Screen: June TV Roundup

This is the time of year when we vote in TV awards, and I'm still making my own shortlists before submitting my nominations for the Dorian Awards. This has meant catching up with various shows, and there will be more to watch once the nominations are announced. But I always enjoy watching an episode or two between movies. And the past two months have featured several terrific new shows, a lot of returning series and three high-profile final seasons...

A L L   T H I N G S   M U S T   E N D

Ted Lasso: series 3 
This season of the almost painfully loveable show feels rather darker and more intense than usual, sending Ted and his cohorts on a rollercoaster journey. Few shows have stronger story arcs for each of their central characters, and several of these episodes are simply sublime (the Amsterdam one is a masterpiece). While some side roles feel a bit cursory, at least they allow the scripts to touch on big themes without too much preaching. And the way Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and the whole ensemble brought their characters full-circle was lovely to watch. (Apple)

Succession:
series 4  
Jesse Armstrong's riotously hard-edged series reaches its operatic climax with the long-promised death of imperious patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox), which escalates the scramble for, yes, succession. These episodes have densely entangled grief with desperate power-grabbing on so many levels that it's almost overwhelming to watch. Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen are the most powerful players of this season, with staggeringly layered characters who are painful to watch as they squirm. But it's also impossible to look away. The interrelationships are brilliantly played. (HBO)

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel: series 5
More rapid-fire than ever, this furiously busy comedy feels more focussed in on Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) for this final season, thankfully leaving plotlines for the side characters to gurgle in the margins. And Midge is funnier than ever. Along with the revelatory flash-forwards, this season has a remarkable sense of momentum, catching the passage of time in scenes that sometimes get a bit too goofy. Each character takes his or her own journey along the way, with particularly lovely textures between Midge and Susie (Alex Borstein), a relationship that becomes the core through-line for the entire series. (Amazon)

T H E Y ’ R E   B A C K

Dave: series 3 
Somehow still under the radar, this show gets deeper and more powerful with each season, intelligently exploring meaning in life through the lens of offbeat musician Dave Burd. These shows hinge on his search for true love, and the scripts tackle enormous issues with insight, creating an unflinching discussion that grapples with everything from sex to religion. Burd's performance feels effortless, but is packed with nuance. There's a delightful range of A-list guest stars riffing on their own experiences with celebrity. And Burd's witty songs become more knowingly pointed with each episode. (FX)

Schmigadoon: series 2
To energise to their childless marriage, Josh and Melissa (Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong) try to return to the magical musical land, but instead end up in Schmicago, which draws inspiration from gloomier 1960s and 1970s musicals. The returning cast includes Kristen Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose and Aaron Tveit in new roles, plus the fabulous Titus Burgess as the narrator. While the producers seriously miss a trick by using a Patti LuPone impersonator instead of the real thing, these six episodes again feature wonderful pastiche Broadway numbers and a thin but likeable storyline. (Apple)

Shadow and Bone: series 2
The fantasy premise put me off initially, but friends encouraged me to catch up for the second season, and I'm glad I did. Less dense than Game of Thrones but equally well-realised, this show is populated by sparky rogue characters who are easy to identify with. They're also played with humour and quirky energy by a largely unknown cast. The plotlines are the usual mix of action chaos, sinister machinations and romantic yearning, but they're also surprisingly complex for a show like this. And the production design is also first-rate, with above-average effects. Looking forward to more. (Netflix)

S O M E T H I N G   N E W

Jury Duty
This exhilaratingly clever reality series is a jaw-dropping experiment on human nature, as one normal guy (Ronald Gladden) is surrounded by actors in a fake courtroom trial, constantly pushed into moral dilemmas to see if he will emerge as a hero. It's a stroke of genius to have James Marsden play a riotously heightened version of himself. The cast and crew are terrific at improvising around Gladden, the only person who doesn't know that there's a script. Rather a lot of footage has been edited into eight brisk, entertaining episodes. And what it reveals makes it a must-see. (Prime)

Queen Charlotte:
A Bridgerton Story
Shamelessly entertaining, this lavishly produced spin-off takes real elements from the life of Charlotte and George III and adds plenty of fiction. The cast is excellent at bridging the gap between the two, cleverly blending present-day sensibilities in a 18th century setting, plus flash-forwards to Bridgerton's Lady Whistledown era. Most intriguing is how Shonda Rhimes weaves a gentle exploration of mental illness into the plot, taking a new look at King George's legendary "madness". This adds some proper emotional resonance, as well as some challenging themes amid the watchable romance. (Netflix)

