Category: TV Series

Genre: TV Series- 5 Seasons (first two available on Netflix, last three only on STARZ)

Grade: A-

Notable People: Catriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, John Bell, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, Developed by: Ronald D. Moore

Title: Outlander

Review: A combat nurse in 1945 is suddenly transported back to the mid-1700s…and the adventure begins. For five seasons, Claire Frazier has been moving back and forth in time through the mysterious rocks at Inverness between the modern American world and rural Scotland…home of clan Mackenzie, and her beloved Jamie …eventually moving in season five to America in both time eras. Sprawling historical drama of the rough and tumble times in which the Scots fought to remain independent of Great Britain, the ultimate failure of the rebellion and the crossing of the Pond to the new world. All of this tied up in a larger than life love story and many tales of bravery and redemption. Heroes abound, danger ever present, intimacy pursued in the most unlikely places. Balfe and Heughan are fantastic as the star-crossed lovers across the centuries. The supporting cast is top notch, and the cinematography fantastic. I thought the last season faltered a bit…but left us on a precipice waiting for season six . We like the show well enough that I bought season five on DVD rather than subscribe to STARZ. More seasons coming to Netflix soon. Great binge watching opp.

Genre: TV Series- Three Seasons

Grade: A-

Notable People: Billy Bob Thornton, Tania Raymonde, Nina Arianda, Dianna hopper, Ana de la Reguera, Created by: Jonathan Shapiro and David E. Kelley

Title: Goliath

Review: Another vehicle for the considerable talents of Billy Bob, with an excellent supporting cast featuring the irascible Nina Arianda (Billions). Billy Bob is an exiled and often drunk LA lawyer, who rises to the occasion to fight for little guys dealing with big guy weird shit. In a small (but potent) role, in the background is the great William Hurt as his former law partner, and evil nemesis (read all-around scumbag). Each of the three seasons has gotten more complex and convoluted…and the last one (currently on amazon) outright bizarre- seems to be a strange tribute to Twin Peaks and David Lynch, in general. Lots of really weird stuff set mostly in a remote casino. But, hey…its Billy Bob…and worth the trip.

Genre: TV Series- Five Seasons

Grade: A-

Notable People: Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson, Elise Chappell, Jack Farthing, Created by: Debbie Horsfield

Title: Poldark

Review: Another in a long line of BBC “Masterpiece” masterpieces to hit pay dirt in the States. Beautifully filmed and acted story of a returning Revolutionary War Captain to his home in stunning Cornwall. An activist and fiercely independent, Poldark takes on the evils of the Empire, while carving out a life on the rough and tumble British coast with his luminous and fiery wife, and former scullery maid, Demelza. Captivating story and dialog, that faded a bit in its final season…but well worth the watch. Th first four seasons are now available on Amazon Prime.

Genre: TV Series (Ovation- 2 Seasons)

Grade: B+

Notable People: Rowan Atkinson, Lucy Cohu, Shaun Dingwell, Created by: Adapted form Georges Simenon books

Title: Maigret

Review: If you have never read the Simenon books, that is the thing to do. The Belgian/French master wrote these books form the 1930s to the 1970s following the adventures on Chief Inspector Maigret (if he had a first name, no one ever knew it) of the Police Judiciare in Paris…and they are classics. The books have been made into dozens of films and series over the years, and this most recent entree is a very good adaptation, with the bemused an forthright Atkinson neatly channeling the enigmatic Maigret. Wonderfully set in early 1950s Paris and the French countryside, it is only held back by the cloying use of all British actors for a classically French set of stories. If you can get by that, it is extremely well done. four hour a half episodes over two seasons.

Genre: TV Series (Netflix- 7 Seasons)

Grade: A-

Notable People: Taylor Schilling, Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Jackie Cruz, Dacha Polanco, Created by: Jenji Kohan

Title: Orange is the New black

Review: From the bestselling novel by Piper Chapman from her personal experience at a woman’s max prison in update NY, the series finale was this year after even seasons. Great, great ensemble cast of weirdos, junkies and warm hearted anti -social personalities…the show started out as pure comedy, but turned dark in later seasons. The first few seasons were really good, and then a malaise set in, but the final season was masterful. No real happy endings here and a dark look at our penal system and especially ICE. Well written, snappy dialog, excellent performances. Will miss it.

