and the long-lasting effects mean daily pills could be a thing of the past, as long as it is accessible to populations who need it most. Science journalist Jon Cohen, physician-scientist Linda-Gail Bekker, and biochemist Wesley Sundquist describe the history of HIV/AIDS prevention and the unique mechanism that led lenacapavir to be named the 2024 Breakthrough of the Year.

I began the month writing about Freddie Mercury for World AIDS Day, who exemplified the human cost of the disease, so it's only fitting that I begin wrapping up the month and year by examining the science to combat it. I already show a SciShow video to my students about HIV/AIDS treatments, but I might add this to the mix.* I learned something new from it, and it's always a good day when I learn something new. I hope my students will agree.

Unlike last year, my reaction is not being "slightly disappointed" and asking "Wasn't there something more impressive among the runners-up?" I think this is worthy of being Breakthrough of the Year. Just the same, I'm examining the nine runners-up for Breakthrough of the Year along with four breakdowns. Follow over the jump.

Happy Hanukkah 2024 (5875) from Detroit!

Happy Hanukkah! For this year's festival of lights, I'm returning to a theme I haven't used since 2018, Hanukkah celebrations in Michigan. Watch CBS Detroit report Menorah in the D returns to downtown Detroit.

It's the first time since 2005 that the first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas, and there were celebrations all throughout the area. For over a decade, Metro Detroit's Jewish community has come together at Campus Martius on the first night of Hanukkah for Menorah in the D. This is the 14th year Menorah in the D has taken place in downtown Detroit, and organizers said they hope this tradition continues to grow year after year.

Ah, the events I missed during the pandemic and also not waiting the next morning to post about them!

WDIV/Click On Detroit showed more in Detroit celebrates Hanukkah with 'Menorah in the D'.

Detroit celebrated Hanukkah with the annual Menorah in the D event.

WDIV previewed last night's celebration in Dare to be the light: Menorah in the D 2024.


I looked like everyone was having fun, including the dancer in the dreidel costume.

That concludes the holiday posts until New Year's Eve. Stay tuned for year-end retrospectives. What did you think were the best and worst of 2024?

Broken Peach sings 'Winter Wonderland' for Christmas

Again, merry Christmas! I closed this morning's entry by promising my readers a "second musical holiday post for Christmas — Broken Peach!" Enjoy Broken Peach - Winter Wonderland (Christmas Special).

"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, it has been covered by over 200 different artists. Its lyrics are about a couple's romance during the winter season.

As a mashup, we have used a melody from the great Bruce Springsteen song: Dancing In the Dark.

"Dancing in the Dark" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the first single released ahead from his 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A., and became his biggest hit, helping the album become the best-selling album of his career.

The band from Vigo, Galicia, Spain followed up with Broken Peach - Christmas Special Streaming Show 2024 featuring their greatest Christmas hits.


I counted eleven songs, so Broken Peach has been performing Christmas specials even longer than they have Halloween specials. Congratulations on a decade of performing and pleasing their fans!

I close the concert portion with Merry Christmas Peaches!

Broken Peach wishes you: Merry Christmas!

And happy holidays full of health, new challenges, good wishes and lots of music!

I'm passing those wishes on to my readers.

I have been neglecting one of my holiday traditions this year, including a drink recipe video. To make up for it, I'm sharing Santa Claus Cocktail | Holiday Cocktails from Secret of the Booze.

Ingredients
3 oz Cranberry Juice
.75 oz Creme De Cacao
1/2 oz Peppermint Vodka
Heavy Creame [sic]

Direction
Add all ingredients except Heavy Cream into shaker tin. Shake up over ice. Strain into clean glass. Top with Heavy Cream Garnish with cranberries covered in sugar[.]

Drink responsibly!

Finally, as Broken Peach themselves wrote ten years ago, "¡Feliz Navidad! - ¡Bo Nadal! - ¡Bon Nadal! - Eguberri! …. Merry Christmas!" Now stay tuned for Hanukkah, followed by year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.

A merry drum corps Christmas 2024!

