Launching today are several entertaining Korean dramas, such as My Sassy Girl (dir. Jae-Young Kwaek), 200 Pounds Beauty (Young-Hwa Kim), and action drama Crying Fist (Seung-Wan Ryoo with Oldboy’s Min-Sik Choi). And just in time for the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, prior year Cannes selections Hahaha, Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (Sang-Soo Hong), and A Brand New Life (Ounie Lecomte), all from Korea, are now available on Hulu and Hulu Plus.

The famed Oldboy trilogy is available on Hulu Plus until June 30th. The sci-fi cult classic is about a man determined to find his kidnapper who imprisoned him for 15 years. The film has been recognized at numerous festivals, and took home the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes in 2004.  Enter the world of director Chan-Wook Park with Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance.

New Chinese dramas, such as Love In a Puff (Ho-Cheung Pang), The Soul Of Bread (Pin-Chuan Kao), and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Johnnie To) made their Hulu debut in the Chinese film category as well.

Continue your journey into cinematic history with the Criterion Collection, which features masterpieces by Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Koboyashi and Nagisa Oshima, among many others. Brand new Criterion titles never before seen on DVD are coming exclusively to Hulu soon, so stay tuned.

Experiencing Asian titles can be as simple as adventuring through one of our many categorized playlists, such as New Asian Films on Hulu, Chinese or Korean Dramas and A Beginner’s Guide to Korean Dramas. And, if you are just in the mood for some action-packed brawls, check out the Asian Fight Films tray to get your fix without having to leave your couch.

 This summer it is easy to escape to Asia with Hulu and Hulu Plus.

Our team has been focused on creating a beautiful and comprehensive Hulu Plus experience that is optimized for Windows Phone 8. It is now available in the Windows Phone Store.

The app leverages Windows design principles that lend themselves elegantly to the rich content catalog and features on Hulu Plus. The clean and easy to navigate UI provides a visually engaging and intuitive experience.

Launching the app will present a panorama of clips, episodes and shows organized neatly for quick and easy access. Whether you want to binge on “Modern Family” or just need a quick dose of trending clips from “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” the main page has it all laid out for you. There are 6 content hubs – TV, Movies, Latino, Trailers and Kids, which promise non-stop entertainment, just a tap away.

As Chris Trager from “Parks and Rec” would say, “We literally know what you want…” We try our best to understand what our users want and suggest what they may like. Which is why you’ll see recommended shows and movies across the app. For example, if you’ve been binge-watching “Revenge,” we’ll have “Scandal” lined up for you next. Or you can search for whatever you are in the mood for using our advanced search option.

Your phone is always with you and we want to make sure that Hulu Plus is there to entertain you as you like it. If you were unable to finish up last night’s episode of “Community” on your Xbox or tablet, you can instantly resume where you left off using the Hulu Plus app for Windows Phone 8 on your bus ride to work. However, if you just have 15 minutes at lunch time, you can snack on top clips from the show page or add them to your queue for later.

If you are a TV junkie like us, our daily refreshed trending now clips and artfully curated editorial compilations on the latest and greatest of TV and pop culture will keep you in the know. Even when you are not in the app, we’ll keep you up to date with fresh off the boat episodes and TV shows via Live Tiles on your phone’s home screen, so you don’t miss a moment.

We hope you will enjoy the Hulu Plus experience on your Windows Phone 8, as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it. Download the app on your Windows Phone 8 from the Windows Phone Store and let us know what you think.

Overall, Hulu continues to grow very quickly. In Q1 of this year, we set new records for revenue, and for the first time ever, Hulu viewers streamed more than 1 billion content videos in a single quarter.

Hulu Plus
Subscriptions to Hulu Plus, our ad-supported subscription service, doubled in 2012. Hulu Plus continues to grow at an extremely fast rate; in Q1 2013, Hulu Plus surpassed 4 million subscribers—setting new records for subscriber additions. Our subscribers to date (we exited private beta and officially launched in November 2010):

Mobile viewing is growing at a significant rate and will account for approximately 15% of Hulu’s consumed videos in 2013-2014. For context, mobile viewing was nonexistent on our service only two years ago. Living room viewing is also growing; it currently accounts for 29% of Hulu’s content consumption, and 80% of Hulu Plus subscribers have watched with someone else.

Advertising
Our advertising mission is to be the world’s most effective video advertising service, and we are well on our way. According to comScore, Hulu is #1 in engagement among top ad supported sites. Hulu viewers stay with us for 45 minutes per session—without fast-forwarding or skipping ads. Hulu is also #1 in market share of all premium online video providers, delivering 1 in 3 of all premium video ads in the U.S. Our reasonable ad load drives the highest recall and awareness for brands, which results in higher effectiveness for the video ads.

Content
We are so excited about the momentum and growth Hulu has experienced in bringing new, first run television franchises to our audiences. During the Upfront, we announced two new shows coming exclusively to Hulu:

From writer/director Nancy Hower and writer/star John Lehr, “Quick Draw” is a comedic half-hour western set in 1875 that centers on a Harvard-educated sheriff and his quest to introduce the emerging science of forensics to an unruly Kansas town. Though the citizens of Great Bend, Kansas are generally unimpressed with Sheriff Hoyle’s (Lehr) educational pedigree, they come to appreciate his sharp mind and sharper shooting as he and his reluctant Deputy Eli (Nick Brown) hunt down robbers,murderers, and the dangerous riff-raff that have plagued the town for years. The series is co-created and executive produced by Nancy Hower and John Lehr (“10 Items or Less,” “Jailbait”) and co-executive produced by Keith Raskin (“Key & Peele,” “The League”). “Quick Draw” is coming to Hulu and Hulu Plus in the Summer of 2013, and you can watch a trailer here now: http://www.hulu.com/quick-draw

“East Los High” is not your typical high school.  Dance, sex, romance and mystery are at the heart of thisinner city school in East L.A. where two teenage cousins, Jessie, a 16-year-old virgin, and Maya, a troubled runaway with a violent past, fall in love with Jacob, a popular football player.  With this forbidden love triangle, Maya, Jessie and Jacob, along with their close friends, must face true-to-life decisions throughout a turbulent year that will mark their lives forever. A Hulu Exclusive Series, “East Los High” features an all Latino cast, director, writers and creators—many hailing from East L.A. More than 15 leading public health organizations such as Advocates for Youth, Voto Latino, California Family Health Council and Legacy LA, among others, advised on the scripts and content to address teen issues related to relationships and sexuality in a meaningful way. “East Los High” is the first English-language drama series made for this under served audience.

