Shadows on the Screen: Spring TV roundup

With Christmas holidays and a screening lull around awards season, I had a bit more time than usual over the past few months to catch up on various television series. As always, this is my vent, a chance to enjoy watching something that isn't work-related. And then here I am writing about it....

NEW & NOTABLE

War & Peace

Sumptuously produced by the BBC, this Sunday evening series couldn't be any more epic if it tried. Andrew Davies' script brilliantly brings the multi-layered plotting of Tolstoy's classic to life, anchored by riveting performances from Paul Dano and Lily James, plus a star-making turn from James Norton. The entire sprawling cast brings texture and emotion to these complex characters and their tumultuous, war-torn lives. And it looks simply amazing.

The Grinder

The best new show this year is this knowing sitcom starring Fred Savage and Rob Lowe as brothers - one's a lawyer, the other played one on a hit TV show and doesn't quite understand that he's not one in real life. Savage and Lowe are a terrific double act, and the writers smartly balance audience sympathies. This means that the ongoing silliness is inspired - warmly involving and knowingly referential. And it's also nicely played in a fresh way that allows the actors to laugh at each other on-screen. 

Dickensian

With 20 episodes, this is a rather extended half-hour series, cleverly imagined by Tony Jordan as a prequel to most of Charles Dickens' novels, as the characters interact in Victorian London's bustling East End. There are some terrific touches along the way, plus standout performances from the Tuppence Middleton as the hapless Miss Havisham and Stephen Rea as a sardonic detective (both are even better in War & Peace). But many of the characters are too cartoonish to register as human beings, and some of the plot gyrations are simplistic and silly.

The Night Manager

Tom Hiddleston got the nation's pulses racing by flashing some well-toned flesh in this adaptation of the John le Carre thriller about a shady hotel worker hired by British intelligence to infiltrate the ranks of a notorious arms dealer. The solid cast also includes Hugh Laurie, Tom Hollander, Elizabeth Debicki and David Harewood, while the show is stolen by the magnificent Olivia Colman, who brings superbly subtle touches to all of her scenes as a heavily pregnant operative. The whole thing looks terrific, and the plot is gripping right up until it turns rather corny in the final two episodes.

ONWARD & UPWARD

The X Files: series 10

After taking a 13-year break (during which there were two big-screen movies), this iconic show came back for a 10th season. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are on fine form in their iconic roles as inquisitive FBI agents Scully and Mulder. And series creator Chris Carter has some nice surprises up his sleeve through the six beautifully produced episodes. This show has always been an uneven mix of riveting mystery, murky mythology and downright clunky plotting - and this season is no exception. But when things click into place, few shows offer so many terrific goosebump moments.

House of Cards: series 4

Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright aggressively tear up the screen in this fourth season of their power-mad White House drama. Spacey's Frank is now president, but Wright's Claire isn't going to sit quietly by his side. This season is set during the primaries leading to Frank's first presidential election as a candidate, so it couldn't be much more timely. And while the whole liver-transplant plot element flickers by much too quickly, it adds a deeper, darker layer of intrigue to the goings-on. Fine support as always from Michael Kelly, Mahershala Ali, Molly Parker and Elizabeth Marvel, plus the awesome Ellen Burstyn throwing shade as Claire's estranged mother.

Shameless: series 6

The Gallagher family continues to mess up their lives spectacularly in this underrated black comedy that's getting better with age. William H Macy is on fire this season as the patriarch without a hint of a moral compass. And there are further life-changing twists and turns for five of his children, played with engaging honesty by Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Ethan Cutkosky and Emma Kenney. Plus jaw-dropping developments for neighbours Veronica and Kevin (Shanola Hampton and Steve Howey). It's nice to see a series that gets less fearless as it goes on. Indeed, the show features some of the best acting and writing on television right now.

Galavant: series 2

Opening with a gleeful musical number showing their surprise at being granted a second season, this riotously entertaining musical fairy tale is so infectiously joyful that it's impossible not to love it. Joshua Sasse is wonderful as the charming and somewhat clueless hero, ably supported by Timothy Omundson's even more oblivious deposed king. The entire supporting cast dives in for the fun, including a surprisingly witty Vinnie Jones and a sassy guest appearance from Kylie Minogue. All in all, this is much smarter than it looks, and it leaves fans wanting more.