Merry Christmas! I had two ideas to celebrate today and I decided to post both of them, beginning with the sequel to A merry drum corps Christmas from March or Die and DCI. Watch as Marching Arts Network TV presents DCI Christmas-Amazing Drum Corps Christmas moments-Part2.

Thank you all for another fantastic year. I thought it would be great to reprise the DCI Christmas compilation for year 2. I had to dig deep for some of these I hope you enjoy.
Thank you all for supporting us, our growth this year has been incredible. If you have not subscribed please consider doing so it would really help our channel.

:20- 1989 Cavaliers "Gloria"
2:10- 2012 The Cadets "Jingle Bells"
5:15- 1979 Guardsmen "Greensleeves"
7:05- 2009 Mandarins "Joy"
9:21- 1994 Bushwackers "Nightmare Before Christmas"
11:21- 2014 Cascades "Carol of the Bells"
13:29- 1975 Kilties "Auld Lang Syne"
1987- Santa Clara Vanguard "Hut of Baba-Yaga- Great Gate of Kiev"

Thanks to Stress Master and Tumor for finding some of these. Without them, I would not have known about 2009 Mandarins, 2014 Cascades, and especially the 1994 Bushwackers. Should there still be a 1994 Bushwackers video up next October, I have it penciled in as my drum corps Halloween video for 2025. The Nightmare Before Christmas — good for two holidays!

Stay tuned for the second musical holiday post for Christmas — Broken Peach!

'Apollo 8's Christmas Miracle' and Christmas wishes from the ISS for Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve! I'm returning to the subject of Apollo 8's Earthrise 50 years later for Christmas Eve thanks to Amy Shira Teitel of The Vintage Space, who uploaded Apollo 8's Christmas Miracle on Sunday.

I'd intended to make like 10 shorts about Apollo 8, but then ended up rereading the mission transcript and making this 50 minute video!

I'm glad to see Amy creating new space history content and giving it to her fans for the holidays. It makes a great gift!

Watching Amy's video reminds me that I traditionally passed along Season's Greetings from NASA. I'm returning to that tradition with NASA's Space Station Astronauts Deliver a Christmas Message for 2024.

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit wish a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to Earth in a message recorded on Dec. 23, 2024.

The four astronauts are in the middle of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory. The goal of their mission is to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

And Merry Christmas to all at NASA along with all my readers!

I plan on returning to NASA for this year's version of 2023 in space from NASA, ESA, Reuters, and PBS NewsHour later this week. In the meantime, stay tuned for celebrations of Christmas and Hanukkah, followed by year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.

I ask The Archdruid and his readers 'Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?' A Festivus airing of grievances

Happy Festivus! I promised an airing of grievances yesterday for Festivus and do I ever have some grievances to air!

I begins with a regular commenter at No More Mister Nice Blog asking a rhetorical question of Trump voters, "Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?" He meant this as mockery, but I saw an opportunity.

I know exactly the group to ask this question. They'll take it seriously and give a lot of outraged responses. I'll report back next month on the results.

I followed through in the second comment to November 2024 Open Post at Ecosophia.net John Michael Greer's main blog.

A commenter on a liberal blog responded to the election results and particularly the educational levels of Trump's voters by asking "Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?" He meant it as a joke, but I think it is worth taking seriously. I know of no better forum to get answers than here, so I'm throwing it open to you and your readers.

I begin with the answer from The Archdruid himself.

Neon Vincent, I can indeed. The site of the injury was in the pocketbook. The professional-managerial class presided over, profited from, and gleefully cheered on the process by which a hundred million working class Americans were driven into poverty and misery. I’ve noted before that when I was young, a family of four could get by tolerably well on a single working class income. The collapse of working class incomes and the soaring prices of housing, health care, and most other necessities over the last fifty years didn’t happen by accident, and nearly all the benefits of that process accrued to the professional-managerial class. If the person who asked that question really wants to get into the details, my book The King in Orange covers it in quite some detail.

