Remember the first half of 2021? Yeah me neither. But I did keep track of all the TV shows I checked out, and herewith will share my thoughts on them with you.
LOVED
Pretend It’s a City (Netflix) This felt like a real pandemic gift, a cranky oasis. Fran Lebowitz became a huge fave of mine on her many Late Night With David Letterman appearances; I devoured the paperback compilation of her books. And now here she was, sharp and hilarious as ever, kibbitzing with the delighted and delightful Martin Freaking Scorsese. Marty’s interstitial footage made this a genuine (Silbert favorite phrase trigger warning) love letter to New York.
Painting With John (HBO) Talk about unexpected pandemic gifts! I began to love the music of the Lounge Lizards back in college. And then it was thrilling to occasionally spot John Lurie on the downtown streets of Manhattan. His wild Fishing With John series and its accompanying soundtrack were huge favorites of mine and my buddy Joe. But in the recent many years, Lurie has gone into semi-seclusion, haunted by Lyme disease and other sundry issues, emerging only with increasingly great paintings and also a couple of musical dispatches under the name Marvin Pontiac. But here he was in a new series, direct from his island home, sharing stories, philosophizing, being wonderfully weird and mellow. I only wish he’d pick up the saxophone again.
The Great North (FOX) Bob’s Burgers is one of my absolute favorite shows. Two of the producers created this animated sitcom, set in small-town Alaska, and it is maybe just as good. Nick Offerman is dad to Will Forte, Jenny Slate, Paul Rust, and Aparna Nancherla. The family dynamic is wonderful, the quirks of Alaskan life add a unique twist — an “otherness” — but most importantly it’s so funny, sharp, and amazingly big-hearted. Oh and the daughter’s imaginary friend is Alanis Morissette (for real).
Open All Night (YouTube) Reading about comedians/TV writers and producers Jay Tarses and Tom Patchett, I learned about this 1981 sitcom that I had the vaguest recollection of. When I saw that Merrill Markoe had written 3 of the episodes and Letterman appeared in one, I sought out the show. There were 13 episodes, only 11 had aired, and only 8 found their way to YouTube via some kind soul. George Feester is a long-suffering sort running a 24-hour convenience store with the help of his wife, her out-of-it teen son, and Bubba Smith. Joe Mantegna plays a recurring Arab customer (hey, it was 40 years ago), just one of the many quirky characters. The show was sharply written and warmly performed, and I enjoyed being in its “open all night” setting as I watched late at night. Silbert-specific trivia: Co-star Susan Tyrell would later become a bilateral below-knee amputee.
LIKED A LOT
The Investigation (HBO) And suddenly I was watching a Danish series, based on a true story of a homemade submarine and a dead journalist. I was so impressed with the filmmaking here; I kept expecting corny Law & Order tropes but they keep it so matter-of-fact, so by-the-book. Jens Møller as the lead investigator (they would’ve cast a handsomer dude in the U.S.) is stoic and awkward and terrific.
Beartown (HBO) OK, I can handle a Danish show; bring on the Swedes! Hometown hero returns from a stint in the NHL, family in tow, to coach youth hockey in a rural village that is all about hockey. Think Friday Night Lights but with hockey in Sweden. I won’t give away the plot but suffice to say, it’s a chilling, claustrophobic indictment of bro-culture and those who would enable it. Also, I bought the original-score soundtrack.
Mare of Easttown (HBO) This series let me down in the last episode — like the much, much worse The Undoing, they packed way too much information into the finale — but overall I really enjoyed it. Kate Winslet is outstanding as trying-to-hold-together-as-her-life-crumbles police detective Mare. Yes, the eastern Pennsylvania setting was a little over-the-top yet I found it very comfortable, I liked the townies, and I would keep watching if it was a regular series. Kudos to Evan Peters for being unrecognizable from his American Horror Story work.
Hemingway (PBS) This mini-documentary (a mere 6 hours) from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick taught me an awful lot, with trusty Peter Coyote again in the narrator’s chair. I was inspired to purchase The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway.
Mr. Mayor (NBC) I should really categorize this under “Like,” but the show is almost Too Big To Fail so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. It was an immediate thrill to again be rewinding for missed Tina Fey-written jokes, updated for “now” culture. Ted Danson is of course perfect as the lead — smooth, self-absorbed, a bit dim, but very well-meaning. Bobby Moynihan is hilarious as one of his aides. The rest of the cast didn’t completely jell for me but I’m hopeful everything will tighten up in season 2.