OFF THE BOIL

The Flash: series 2

I'm still enjoying this show, which has retained its sense of humour and strong characters amid its unnecessarily knotted plot threads. By comparison, Arrow (series 4) became increasingly bogged down in shadowy action and convoluted plotting. Aside from the awful fight choreography, the writers insist on continuing the island flashbacks, which are pointless and, frankly, ridiculous. And the overly twisted storylines leave the strong cast looking as lost as the audience. I gave up about halfway through this season. I tried to watch spin-off Legends of Tomorrow, mainly due to the actors, but the dire action and dumb plots put me off after a handful of episodes. I'm avoiding all other Marvel and DC comics-based TV series - enough is enough.

Modern Family: series 7

For the first time, the strain is beginning to show in this formerly sharp show, as the characters become oddly predictable in the way they spew off witty one-liners and interact with each other in increasingly contrived situations. The strength of this show has been in the way the humour evolved with the characters and actors, but this year feels strangely familiar, as if the writers are stuck in a rut, trying to find humour in situations rather than people. Essentially, this means that the show is in danger of becoming a tired parody of itself (like, for example, Two and a Half Men).

Scandal: series 5

This once-great show has abandoned the weekly scandals and edgy cliffhangers that once made it so addictive. Instead, it has become a corny soap centred around a group of power-grabbing characters who can't seem to function in the real world, are too selfish to relate to each other and all speak with that same shouty voice. All of which is turning it into a parody of House of Cards. It's still watchable due to the ace cast, but I'm wondering how much longer I'll stick with it.

JUST THE FACTS

With Jon Stewart stepping down from The Daily Show last autumn, there's been a shift in the news cycle. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver continues to lead the charge with its intelligent, polished approach, refusing to accept the official take on the big stories while focussing on those that really need to catch the national attention. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah has distinctly changed, with a more stand-up style and less pointed satire. But Noah is finding his feet, and he's finally started getting stronger guests to banter with, which will hopefully hone his interview skills. The real breakout is Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, much smarter and more fearless than the others, with Bee's hilariously on-the-nose observations taking no prisoners. Her segments are easily the most quotable of the bunch, and her insight is bracingly important. On a different tangent, Chelsea Does used four episodes to explore marriage, racism, drugs and the tech world. While Chelsea Handler's observations sometimes slip into goofy self-parody, she also has a way of getting beneath the surface without resorting to the usual cliches, so her take on these four issues is both funny and thought-provoking.

CATCHING UP

Breaking Bad:
2008-2013

So many people have been shocked that I completely missed this series when it was on that I decided to give it a go. It took me about two months to work my way through all 62 episodes. The first two seasons are brilliant - great characters, wonderful writing and acting, clever direction. Then it turns indulgent, murky and far too violent before the final bunch of episodes brings everything full-circle to a skilfully well-realised conclusion. Bryan Cranston is simply perfect (no wonder he won five Emmys for this role). After only ever seeing Aaron Paul (three Emmys) in movies like Need for Speed and Exodus, I now see what a great actor he is and hope he makes smarter choices. And I hope we see more of Anna Gunn (two Emmys) and RJ Mitte too. 

NOW WATCHING: continuing the current seasons for Girls, Empire, Doctor Thorne, The Real O'Neals, The Royals and Schitt's Creek; looking forward to new seasons of Game of Thrones and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Shadows on the Screen: Spring TV roundup

Television is what I do when I want to clear my head, taking 25 or 45 minutes as a break between writing about movies. So I've managed to see a variety of shows over the past few months. Sometimes a show takes over a weekend of binge-watching, which feels like a holiday! It's great to watch something I don't have to write about. Although that's exactly what I'm doing here - these are 16 shows I've been watching over the winter...

QUALITY

Parks and Recreation: series 7
In its final 13 episodes, this consistently smart, funny and almost criminally engaging show visited the near future (these episodes were set in 2017) to wrap everything up on a variety of notes that were witty and moving. Simply one of the best sitcoms ever made,  it'll be sorely missed. At least we know we haven't seen the last of the fabulous Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, et al.