Greer the Archdruid certainly lived up to my expectations by taking the question seriously and giving an outraged, if still measured, answer. That written, I think he's reinforcing a scapegoating campaign that began when the upper-middle class of educated professionals, which Greer and his readers call "the professional-managerial class," began leaving the Republican Party for the Democratic Party. Before then, conservative thought leaders, who I think came up with the idea before Greer, didn't appear to care about the benefits accruing to educated professionals; as long as they were voting for Republicans, they were fine with the situation. Afterwards, they began to go after the people leaving the party, particularly once not yet convicted criminal Donald Trump took it over. I think it's a case of getting revenge on people who are now safe to attack; Republicans aren't getting their votes anyway and blaming them for the troubles of the working class helps to get their votes, which the GOP are now courting.

By the way, Greer and his readers calling educated professionals "the professional-managerial class" is both a tell and an odd phrase for a bunch of conservatives to use. The term has origins in Marxist analysis for "a social class within capitalism that, by controlling production processes through occupying a superior management position, is neither proletarian nor bourgeoisie." The working class would resent them for being their supervisors and the small business owners would resent them for being rivals to be second banana in the social-economic order; one of the recurring themes in the comments to No More Mister Nice Blog, particularly from Yastreblyansky at The Rectification of Names, that a lot of the "working class" supporters of Trump based on their educational levels are actually small business owners, the petite bourgeoisie. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene come to mind. Both were small business owners before being elected to Congress, which adds new meaning to "petty bourgeoisie."


So Greer's thesis is that the election and re-election of Trump were acts of revenge by the working class against the educated professionals. I buy that. As an attempt to improve the material situation of the American proletariat, I have my doubts. Seeing the educated professionals humiliated might improve the spirits of the working class, but I think the main material and political beneficiaries will be business owners, both stockholders in large corporations and proprietors of small local businesses. Only to the extent that the power and prosperity of business owners results in hiring more working class employees will it help the working class materially. Will it result in higher wages? Maybe, but I have my doubts. "Trickle down" hasn't worked that way for the working class over the past 40+ years. Why would it work now?


By the way, Greer's recommendation of his book The King in Orange should get the attention of fans of True Detective. "The Yellow King" was the main antagonist of that show's first season and the finale took place in Carcosa. Both of those come from The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, about "a forbidden play which induces madness in those who read it," although Chambers borrowed Carcosa from An Inhabitant of Carcosa by Ambrose Bierce. Listen to The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult… by John Michael Greer · Audiobook preview to hear Greer quote Chalmers mentioning Carcosa. Since Google Play Books has disabled embedding, I'm displaying the book's cover.


Greer's premise/conceit is that Trump is like The King in Yellow and drives mad all who oppose him. I'd say he drives just about everyone mad by giving them permission to be their worst selves. Does this include Greer? If so, all of us, including Greer, should consider ourselves lucky his worst self isn't that bad, even if I think he's giving Trump way too much credit beyond his feral instincts for self-promotion, dominance, and survival.

Follow over the jump for the responses from Greer's readers.

Yesterworld Entertainment recounts 'The Troubled History of The Nightmare Before Christmas'

Happy Sunday! For this week's holiday-themed entertainment feature, I'm sharing Yesterworld Entertainment recounting The Troubled History of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

A deep dive into the tedious development history and making of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Where did the idea come from? Why did it take over 10 years to get made? How did it take over 2 years to actually make? Was Tim Burton the director? We’ll explore all of this and more!

Something I learned once the YouTube algorithm recommended theme park videos to me as another subgenre of urban exploration when I began examining the Retail Apocalypse is that no good idea at Disney ever really dies. It eventually gets revived and used somewhere in the parks. Yesterworld Mark's video shows the same is true of movies. That gives me hope I will see a Revan/Knights of the Old Republic project before I pass. May the Old Republic be a better time period than the High Republic, the setting of The Acolyte, which turned out not to be a good idea. Darn.*

This is about to become an airing of grievances, which fits better with Festivus. I have a much more significant set of grievances to air tomorrow, so stay tuned.

*Speaking of bad Star Wars ideas, Yesterworld Mark has a video about the Star Wars Holiday Special. I'm saving that for a snowy day. After all, I'm an environmentalist. I don't just recycle, I conserve my resources.

For Yule/Winter Solstice, Monstrum asks 'Why Do These Christmas Monsters Want To Destroy the World?'