“Quick Draw” and “East Los High” join the nine other Hulu Original Series and Hulu Exclusive Series that will be premiering as part of Hulu’s Summer Slate 2013, including “The Awesomes,” “Behind the Mask,” “The Wrong Mans,” “Mother Up!,” “Pramface” (season two) “Prisoners of War” (season two), “The Only Way is Essex” (season four), “Braquo” (season two), and “Moone Boy.”

Lastly, we are proud to offer new daily, half hour episodes of two of the longest running, storied, and respected TV franchises: “All My Children” and “One Life To Live.” Both premiered on Hulu and Hulu Plus yesterday.

The entire Hulu team is incredible grateful for the opportunity to build and innovate on behalf of our customers each and every day. Thank you for your belief in us as we continue to build a world-class company.

-Andy

That’s why we’re thrilled and honored to carry on the tradition with the return of beloved soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” with new episodes on Hulu and Hulu Plus starting today.

We visited the set of “AMC” recently, and it was comforting to see the familiar faces and places — and plenty of new ones — all of whom appeared thrilled that the show was back. One familiar face we saw was Cady McClain, who plays Dixie Cooney Martin, and we asked her what the fans should expect from the much-missed soap. She immediately expressed her gratitude with the ardent fan base.

“I know it was a long wait,” she told us. “I know there have been a lot of ups and downs. I just want to assure the fans that it feels like another era of golden years for this show. It’s truly the best that ‘All My Children’ is and can be again.”

And it’s because Cady is a fan herself.

“I’m very excited and feel super lucky to be here right now,” she said. “The story and sets are incredible. There are so many surprises coming. I can’t wait to watch it myself!”

We realize that some of you may not be familiar with watching shows on Hulu, which is why we created a video where the stars of the soaps educate you on how to watch the shows on both Hulu and Hulu Plus. Once you view that, it will be just like old times, watching old friends in Pine Valley and Llanview—only whenever and wherever you want. Leave the drama for the soaps.

We spoke with filmmakers Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci about their 8-week experiment in rural Guatemala living on $1 per day, the typical income for this extremely impoverished region. Their inspirational documentary, Living on One Dollar, follows their encounters with hunger, parasites, and the generous local community as they strive to understand first-hand what life is like below the poverty line.

On first entering the Guatemalan community:

“We were four Americans coming into a village where we didn’t have any connections, trying to figure out how to survive, and the kids would come up and just stare at us, watching for hours. It was the kids who really bridged the gap between us and the rest of the community.”

On their living arrangements:

“We lived in a small mud hut and slept right on a small pad on the dirt floor, with two blankets between the four of us. The worst part was that the dirt floor had fleas, and you can see in the film where we’re just covered in red bites. There was one morning where I [Chris] woke up with both giardia [a parasite] and E. coli, and we didn’t know if we had enough money to budget for food, let alone the cost of medicine.”

On farming to help make ends meet:

“We wanted to simulate starting a business in this community, so we took out our own microfinance loan and worked during the day as radish farmers. Trying to do 8 hours of manual labor when we’d only eaten one small bowl of rice and beans, which was all that we could afford, and when we hadn’t had a good night’s sleep, was just debilitating, both physically and mentally.”

On the value of microfinance loans:

“One of the most powerful stories we heard was from Rosa, who is featured in the film. In sixth grade, she had to drop out of school to help feed her family, but she always dreamed of becoming a nurse. As an adult, she took out a $200 microfinance loan to start her own weaving business and was able to send herself back to school with the profits. A $200 loan provided this opportunity for her to empower herself and bring herself closer to her dream.”

On what they hope viewers will take away from their documentary:

“What we hope people walk away with is to believe that small efforts can really make a big impact on the life of someone living in extreme poverty, and to believe that we can all make a difference.”

Living on One Dollar will be available exclusively in the U.S. through Hulu and Hulu Plus from April 22-May 3 to coincide with “Live Below the Line”, an anti-poverty awareness campaign encouraging people around the world to try living for five days on $1.50 per day for food and water.

Visitors to Chris and Zach’s nonprofit site livingonone.org can get involved by learning about or donating directly to microfinance organizations that provide loans in impoverished areas. Schools, churches, and other community groups worldwide can also book a personalized Living on One Dollar screening with the filmmakers to discuss what we can all do to make a difference.

Siblings Shira and Jeremy Piven sat down with us to talk about Shira’s directorial debut, “Fully Loaded,” which Shira’s husband, Adam McKay, and Jeremy worked on as executive producers. This hilarious dark comedy centers around two single moms and an unexpected event that happens in a bar one night in L.A.

Hulu: So “Fully Loaded” was based on a two-woman act at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre?

Shira Piven: Not exactly. [Paula Killen] approached me with the original idea. We collaborated in writing the show, and I directed it. So it debuted at the Upright Citizens Brigade. And from there, we developed the live performance into a film.

Hulu: Shira, the chemistry between the main characters in “Fully Loaded” is palpable. There’s an easy back-and-forth, and the dialogue is really sharp and witty. What do you think Hulu viewers can look forward to most about “Fully Loaded”?

SP: First of all, there are some really cool cameos and musicians. There’s Dave Koechner, “Community’s” Danny Pudi, and “Los Campesinos!” But what’s unique is that it’s really like eavesdropping on two women just talking to each other. And it’s centered around an out-of-the-blue, sexy moment that happens in a bar. But for one of the characters, it turns out to be one of those defining moments in your life when you’re ready to make a change.

Hulu: As kids, did you ever think you’d work together? Were you always close?

JP: Well, I spotted her in gymnastics…[laughter]. We weren’t always close but I’d rather have it this way, becoming closer rather than growing apart.

Hulu: Did you do anything else together as kids?

JP: [Shira] was one of my first acting teachers. She was the first one to really break down for me what acting was….she was very patient.

Hulu: And you both come from an acting family (ed note: the well-known Piven Theatre Workshop was founded by Shira and Jeremy’s parents). Shira, tell me a little about your kids’ acting. Your youngest daughter, Pearl, is in the notorious “Landlord” sketch with Will Ferrell?

