Screen: January TV Roundup

I'm not watching quite as much TV as usual, because it's awards screening season with films. But I've still managed to see quite a few series in between the movies over the past few months...

The Mandalorian: series 2 
One of the finest series in production at the moment, creator Jon Favreau continues to tap into that childhood Star Wars vibe to create a mini-epic in each half-hour-ish episode. Cleverly, each plot is a misdirection, as Pedro Pascal's title character and his increasingly cheeky tiny sidekick are continually distracted by side adventures as they proceed on their epic quest. This means revisiting old characters, meeting new ones and dropping a steady stream of franchise references and witty discoveries into each scene. Every moment is simply gorgeous. (Disney)

His Dark Materials: series 2 
Things get darker as this series continues, now heading into Phillip Pulman's second novel The Subtle Knife. The superb Dafne Keen is flexing her acting chops in the central role: Lyra is becoming a force to reckon with even as she digs deep inside herself. And joining her now, Amir Wilson makes a terrific partner/foil on this journey. The effects are still a bit overly digital, but they bring the fantastical elements to life in vivid ways. And the depth of character across the board makes it riveting, including a seriously complex villain in Ruth Wilson. (BBC)

Star Trek - Discovery: series 3
It's rare for a series to improve so enormously from season to season, but this show seems to revel in reinvention. This season's episodes were bracingly engaging, packed with epic action and full of big ideas. With inventive plotting and a flat-out terrific ensemble, it constantly surprises with its clever approaches to the themes that have made this franchise stand out since 1966. This season sent the crew ahead into a distant fragile future, where they're forced to confront their identities in some superbly well-imagined and played situations that have enormous ramifications. Where to next? (Netflix)

Fargo: series 4 
It's not easy to get into this fourth season, which is set amid duelling gangs in 1950 Kansas City. The racial issues are complex, and of course the production design and eclectic casting is a lot of fun, led by the excellent Chris Rock and Jessie Buckley, both miscast. But it feels oddly indulgent, especially with its churningly violent overtones. While the fatalistic touches are still everywhere, the offhanded small-town charm of the first three seasons (and the Coens' film) is sorely missed. Creator Noah Hawley's approach is ambitious and intriguing, but this season is never engaging. (FX)

SOMETHING NEW

Bridgerton 
Sharply well written and played, and produced with a modern Jane Austen vibe, this juicy Regency soap is ludicrously entertaining. It centres on two families on the London social scene, each with different fortunes during the matchmaking season. At the centre is the tangled romcom-like journey of Daphne and Simon (Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page), who overcome toxicity with forgiveness and an open heart (at least until season 2). And the other vivid characters have entertaining journeys of their own, amid fabulous sets and costumes that never overwhelm them. The dialog bristles with wit, and it's a rare show that's genuinely sexy too. (Netflix)

The Serpent
A riveting true story, beautifully produced with a great cast, this series traces the nasty story of Charles Sobhraj (Tahar Rahim), who robbed, drugged and killed travellers across Southeast Asia in the mid-70s, and Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg (Billy Howle), who went far beyond his job to catch him. The period and atmosphere are so beautifully evoked that we can forgive the obvious directorial touches and jarringly choppy editing (two weeks later, three years earlier, seven months later, huh?). And the actors are so strong that we're pulled right into each incredible twist and turn in the tale. (BBC)

The Undoing 
There's a fairly straightforward mystery at the centre of this stylish series, but it's elevated by the astonishing casting of Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland, each of whom plays someone who's slippery and suspicious, but probably not the killer. Add the always excellent Noah Jupe as the teen in the middle, a great role that should have been even bigger. It's all so twisty and vicious, with so many bombshells that it's hard to wait for the next episode. And it's so juicy that we really don't mind where it might end up. The journey is the thing. (HBO)

The Flight Attendant
There's a trashy energy to this series that makes it watchable, even though the storytelling isn't particularly strong. The main problem is that the central character (played full-on by Kaley Cuoco) is relentlessly unlikeable: not only is she a raging alcoholic, but she has serious impulse-control issues. This makes everything that happens feel both implausible and annoying. The actors are solid, creating intriguing characters, most notably Michel Huisman, who makes what could have been a thankless role into someone genuinely fascinating. But all the whizzy, slick production values in the world can't make up for the essentially flimsy plot. (HBO)

Next 
John Slattery is terrific as a scrappy tech billionaire in this slick, convoluted thriller about an AI programme that runs amok and starts murdering and manipulating. This allows for a series of set-pieces that play out with witty and very nasty details. And it's just believable enough to be darkly chilling as things get increasingly freaky, carefully layering in the possible future with the realistic present. The relentless violence is perhaps more human than machine, but it plays nicely into the audience's fear of too-smart technology. And the ramifications the story raises will keep our minds spinning. (Fox)