Happy Winter Solstice and Yule! Like last year and the year before, I'm celebrating by sharing the latest video from Monstrum on PBS Storied, Why Do These Christmas Monsters Want To Destroy the World?

The Greek Christmas monster Kallikantzaros is a mischievous, goblin-like creature that emerges during the 12 days of Christmas to wreak havoc—peeing in food, draining life force, and even feasting on flesh. Rooted in ancient Greek traditions, this wild legend makes the holidays just a little bit creepier!

I appreciate this episode of Monstrum for no other reason than Dr. Z using an obscure creature from Grimm to make a point. That was a fun show that made its own point that Portland was so weird and charming that fairy tale monsters could be running around in the city and no one would notice. Also, I hadn't heard of Kallikantzaros before I watched this video, so I learned something new. It's always a good day when I learn something new.

Speaking of weird and obscure, I suspect at least one writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert watches Monstrum, as the subjects of the past two years' Christmas creature videos both appear in Trump, Musk May Force Gov't Shutdown | Bird Flu Leaps To Humans | Christmas Around The World.

Some people are calling Elon Musk "president" after President-elect Trump followed Musk's lead in coming out against the House Republicans’ spending bill, the first severe human case of bird flu has been reported in the U.S., and Stephen takes a look at some of the world's strangest Christmas traditions.

I think Elon Musk, convicted criminal Donald Trump, and the bird flu outbreak are more scary than either the Yule Cat or Mari Lwyd. Like Stephen, I'll have something new to say about all of them plus the drones in the new year, because I'm in holiday and year-end retrospective mode until January 3, 2025. Stay tuned.

PBS Terra explains 'The AMOC Might Be WAY More Unstable Than We Thought...Here's Why'

For today's evergreen entry that I can share next month, which is also next year, I'm revisiting the topic of 'Weathered' on PBS asks 'Is This Crucial Ocean Current About to COLLAPSE?' Watch as PBS Terra explains The AMOC Might Be WAY More Unstable Than We Thought...Here's Why.

There is a mysterious cold blob in the North Atlantic that could be a warning sign that the largest heat transfer system on the planet, the AMOC, is on the brink of collapse. But it turns out that the AMOC’s collapse is a highly debated topic among scientists – climate models are inconsistent and there isn’t enough observational data to determine a trend. So, perhaps the answer to understand a possible AMOC collapse is to go back in time.

In this episode, we talk to three paleoclimate experts who look at the Earth’s past climate and find some really shocking things about the AMOC’s past behavior. And it turns out that the mysterious cold blob may actually be a bigger deal than we realize…

I'm a paleontologist who has researched late Pleistocene climate, so I approve of this approach. As I wrote in Prehistoric lions of Eurasia and North America for World Lion Day 2022, "one of the points of paleontology is to learn from the past and apply the knowledge gained to the present." That's even more true of paleoclimatology.

Like last time, I'm recycling the rest of my response from Susan Lozier at TED asks 'Is Climate Change Slowing Down the Ocean?' and PBS Terra asks 'Is Earth's Largest Heat Transfer Really Shutting Down?'

This is not a new concern, as Al Gore described it in "An Inconvenient Truth." I asked about it specifically in the worksheet I used in one of my classes, which I reproduced in Hot (not): a cold blast from the past along with an answer.

What is the likely effect of the melting of the Greenland ice cap on ocean circulation and global climate?

In the movie, the idea is that the release of meltwater from a large glacial lake diluted the Gulf Stream, causing the water to become less dense and unable to sink to the bottom of the ocean off Greenland, jamming up the global thermohaline circulation and sending the planet back into an ice age for another thousand years. An analogous melt of water from the Greenland icecap, which is beginning to happen, would do much the same thing, slowing ocean circulation and cooling Europe. Both of those are indeed taking place.

The movie came out seventeen [now eighteen] years ago and I wrote the above more than ten years ago. It's not as if we weren't warned.

Speaking of which, PBS Terra listed the Greenland ice sheet and the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) last September in PBS Terra asks 'What Will Earth Look Like When These 6 Tipping Points Hit?' I'm reusing my reaction from that post as well.