SP: Yeah. [Will Ferrell] and Adam (ed note: Shira’s husband, Adam McKay) were trying to get this site (ed note: the hilarious and massively successful “Funny or Die”) off the ground. Pearl was about two at the time, and she’d repeat whatever people said.

Hulu: That video has almost 80 million views on “Funny or Die.”

SP: It was pretty crazy. People approached us about having Pearl be in a Jackie Chan movie! And she was only two!

Hulu: And your other daughter, Lili. Has she acted at all?

JP: Yeah! You know that scene in “Anchorman”? When that little girl says “You’re an awful man, Mr. Burgundy”? That’s Lili and Shira.

Hulu: Would you want your kids to go into acting at all?

SP: No, not really. Of course, I want to encourage them in whatever they choose to do, but it’s a tough industry. And there are so many other great things they could do.

Hulu: Jeremy, you have a new drama premiering on March 31 on PBS: “Mr. Selfridge.” What would you say is the American equivalent of the department store, Selfridges?

JP: It was really the first department store of its kind. [Selfridge] made shopping an experience. He created plays in his window displays. It was his art.

Want more of Shira and Jeremy? Watch “Fully Loaded” here.

Since Hulu is always scouring the planet for the best TV shows we can offer, you can only imagine how excited we are to announce our brand new slate of classic shows now available exclusively on Hulu and Hulu Plus.

Today, you’ll be able to binge on every episode from any season of “Inspector Spacetime,” “The Itchy & Scratchy Show,” “MILF Island,” “Mock Trial With J. Reinhold,”  “Ya Heard? With Perd,” “Sick, Sad World,” “Queen of Jordan,” “Space Teens,” and “Numberwang” all in one place.

No, that one place isn’t your dreams. That one place is Hulu.

We’re bolstering our movie lineup, too. We’re proud to bring you ”The Rural Juror,” winner of multiple awards worldwide including “Most Unpronounceable Film” at the Cannes Film Festival and “The Daytona High School Movie Night Participation Award.”  The seven-hour, one-part film follows Jenna Maroney as a twirler girl whose demure world, spurred by Irma Luhrman-Merman’s murder, is cured by a fervid whirl of her turgid error. It also stars Kari Whurer. We are also adding its sequel, “Urban Fervor,” to our service.

It is an honor, as well, to present to our users the entire catalogue of the beloved, ultra-violent children’s series “The Itchy & Scratchy Show.” Thanks to a laborious, day-and-night effort by our video publishing team, all 63,764 episodes of “Itchy & Scratchy” are available on Hulu and Hulu Plus starting today – with the exception of seven episodes banned by “Springfieldians for Nonviolence, Understanding, and Helping,” and one from 1934 that is too deplorable to discuss.

And get your X7 Dimensionisers ready, ”Inspector Spacetime” fans! Today, you can follow all 11 Inspectors through the 51 years of the classic British TV series and its probably too intimidating catalogue. Brought back to prominence with a viral campaign by students Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir on the campus of Greendale Community College, “Inspector Spacetime” boasts a small but rabid fanbase. As always, Hulu is thrilled to align ourselves with TV shows and fans that are streets ahead.Oh, and we have acquired the rights to British math quiz show “Numberwang.” We hope to one day understand it.

I truly hope you enjoy the new additions to our service as much as we all do. Special thanks to our friends at Sabor de Soledad CheesePuffs, McDaniels, The Tracy Jordan Meat Machine, and Duff Beer for their support as official launch sponsors.

Happy watching!  4.1.13. And that’s Numberwang.

Today is William Shatner’s birthday, and Hulu is making every episode from every Star Trek series available to watch for free until the end of the month. Resistance is futile. Almost as futile as controlling a population of tribbles.

We’re polling folks to find out which episode they’d like featured on the home page this weekend, and later today, iconic characters will face off in March Madness-style brackets, with Trek fans voting for their favorites. Check out Hulu’s Tumblr for more details.

Things will get heated. Friends may turn on each other.

But hopefully it won’t come to that. Check out every Star Trek episode here.

And of course, (you know we’ve gotta say it): Live long and prosper.

Right away, you’ll notice we’ve added content categories across the top navigation bar to make it easy to for you to jump to your chosen section – whether it is TV, Kids, Latino, Search, or something else. Inside each category, you’ll discover what’s new in our content library so it’s easy to discover new shows and keep up with the shows you already love. You can also jump into your favorite shows right away with the “Shows You Watch” tray. We built this to make sure you never miss a new episode or lose your place in a series.

When redesigning the experience, we looked for ways to grant you instant access to exactly what you want to watch. Once you decide on the show you want to watch, simply press the “Play” button and the latest episode of the series will automatically start playing.

While your favorite episode or clip is playing, hold down the “Select” button until Subtitles and Audio appears to turn on captions.

You have to be running the latest firmware to get this new experience and captions. If you are unsure, go to “Settings” on the Apple TV home screen and under “General” choose “Update Software.”

To start watching Hulu Plus shows instantly, find “Hulu Plus” on the Apple TV home screen. If you are a Hulu Plus subscriber, simply enter your username and password to start streaming last night’s episode of Modern Family from the biggest screen in the house.

If you do not have a Hulu Plus account, you can easily sign-up two ways:

1. Go to www.huluplus.com/appletv and register online.  Launch Hulu Plus on your Apple TV, log in with your new credentials and start streaming.

2.  Create a Hulu Plus account directly through Apple TV by using your existing iTunes account and following the sign up instructions on the screen.  If you sign up for Hulu Plus through Apple TV, you will be emailed instructions on how to complete your registration so you can use Hulu Plus on all other supported devices.  After your free 1-week trial ends, your iTunes Account will be charged $7.99 per month as a recurring transaction.

For those of you who are new to the service, Hulu Plus is the only online premium video subscription that streams current and classic TV programming on demand from hundreds of content partners, including top broadcast networks ABC, NBC, FOX, The CW and Univision. Hulu Plus subscribers can watch on any enabled devices for $7.99/month with limited advertising. For many popular shows on our service, Hulu Plus offers every episode of the current season. Hulu Plus subscribers also have access to back seasons and full runs of some of TV’s greatest shows, including many that were not available online before, in HD whenever possible.

I hope you are as excited as we are about this updated experience. Let us know what you think!

