Category: TV Series

Genre: TV Series (Seven Seasons)     

Grade:  A

Notable People: Lieb Schreiber , Jon Voight, Eddie Marsan, Susan Sarandon, Created by: Ann Biderman

Title: Ray Donovan

Review:     Dark, Dramatic, disturbing at times….brilliantly written show about Boston Southie tough kid, with lots of Demons, who grows up to be a Hollywood Fixer extraordinaire. Recent seasons moved to New York locale, but flavor does not change. The casting is top notch…never would have imagined Schreiber in this role, but he owns it. Voight is having a career renaissance with this part, and Marsan is in the role of lifetime. And he could not be better. Very ethnic, very gritty, very real. The plots are riveting, the dialog rapid fire (except for Ray/Lieb who is a man of very few words-but a very big bat), and the characters are amazingly complex and fascinating. Each season has gotten better despite the loss of early star Paula Malcolmson (Ray’s wife) after season five. No end in sight on this one…thank the TV Gods for that.

Genre: TV Series (Two Seasons)  

Grade:  A

Notable People: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Coleman, Andrew Scott, Created by: Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Title: Fleabag

Review:     Wow…..all I can say is WOW….this one is really out there…lonely young woman in London tries to find love while coping with immense grief….sound funny? Well, it’s hilarious at times. …Bridges deadpan and extraordinary dialog with the audience is unparalleled. The show is developed from her one woman stage show…clearly brilliant….first season started off very slow, and we almost gave up…give it minute…second season is unbelievable with the addition of the beyond-gifted Coleman (Queen in The Crown) ..and the multi-talented and very seductive, Scott (Moriarty in Sherlock)….don’t know whether to bawl or belly laugh at times….Season three coming soon.

Genre: TV Series (Three Seasons)                    

Grade:  A-

Notable People: Rufus Sewell, Joel de la Fuente, Alexa Devalos, Chelah Horsdal, Brennan Brown,   Created by: Frank Spotnitz

Title: The Man in the High Castle

Review:    A far out take on revisionist history, in which the Nazis and Japanese won the war and share control of the US….from master storyteller Philip K. Dicks’ 1970s series of novels…very well done, captivating, mesmerizing at times….back and forth between alternate universes without much seeming like science fiction…the scenes set in Japanese controlled San Francisco are particularly compelling. Cast is first rate…cancelled after three seasons and probably had run its course…was getting a bit repetitive in last season, and ending was disappointing….but very thought provoking and entertaining show to watch.

Genre: TV Series (Three Seasons) 

Grade:  A

Notable People: Giovanni Ribisi, Margo Martindale, Peter Gerity, Marin Ireland,  Created by: Bryan Cranston and  David Shore

Title: Sneaky Pete

Review:    Wow…..this is one not to be missed. Hard not to binge this captivating show about a con man who assumes his cell mates’ identity when released from prison to create a big score with his mates ‘family in rural Connecticut. Convoluted, complex, exceedingly well written. Ribisi is brilliant and the two grandparents (Martindale of “The Americans”, and Gerity, of “Ray Donovan”) are spectacular. Wonderful television!!! Sad note, the show has mysteriously been canceled despite great ratings. Bummer…but watch what you can.

Genre: TV Series (One Season)

Grade:  A-/B+

Notable People: Richard Madden, Keely Hawes, Sophie Rundle, Pippa Haywood, Created by: Jed Mercurio

Title: The Bodyguard

Review:    One season…six episodes…pure intensity….London and Britain are under siege from radical terrorists- focused on the Home Secretary (Hawes), who is a get- tough proponent. Her police protection detail is headed by Madden, in a complex PTSD Afghan War vet role. It is a horrific look at power and control and the villainy of many if government to get what they want. Madden (Rob Stark… and unrecognizable) and Hawes (The Durrell’s of Corfu…what a role shift)…are impeccable…and have some scenes that would have been too hot for tv a few years ago. I thought last few episodes waned…and can’t see what there is to bring back another season….but quite riveting.

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.