Watching all that reminds me that none of these threats are new, so my reaction isn't either.

First, welcome to the 400 ppm world. Second, are you scared enough by climate change? My readers should be.

Hey, I'm an environmentalist; I recycle.

I'm not the only one recycling a subject; PBS Terra's previous video is the latest in a series that began with PBS examines the risks from a major earthquake in the Pacific Northwest and continued with PBS Terra explains 'Here's EXACTLY What to Do When the Next Megaquake Hits: Cascadia Subduction Zone' and PBS Terra asks 'What's the ONE THING You Can Do To Survive a Tsunami?' I will almost certainly cover that in a future entry, but I already have my own series of holiday and year-end retrospective posts planned through the end of the year, beginning with a celebration of the Winter Solstice/Yule. Stay tuned.

Company Man asks 'The Decline of California Pizza Kitchen...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic

While I examined a retail giant in Company Man explains 'Walmart - Why They're Hated' for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day, I haven't written a true Retail Apocalypse post since Company Man asks 'The Decline of TGI Fridays...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse, so it's time to return to Company Man as he asks The Decline of California Pizza Kitchen...What Happened?

California Pizza Kitchen is a unique chain of restaurants that has been struggling. This video outlines each of its six owners while attempting to identify the reasons behind its decline.

I've blogged repeatedly about Chuck E. Cheese this decade, beginning with Chuck E. Cheese, GNC, and Tuesday Morning all file for bankruptcy, tales of the Retail Apocalypse during the pandemic, then Company Man explains the rise and fall of Chuck E. Cheese's, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic, Business Insider and CNBC explain the rise and fall of Chuck E. Cheese, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic, The rise, fall, rise, and fall again of Chuck E. Cheese, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, Bright Sun Films presents 'Bankrupt - Chuck E Cheese's', a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, and most recently 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' returns after winning two Emmy Awards with 'A History of Chuck E. Cheese,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse. California Pizza Kitchen barely merited a mention near the end of Ruby Tuesday and Sizzler file for bankruptcy, tales of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic. The restaurant chain deserved more and, thanks to Company Man Mike, it got the attention I should have given it years ago.

That's today's post worth sharing next month, which will be next year. Stay tuned for another evergreen entry tomorrow.

'Weathered: Earth's Extremes' asks 'What Happens When the Land Runs Out?'

I made two notes to myself at the end of 'Weathered' on PBS Terra asks 'Has Earth Already Crossed MAJOR Tipping Points?'

The description mentioned groundwater, but the video itself didn't include anything about the subject. Just the same, reading it reminded me that I show a Wall Street Journal video about groundwater depletion to my students and I should embed it here. I should also embed the next episode, which PBS Terra uploaded yesterday. That won't happen until next month. Stay tuned.

Time for the next episode, What Happens When the Land Runs Out? Earth's Extremes: Full Episode.

The Weathered crew traveled all over the US and abroad to answer pressing questions about our changing climate in our new series, Weathered, Earth's Extremes. Maiya and the team worked so hard on this show -- we can't wait for you to watch it!

Maiya May is on a mission to understand the impacts of climate change and how to stop it. She brings viewers along to learn where we are and where we’re going as greenhouse gasses reach record levels. Have we crossed major climate tipping points? And are there positive tipping points that will help slow global warming faster than expected?

Can coral survive record ocean temperatures? Will thawing permafrost trigger runaway warming? How do we cool our cities and replenish groundwater? Watch to find out!

Examining the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana reminded me of what I wrote in NOAA predicts another above average hurricane season for 2022: "Seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Ida added to the clips I embedded in 2021 in climate and weather from ABC News, NBC News, and WeatherNation shows that the storm left 'a long-lasting legacy of loss' despite my hopes at the time." Ida's legacy of loss is lasting even longer than I feared in 2021.

Another legacy of loss from Ida was the increase in home insurance premiums, which recalls my response to PBS Terra asks 'Will Climate Change Pop the Housing Bubble?' "My answer to the question is by itself, no, but climate change is likely to make the coming real estate price drop worse, at least in places where climate-fueled weather disasters have become more common and severe." PBS mentioned higher premiums because of weather-related losses in California, Florida, and Louisiana in that video. This video shows the human toll of those higher rates.