Black Narcissus
There's a wonderfully leery tone to this melodramatic series, based on the 1939 novel (previously adapted into a 1947 Powell & Pressburger film). Gemma Arterton is superb as Sister Clodagh, the young nun sent to the high Himalayas to start a convent with four colleagues. Her innuendo-fuelled clashes with the roguish Mr Dean (Alessandro Nivola) add some subdued spice, as do her clashes with mentally unstable Sister Ruth (Aisling Franciosi). It's all rather overwrought and ridiculous, which is of course what makes it compelling and entertaining, especially when things get vaguely sexy and hauntingly freaky. (BBC) 

Death to 2020
This mock-doc looking back at the last 12 months really should have been a lot more original than this with Charlie Brooker's name attached. But it's a rather simplistic rehash of the year's various nightmares, peppered with lazy jokes and flippant commentary, as if everything will go back to normal at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. Appearances from Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, Leslie Jones and especially Samuel L Jackson add interest. But while they make it watchable, they're only able to inject a few meaningful observations. (Netflix)

ONGOING 

This Is Us: series 5 
Open-handed emotions continue to guide this family series, which is still bouncing around in an ever-expanding timeline to catch the characters at various ages, sometimes straining to draw parallels between their reactions and experiences. The cast has settled into their second skins now, making these people feel like part of our own family, so every emotional wrench is strongly felt. I'm not crying, you are. (NBC)

Superstore: series 6 
Covid invaded this sitcom in a major way, and the writers have had a lot of fun with it, allowing viewers to laugh at the absurdities without dwelling too much on the annoying/boring aspects of lockdown. The cast continues to have fun playing these idiots as they work in their enormous warehouse shop, although sending America Ferrara off to California in the season's early episodes feels like a misstep. (NBC)

Mom: series 8 
The title is now pointless, as this show deleted one mom/daughter from the first season and has now lost another one. Instead, it has become a rehab sitcom starring Allison Janney. And I'm not complaining. It's still sharp and funny, tinged with real-life issues and packed with wacky characters who manage to keep their feet on the ground. Janney and William Fichtner's relationship continues to find sparky wrinkles, and it's still refreshing to see recovering addicts for whom putting their lives back together isn't accomplished in one episode. (CBS)

Shameless: series 11 
For their final season, the Gallagher family are clearly intending to go out in a blaze of glory. This series starts with them in very different places as parents, spouses and entrepreneurs, which continues their journeys with additional textures and complications. There's the usual worry that the writers will continue to pull the rug out from under these people we've grown to love. But it will be fun to see where they all end up. (Showtime)

NOW WATCHING: WandaVision, The Stand, Staged (2), Dickinson (2), The Conners (4), Kim's Convenience (5).

LOOKING FORWARD: It's a Sin, Snowpiercer (2), Call My Agent (4)...

Screen: Winter TV Roundup

There's been some good telly on lately, and the holidays offer some more time to binge than usual, so I've been able to keep almost up to date. I'm still lagging behind on a few shows, but will dive in when I can, to reset my mind in between the movies...

SHINY AND NEW

His Dark Materials

Fans of Philip Pullman's novels (like me) were understandably nervous about this BBC series, due to the watered-down 2007 feature The Golden Compass. But this series has taken time to dig deeper and bring out Pullman's provocative plotting and themes. Dafne Keen is terrific as young Lyra, a proper reluctant hero who has little idea that her actions have massive repercussions. And Ruth Wilson is staggering as the shifty Mrs Coulter. Produced with epic visuals that are never fussy, the show looks great. The extended format allows characters to emerge with a bracing sense of unpredictability. And that cliffhanger ending leaves us gasping for part 2.

The Mandalorian

Made on a superb scale like a free-wheeling Western with added gadgets, this Star Wars bounty hunter adventure is thoroughly entertaining, recounting a mini-epic with each half-hour episode. Its sets and characters look fantastic (effects and creatures are grounded and resolutely undigital), and it's written, shot and edited in a way that instantly feels like a classic, complete with a memorable musical score by Ludwig Goransson. Even under that armour, Pedro Pascal is a wonderfully sardonic hero. And at the end of episode 1, it introduces the year's best new character in a pint-sized relative of Yoda with a cheeky sense of curiosity that gorgeously balances the show's inventive action beats over eight wonderful episodes. 