Team -

As you all know, I will be departing Hulu at the end of this quarter. I wanted to share the news that Andy Forssell will be stepping up to lead Hulu as acting CEO after I depart later this month.  You know Andy well; he’s been a critical senior executive and has been here from the start of this great adventure. Andy exemplifies the Hulu culture and has been central to Hulu’s journey, helping to grow this company from 2 content partners and no revenue to over 450 content partners and approximately $700 million revenue in 2012. In his role, Andy has built strong relationships with many of our Board members. Andy has the Board’s strong support in leading the team during this important time.

Disney and News Corporation are currently finalizing their forward-looking plans with Hulu, and the senior team has been working closely with them in that process. Once the plans are finalized, a permanent decision will be made regarding the CEO position.

As I mentioned to you all at the beginning of this year, Hulu’s focus remains on delivering a fantastic 2013 for customers and shareholders. Hulu is well on its way, with new records being set in Q1 across both revenue and subscriber additions.  The unwavering focus on delighting Hulu’s customers is clearly showing up in the outputs of the business.

Jason

Hulu’s fourth annual Best in Show competition launches today at hulu.com/bestinshow. It’s like March Madness, but better. In this bracket-style competition, rabid fans will winnow down this year’s 32 best and buzziest shows by voting over the next five weeks. On April 4, we’ll announce the winner.

Since its launch in 2010, Best in Show has been a call to arms for uber-fans, showrunners, and even TV stars to duke it out on behalf of their shows. Last year, “Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus promised to kiss costar Steven Yeun on the mouth if their show won. Reedus might get his chance this year. With categories like Barely Breathing (“Walking Dead” vs. “Community”), Danger Zone (“Homeland” vs. “Archer”), and Methy Situations (“Sons of Anarchy” vs. “Breaking Bad”), things are bound to get, well, methy. Or messy, depending.

Hulu is partnering with Rolling Stone’s pop culture critic Rob Sheffield for his take on some of the favorites in this year’s competition. Disagree with his choices? Completely concur? Let him know @robsheff. But ultimately, it’s all about your vote: only you, the good people of television fandom, can definitively tell us which show is best.

Folks can cast their votes to decide which 16 shows will advance to next week’s round on hulu.com/bestinshow between now and Wednesday, March 6. So what are you waiting for? Go vote! Feeling particularly passionate about your choices? Let people know about them with #bestinshow, and follow @Hulu for updates and breaking news about the competition. May the odds be ever in your show’s favor.

On the  show’s recent move to Friday nights:

Zachary Knighton (Dave):  My reaction was – sweet, Friday nights, that’s some prime real estate! I’m sure our demo is all at home watching TV on Friday night!

Adam Pally (Max): I’m smart enough to know that no one is going to watch on Friday Nights. Let’s cut the shit and know that you won’t be home on Friday at 8pm if you like “Happy Endings.” I beg of you, DVR it or watch it on Hulu or ABC.com. Wherever you can get it, go find it.

Eliza Coupe (Jane): Real talk, you guys. I usually am watching TV on a Friday night. Sooo there’s that.

On the secret to Brad and Jane’s chemistry: 

Damon (Brad) and Eliza (Jane) (It’s impossible to separate their answers because they finish 100% of each other’s sentences): We laugh a lot. During sex. We have sex in between takes. It’s really funny when we’re having sex. We do it as we run lines, as we’re getting our makeup retouched. We’re actually sitting next to each other having sex right now. IT TICKLES!

We have it figured out. You start out lying to each other. HUGE lie. A lie that would destroy most couples. And then you try to cover it up, cover it up for 22 minutes. And then you confess, and then you have sex. And it an about a minute, you’ve made up and you’re inside of each other.

On Max entering a gay beauty pageant in an upcoming episode:

Adam (Max): Max competes in a gay beauty pageant and there’s a talent competition, a strength competition, and a Q&A. Max fails miserably at all of them.

Casey (Penny): I bore witness to Max’s routine, which is the most insane thing I’ve ever seen. As a person on Earth, it’s the craziest thing my eyes have ever seen. It was shocking, it made me angry, it made me excited. Every emotion is felt when you see what Adam is wearing.”

On the introduction of a 3^rd Kerkovich sister, played by “Law & Order SVU’s” Stephanie March:

Casey (Penny): She’s supposed to be like Jane on crack, which regresses Jane to act like Alex, and Alex to act even dumber.”

Eliza (Jane): It’s going to be really funny, because Jane is pretty extreme and out there. For someone to be more extreme than her, I’m wondering if this is going to become a cartoon.”

Damon Wayans Jr. (Brad): I’m learning all this stuff while you guys are talking. There’s another sister?

On the return of guest star Mark-Paul Gosselaar (“Saved By the Bell”) as Chase, Max’s revenge-obsessed former roommate:

Adam (Max):  Chase comes back to finish the job of getting revenge on Max]. But he finds that it’s hard to ruin someone’s life who ruins their own life every day.

Zachary (Dave): It was awesome to work with Mark-Paul because I watched “Saved By the Bell” growing up. Dave is so enthralled with Chase that he would probably join Chase’s side if it came down to it. He wants to be Chase.

Adam (Max): Working with him is so surreal. You’re doing lines and improvising and you look up and you’re like, holy shit, it’s Zach Morris! Or Franklin. Or Bash. Which one is he? The taller white one.

On the fans that just want to see Dave and Penny get together:

Casey (Penny): I think Penny’s found a man. Pete’s so cute, she needs to hold onto him. She has let go of the Dave thing. I think it will eventually come back, but she’s got her hands full.

Zachary (Dave): Nick Zano, who plays Pete, looks like Brad Pitt. At this point, she’s gotta be like, oh I can get that kind of guy? I’m good, Dave.

On why this show is so crazy that even the creator of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is impressed:

Zachary (Dave): The show has gotten pretty zany this year. I’m really good friends with the guys from “Always Sunny” – I was just hanging out with Rob, the creator this weekend and he was like “You know, I cannot believe how crazy your show has gotten. It’s almost as crazy as my show now!”

Elisha (Alex): Something magical’s going on here. We have fun when we’re paired up, but when you get us all on a scene together it’s like taking six rubber balls and throwing them in a box. It’s chaotic.

Casey (Penny): If you’re watching our show in any capacity, God bless you. You’re a visionary. You get comedy and television and life. 