I close by recycling another program note from 'The "dirty side" of a hurricane, explained' by Vox.

So far, this season's 18 named storms, including 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes, have borne out NOAA's 'Most Aggressive Hurricane Season Forecast On Record' for 2024, which predicted 17–25 named storms, 8–13 hurricanes, and 4–7 major hurricanes. I might revisit this and other forecasts next month. Stay tuned.

I have two more weeks to do this, so stay tuned for this year's version of 2023 is the hottest year on record and other climate and weather stories. That's when I plan on posting the follow up. As I wrote, stay tuned.

Randy Rainbow sings 'I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here'

Today's post I can share next month, which is also next year, is Randy Rainbow singing I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here.

Parody of “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here” from ANNIE (Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin)

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow

Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz

Vocal Arrangement - Brett Boles @thebrettboles

Lead and Backing Vocals - Randy Rainbow
Piano, Synths - Michael J Moritz Jr
Drums/Engineer - Billy LaGuardia
Brass - James Canty
Winds/Reeds - Andrew Snapp

Randy quoting sources on the Right calling convicted criminal Donald Trump's picks for his incoming administration "ideologically diverse" reminds me of a line from The Blues Brothers: "Oh we got both kinds. We got Country and Western!"


Snork!

Seriously, that supposed ideological diversity probably comes from former Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., who I called cases of failing upwards. I thought I was done with both of them when they dropped out of the 2020 and 2024 Presidential contests, respectively. Instead, I could be writing about them for the next four years. Ugh. At least my readers and I have Randy and others to keep us sane. May Gabbard and RFK Jr. be like Ben Carson AKA Doctor Pyramid, about whom I ended up writing "At least you were too boring to write about for the past four [years]" after Carson's service as HUD Secretary. May we be so lucky with Gabbard and RFK Jr.

Randy's sponsor message also reminds me of what I wrote in the footnote to Randy Rainbow sings 'Look At Me, I'm MTG!'

Randy's plug of Ground News reminds me of what I wrote in Future Proof examines 'The RISE and FALL of Malls in America,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, "the paid promotion by Ground News reminds me that I promised a comparison and contrast between AllSides and the Media Bias Chart three years ago." I still haven't done that, but it really is time. Maybe when I make my monthly page view goal and write evergreen entries near the end of the month.

That would make a good post to share next month. Stay tuned to see if I actually write it.

CityNerd asks 'Carpool Lanes: Commuting Miracle or Enormous Waste of Space?' A driving update

I closed 'Strange Darling' leads Best Thriller Film nominees with seven nominations by noting "I have a driving update to write, since Pearl's odometer rolled over another 1,000 miles yesterday." That was on the 10th, so it's been nearly a week. Since I'm not going to write an entry about the home entertainment nominees at the Saturn Awards, I'm going to post that driving update.

Before I do, I'm sharing Ray "CityNerd" Delahanty asking Carpool Lanes: Commuting Miracle or Enormous Waste of Space?

Today we're looking at high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes -- all the permutations (occupancy restrictions, time of day restrictions, lanes vs. facilities, and HOT lanes, which allow single-occupant vehicles to buy their way into a less congested facility).

We'll go on some tangents, as usual, like how different metropolitan regions view HOV lanes differently, and how these kinds of facilities represent the dynamics of Anthony Downs' concept of "triple convergence."

CityNerd's conclusion that HOV lanes are better than nothing sums up what I wrote about the First carpool lane in Michigan as part of I-75 upgrade eight years ago.

[I]t does have something worth celebrating, a car lane. WOOD-TV mentioned it in MDOT begins 14 year project on I-75 near Detroit [dead link]: "The $90.8 million project, which stretches 18 miles, will add a carpool lane (the first in the state), resurface the highway and replace bridges among other things." That's a small thing, but it is an improvement over the current situation, which does not encourage carpooling.

I've driven on I-75 since, but haven't seen an HOV lane yet. I guess it will be in the segments that haven't been worked on yet. By that time, I might not see them, because I plan on being retired by that time, so I'll be driving less.