Bupkis 
While mixing in some thinly veiled fiction, Pete Davidson dramatises his own life in this sometimes astonishingly honest comedy-drama. With Edie Falco as his mother and Joe Pesci as his grandfather, plus a continual parade of A-list costars, everything here feels exaggerated for comical but pointed effect. But there's also the sense that some things have been toned down, perhaps for legal reasons. It's a superbly assembled show, eager to unsettle the audience in all kinds of provocative ways. And Davidson's performance is almost startlingly raw, offering an unusually clear-eyed view of celebrity. (Peacock)

White House Plumbers 
Based on the astonishing true story behind the Watergate break-in, pretty much everything in this series feels stranger than fiction. Events are recounted with a freewheeling slapstick sensibility, as swaggering ex-CIA operative Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) teams up with trigger-happy ex-FBI nutcase Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux) to orchestrate a series of "dirty tricks" to guarantee Richard Nixon's re-election in 1972. The things they do are shocking, revealing deep-seated bigotries and a callous disregard for democracy. Playing this for laughs sometimes feels horrific, but it's hugely entertaining. (HBO)

Mrs Davis 
A bonkers premise and wildly ridiculous visual panache keeps this action-comedy enjoyably unpredictable. It centres around nun Simone (Betty Gilpin), who is avoiding contact with Mrs Davis, the pervasive artificial intelligence that has achieved world peace. And now Mrs Davis wants Simone to take her down by, well, finding and destroying the Holy Grail. It's utterly nuts, but has an eerie resonance in the characters' quirky spiritual yearnings. Performances from the entire ensemble are terrific, including Jake McDorman, Elizabeth Marvel, Ben Chaplin and the great Margot Martindale. (Peacock)

The Big Door Prize 
For some reason, the title of this comedy-drama never reveals itself. This is a warmly engaging comedy about a small town populated by eccentrics who are thrown off balance by an arcade game that presents you with your true life purpose. The solid ensemble cast, led by Chris O'Dowd, creates charmingly offbeat characters who are amusingly entangled with each other. And the way everyone begins to change is fascinating, because the machine's pronouncements are cleverly enigmatic. But the show builds the mystery without answering anything in 10 episodes, leaving it hanging for a potential season 2. (Apple)

Citadel 
Clearly designed to launch a franchise, this globe-hopping adventure is mindless fun that patches together spy movie elements with little connective logic. Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville are on peak form in a tale of amnesia, double-crossing, world-domination, and so forth. It's flatly ridiculous but plays out with a straight face, so you either have to give up or go with it. International locations add textures, and seductive actors make it worth the ride, most notably Tucci and Manville in rare intense roles, plus the dashing Madden auditioning for Bond. (Amazon)

GUILTY PLEASURES: Queer Eye, Britain's Got Talent, Selling Sunset, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, I Kissed a Boy.

NOW WATCHING: Fubar, The Other Two (3), I Think You Should Leave (3), Never Have I Ever (4).

COMING SOON: The Crowded Room, Based on a True Story, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2), And Just Like That (2), The Bear (2), Black Mirror (6).

Previous roundup: APRIL 2023 >

Screen: Summer TV Roundup Part 1

Because of these extraordinary times, I've watched rather a lot more series television than usual in between the movies I'm reviewing (obviously, I can't cover theatre or dance these days). So I'm dividing my Summer TV Roundup into two parts. It seems like there's no end of new series popping up involving some serious talent both in front of and behind the cameras. As a result, there are still several intriguing shows on my to-do list, rather like how that pile of books to read just keeps growing...

SOMETHING NEW 

Hollywood

Set in the mid-1940s, this fabulously produced drama roots its story in several little-known facts and then stirs in some fictional twists, until it explodes into a riotously entertaining fantasy in the final episode. The point is very strong: what would have happened if studio moguls had stood up for what was right way back then instead of cowering in the closet? The cast is simply awesome, anchored by by the glorious Patti LuPone and Holland Taylor, plus scene-stealing turns from Jim Parsons and Rob Reiner and a solid cast of newcomers. And not only is it a great "what if" but it also makes us wonder if we're there yet. 