On whether the writers and producers will be changing storylines in case the show gets canceled:

Adam (Max): They don’t care whether this is the last season. I like that punk rock attitude – they’re going to do the show they set out to do and don’t feel the need to wrap it up in a bow for anybody. To me, “Happy Endings” is like a party. You can stay for as long as you want but you don’t need someone to announce “And that’s the end of the party!” “Happy Endings” was built and made to play whenever you want to see it.

Then February comes along and you’re forced to feel bad about not having heard that Best Original Song nominee in the movie Chasing Ice.

Yes, that’s a real thing.

So here are some more digestible categories. We’re calling them the Fauxscars, and we’re hoping that the phrase “Fauxscar Bait” catches. We’re looking forward to you explaining that expression to Helen Mirren.–Ben Collins

(Winners are in bold.)

Best Movie According to Your 12-Year Old Cousin

Nominees:

- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- Pitch Perfect
- The Hunger Games
- The Lucky One
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2

Repression of nascent sexual urges, horrific violence of questionable age-appropriateness, Miley Cyrus’ hot fiancé — what’s not to love? The Hunger Games is social commentary at its dreamiest and most disturbing. We hear everyone in Ms. Lund’s homeroom loves it.—Naivasha Dean

Best Performance by an Anne Hathaway

Nominees:

- Anne Hathaway – Fantine, Les Miserables
- Anne Hathaway – Selina – The Dark Knight Rises
- Anne Hathaway – Emma – One Day
- Anne Hathaway (?) – Scrat – Ice Age: Continental Drift

Her nut-chewing pant/noises were unbelievable.–Ben Collins

Best “I Loved It, But You Tell No One. NO ONE!” Theatre Experience

Nominees:

- Casa de Mi Padre
- 21 Jump Street
- American Reunion
- Rock of Ages
- Magic Mike
- Pitch Perfect

Each of these movie is dripping in painful, disgusting nostalgia — be it because of the music, TV or movies of a specific era, or the summer I stripped my way across Mexico to pay my way through Blogging School. But only one of these movies proved that with only a dream and the hit songs of the 80s, you can be a rock star in Los Angeles. I was only able to believe that BS again because the harsh summer heat and Alec Baldwin, so I remain forever in love with our winner, Rock of Ages.–Martin Moakler

Best “That Was This Year?” Movie

Nominees:

- The Dictator
- The Cabin in the Woods
- End of Watch
- The Five-Year Engagement
- The Campaign

Will Ferrell as a satirically conservative, Republican, political figure? Check. Zach Galifianakis as the everyman’s lovable idiot? Check again. Pretty sure this movie came out in 2009. Must be the whole August release thing. Or I have a horrible disease.–Gabe Pasillas

Best Movie You’re Telling People You’ll See on DVD But Won’t

Nominees:

- Lincoln
- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Amour
- Moonlight Kingdom
- Life of Pi
- Silver Linings Playbook

The only way we’re watching Amour on DVD is if we want to look really cultured and sophisticated when our date comes over — and we all know “watching” is an iffy term in that situation. Come to think of it — where does one even get a DVD of Amour? We’re guessing it won’t be in the RedBox outside that Walgreens. And who needs the subtitles when The Switch is on a certain Internet VOD service? Jason Bateman knocks up Jennifer Aniston by switching his… oh, you’ve just gotta see it!

Kill me now.–Naivasha Dean

Best Shoehorning of a Comedian into a Drama

- Josh Radnor - Liberal Arts
- Chris Pratt – Zero Dark Thirty
- John Krasinski – Promised Land
- Jason Segel – Jeff Who Lives at Home
- Ed Helms – Jeff Who Lives at Home

There’s an old show business saying: “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.” The reason why most comedians got into comedy is that they like making people laugh, but don’t like working out. Cardio is what makes a leading man.

So, to Josh, John, Jason and Ed: You succeeded in not making us laugh. Anyone can do that. To Chris, through your physical transformation, you obviously wanted it more, so you’ve earned this win, and maybe some dessert. And congratulations to your wife Anna Faris, too, because she gets your Parks & Recreation all to herself.–Martin Moakler

Best Part of Anne Hathaway’s “I Dreamed a Dream” Performance

Nominees:

- When she is so sad she can barely say the word “blind” and just whispers it slightly
- When she runs her fingers through her newly-shorn hair, full of incredulity at her own fate
- When she belts out the word “shame” and then clasps her hands to her mouth as if she has startled herself
- When her eyes flash with anger about her childhood being taken away in a stride
- When her face briefly fills with hope and strength at the thought of her love coming back to her

Winner: ALL OF IT.

Who are we kidding? Every second of this glorious 4:30 minute masterpiece comes together in an atomic bomb of amazing that blew every other supporting actresses’ performance out of the water and out of the running. The rest of them get nothing. No buzz, no awards, no trendy pixie cut. You might say “so overrated” or “somebody make it stop,” but we say: Sally Field who?

Seriously, screw you, Sally Field. Go back to making cookies that make the whole airport smell good.–Naivasha Dean

Most Excellent Stone Cold Bummer of a Film

Nominees:

The Invisible War
How to Survive a Plague
The Waiting Room
Planet of Snail
Wild Bill

All the nominees in this category are despair-inducing and weighty. Most are documentaries. These films deal with epidemic sexual assault, AIDS, impoverished sick people, and abandoned children. The Invisible War is about the first one in there. It does not get more serious or depressing than that. Critics won’t give bad reviews to films that deal with such serious issues, because we all recognize that we’re in over our heads on these grave social problems! Get your Prozac and cup-half-full demeanor ready to go! Let’s go back to talking about Anne Hathaway!–Katherine Rea

Best Actually Innovative Movie

- Cabin in the Woods
- Looper
- Cloud Atlas
- Moonrise Kingdom
- Ruby Sparks

Yep, this list of movies is absurdly small and one of the selections is a little forced. When it comes to making films, there just isn’t money in taking chances or presenting anything new. Cabin in the Woods also reuses a lot of horror tropes, but that’s the whole point. It takes everything we’re familiar with, examines it, and throws in one of the most unexpected and fun third acts in recent film memory, and for that it gets the nod. And that’s only because there was no “Fast & Furious” movie this year, which is a beacon of hope for both the film and beef jerky communities.–James Goux

Best “Really, Another One?” Movie

- Ice Age: Continental Drift
- Men in Black III
- Madagascar 3
- Paranormal Activity 4
- Resident Evil: Retribution
- Step Up 4
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- American Reunion
- The Bourne Legacy

…And this list is crazy long. This category is all about studios making sweet, delicious cash. One might say the insanely quick reboot of Spider-Man would take the cake, but with its respectable actors and story and impressive CGI, it gets a close second to MiB3. A franchise that was clearly already dead was revived by studios so Will Smith could sell Ford Tauruses to America’s Ford Taurus-shaped middle.