Watchmen

This extraordinary series lets its story unfold without the usual comic book structures, presenting angles on its premise that continually subvert expectations. It's made with such a sure hand that watching it never feels like a chore: there's no doubt that this is heading somewhere very interesting, and getting there is darkly entertaining. The cast is edgy and textured, led by Regina King, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson and a seriously unhinged Jeremy Irons. How it all fits together becomes clear slowly and enigmatically, while the subtle alternate reality in which the show is set is fascinating. So as the bigger plot emerges, this series carries all kinds of thematic implications.

The Morning Show

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon play bickering journalists who are thrown together on a breakfast news show. Of course, they're more alike than not, and the fun of the show is watching them discover this against their will. While there is plenty of barbed humour laced through the scripts, this is a serious drama taking on workplace harassment and abuse in a strikingly honest, sometimes downright painful way. The show also lifts the lid on the artificiality of live television in a way that's funny and knowingly provocative. And the pitch-black issues raised in the storylines make it important too.

Dickinson

The ambition behind this show is notable, as it recounts the 19th century life of poet Emily Dickinson in sitcom style, infused with present-day dialog, attitudes and music. Anchored by Hailee Steinfeld and Jane Krakowski, the cast is excellent, and the storytelling is particularly strong. This allows for a knowing skewering of archaic (but sadly not unfamiliar) issues involving sexism and racism. Although this would come across more forcefully if it wasn't so smug about the anachronistic style. One cringeworthy example: after writing the memorable first lines of Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Emily puts down her pencil and proclaims, "Nailed it!"

The Umbrella Academy

The premise for this story feels a bit lazy (another zillionaire family, more kids with superpowers), but it plays out in ways that are continually surprising. And the show is written and directed with a generous dose of absurdity and sarcastic wit, plus a thunderous song score. It's also sharply acted by an eclectic cast (Ellen Page, Robert Sheehan, Mary J Blige), which helps make up for the plot's general default to violence that feels way over-the-top. Perhaps this betrays the comic book origin, but hopefully the writers will find more complexity in the second season.

The Politician

Ryan Murphy continues his takeover of all things televisual with this blackly comical political pastiche about a teen (Ben Platt, both deadpan and brimming with emotion) who takes his class president election far too seriously. But then so does everyone else at his posh private school. The narrative spins and shocks along the way, but remains a bit too ridiculous to to seriously touch on the themes. And the characters are all slightly cartoonish, even if they're a lot of fun - from teens Zoey Deutch, Lucy Boynton and David Corenswet to adults Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bob Balaban. And the big set-up for the second season is beautifully played.

Living With Yourself

The main draw here is Paul Rudd playing a befuddled man who books into a refreshing spa day and ends up facing a clone of himself after something goes wrong. The premise is a bit sloppy, and the way it's written and directed is more than a little gimmicky, with characters who don't always ring true. But there are some witty moments and intriguing wrinkles that get close to resonant meaning (one of the Pauls is a close-minded idiot). It's worth watching, but would be even more engaging if it was more relaxed, sillier, sexier.

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings

Anthology shows are notoriously hit and miss, so there's no way each episode in this series can be a knock-out. But they're surprisingly well written, with sharp edges to the gentle narratives and some terrific performances (Melissa Leo!). Dolly's presence in each episode is great fun, including her sparkly introductions, her sassy characters and lively musical performances. Each episode centres around one of her songs, some more beloved than others, to weave a tale of love and heartbreak. It's often a little relentless in its warmth, but some prickly Southern charm adds interest.

ANOTHER YEAR

The Crown: series 3

Recasting this season was always the plan (it will happen again with series 5), and the transition is predictably tricky, even with the powerhouse duo of Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter. But they grow into their roles, and by the time the wrenching episode 3 rolls around, they are inhabiting Elizabeth and Margaret with a vengeance. Colman gets to sink deeply into Elizabeth, adding offhanded touches that beautifully reveal the Queen's maturity as a leader. Tobias Menzies and Josh O'Connor also have particularly powerful episodes as princes Philip and Charles, respectively. Bring on season 4.

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel: series 3

As this show continues to beef up side characters, it badly loses focus. The ongoing story of hilarious standup Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and her acerbic manager Susie (Alex Borstein) is still involving, not so much the rambling, distracting sideplots for her parents, ex-husband, his parents and the musical star she's touring with (who get long, pointless numbers of his own). It's like the writers couldn't resist crafting pithy dialog for these terrific actors, but they've forgotten what made the show so both unmissable and important. Make it a half-hour with Midge and Susie and it might rediscover its magic.