That's the big picture. Follow over the jump for my personal driving update.

'House of the Dragon' and 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' lead fantasy and adventure TV nominees at the Saturn Awards

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for the final installment of this series tomorrow as I cover the Fantasy and Adventure TV series nominees for the Sunday entertainment feature" to close 'From' and 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' lead horror series nominations at the Saturn Awards. Without any further ado, here are the nominees in those categories.

Best Fantasy Television Series:
Avatar: The Last Airbender
For All Mankind
House of the Dragon
Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Spiderwick Chronicles

House of the Dragon leads Best Fantasy Television Series nominees with three nominations while the rest of the nominees have only this one nomination. It's also an Emmy winner and current Golden Globe nominee, so in the absence of a Wednesday to vote for, I'm voting for it. Unless there is a surge for another nominee, so will a plurality of the rest of the electorate. Sigh.

Follow over the jump for a category that includes a nominee that examines kaiju, the same subject as nominees for fantasy and international films.

'From' and 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' lead horror series nominations at the Saturn Awards

I concluded 'Alien: Romulus' leads Best Horror Film nominees at the Saturn Awards for Friday the 13th with the topic of today's post: "I'm not done with horror, as I plan on covering the horror television series and other relevant TV categories, plus an acting category I didn't include in 'Fallout' leads TV nominees plus 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards tomorrow," so here are the nominees for Best Horror Television Series."

Best Horror Television Series:
Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire
Creepshow
Evil
From
Grotesquerie
Teacup
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

From and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon are tied for first with four nominations apiece, followed by Evil and Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire with two each, then Creepshow, Grotesquerie, and Teacup with just this one. Before the nominations were announced, I was leaning towards Evil, which just finished its final season, but I'm taking a cue from the total nominations as well as what I wrote last year, "I'd have voted for From" in the absence of The Last of Us. Even so, I expect The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will win. Electorates matter.

Best Action / Thriller Television Series:
Bosch: Legacy
Cobra Kai
Found
High Potential
Presumed Innocent
True Detective: Night Country
Tulsa King

I'm including this category in today's post because of True Detective: Night Country, which has two nominations, but Cobra Kai, which my younger daughter made publicity art for when it was on YouTube, leads with three nominations. The rest of the nominees have only this one nomination. I'm voting for True Detective: Night Country, regardless of the number of nominations and my family connection to Cobra Kai.

Before I go on to the next category, I'm pleasantly surprised that High Potential earned a nomination. There were a lot of good to great action, adventure, and thriller series on television last year and I thought Elsbeth and Will Trent were better bets to be nominated, but High Potential is a lot of fun to watch. Besides, it takes place in Los Angeles, where the Saturn Awards are based, while Elsbeth and Will Trent take place and are filmed in New York City and Atlanta, respectively. Again, electorates matter.

Best Television Presentation:
Apartment 7A
Don't Move
The Fall of the House of Usher
Fargo
Ripley
Salem's Lot
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live leads this category with five nominations, tying it with Fallout, which the Deadline report that the Saturn Awards excerpted missed — yet another omission! Fargo follows with four nominations, then The Fall of the House of Usher with three, and Apartment 7A, Don't Move, Ripley, and Salem's Lot with just this one category. IMDB lists five of these nominees as horror, while two, Fargo and Ripley, are thrillers, so this category definitely deserves to be examined today. I'm sure The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live will win, but I'm voting for Fargo.

Now for a new category that includes horror nominees.

Best Genre Comedy Television Series:
Chucky
Ghosts
Only Murders in the Building
Resident Alien
Ted
What We Do in the Shadows

Ghosts leads this category with three nominations, followed by Chucky and What We Do in the Shadows with two each, then Only Murders in the Building, Resident Alien, and Ted with only this one. The Saturn Awards nominated Chucky and What We Do in the Shadows under horror last year, while it categorized Ghosts as fantasy. That written, the Critics Choice Super Awards considered it horror, even though there's very little scary about the show. As for the rest, Only Murders in the Building is a thriller, Resident Alien is science fiction, and Ted is fantasy. As much as my wife and I love Ghosts, we love Emmy winner Only Murders in the Building more, so I'm voting for the show, which I've been hoping would earn a Saturn Awards nomination since 2021. I'm glad the Saturn Awards created this category so I could vote for it.

