Category: TV Series

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A

Notable People: Ansel Elgort, Odessa Young, Ken Watanabe, Sho Kasamatsu Created by: JT Rogers

Title: Tokyo Vice

Review: Wow- this is a hard one to not want to binge. Adapted from the memoir of Jake Adelstein, a young man from rural Missouri, who goes to Japan to pursue his dream of being an investigative journalist for Japans’ leading newspaper. He gets involved in all of the underbelly of Tokyo life and becomes ensnarled with the devilish ministrations of the infamous Yakusa gangs. Extraordinarily well acted, with crisp dialog and a startling sense of being encompassed by Japanese culture- half in English and half sub-titled. Elgort, Young and Kasamatsu are perfectly cast in great roles and Watanabe may be the foremost Japanese actor of his generation. I found myself bowing to people everywhere I went. The finale left you craving for more- which is likely.

Genre: TV Series  

Grade: B+

Notable People: Elodie Yung, Adan Canto, Oliver Hudson, Created by: Miranda Kwok and Darrin Star

Title: The Cleaning Lady

Review: based on the 2017 Argentinian television series La Chicca Que Limpia this is a worthy drama that centers on Thony De La Rosa (the wonderfully luminous Yung), formerly a Cambodian-Filipino medical doctor who now lives in Vegas. Her reason for being in the US on an expired visa is her five-year-old son, Luca, who has a rare and life-threatening medical disorder for which he needs a cutting-edge bone marrow treatment. Thony makes a living as a cleaning service worker. After she accidentally witnesses a murder and is discovered hiding by the perpetrator, Arman Morales (Canto), she is offered a job both as a cleaner and a doctor within their criminal organization that could pay well enough to help her son. Thony begins to live a double life, keeping secrets from her family, all the while cleaning up murder scenes and dodging the law. This has been renewed for second season on Fox.

Genre: TV Series   

Grade: B

Notable People: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy- Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Created by: Darren Star

Title: Emily in Paris

Review: This is really a mostly vapid eye-candy series from Sex in the City’s Star, that deserves a B rating, except for Lily Collin’s (Phil from Genesis’s daughter) extraordinary outfits and the incredibly loving capturing of Paris in all it a glory. She is an American PR mensch assigned for a year to a Paris satellite company, and fills the bill for the ugly American, but she is kind of enduring and quite funny. The French characters in the show are too die for, especially Leroy- Beaulieu as the crotchety older femme fatale of the Paris office, and you will want to rush out to the closest Brasserie for a meal and a sunset walk along The Seine. Lightweight, but entertaining.

Genre: TV Series     

Grade: A-

Notable People: Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobsen, Christine Baranski, Created by: Julian Fellows

Title: Rake

Review: 1880’s New York, in all its uptight debauchery, is the setting of this well done show by Downton Abby creator, Julian Fellows. The novena riche Russels try to make inroads with the Astor-led scions of Gotham society. Beautifully filmed, amazing sets and fine acting make this show worth watching…but oh, my, these rich folks are just brutal. Renewed for second season. If you like this historical period, you’ll like this show.

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-

Notable People: Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Kerr Logan, Killian Scott. Created by: Ben Richards and Tom Edge

Title: CB Strike

Review: One-legged war veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike solves brutal murders with the help of his trusted assistant Robin Ellacott. This BBC produced version of the Robert Galbraith (JK Rowland) book series nails it- the casting, especially Burke and Grainger,  is dead on, the setting and dialog jump out of the books. The two seasons cover the first three books in the series, with two more in production. Dark, gritty London and a swirl of underworld charters contrast with the extraordinary non-sexual intimacy of Strike and Robin. This series far exceeded expectations.

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-

Notable People: Richard Roxburgh, Matt Day, Kate Box, Carolyn Brazier, Created by: Peter Duncan and Richard Roxburgh

Title: Rake

Review: Roxburgh is magnificently outrageous in this series vehicle for his improvisational comedy…a lunatic set loose in the great tradition of Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams. Criminal lawyer, Cleaver Greene defends the clients’ no one else will take- in Australia- for the basic plot. Roxburgh, who is the definition of being a” A Rake”, takes it from there. A classically trained Shakespearian actor, he is set loose here to pretty much do anything he wants, and the results are dumbfoudingly hilarious. Hard to take your eyes of him when he is charged up and running on all cylinders. Outstanding supporting cast and well written. First few seasons for free on Amazon , then they want to charge you for an Acorn subscription, but we got the other seasons from the library on Blue Ray.

Genre: TV Series 

Grade: A-

Notable People: Jenna Coleman, Tom Hughes, Adrian Schiller, Rufus Sewell, Created by: Daisy Goodwin

Title: Victoria

Review: Very well doe series exploring the life and reign of Victoria, the Teen Queen of England- often historically misunderstood, and the longest running Queen (63 years) in world history. Jenna Coleman takes to this roll like a pig in shit, as she becomes queen at age of 16. Coleman is simply masterful as she matures into a world powerful monarch in a hot, steamy and complicated marriage with Prince Albert of Bavaria (Hughes). Everything about this show is meticulously done and the cast is up tight Brit marvelous. Loved it- waiting for season four!

Genre: TV Series     

Grade: B+

Notable People: Genevieve Angelson, Anna Camp, Erin Darke, Hunter Parrish, Created by: Dana Calvo

Title: Good Girls Revolt

Review: Despite the hokey title, this is a surprisingly well done look at a major American news magazine in the late 60s (sounds like News week), in which the struggle between sixties cultural and sexual freedom butts up against the demons of woman’s rights restrictions and inherent racism. The cast is good, the music is great, the costuming is superb. I thought the show really captured the transition vibe of the 60s moving into the 70s and the age of Aquarius becoming more the age of complex adulthood. Lots of historically accurate figures mixed in with the storytelling and the portrayal of the major events of the times are well explored. Liked it a lot.

Genre: TV Series 

Grade: B+

Notable People: Ethan Hawke, Hubert Point Du Jour, Beau Knapp, Nick Eversman, Created by: James McBride

Title: The Good Lord Bird

Review: From McBride’s award winning novel of the same name, this is Coen Brothers-esque wacked out dramedy about the abolitionist John Brown and his penultimate battle at Harper’s Ferry. Hawke is absolutely unrecognizable and amazing in this occasionally historically accurate representation. Hard to keep up with at times, but Hawke is way worth the price of admission foe this seven part mini-series.

Genre: TV Series

Grade: B+

Notable People: Bill Pullman, Jessica Biel, Carrie Coon, Created by: Jason Katims

Title: The Sinner

Review: developed by Derek Simonds; after a 1999 novel by Petra Hammeshfahr, which served as the basis for the first season. The extraordinary intense and depressed Bill Pullman starred as a police detective who investigates crimes committed by unlikely culprits and attempts to uncover their motivations. Only Pullman appeared in every season, with the rest of the cast changing for each season’s story. Biel won an Emmy for the first season and is the show’s producer. The first season was an A+ and pretty bizarre, the second season- a solid A with the wonderful Coon and wacked out cult community. Got halfway through the third season and could not take it any more- just way too depressing, and always waiting for Pullman to snap out of it. Gave up ,so never got to season four, but highly recommend seasons one and two.