Succession: series 2

This second season was perhaps even more riveting than the first, as the plotlines twisted so tightly that even these expert wigglers found themselves with nowhere to go. Like a present-day Game of Thrones, these people circle around each other vying for control of an empire. Both the writing and acting are simply astonishing, as deeply layered characters seize on the snappy dialog. Each cast member is excellent, bringing humanity even to the greediest, most back-stabbing member of this wildly flailing family. More please.

The End of the F***ing World: series 2

Cleverly spinning off in new directions that feel both stylised and organic - just as awkward and brittle as before - this follow-up season takes our two antiheroes (Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden) on another offbeat road movie, this time pursued by someone (Naomi Ackie) wronged in their first spree. The outrageous things that happen are played to bone-dry comedic perfection, often with an added layer of thick irony. It's a rare TV series that refuses to play by the usual rules, which makes it unmissable.

SEASONS IN PROGRESS

The Conners: series 2a

While this sitcom's range of characters feels a little conveniently diverse, the writers and actors seem to have found their groove, mixing bristly humour with some honest situations. The cast is uniformly excellent, anchored ably by ace veterans John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf, plus Katey Sagal. Sara Gilbert and Alicia Goranson are terrific dealing with parental issues of their own, and it would be nice if Michael Fishman's DJ became more of a character.

This Is Us: series 4a

Things feel a bit tighter this year, even as the plots spiral to offer glimpses (and only the most tantalising glimpses) of new timelines. The actors are clearly enjoying the chance to continue flexing their performance muscles, most notably Justin Hartley, Sterling K Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson. Indeed, the deeper drama is far more involving that the gimmicky cross-cutting between time periods. This show is continually in danger of vanishing up its own navel, but the writers are just about keeping that in check.

Bless this Mess: series 2a

Trundling on harmlessly, this show is basically a tribute to Lake Bell's genius at finding subtle edges of humour in everything and surrounding herself with talented actors like Dax Shepard, Ed Begley Jr, Pam Grier and David Koechner. The premise is more than a little bit feeble, and the jokes are tired (at least Green Acres had a character who hated living in the country). But the show has a scruffy, ramshackle goofiness that keeps us watching. Mainly thanks to that cast.

Mom: series 7a

Everything is ticking along with this show's astute comedic approach to addiction and recovery, this year with the added wrinkle of marriage between Bonnie (Allison Janney) and Adam (William Fichtner). Janney is such a joy that it doesn't really matter what she's doing, and both writers and costars give her plenty to work with. It would be nice to beef up the other central cast members, whose plotlines feel a bit dull this year, most notably Anna Faris' Christy. She was more fun when she was a mom herself (where are her kids anyway?).

THE LAST STAND

Transparent: series 5

After Jeffrey Tambor's unceremonious departure from his series, this "musicale finale" ties up all the loose plot ends. It feels a little tidy and abrupt for a show that was known for its messy interactions. But the songs are enjoyable, performed well by the up-for-it cast, which kind of makes up for the way the overall story kind of peters out. There are no surprises, and some rather oddball twists here and there that never quite push the boundaries. But it's warm and engaging, and packed with lovely moments.

The Good Place: series 4a

Both blissfully funny and smartly thought provoking, this show is going out on a high. This season will be ending where the creators knew it would, rather than stretching things out unnecessarily. Which gives the adept actors the confidence to wonderfully push their performances right over the edge. Each of them is excellent on his or her own, and as an ensemble they create some magical alchemy. This is a rare sitcom that manages to be both intelligent and silly at the same time.

Modern Family: series 11a

This long-running sitcom has had some ropey episodes in recent years, but it's a rare show that has maintained a high quality of character-based comedy writing, allowing the actors to age on-screen. The expanding cast continues to be almost criminally watchable, with the children now grown-ups and the youngsters revealing a lot more personality than most TV kids get. There is a tendency to drift toward sentiment this season, but that's understandable if this is indeed the final series.

Shameless: series 10a

Never a show to pause for breath, this show kicked off its final season with a flurry of outrageous plot twists that sent the Gallagher family in about seven directions at once. This first set of episodes is perhaps a bit too frantic, even for this show, although this keeps the audience on its toes, piling on twists that are both entertaining and infuriating. There are several clever touches this year, as well as a few badly dangling threads (Carl's twins!). And as usual, the audience continues to root for these losers, despite the evidence.

I GIVE UP

See - I'm a fan of the cast, and they're superb here, but the premise is just a little too gimmicky and violent for me, set in a caveman-like future where humanity has gone blind. 

NOW WATCHING: The Witcher, Unbelievable, Castle Rock (2), You (2)

COMING SOON: Star Trek: Picard, The Outsider, High Fidelity, Schitt's Creek (7), Grace and Frankie (6), Homeland (8), Kidding (2)