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Ben Travers Writer Indiewire

Ben Travers

TV Critic

Ben Travers is the New York-based TV Critic and Deputy Editor at IndieWire, where he’s been writing reviews, analyzing industry trends, and interviewing key figures since 2014. He is the 2021 winner for Best Entertainment Commentary at the Southern California Journalism Awards, and a 2020 finalist for Best TV Critic at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. Ben helped launch IndieWire’s Consider This series, which advocates for each year’s most deserving awards contenders, and he was on set for “Veep’s” final day of filming. (Seeing Julia Louis-Dreyfus eviscerate another human being live, in person, changed him forever.) A lifelong student of Sylvester Stallone and more-recent scholar of “The Leftovers,” “Better Things,” and “BoJack Horseman,” he is also an experienced moderator, having led conversations for the Television Academy, Screen Actors Guild, PaleyFest, SXSW, ATX TV Festival, and San Diego Comic-Con (at Hall H, in front of 6,000 screaming fans). Prior to joining IndieWire, Ben served as an editor and critic at PopMatters, as well as a production assistant on major motion pictures. He holds degrees in journalism and cinema from the University of Iowa. He loves puns, baseball, black coffee, and soft sweatshirts. Follow him on Twitter @BenTTravers and Instagram @BenTravers5

Latest by Ben Travers
AMERICAN PRIMEVAL stars Taylor Kitsch as Isaac, shown here standing in the snow with a big furry coat and a big fuzzy beard
No Country For Bold Women
Set during the Utah War of 1857, Peter Berg's limited series lays out a world where love conquers little, indifference is the only path to survival, and wanting anything will only bring death that much faster.
Noah Wyle in 'The Pitt,' a new series on Max that follows Dr. Robby on a 15-hour ER shift
You Think You Found Love, But You're Standing in "The Pitt"
Noah Wyle leads the new hospital drama from "E.R." producers R. Scott Gemmill and John Wells about a particularly grueling 15-hour shift — that plays out in real-time.
THE DAY OF THE JACKAL -- Episode 105 -- Pictured: Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal -- (Photo by: Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited)
Actors Are Pretty
When it comes to the SAG Awards, timing and visibility are everything — unless you're already as beloved as Kathy Bates.
Tim Allen and Kat Dennings in 'Shifting Gears,' a new ABC comedy series about a father and daughter's unwanted reunion
[disapproving grunt]
Playing the owner of a classic car shop, the "Home Improvement" and "Last Man Standing" star shouts plenty of half-baked opinions at his only daughter (Kat Dennings) when she has to move back in with her well-off yet easily irritated papa.
Adam Scott in 'Severance' Season 2, wearing a suit, staring ominously offscreen
The Macrodat Uprising
After three long years off the clock, Dan Erickson's corporate thriller returns with a knotty new season as impressive for how much it untangles as it is for what can't be so simply straightened out.
Demi Moore accepts Golden Globe award at the 82nd Annual Golden Globes
'This Is Such an American Experience'
Host Nikki Glaser delivered what CBS producers surely wanted — a solid performance referencing as many famous faces as possible — but the Globes lost focus of the films (and TV) it meant to lift up.
'The Last of Us,' 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,' 'The White Lotus' are three HBO original series to get excited about in 2025
With hotly anticipated debut series and long-awaited returning shows, HBO's 2025 lineup offers something for everyone — especially anyone craving a little originality in their original programs.
AMERICAN PRIMEVAL stars Betty Gilpin as Sara Rowell, shown here in the snow holding up her hand
Finish "Squid Game" before the ball dropped? Don't worry, Netflix has plenty more to offer this January.
Squid Game Season 2 stars Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun, shown here with his hands behind his head, a guard standing behind him
More Games, Same Squids
In the sequel to Hwang Dong-hyuk's global smash hit, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is desperate to end the games for good, but Netflix — uh, I mean the Front Man — has other ideas.
Lukita Maxwell and Jason Segel in 'Shrinking,' shown looking awkwardly at each other at the Thanksgiving dinner table
Harrison Ford Emmy When?
After a season examining his (many) shameful slip-ups, Jimmy (Jason Segel) asks forgiveness from his daughter — and his audience — in a finale that frees up Season 3 to start over.
'No Other Land'
From "Anatomy of Lies" to "Zurawski v Texas," the year's best documentaries highlight the continuing evolution of nonfiction storytelling.
'WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS' -- “The Finale” -- Season 6, Episode 11  Pictured (L-R): Andy Assaf as Monster, Natasia Demetriou as Nadja, Matt Berry as Laszlo.
The Phantom Menace
Prioritizing comedy over everything — as the FX gem always has — "What We Do in the Shadows" devises a delightful, devious finale that's true to itself, even if it might fluster casual fans.
Top of The Line Weekly
A weekly digest that captures the best of our Top of the Line coverage.

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