Looking: series 2
Andrew Haigh's loosely constructed series exploring the lives of three gay men in San Francisco continues to make its plot turns realistically random, as the characters find love and friendship in unexpected places. Intriguingly, there's a nagging feeling that all of them are going to end up unhappy, even as lovely things happen in their romantic lives. But that cleverly reflects life in a subculture that's been told for a generation that they're incapable of having that happy ever after. Pointed and thoughtful stuff. Perhaps too complex, which is why it's sadly not been renewed for a third series.
SEE ALSO: my interview with Frankie J Alvarez >

Wolf Hall
The BBC's prestigious period drama traced the arc of Anne Boleyn (Clare Foy) in six episodes through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell (the awesome Mark Rylance). It's dark and brooding, quiet and utterly fierce, packed with creepy surprises and beautifully underplayed characters. The cast is simply amazing, including a terrific performance from Damien Lewis as a watchful, intensely insecure Henry VIII. Sometimes rather dense and murky, but the story's big moments are beautifully rendered. Utterly riveting.

House of Cards: series 3
Much of the tension seemed to be absent from the show this year, mainly because there's nowhere left for Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood to go now that he's the US President. His manoeuvring toward re-election wasn't nearly as compelling, nor was the shadowy rebirth of his henchman Doug (Michael Kelly). On the other hand, Spacey and Robin Wright are both utterly mesmerising on-screen, especially as they traversed the gyrations of their freaky marriage. All of the actors are superb; most notable in the supporting cast were Molly Shannon and Elizabeth Marvel.

NEW DISCOVERIES

You're the Worst
This biting, acerbic rom-com was so much fun that it felt like it ended far too soon - after just 10 brisk half-hour episodes. Chris Geere and Aya Cash are terrific as the self-destructive leads, people who know better than to start a relationship but do anyway. Their struggle to both adhere to and break the rules is complex and very funny, although the scripts sometimes get oddly preachy for such a free-spirited romp. It's as if the writers want to be radical but are still bound by traditional rules themselves, which adds a layer of meta-meaning that's compulsive to watch. Bring on series 2.

Togetherness
This new HBO series benefits from strong performances from the leading cast members Mark Duplass, Melanie Lynskey, Amanda Peet and Steve Zissis as four people grappling with their interrelationships. Each character's actions are rather annoying - this is one of those shows during which we're constantly screaming at the screen - as they jeopardise their connections with each other by doing things that are desperate or downright stupid. But the actors manage to bring out the undercurrents very nicely. And the cliffhanger ending bodes well for a messy Series 2.

Cucumber / Banana / Tofu
Channel 4's experiment in interlinked programming was intriguing enough to hold the interest, although I gave up on the on-demand mini-doc Tofu after one episode. I very nearly gave up on Cucumber too, since its central characters were so irritatingly written and played as cartoon figures rather than real people. The only one who worked was Freddie Fox's bitter queen, a loathsome young man with deep insecurities. He made the show watchable. Banana was considerably better, one-off dramas that peeled away (!) from Cucumber to touch on big issues with some genuinely resonant emotion.

Schitt's Creek
Frankly, I'd watch anything that Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara were in. So even if this far too high-concept sitcom strains to be wacky, it's packed with a constant flow of sardonic, understated humour. It's not immediately clear how the writers will be able to stretch this one joke into a second season, but as long as Levy and O'Hara find ways to play with their terrific on-screen charisma, I'll be watching. And aside from a too-broad turn from Chris Elliott, the supporting cast really grows on you.

BACK FOR MORE

Shameless: series 5
This American remake of the long-running British show contains some of the best writing and acting on TV at the moment. It's a rare show that dares to push its characters into unapologetically horrific situations but plays it honesty, drawing out laughter and brittle emotion instead of sensationalism or preachiness. It's extremely full-on, but the actors ground their characters remarkably, making them likeable even though they all do rather terrible things in an attempt to just get on with their lives. Unpredictable and often exhilarating.