Genre: TV Series (Paramount- 2 Seasons)

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Created by: Taylor Sheridan

Title: Yellowstone

Review: this is one absolute guilty pleasure. Kind of a modern western soap opera, but a fascinating look at big ranching power and greed in Montana. Costner remains a fine actor, and the supporting cast is very good (especially the over the top firebrand, Reilly, as the wayward daughter). The cinematography is spectacular. May not be the most highbrow (or well written) show around, but we’re more or less hooked.

Genre: TV Series- Hulu- 1 Season- subtitles (in German and French)

Grade: B+

Notable People: Vicky Krieps, Tom Wlaschiha, Thierry Fremont and Lizzy Caplan, Created by: Johannes Betz and Tony Saint

Title: Knife Creek

Review: An adaptation of Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s 1973 German novel and a remake of a 1981 film, this Hulu production is a fine retelling of the story of a brother and sister in the small coastal town of La Rochelle, on the French coast, during 1942…..the height of the Nazi occupation of France. One sibling is a radio man on a German U- boat; the other a nurse assigned to Nazi high command. A dark, brooding and brilliant portrayal of the Vichy regime and the extraordinary French resistance. A very subtle look at the tenuous relationship between the Nazis, the free French and the Vichy collaborators at the point of time when the Americans and the Russians have entered the war and the tide is clearly turning. I liked this series a lot, and thought it was only held back by the extremely odd casting of Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) as the American leader of the French resistance. Well worth watching.

Genre: TV Series- 3 Seasons- Hulu

Grade: A

Notable People: Elizabeth Morse, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Created by: Bruce Miller

Title: The Handmaid’s Tale

Review: This is brilliant and painful TV. Way too many similarities with Nazi Germany (and our current temperature in this country) to be comfortable, but Morse is absolutely brilliant and the storylines are so convoluted and complex to be hard to track at times. Overwhelming brutality and oppression, but hard to look way from. Each season has surpassed the previous one…and apparently more yet to come. Dystopia is becoming sheik….

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A+++++++

Notable People: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Dominic Chianese, Jamie Lynn- Sigler, Steven Van Zant, Michel Imperioli, Vincent Pastore, Tony Siricco, Created by: David Chase

Title: The Sopranos-Season One (1999)

Review: When we were in Ohio last month, we had no internet or cable for ten days at our closed –up- for summer house. Found season one of The Sopranos in the cabinet to have something to watch at night…..ON VHS, no less…. Got the player up and running and were absolutely stunned at going back to this show. Had not revisited this since its original air on HBO in 1999. Loved it the first time round….But not , maron….in retrospect….holy shit….this is the best show ever produced for TV. Groundbreaking in every way. The cast is unbelievable, the writing taut and explosive, the shots behind artistic. In retrospect, the show lost some luster over time…..but oh that first season…when it was absolutely shooting for Very dark humor most of the time…Bracco as the confused and complex Dr. Melfi and the startling weekly therapy sessions with a mercurial Tony Soprano……Carmella, Christopher, Big Pussy, Silvio Dante…these we characters for the ages. The weekly guest stars were a veritable who’s who of the best Italian character actors of the time. You can’t look away foe this show. If you haven’t watched this in a while….go back and take your time….best ever…..

Genre: TV Series (HBO)

Grade: A

Notable People: Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, John Hawkes, Molly Parker, William Sanderson, Kim Dickens, Powers Booth, Keith Carradine, Paula Malcomson, Robin Wiegert, Brad Dourff, Created by: David Milch

Title: Deadwood

Review: When David Milch turned his attention from Hill St. Blues and NYPD Blue in the early 2000’s, I was not that interested in a serial western. Tried it out it few times and found it to be quite strange. but this summer, we went back and watched all three seasons…and the movie completed and released fourteen years after the show ended. This is a certifiable masterpiece- a rendering of the old West unique to any before or since. Dark, dirty, pathetic, comical…and very, very gritty. An extraordinary ensemble cast led by the powerhouse McShane and the truly weird Olyphant, a lot of it is loosely based historically accurate characters in the wild and wooly days of the settling of South Dakota during the Gold Rush. Tragic, violent at times, wholly unpredictable end with a deep vein of dark humor running through it….this show is well worth devoting a month to watching. The show was unexpectedly cancelled in 2004 after the third seasons amidst a lot of controversy..…and finished without any type of ending (at the time it was supposed to be only the season ender in front of fourth season). So an ailing Mulch decided to provide a real ending with The Deadwood movie, FOURTEEN years alter…and got everyone who was still alive to come back and reprise their roles. An amazing amount of time between endings……and well worth the wait. A real gem.