Also, since when does a secret intergalactic organization need Sprint to provide cell coverage? Is that why Alf only accepts calls via Skype now?–Gabe Pasillas

Best Movie You’re Pretending You’ve Seen

Nominees:

- Amour
- The Waiting Room
- Cosmopolis
- Holy Motors
- Life of Pi
- The Master

So there’s this guy. He’s lodged in a waiting room, but it’s… it’s a French waiting room. And he was in a motorcycle accident? With a tiger in a canoe? He had a bad GPS, I think. But get this: The tiger is played by Robert Pattinson! Yeah, I know! It’s weird. And it’s a Scientologist Tiger. Who is 96-years-old.–Ben Collins

Here’s the rub on “Community,” which returns to Hulu tomorrow after a nine-month-long hiatus: Rival network executives and critics argue that it’s not your father’s kind of show. That’s why it’s getting jerked around on the schedule. That’s why it was on Friday nights until it wound up never being on Friday nights at all.

First off, here’s the problem: You don’t know my dad. Lay off my dad. He’s a good man. He gives me access to his HBO Go account and bought me some of those super high thread-count socks for Christmas.

Second of all, here’s the other problem with that whole line of thought: It is your father’s kind of show. It’s every father’s kind of show. Because it is every kind of show.

Your father likes “Law & Order.” Your father will like “Community.” Or at least he’ll like that one time they did a “Law & Order” episode, kerklunk sound and all.

They go down every road. They have a witness that certainly seems like the perp but totally isn’t because, you know, it’s “Law & Order.” They have the useless detective, played by Britta, who’s really only there to ask why someone would do such a thing. And there are yams involved, just like every “Law & Order” episode.

Okay, maybe that last one goes off the rails. But it’s basically SVU for that one episode. It’s also an action movie in another episode, or a Christmas movie in the next episode, or a “Parks and Rec.”-style mockumentary in the next.

There’s talk that Community will return to more traditional sitcom elements this year. We talked to the cast about it. They assured us it won’t be much different than the show we loved.

“I mean, one of the main conflicts in the show right away is that not everybody can get into a class called ‘The History of Ice Cream,’” says Alison Brie.

What would History of Ice Cream entail?

“What do you think it would be about?” she says. “It’s called ‘The History of Ice Cream.’”

Touché.

Your dad likes Law & Order. Your dad likes funny stuff. If he gets any of the references below, you should get him to watch this show. Because it needs saving once again. –Ben Collins

Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas (Rankin/Bass Christmas Animated Films)

I have to admit right off the bat: I was not a Community fan towards the beginning of its run. I tried really hard to like it, because of my love for ’70s Chevy Chase and, also, the Chevy Chase Show (haha, just kidding), but quickly realized that he was the worst part of a rather average show (at the time). Although I only watched the show sporadically in its second season, it wasn’t until this episode that I really started to see how special this group of misfits could be.

Never had I seen an entire episode of a sitcom go “stop motion animation,” let alone a sitcom that takes place pretty much entirely in a “study” room, and, in this case, entirely in someone’s imagination.

Not only was the animation well done, but it truly brought me back to the Christmas specials that creeped me out/warmed my heart from a very young age. This episode expertly balanced parody and homage, poking fun of Christmas as well as the cheesy, sentimental BS that’s often introduced in its specials.

Abed: We’re in the carol canyon. The plants here give off Christmas carols instead of oxygen.

Pierce: Will walking through here be expensive?

Abed: No, it’s all public domain.

This episode wasn’t just for the Community fan, but for every person who has ever seen a Rankin/Bass Christmas special and maybe shed a tear during what may be a particularly tough time of year in some people’s lives. It was for the person who has seen their fair share of crappy Christmases, and has grown through each of them.

For me this was a converter episode, a transistor that allows me to link Christmas to the first season of “Lost” without looking like a guy in a straitjacket.–Gabe Pasillas

Cooperative Calligraphy (bottle episodes from Seinfeld, Friends, Breaking Bad)

All’s well and good with the film references Community presents on the weekly with a Rain Man-like intensity, but we can’t forget about how it tackled a classic TV trope – The Bottle Episode.

Since the dawn of sitcoms (or bottles), the classic bottle episode has trapped its characters in a single room or location, in turn creating a more boiling plot than usual.

Whether it be for budgetary reasons (Friends’ “The One Where No One’s Ready”), just to add a raw challenge to the plot (Breaking Bad’s “The Fly”), or because the writers want to prove they can write a top-10 episode ever about really wanting Lo Mein (Seinfeld’s “The Chinese Restaurant”), a bottle episode relies on the strengths of the characters and their writers.

In Cooperative Calligraphy, the group is confined to the cardinal study room with the hopes of uncovering who stole Annie’s pen, all while missing out on a campus puppy parade. Real pivotal stuff, guys.

In case you aren’t aware it’s a bottle episode by the end of the whole thing, Abed (in his oh-so-meta way) alludes to the fact and Jeff Winger – or is it Joel McHale in that moment? – calls off his date with ‘Gweniffer’ and proclaims “I’m doing a bottle episode!” At the very least, you can see the gang in their skivvies.–Shae Ryan

Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking (The Office/Parks & Rec./Modern Family)

Abed’s a little scornful when Pierce, pretending to be on his deathbed to get revenge on the study group, asks Abed to capture his final moments on film. “It’s easier to tell a complex story when you can just cut to people explaining things to the camera. Fish in a barrel.”

What we get next is a priceless parody of mockumentary shows like “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Modern Family” – and an episode that captures a lot more emotional gravitas than we’re used to from the gang.

Abed goes all out to document the action, spying on his friends from other rooms, and using their interviews for exposition as shamelessly as other mockumentary shows do:

But by the end of the episode, Abed’s disenchanted with the format. He pulls a pro trick by wrapping up the show with a series of shots, which “when cut together under a generic voiceover, suggest a profound thematic connection.”