Follow over the jump for two television acting categories.

'Alien: Romulus' leads Best Horror Film nominees at the Saturn Awards for Friday the 13th

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for the horror nominees for Friday the 13th" to conclude 'Fallout' leads TV nominees plus 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards, so I begin with the nominees for Best Horror Film.

Best Horror Film:
A Quiet Place: Day One
Abigail
Alien: Romulus
The First Omen
In a Violent Nature
Longlegs
Smile 2

Alien: Romulus leads horror movie nominees with seven nominations, followed by Longlegs with five, Smile 2 with four, A Quiet Place: Day One and Abigail with two, and The First Omen and In a Violent Nature with just this one. Before the nominations came out, I was thinking I would vote for A Quiet Place: Day One. Now that they've been published, I think I will go with the flow and vote for Alien: Romulus, although I will note that I think its nomination here is one last domino to fall from the decision not to present a Best Superhero Film award, which led to Venom: The Last Dance being nominated as a science fiction film and Deadpool & Wolverine being nominated for Best Action/Adventure Film.

The first didn't affect my vote at all; I was going to vote for Dune: Part Two regardless. The second made me change my vote from Twisters to Deadpool & Wolverine. It probably also kept a film like The Beekeeper from being nominated. In this category, I suspect that if there had been a Best Superhero Film category, Venom: The Last Dance would have been nominated there and the sixth slot would have gone to Alien: Romulus; the Saturn Awards nominated the rest of the Aliens franchise as science fiction. The sixth Best Horror Film nominee might then have been Five Nights at Freddy's or Terrifier 3. In that scenario, I'd have been more comfortable voting for Longlegs, Smile 2, A Quiet Place: Day One, or Abigail, although I might have voted for Five Nights at Freddy's on behalf of my students, who loved and supported the video game movie. They would have approved of that vote.

Follow over the jump for a movie category that includes four horror and horror-adjacent films plus a final pair of videos for the Best Film Music category.

'Fallout' leads TV nominees plus 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards

Time to return to the Deadline report that the Saturn Awards excerpted.

On the TV side, Amazon MGM Studios’ video game adaptation Fallout was tops with five nominations: Best Science Fiction Television Series, Best Actor on Television (Walton Goggins), Best Actress on Television (Ella Purnell) and Best Guest Star on Television (Kyle MacLachlan). Amazon MGM had a leading 17 TV noms among the studios, while Disney was second with 11.

Here are Fallout's nominations.

Best Science Fiction Television Series:
3 Body Problem
The Ark
Dark Matter
Fallout
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Wars: Ahsoka

Deadline already listed four of Fallout's five nominations, the fifth being Aaron Moten for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series. It's followed by two nominations each for Dark Matter and Ahsoka, and one each for 3 Body Problem, The Ark, and Star Trek: Discovery. My personal favorite is 3 Body Problem, which I definitely thought was the best science fiction on television this year — sorry, Fallout, Star Trek, and Star Wars — but I'm sure Fallout will win.

Now for a category I covered in 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' 'Agatha All Along,' 'The Penguin,' and 'X-Men '97' — superheroes at the Saturn Awards plus more 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards.

Best Animated Television Series or Special:
Batman: Caped Crusader
Gremlins: The Wild Batch
Kaiju No. 8
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
X-Men '97

Both Batman: Caped Crusader and X-Men '97 earned Critics' Choice Award nominations for Best Animated Series, but X-Men '97 earned an Emmy nomination and won a Gold Derby TV Award, so I think it has an advantage in this field, although Star Wars: The Bad Batch is the defending winner. I'll get to its chances, along with the TV acting nominations, when I cover science fiction TV nominees.

I may be voting for X-Men '97, but I still have Star Wars: The Bad Batch penciled in to continue the streak of Star Wars television animation winning this category.

Follow over the jump for Fallout's acting nominations.