The Great

From The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara comes another bawdy historical romp, this time centring on Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning) and her stormy marriage to Emperor Peter (Nicholas Hoult). This witty approach would be much more engaging in half-hour increments; these hour-long episodes feel rather over-extended. But the dialog sizzles with wit and insight into bigger themes about politics, gender and power. And it also offers a wry slant on real historical events that brings them to life, sometimes in exhilaratingly funny ways. Some of the crudity is a little tiresome, and the rampant sex feels oddly timid, but the cast is excellent across the board. And the production design is fabulous.

Run

There's an underlying nastiness to the premise of this adventure comedy, about two people who escape from their established lives based on a promise made 15 years earlier. Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson are good enough in the central roles to earn our sympathies, but the plotting is too gimmicky for its own good, constantly throwing in contrived obstacles, unnecessarily violent twists and gaping inconsistencies in the plot and characterisations. This means that the show never gets the chance to explore the much more intriguing central idea about dissatisfaction or the yearning for past simplicity.

Never Have I Ever

Gorgeously written, this teen comedy gets under the skin of its characters in a way that pulls the audience right into the hilariously soapy situations. There are layers of meaning here, including clever explorations of ethnicity, gender and sexuality. So even if the entire show feels a bit coy and gimmicky, it helps that the characters are realistically unpredictable, likeable even as they do all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons. The cast is terrific across the board, anchored by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as the enjoyably hapless Devi, who muddles her relationships with everyone around her but has a darkly emotive centre.

The Eddy

Damien Chazelle combines his love of jazz with an edgy, verite style of filmmaking for this dramatic musical about the trials of running a groovy nightclub in Paris. The dark tone is a little much for a series, but the music has a loose energy, even if spontaneous jam sessions feel oddly contrived. The cast is excellent, including superb performers like Andre Holland, Amandla Steinberg, Leila Bekhti, Joanna Kulig and (far too little of) Tahar Rahim, but none of the characters are sympathetic, and they're so deliberately awful that they're not hugely believable either. The strong production values kept me watching, but I wouldn't want to spend any more time with these people

Upload

There's a dopey-sexy charm to this high-concept comedy anchored by the hugely likeable Robbie Amell, whose character dies young in 2033 and is uploaded into a virtual afterlife. He can keep in touch with the living world, including his high-maintenance fiancee (Allegra Edwards), who is paying the bills so controls his experience, and his clever-hot upload assistant Nora (Andy Allo), with whom he's falling in love, of course. There's nothing terribly smart about this show, and it never even tries to grapple with issues like mortality or regret. But it's packed with witty gags, great side characters and irresistible emotions. Looking forward to the next season.

Little Fires Everywhere

This insidious drama gets under the skin with its suggestive plotting, and since it takes until about the fifth episode to give anything away, the audience is hooked. The way the shows jumps around in time is very awkward, and the tone feels just a wee bit overwrought. But the cast is terrific, adults and teens alike, led by the adept Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, who rise above their rather typecast roles. So it feels like a shame that the plot felt so obvious and predictable, even though the writers kept trying to throw us off the scent.

Dave

What starts as a rather silly stoner comedy, cleverly deepens into something far more interesting, with astonishing undercurrents that say powerful things about friendships, personal ambition and the surprising nature of raw talent. The series hits its stride in the seventh episode, taking on mental illness before delving into some properly pungent internalised issues about what it takes to become a star. And the final three episodes are simply genius. Dave Burd and his crew are terrific in the roles, plus some fabulous guest stars. It's rare to see a show that's unafraid to be both ridiculous and unapologetically complex at the same time. A must-see.

CARRYING ON

Dead to Me: series 2

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are back for more chaotic black comedy as two women who are inexorably linked by a bond of friendship that's entangled with death and murder. Resurrecting James Marsden as the hitherto unknown identical twin brother of the season one villain/victim makes this show feel like a full-on soap opera. Which is of course entertaining, even though there's not much to it. It may be thoroughly ridiculous, hinging on a series of ludicrous coincidences, but the ongoing messiness of the characters and the way they are increasingly intertwined is enjoyable. And the actors manage to add clever subtext.