Modern Family did this excellently last week (and does almost every week):

The highlight of the episode is Troy’s unfortunate encounter with his idol LeVar Burton (“Reading Rainbow,” “Star Trek,” “Roots”) which causes him to go catatonic with fear.

And because it’s adorable, here’s Leslie Knope meeting her hero, Vice President Joe Biden, on “Parks and Recreation” recently. She handles it a little better, but in a way, no less awkwardly.–Naivasha Dean

Modern Warfare (28 Days Later, Die Hard)

To say that “this is the one that started it all” is a well-worn cliché, but that’s probably fitting. Modern Warfare set the template for so many future Community episodes: Embrace the cliché, call yourself out on it, and then take it a step further.

And you know it’s a game-changer for the series from the very start. Jeff, our star, had entered a completely new world. Sure, it was still Greendale Community College but the cinematography had changed, the camera now moved like it hadn’t before, and it revealed more dynamic lighting. And the view was of a “28 Days Later”-style post a-paintball-lyptic community college, all reinforced by Jeff having to come to grips with what’s happened while he took a nap.

But it’s not just about parodying a mid-2000s horror movie. It’s about breaking down every beef jerky-chewing, save-this-helpless-female device in an action movie. When Community tackles a genre it makes sure that the episode is a fully fleshed example of that genre, honoring it and following in its footsteps rather than teasing.

While some references are in your face like Abed’s “come with me if you don’t want paint on your clothes” line (that’s from “Terminator,” by the way), the true brilliance of this episode is in the less obvious stuff.

The story structure follows any standard “Die Hard” movie. They’ll drop an “I thought you were dead,” or Abed will notice something wrong from something impossible, like freshly dripping paint on the wall. And then there’s the “breather” scene where our heroes sit around a fire and share stories of what they’ll do if they survive. And then the writers acknowledge that the “wounded soldier” scene usually leads to the romantic couple screwing, then giving in and having them do it.

And then there’s Justin Lin from the “Fast and Furious” movies. He’s responsible for directing that scene when Chang apes John Woo’s The Killer, replete with infinite ammo, dual pistols, diving slow motion and all. Or when Jeff goes all John McClane on us, stance and taped gun included.

But the true brilliance of this–and every other genre tribute episode that follows it–is that they don’t stop the show to make these things happen. This episode is still a turning point for Jeff and Britta. It wound up being a big moment for the show’s writers as well. Modern Warfare is the moment Community found its groove.–James Goux

Critical Film Studies (Pulp Fiction)

Here’s a pretty straightforward one: “Critical Film Studies” is an elaborate homage to My Dinner with Andre, the cult classic starring Wallace Shawn. (Princess Bride, anyone? “Inconceivable!” That guy.).

So it’s Abed’s birthday, and Jeff (to Troy’s chagrin) has arranged a Pulp Fiction-themed surprise party for him. Every member of the study group is a character in the Tarantino classic. For an episode heavy on voiceovers and intense dialogue between Jeff and Abed, it’s not excessively static. For that, much credit is due to the brilliant direction of British comic and BAFTA award-winner Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd).

Of course, Pierce is the gimp. And, of course, Chevy Chase got his body double to sweat through 98% of the episode, finally making his appearance (sans mask) while Jeff is confessing to cross-dressing as a child. Yeah, it’s a weird one.–Katherine Rea

At the beginning of the second half, things were looking grim. At 28-6, the game was looking like a blowout (never great for second-half advertisers) when a bizarre blackout threw the Mercedes-Benz Superdome into darkness. If you’re an advertiser waging as much as $4 million for 30 seconds of air time in the second half, the last thing you want is a lopsided game, much less a delay that might cause people to give up, change the channel or go to bed.

So you could almost hear an audible sigh of relief among advertisers when the power came back on and it ignited an improbable 49ers comeback that tied fans to their seats until almost until the very last play. More people watching the game means more people watching the ads, and while the extended break wasn’t ideal, it did mean some Super Bowl advertisers like Audi, Oreos, Tide and Volkswagen could cleverly use the gap to their advantage. And in fact, early Nielsen estimates indicate this year’s game was the most-watched Super Bowl ever.

Advertising Age has been reviewing Super Bowl ads for decades, long before the ads themselves were considered as much a part of the entertainment experience as the game itself. This year, Ad in-house critic Ken Wheaton found a lot to like. Among our faves? Budweiser’s “Brotherhood” brought the Clydesdales and some emotion, back to the Super Bowl. Samsung’s “The Big Pitch,” with Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen and a cameo from LeBron James solidified the company as the top marketer in tech. Ram Trucks’ homage to the farmer was epic in length for a Super Bowl ad and a worthy follow up to its “Imported From Detroit” ad last year.

Catch up on the ads you missed here at Hulu, or if you really want to nerd out on the advertising, and the strategy behind it, visit us at AdAge.com or follow us on Twitter at @adage.

Happy watching.

Wild Card: Cars.com: Wolf

A car-buying couple misses the drama they used to have before discovering Cars.com. So their salesman puts them between a wolf cub and its snarling mother. Baby animal trend officially established for 2013.

Wild card: Hyundai: Stuck
A clever ad about how I feel very day on every single road there is.

What? I live in Los Angeles.

Wild Card: NFL: Sandcastle
Just hilarious.

15: Oreo: Whisper Fight
A cowboy-style bar fight breaks out in a library, and everybody whispers. What’s the fighting all about? Whether the cream or the cookie is the best part of the Oreo. We say the cookie. Or do we?

14: Dorito’s: Fashionista Daddy
There were two Dorito’s ads in AdZone, and this one got the most Likes. While not as entertaining, original, funny, or as inventive as the “Goat 4 Sale” ad, this one does have men in women’s clothing. So it’s got that going for it.

13: Grande Papi
This is exactly how I feel when I go out with my 4 month-old son strapped to my chest. We look so awesome. I stalk through the grocery aisles, feeling like a member of some kind of baby SWAT team, with my adorable kid and all my gear. Taco Bell captured the essence of proud daddyhood in this ad, and Hulu viewers rewarded that effort with Likes.