Modern Family: series 6
A consistently high quality of writing sets this sitcom apart, developing characters who grow along with the actors playing them. This season the children are beginning to take over the show, and it's about time, because all of them are terrific actors and their characters are hilarious. The adults are amusing in their own right (even if they drift into caricature now and then), but have little to do but laugh at and worry about the kids, which is of course both sharply realistic and very funny.

Girls: series 4
Lena Dunham's meandering, whiny comedy took a couple of odd turns this season, including Hannah's impulsive, spoiled-brat decision to drop out of her prestigious writing course. But then all of these people are hard to like, even if their self-involvement is eerily truthful. The show is a lot more fun when these complex characters are bantering with each other than when they're off having their own dramas or clearly doomed romances.

The Walking Dead: series 5
This is one of those shows I think I'll stop watching for good after each episode. And yet I keep at it, because they're continually throwing a wrench in the works. I had finally become fed up with this season's repetitive bleakness when our intrepid, depleted heroes stumbled on an idyllic community. Obviously everything will have to go horribly wrong, but I'll hold on until then.

GUILTY PLEASURES

Empire
In its first season, this gleefully trashy soap recalled the heyday of Dynasty with its premise involving a bigoted and unwell patriarch (Terrence Howard), his bickering children and the arrival of his larger-than-life ex-wife (Taraji P Henson, just give her the Emmy now). The cast is so good that it's able to hold the absurd scripts together, especially as characters grapple with everything from ALS to bipolar disorder via closeted sexuality, violent crime and sinister counterplots. The best guilty pleasure in years.

Scandal: series 4
In what is clearly a pattern for this show, the even-numbered seasons try the patience by attempting to add serious plotting rather than the much more entertaining trashiness that makes us want to tune in. This season is especially frustrating because the show's writers seem intent on turning it into a feeble cross between Homeland and House of Cards. The superb actors and tangled plots are still more than enough reason to stay tuned, but please bring back the sudsy fun!

Arrow: series 3
Honestly, this is the most inane show I watch - lazy writing and appallingly choreographed action. But it's also a lot of fun, packed with actors who are hugely watchable (and some tension too because the writers aren't afraid to kill off favourite characters). So even if the whole thing feels undercooked, and more than a little impressed with its own seriousness, it still manages to be thoroughly entertaining and oddly gripping, mainly because it's impossible to predict where it might go. But one thing's for sure: every time the writers push the characters into another impossible corner, there'll be something miraculous to get them through.

Glee: series 6
In its final season, this show slipped further into a parody of itself (which is saying something), but I hung on to the bitter end. Gone were the relevant themes and unexpected plot turns, and in their place were heightened cartoon versions of the characters, fewer songs and indulgent storylines that contrived to bring back the old cast members while ignoring fresher faces. And while Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele became even more insufferable, at least Jane Lynch was still around to make her increasingly insane Sue Sylvester the show's highlight. Although the surge of sentiment in the final episodes was uncharacteristic, and undeserved.

Shadows on the Screen: Spring TV roundup

Yes, sometimes a bit of television can help clear my head after a day at the movies (ie, work). And I've been following several series over the past few months. The granddaddy of them all is the most expensive TV show ever made...

Game of Thrones: series 3
created by David Benioff, DB Weiss; with Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, Kit Harington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau HBO/US ****
Honestly, this is one of the most thrillingly infuriating TV series ever, as it skips around its array of storylines tantalising the audience with tidbits of narrative, about half of which is hugely engaging. By far, the best characters in the show are Dinklage's Tyrion (above) and Clarke's Daenerys, and both had gripping journeys this year, ending up in unexpected emotional places. And Williams' Arya is proving to be the show's dark horse. There was also the usual series of nightmarish battles and sudden deaths for various central characters. Few TV shows have ever tried something on this scale, and while the fragmented narrative keeps it from being completely involving, each episode is packed with moments that take the breath away.

