Crusader Chronicles: Amy Amatangelo '91

By Maureen E. Moran ‘89

Amy Amatangelo ’91 is TV Gal for zap2it.com, a Web site that covers everything you need to know about TV and movies. When she’s not watching television or writing for the Boston Herald and The Washington Post, Amy is the director of human resources for a nonprofit organization.

It sounds like you watch a lot of TV.

I probably watch more than the average person, but I watch pretty selectively. I never sit down just to see what’s on. I always watch with purpose.

How do you possibly watch everything you want to see? Do you TiVo?

TiVo definitely changed my life! A lot of the networks will send out new shows or season premieres or special episodes. Without commercials, it’s a very efficient way to watch TV. It’s active watching, too – I’m watching with a purpose because I’m writing a story about it.

Were you a kid who watched a lot of TV?

As a kid, my TV was very limited. I always say to my mother, this is the monster she and my father created because they were very strict! I always loved TV. I can remember reading the paper to see what the TV critic wrote.

What was your favorite show?

I definitely remember the Love Boat and Fantasy Island, back-to-back on a Saturday night. My first TV memory is Sesame Street.

Given how strict your parents were with television, did you go on a TV bender when you got to college?

I never watched TV in college – there just wasn’t time. When I was at Holy Cross, VCRs weren’t as popular and there wasn’t cable in the rooms. I think maybe I watched Twin Peaks and I know we watched Days of Our Lives.

When did TV Gal start?

In 1997, when the Internet was first coming into its own, there was a local magazine called Digital City Boston and they had a movie critic called Movie Guy. I wrote them and said I thought they needed a TV critic and a TV Gal to talk about TV.

What’s the best show on TV right now?

That’s a hard question because I have so many answers. For me, the best comedies are Scrubs and The Office. Drama-wise, I think Veronica Mars and Lost are my two favorites right now.

Who will be the next big thing on TV?

Chris Pratt on Everwood. He’s fantastic and I can see him going on to a lot of bigger things.

Maureen E. Moran ’89 is a member of the Alumni Association Communications Committee.