I’ve heard that Samuel Beckett’s plays, written in French, are better in English. I have no idea if that’s true but I am sure that Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Hate to Love (and Love to Hate) About TV by Tara Ariano and Sarah Bunting is better in its more accessible, abridged Google Books version. I remember Sarah from when she was an especially visible fan of My So-Called Life. I got a much-enjoyed soundtrack cassette from her. Then she and Ariano started Television Without Pity, a brilliant entrepreneurial idea, which has helped me understand so many erudite HBO dramas.
Visit my SLD blog if you get a chance.