Mad Men: series 7
created by Matthew Weiner; with Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Robert Morse AMC/US *****

The final season of this already iconic show has been split into two - so actually this is the penultimate series, and we'll have to wait until next year to see how it all ends. This astonishingly well written and acted drama has now arrived in 1969, where things are rather tumultuous for both America and the characters. Some of the story threads feel a little obtuse (January Jones has so little to do now), while the New York/California split made the show sometimes feel a bit schizophrenic. But everything dovetails together cleverly without answering every question, which forces the audience to engage with the moral complexities and interpersonal dramas. It's time for it to come to an end, but we'll hate to see it go.

Veep: series 3

created by Armando Iannucci; with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons HBO/US ****

Nurse Jackie: series 6

created by Evan Dunsky, Linda Wallem, Liz Brixius; with Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Adam Ferrara, Peter Facinelli, Paul Schulze, Anna Deavere Smith Showtime/US ****
Two cable series pushed boundaries with female-led, dark-edged comedies. Louis-Dreyfus continues to be the best comic performer on television; her impeccable timing makes Selena both formidable and rather endearingly pathetic. Selena's campaign for the presidency sometimes drifted over the lines into corny slapstick, but was consistently hilarious. By contrast, Falco's equally impeccable performance as Jackie made her show unmissable, thanks to some of the best writing in all six seasons. As a high-functioning addict, Jackie's link to reality drifted very slowly this season, so the laughter tended to be of the bitter, nervous sort. Both shows offered terrific season-long arcs that were packed with surprises and left things in a whole new place for next year.

Modern Family: series 5
created by Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd; with Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet ABC/US *****

Parks and Recreation: series 6

created by Greg Daniels, Michael Schur; with Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt NBC/US *****

Community: series 5

created by Dan Harmon; with Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong NBC/US ****
I don't watch very many network sitcoms, but these three single-camera shows are mercifully free of laugh-tracks (I tried to watch Mom because I love Allison Janney and Anna Faris, but the inane guffawing wore me out). These three, on the other hand, are not only very funny but are blessed with some of the best writing and acting on TV. Has another show ever maintained such high quality over five seasons as Modern Family? When I met Ty Burrell at a press event in January I asked him why, and he said it's simple: they have the same team of writers they started with. Which also explains why the children have grown into sharply complex characters all their own. Another show that gets funnier year by year, Parks has a cast of hilarious scene-stealers who continually add layers to their characters. Losing Rob Lowe and Rashida Jones would have doomed a lesser show, but these guys more than filled the gap. And in its final season, Community bounced back to the wacky unpredictability of earlier years. The scattershot approach was a little disorienting (as are many of the brainy jokes and subtle references), but it's a rare show that actually talks up to its audience.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: series 1
created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen; with Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge ABC/US ***

Scandal: series 3

created by Shonda Rhimes; with Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Jeff Perry, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes, Guillermo Diaz ABC/US ****

Arrow: series 2

created by Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim; with Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Caity Lotz, Manu Bennett, Susanna Thompson Warner/US ***

These three series are guilty pleasures: not particularly great but a lot of fun. Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. series often feels like either an X-Files rip-off or a craven tie-in to their big-screen movies, but the character interaction is a lot of fun, and the season arc led the team into some intriguingly perilous situations. Scandal was a blast of fresh air in its first short season, then became bogged down in soapy melodrama in the second year. This third series was a lot sharper, with more political edge and some strong moral dilemmas. It also features the most fabulous cliffhangers imaginable - even the lead-ins to the ad breaks leave the audience breathless with anticipation. By contrast, Arrow suffers from painfully clumsy plotting that feels badly contrived at every turn, while the dual-timeline structure is straining at the seams. But the often startlingly fit actors are magnetic, drawing us into the action even though we know it's utterly ridiculous.

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CRITICAL WEEK: Here's Tammy!
Since I was on holiday last week, I saw no films at all. But I returned to work on Monday (my birthday, no less) and caught up with two: Melissa McCarthy's comedy Tammy isn't quite sure if it's a silly slapstick comedy or a sentimental road movie - so isn't really either one. And the festival-favourite comedy Obvious Child is a seriously endearing rom-com that avoids the usual structure and is packed with spiky characters and humour. I've got several things in the pipeline over the next week, including catch-up screenings of this summer's Transformers, How to Train Your Dragons and Planet of the Apes movies. But first things first: I mustn't let my tan fade away...