Alison Herman is Variety’s new TV critic, joining chief TV critic Daniel D’Addario. In the role, Herman will be a key voice in television criticism, writing reviews, commentary, appreciations and cover stories across all of Variety’s platforms. She will work with editor-at-large Kate Aurthur, who oversees the publication’s TV criticism and features.
Herman was a staff writer at The Ringer from 2016 to 2023, where she covered television and popular culture. During her tenure, she wrote columns on new shows, profiled performers such as John Mulaney and reported the definitive piece on the aesthetics of “Succession.”
“TV criticism is one of the bedrocks of Variety, as the No. 1 brand covering the business of entertainment,” co-Editors-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton and Ramin Setoodeh say. “Alison’s deep knowledge of television and pop culture make her the perfect addition to our team.”
Says Herman: “I couldn’t be more excited to cover television at the leading voice in entertainment coverage. Readers trust Variety to help them sort through the noise, and I hope my criticism can be a part of that mission.”
Herman started at Variety on April 4, and has hit the ground running. She’s reviewed Netflix’s high-profile limited series “Beef,” starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun; Hulu’s limited series “Tiny Beautiful Things,” starring Kathryn Hahn; Jeremy Renner’s Disney+ docuseries “Rennervations” and the final season of HBO’s “Barry.”