12: Kia: Space Babies
A fantastical super-bowl style ad that has nothing to do with the Kia Sorrento. Beautiful to look at, and babies.
Downside: voice-activated service requires driver to call out its unwieldy name: “Uvo”.
Upside: Baby animal trend perpetuated.

11: Audi: Prom
Dad’s Audi inspires courage in a lonely teenage boy. In this spot, Audi makes being a loner look cool and daring.
The awesome shot of the Audi’s illuminating headlamps as the engine growls to life is now a familiar staple of the Audi Super Bowl ad.

10: Milk: The Rock in Morning Run
An entirely awesome ad, and my personal favorite of 2013. To me, this is a pitch-perfect over-the-top Super Bowl ad. Tons of action and hyperbole, and the product is still front and center.

9: Jeep: America Will Be Whole Again
Continuing their “patriotic” theme from last year (minus the crumbly spokesman), Chrysler hit us with a heavy 2 minute spot about our heroes returning home. Viewers across America responded positively.

8: Skechers GORun 2: Cheetah
A running shoe commercial where a man outruns a cheetah. Nothing groundbreaking (we had a cheetah ad last year), but we all got a kick out of seeing the runner exchange a fist bump with the gazelle at the end.

7: GoDaddy: Perfect Match
A big hit with our software developers (all of whom are more attractive than “Walter”), this ad featured Israeli model Bar Refaeli smooching a nerdy guy… for a long time. Popular (I assume) for shock value, this ad lip-smacked its way into our top 10.

6: World War Z: Big Game Spot
A 30-second condensed version of the trailer, this ad opened World War Z to an audience who may not be familiar with the acclaimed zombie novel. Fans of the zombie genre have been hungry for this one, and this spot whet their appetites even further.

5: Fast & Furious 6 (Fast 6): Trailer
The ad that made me laugh the most this year was oddly enough, not supposed to. This short teaser for the sixth installment of the franchise following a group of street-racing thieves (who apparently become superhuman) grabbed a lot of attention in this year’s AdZone.

4: Budweiser: Brotherhood
So, I cried at a beer commercial tonight. That happened. Every year Anheuser-Busch airs an ad featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales, and quite frankly I’ve always found them to be on the boring side. These are just horses, where’s the beer? But this year, I was moved by the story of a young man raising a Clydesdale, only to send the horse far away to be a part of the famous Budweiser team. Their reunion at the end brought a tear to my eye, and I suspect, to many others. A sentimental ad from Bud comes in at number 4.

3: Volkswagen: Get In. Get Happy.
The always-upbeat tall white guy in the office, made more emphatic by his Jamaican accent, brought laughs to everyone at my Superbowl party. In advertising, happiness is a pretty good thing to sell, and Volkswagen nailed it. They didn’t try to play on the success of last year’s ad, they just went for it. Hulu viewers responded by giving it the 3rd most Likes in this year’s AdZone.

2: Taco Bell: Viva Young
Hauling out an old chestnut of a concept that worked well for Six Flags, Boost Mobile, the movie Cocoon, and the Jackass series, Taco Bell hit a home run with a group of senior citizens partying into the night.

1: Ram Trucks: Farmer
In a two-minute stunner, Dodge changed everything we’ve come to expect from a Super Bowl ad. No music, no explosions, no famous actors, just a somber monologue from radio legend Paul Harvey, accompanied by striking gritty visuals of farmers at work. Dodge extended a hand of respect to its customers with this ad, with its carefully metered pace and honest tone. Resonating with viewers across America, this unique spot grabbed our attention, and the number one slot in this year’s AdZone.

Hulu AdZone, sponsored by Toyota, kicks off today in anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday. This is where the commercials of Super Bowl XLVII will face off in real-time on game day, and your votes will crown the winner.

Watch, share and vote for your favorite Super Bowl ads during the big game. As soon as one team takes home the title of Super Bowl champion on Sunday, Feb. 3, we’ll tally the votes and announce your pick for the best ads of Super Bowl 2013 and share our picks for best celebrity cameos, cutest critters and more.

And if you’re craving another wing or grabbing a cold one during the commercial break and miss that ad that will have everyone talking, have no fear – with the Hulu AdZone mobile experience you can visit hulu.com/adzone from your mobile device to pull up that ad and watch, vote, share, Tweet and “like” it to your heart’s content (you’ll just need a Facebook account to cast your vote).

Start getting in the game day spirit now by browsing through the best commercials of Super Bowls past, and your picks for the best ads of 2012. Be sure to check back as we add teaser and preview ads for 2013 between now and game day.

So while you root for your team on the field, remember to cast your vote and watch the scoreboard on Hulu AdZone!

“Life isn’t worth living if I miss an episode of ‘Coronation Street.’” — Sir Anthony Hopkins

If it’s good enough for Anthony Hopkins, it’s good enough for us. The beloved British soap “Coronation Street” has finally made its way to the United States and is streaming for free on Hulu. (Episodes will be posted about two weeks after they air on ITV in England.)

To welcome the newest addition to the Hulu family, we thought we’d run through some fun facts about the U.K.’s longest-running TV show.

In its 52-year run, “Corrie” has seen more than three-dozen births, 88 weddings, and well over 100 deaths. The deaths have ranged from the mundane (heart attack and old age) to the kinds you’d expect on a soap opera: electrocution, car crashes, gunshot wounds, and more.

With all of those “accidents,” it only makes sense that the local pub, The Rovers Return, has served up more than 3.5 million pints of beer since the show started its run. (The show producers estimate it’s also gone through more than 250,000 gin and tonics.)

More than 5,000 characters have appeared in “Coronation Street,” and a bunch of famous people have visited the set, including Dustin Hoffman, Alfred Hitchcock, Boy George, Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, and Queen Elizabeth II.

While the 007 franchise has Bond Girls, “Corrie” has Rovers barmaids. There were 51 by the time the show celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010. Some only lasted one day before they were canned (for being lazy, naturally).

Speaking of women, the show’s sole-surviving original character, Ken Barlow (played by William Roache), has had 27 women in his life. Some of them were flings. Only four were serious enough for marriage.

Finally, before the show began shooting in HD, they used plastic food when filming at the local cafe, Roy’s Rolls. They rely on the real deal now. Producers estimate the restaurant fries an average of 300 eggs a week, or over 15,000 a year.

So keep calm and carry on, America: We’ve got your “Coronation Street” right here.