Category: Stu’s Reviews

Genre: TV Series      

Grade: A

Notable People: Created by: Ken Burns and Lynn Novak

Title: The US and the Holocaust

Grade: The latest (2022) piece of brilliance form Americas documentarian and conscience, Ken Burns. These has never been anyone like him in my book. A follow up to his masterful series on World War II, this focuses on the story we were not told in school about Americas role in ignoring and even supporting the Holocaust; through ignorance, naiveté, Anti-Semitism and the Isolationist desire to be separate from the rest of the world. It is not pretty and the footage of The Camps is the most harrowing I’ve ever seen. You will weep listening to the 90-year-old survivors tell their stories of horror. There is a lot for any true American patriot to be ashamed about here. Once again, unintentionally makes the case that the world owes an unpayable debt to Britain and Winston Churchill for being the last wall standing and saving us all when no one else would. This one is short by Burn’s standards- only three episodes and available in Spanish as well

Genre: TV Series  

Grade: A+

Notable People: Miles Teller, Matthew Goode, Juno Temple, Giovanni Ribisi, Dan Fogler, Burn Gorman, Colin Hanks, Patrick Gallo, Anthony Ippolito, Created by: Leslie Greif and Michael Tolkin

Title: The Offer

Grade: I never give anything an A+ rating but this rendering of Oscar-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy’s never-before-revealed experiences of making The Godfather (1972) is too good to be true. The story is almost defying believability and the backdrop of the imminent demise of the film industry and it’s saving by Ruddy, Bob Evans (wonderfully played by Goode), Coppola and the mob is brilliantly presented. The attention to detail is top notch and the casting beyond belief – Ippolito has clearly waited his whole life it appears to play Pacino playing Micheal. Teller flat out owns the role of the astoundingly driven Ruddy (who is still alive and co-produced this series), Fogler makes Coppola come to life and Gallo is too much Puzo even foe Puzo. Every part in what might be the greatest film ever is cast to perfection here, and the production is nothing short of riveting Hard to not binge watch and it’s a one and one, but brilliant. Admittedly, I may be biased, as a huge fan of The Godfather and what it means to contemporary American culture, but this show will be an “A” for anyone. The Brando scene where he spontaneously creates Don Corleone is one for the ages. LOVED everything about this show.  

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Sharon Lawrence, Coley Speaks, Patrick Gallagher, Created by: Based on the novels of CJ Box

Title: Joe Pickett

Grade: this show is quite an enigma. As a big fan of Box’s Wyoming Game Warden novels, I was really psyched to see this move on to the small screen. But the casting is dubious and some of the key characters, which are very well conceived in the books, are quite shallow. The acting is uneven although Guill and Lawrence are quite good. Dorman and Speaks just don’t cut it as the two great characters that box had developed in his novels. That said, the stories are quite alluring and the scripts are goof- and it is shot in the beauty on Wyoming. Non Box readers may be less biased than those of us who have a higher level of expectation. Third season is in production-which shows how popular it is.

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: A-

Notable People: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Alden Gillen, Created by: Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon

Title: The Mayor of Kingstown

Grade: wow- talk abut intense. Kingstown is a mythical Illinois or Indiana town (where is irrelevant) that is the home of multiple out of control public and private prisons and a whole lot of mean streets. The McCluskey family, currently presided over by middle brother Mike, are the unofficial and de-facto fixers-which involves a whole lot of graft, violence and offers one cannot refuse. Very violent and disturbing but extremely well written and way dark/gritty. The casting is superb and the chemistry enviable. Hard not to be hooked by this latest from the current Emperor of Streaming TV, ‘Taylor Sheridan’s endeavors. Writing is magnificent, but you have to like an hour of pure intensity for each show. Renewed for third season but production held up by life threatening injuries to the now recovering star, Renner, who is priceless- check out the walk!

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: B+

Notable People: Lior Raz, Itzik Cohen, Netta Garti, Doron Ben-David, Yaakov Daniel, Idan Amedi, Created by: Avi Issacharoff, Lior Raz

Title: Fauda

Grade: Fauda (meaning “chaos”) is an Israeli television series developed by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff drawing on their experiences in the Israel Defense Forces. Every episode is filled with multiple Fauda cluster- f___s from start to finish. If you like Chaos-this is for you. The violence is constant, but accurately portrays the tremendous conflict and ennui that exists in this crazed relationship between ancient enemies. It never stops. The acting is pretty good (Raz and Cohen shine) and the dialog like a buzz saw. The stories are indistinguishable from one episode to the next: Arabs ambush Israelis, Israelis sneak around to get revenge, results in another total Fauda…. then reverse…and do it again. Despite the overkill, the show is well done and Raz is almost Eastwoodian in his stubbornness, quiet menace and heroic meltdowns. I liked this one in spite of of myself and it has been renewed for a fifth season, which seemed highly improbable at the close of season four. Worth a shot.

Genre: TV Series    

Grade: A-

Notable People: Matthew Rhys, Julia Rylance, Shea Whigham, Chris Chalk, Justin Kirk, John Lithgow, Created by: Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald

Title: Perry Mason

Grade: wow- who’d have thunk that this historic TV series could be successfully re-created and not have Raymond Burr rolling around in his grave? The series focuses on the origin story of famed defense lawyer Perry Mason. In 1932 Los Angeles. Very well written with an intriguing plot and a great ensemble cast featuring the very nimble Matthew Rhys (The Americans) in THE ROLE and the subtle scene stealing Rylance as the mysterious and charming Della Street. Dramatically adapting the original had me raising eyebrows initially with an African- American Paul Drake and openly gay Della and Hamilton Burger (the highly entertaining Kirk, “Weeds”), but the show is captivating and I even found myself taken with these modern updates on iconic characters, which did provide grist for more complex societal issues to be framed. At the end of each season, we get the treat of a version of the original iconic theme music- da-da-da……….da-da….can you hear it? Regrettably, and surprisingly, the show has  been canceled by HBO. Boo!!!!

Genre: TV Series  

Grade: A-

Notable People: Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, Anton Lesser, Created by: Colin Dexter  

Title: Endeavor

Grade: set from 1965- 1972, this very well done British detective show follows a young DC Morse (in a prequel to the character from very long running beloved Morse series on PBS) as he finds his way as a cultured and insightful young man in the world of conservative Oxford policing. Shaun Evans is wonderful as the young Morse and Roger Allam is a classic old school bit as his boss/mentor. Very god nine season run of intriguing stories, well written dialog and apropos of the turbulent times it takes place in. Very, very British.