The Conners: series 2b

There aren't many shows that are tapping into the current zeitgeist as adeptly as this does, poking gentle fun at everyday annoyances linked to much more profound truths about how the current global economy and right-wing governments are crushing the working class. There are quiet comments on immigration, social services, entrepreneurialism, ageing and pop culture scattered among these terrific characters, finely performed across the board (just give Laurie Metcalf all the Emmys). And the way the storylines continually catch reality is both entertaining and brave.

Insecure: series 4

I've had problems with this show from the start. I keep watching because of the terrific cast, but the characters just get more and more self-absorbed, with increasingly insulting storylines. This doesn't serve any of the actors well, because it's just too pushy and contrived for the characters to engage with the audience. It's odd that Issa Rae writes this herself, undermining her own character's integrity (and wasting the terrific Jay Ellis in the process). Although other side roles fare better. And the way it's structured to stretch out plot strands over multiple seasons is cynical and annoying. I give up.

WAVING FAREWELL 

Bless this Mess: series 2b

Essentially a ridiculous updating of Green Acres, this is the kind of show I would never stick with if it weren't for the actors in it. They manage to not only deliver hilarious comical performances, but are continuing to deepen their characters even as the show seems unable to figure out where it's heading. There are moments when Lake Bell and Dax Shepard seem to tap into something genuinely funny and relevant, but most scenes opt for the dumb gag rather than the smart one. Thankfully, there are sharp jokes too, but not enough to make me miss it now that it's been cancelled. 

Homeland: series 8

Claire Danes returned for one last hurrah as the brilliant but unstable Carrie in this tightly scripted final season. Cleverly highlighting how the world has changed since this show premiered, the drama is intense, as are the beautifully staged action sequences. And the writers clearly didn't feel constrained to play it safe. Both Danes and Mandy Patinkin are as excellent as ever, surrounded by a terrific supporting cast creating characters with their own stories and interests. So even as the narrative goes way off the rails in the final two episodes, with an implausible lapse for Carrie herself, what this show is dealing with gets more and more urgent, as does what it says about today's global political issues. 

Will & Grace: series 11

After its original eight-year run, this classic sitcom returned 12 years later for three more seasons, leading up to another series finale. It's a shame that the show's creators didn't use these three new series to push things further, or develop the characters in interesting directions. The comedy is amiably entertaining, but it's always far more mindless than the writers think it is. And while there are some great gags (as always for Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes), there were some excruciating bits too, including a bizarrely simplistic I Love Lucy homage. The ending is a bit happier and more open-handed this time, but once again it kind of missed the point.

CATCHING UP

Kim's Convenience: series 1-2

I've only watched two of four seasons so far, but I'm enjoying this show's askance approach to the usual sitcom about a mother, father and two grown kids. There's plenty to like about this show, including its dry humour and spiky interaction. That they're Korean Christians living in Toronto adds amusingly unexpected textures to the show, as do some intriguing wrinkles in their interaction. Although it's a bit of a problem that Paul Sun-Hyung Lee's Appa is simply too mean and self-absorbed to be likeable, even though he's skilfully played for laughs.

Elite: series 1-3

From Spain, this sexy-dopey high school soap is a guilty pleasure largely because of the beautiful, talented 25-year-old actors who play teens at a posh private school where each day seems to consist of an exam, a party and some blackmail. Plots also include murders and other violent nastiness, as the kids treat each other horribly. The first series had a lively vibe, while the second was dark and ugly, and the third continued with contrived, increasingly angry storylines to a gruesome climax and extended emotional finale. But it definitely has its moments, so I'm glad there's more to come.

The House of Flowers: series 1-3

This Mexican soap starts as a snappy-smutty comedy and morphs into a flailing comedy-melodrama about a messy upper-class family. By the middle of the second season, each character has given into his or her most idiotic personality traits, while the clumsy plots become increasingly corny (including a doomsday cult and TV talent competition). And in the third season, the timeline splits, crosscutting with the youthful antics of the older generation in the late-70s while neglecting the core cast. Most of these people are nasty and/or stupid, but they do manage to hold the interest. 

NOW WATCHING: Normal People, Mrs America, Snowpiercer, The Plot Against America, What We Do in the Shadows (2), Killing Eve (3), Kim's Convenience (3-4).

COMING SOON: Love Victor, Space Force, Messiah, I Know This Much Is True, A Series of Light, The Umbrella Academy (2), Queer Eye (5).