Regarding David Von Drehle’s Jan. 15 op-ed appreciation of Tom Shales, “A TV critic who commanded respect — and demanded respect for viewers”:

Mr. Shales was the TV (and broader culture) critic who knew the medium and, just as important, the sensibility of the viewer. He never talked down to readers, nor did he accept at first blush the PR hype of a showrunner. He gave readers his honest reaction with perception and humor.

We will never see his likes or his influence again. He has been sorely missed.

Ross B. Simons, Alexandria

Many have paid tribute to the late Tom Shales for his talent as The Post’s television critic. I was privileged to see a different aspect of him. Back in the 1970s, I had the good fortune to take a cinema class he taught at American University.

Although he wrote about television for The Post, his knowledge of the history of filmmaking — from the silent-picture era to the time he was in the classroom — was prodigious, and his understanding of and ability to explain how films are made opened my eyes to the concept that motion pictures could be evaluated not just as entertainment but also as art, just as worthy of serious study as literature.

What I learned from him informs how I watch movies to this day. He taught students what to look and listen for — camera angles, focus, settings, the use of light and shadow, the effect of black-and-white vs. color, dialogue, pacing, acting, character development, background music, and other visual and auditory elements that combine to realize the director’s vision.

At one memorable class, he was joined by Post film critic Gary Arnold. Watching and listening to them discuss one movie after another and respond to students’ questions provided a case study in how to engage in a serious evaluation of a motion picture.

I didn’t watch much TV when Shales was television critic. I made a point to read his columns, though, because they were well-written, entertaining, insightful and interesting, and thus I learned a good deal about a lot of shows I never saw.

I continue to derive greater enjoyment from movies than I would have had I not taken that course.

Jeff Liteman, Arlington