LIKED
The Nevers (HBO) Probably as close as I’ll ever get to watching Downton Abbey. It’s part steam-punk, part X-Men, and all kickass turn-of-the-20th-century women. I was impressed by the rough girl/sweet girl leads, Laura Donnelly and Ann Skelly. The final episode of the season’s first half was suddenly wonked-out sci-fi (curse you, Joss Whedon) so that knocked things down a peg for me.
Kenan (NBC) I find Kenan Thompson extremely likable, and that certainly bleeds over into this almost-by-the-numbers single-dad sitcom. There is a slightly weird feel to the proceedings, I’m not sure why, but… it works. Don Johnson as Kenan’s father-in-law and Chris Redd as his brother/manager add to the low-key fun.
Hanging with Doctor Z (YouTube) Comedian Dana Gould plays the Planet of the Apes’ Dr. Zaius hosting a talk show. It’s as silly and absurd as it sounds, while also goofing on the “golden age” of Hollywood. Similar feel to T.J. Miller’s The Gorburger Show.
Laurel Canyon (EPIX) A pretty well-executed two-part documentary on the late ’60s/early ’70s laid-back L.A. music scene. Part two, focusing on the scene’s second wave of performers, was a lot less interesting to me.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) And the most overrated show of the pandemic goes to… Look, I don’t hate Ted Lasso. It’s under “Like.” I like it! It’s just, to hear some folks, you’d think the show was the second coming of, what? Schitt’s Creek? That’s the show it’s most often compared to because they’re both “nice.” People like nice because it’s unthreatening. A respite from all the conflict in the world. Well, I personally prefer a bit more edge. Now, Schitt’s improved quite a lot during its run… you could say the show earned its niceness via character development… and perhaps that will happen here too. I do like Ted, Nate, Higgins, and Roy Kent.
Cobra Kai (Netflix) Shocking admission: I never saw The Karate Kid back in the day. (I eventually did see the first two movies; they’re not that difficult to catch up on.) I mention this because I didn’t have that huge nostalgic pull to Cobra Kai as others of my era might. Nevertheless, I find this low-budget series enjoyable enough and occasionally pretty funny. I do find the grownup storylines — especially with Johnny — much more satisfying than the teen stuff. Oh wait, they’re trying to appeal to different demographics! I feel so used.
KIND OF LIKED, KIND OF DIDN’T
This Is a Robbery (Netflix) With the ravenous need for content, I think a lot of documentaries are being green-lit that wouldn’t have made the cut in years past. This investigation into a massive Boston art robbery would’ve made a good magazine article or NPR segment, as a friend said. But there’s just not enough compelling information for a multi-part series.
Cinema Toast (Showtime) I was sad when the Duplass Brothers’ Room 104 series came to a close, so I was eager to sample their latest effort. It seems that writers and directors were given old public-domain movies and had free rein to cut together 30 minutes with new dialogue. Room 104 was famously hit-or-miss and so was this, but as the season continued, the misses really started to outnumber the hits.
DIDN’T LIKE
Q: Into the Storm (HBO) I was ready to take a deep dive into the idiotic, hate-fueled QAnon movement. What I got was a “Whodunnit?” series, ultimately focusing on three people, two of which are the most unlikable father/son duo this side of Don and Don Jr.
WATCHED TWO EPISODES AND CERTAINLY MEANT TO KEEP WATCHING AND AT SOME POINT MIGHT ACTUALLY DO THAT
Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters (truTV) Dark-humor anthology series. I’m a longtime fan of Goldthwait, what I saw was not as fantastic as I hoped, but I definitely planned to keep watching. Life’s funny sometimes.
ONE AND DONE
Lupin (Netflix) Intrigued by the whole gentleman-thief concept, but it seemed pretty phony and generic. Hey industry, make fewer shows! Make more good ones!
DELETED AFTER 10 MINUTES
The Chase (ABC) Two of my fave Jeopardy champions plus that other guy in a new game show! Except the writers and the contestants aren’t up to Jeopardy standards!
YES, I STILL WATCH THE SIMPSONS
I actually thought this was a pretty OK season? Though maybe the pandemic was getting to me.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
Summer Olympics! With the added possibility of a covid outbreak!
SHOWS I USED TO WATCH AND IN MANY CASES STILL DO
Links to Edition I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, and XIX.
Jack Silbert, curator