Wars, death, extreme weather, out-of-control Supreme Court, human rights violations, political campaigns, assassination attempts, etc. etc. — the real world has been getting just a little too real. Thank goodness for TV! Here are the shows I checked out in the past 6 months or so….
LOVED
Fargo (FX) Best season of Fargo in a while. While it wasn’t perfect, there were an awful lot of laughs, chills, thrills, and flat-out entertainment. They had a super cast featuring a nasty Jon Hamm, a delightfully icy Jennifer Jason Leigh, and a layered Juno Temple who had really started to annoy me in Ted Lasso.
LIKED A LOT
Fantasmas (MAX) Julio Torres is one of the most delightfully bizarre comic minds out there. This 6-episode series shares some concepts with his terrific feature film Problemistas and brings back familiar faces from his much-missed previous series Los Espookys. Fantasmas has a darker look and feel but still plenty of surreal humor.
The Woman in the Wall (Showtime) Ruth Wilson delivers a knockout performance as a woman questioning her own sanity in this fictional mystery based on the all-too-real Magdalene Laundries in Ireland. (“Bad” young women were sent to work in these nun-run facilities, and their babies were taken away.) I’d never heard of these horrors till reading Claire Keegan’s brilliant novella Small Things Like These, and now here they were again. The series co-stars the very likable Daryl McCormack from Bad Sisters. When an unreleased Sinéad O’Connor song played over the end credits, I was shattered.
Sprung (Freevee) I was so happy to stumble across this one-season 2022 sitcom from Greg Garcia, who’d previously created my beloved My Name Is Earl and Raising Hope. Hope’s terrific Garret Dillahunt and Martha Plimpton are reunited in this fun, sweet show very loosely based on the real concept that at the beginning of the pandemic, some nonviolent prisoners were released from jail. This will remain a nice time capsule as a “covid comedy.”
Loudermilk (Netflix) This series had been recommended to me a couple of times, and I was finally able to check it out. The Farrelly brothers (primarily Peter this time) have become so reliable at delivering ensemble comedies with lots of heart and also disability inclusion. The always likable, hangdog Ron Livingston runs an addiction support group, in which stand-up Brian Regan is a particular revelation, giving a real soulful performance. Since finding a wider audience on Netflix, there is talk of a belated 4th season, which I would gladly welcome.
Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.(MAX) This four-part documentary chronicles the history of the legendary Memphis recording studio and label that churned out some of the greatest and grittiest soul records ever. Via many primary-source interviews, the filmmakers do a particularly good job covering Stax’s struggles and triumphs during the height of the civil rights era, and how the label had to reinvent itself after the much larger Atlantic label sneakily made off with Stax’s entire catalog of master recordings.
Steve! (Martin) (Apple) Steve Martin has been a hero of mine since I was 9 years old. I loved, loved, loved part I of this documentary, covering his early years and comedy superstardom. Part II, dealing with his “settling down” years, was less interesting to me but still worthwhile viewing.
MacGruber (Peacock) I think this replaced The Night Of as my longest span between beginning a limited series and completing it. I had sampled the first episode of MacGruber a while ago with a free trial of Peacock. But I had no reason to subscribe to Peacock until a few months ago, when Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain was released. And before I quickly canceled, I finally finished MacGruber. Will Forte and Kristen Wiig are as funny as ever, the writing is dumb/silly/great and kept me laughing, and I love that they even brought back Ryan Phillippe from the 2010 MacGruber feature film.
Bluey (Disney) I don’t know about you, but I like watching TV in hotels/motels. Basketball and baseball, long-time lodging faves. Recently, have really enjoyed Quincy and Kojak reruns. And about a decade ago I stumbled upon the Disney Channel, with guilty favorites Austin & Ally and especially Jessie. Didn’t have a new Disney favorite till a 5-year-old friend of mine mentioned Bluey. It’s for pre-schoolers and it’s great! There’s a family of dogs: Mom, Dad, Bluey, and Bingo. Oh, they’re animated. And the show is Australian, so they have awesome Aussie accents. Based on the commercials, every other Disney show is slick and cool and neon, and a music video waiting to happen. But Bluey couldn’t be more basic. It’s just plain old suburban family life. Usually there’s a straightforward lesson for the kids to learn, but it’s never preachy. The dad is a hoot, and the whole thing is cute as hell. And the episodes are super short. When the motel TV doesn’t get the Quincy channel, I immediately start scrolling for Bluey.
True Detective: Night Country (MAX) This season really didn’t “stick the landing,” which certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. But until then, I had found it highly compelling, and I’m a sucker for cold, desolate settings. I apologize to my pal Marvin for “ruining the series” ha-ha by telling him early on that Jodie Foster’s performance reminded me a lot of Michael J. Fox.
Jeopardy! Masters (ABC) Whoops, I should’ve ranked season 1 last year. While not as must-see and edge-of-seat viewing as the Tournament of Champions, it’s fun to watch some the show’s greats return with a higher level of play than the daily version. It’s also cool to see who has the “hot hand” — this year it was clearly Victoria Groce, who I was previously unfamiliar with. (She had emerged during the endless run of writers’ strike tourneys the producers kept spitting out.) Most importantly, the players don’t take this one too, too seriously, which adds to the fun.
LIKED
The Earliest Show (YouTube) Caught some clips from this on Instagram and assumed it was something new. Turns out these six mini-episodes debuted in 2016. Well, they’re new to me! I’m amused by the concept: a talk show that airs at 3:00 a.m. with two overly enthusiastic hosts, except one just got dumped on-air. Stars Ben Schwartz (Jean-Raphio on Parks & Rec) and Lauren Lapkus are goofily funny. Hmm, I think I forgot to finish the series, I’ll do that tonight.
JURY’S BACK IN
The Curse (Showtime) The Nathan Fielder/Emma Stone project maintained its weirdly uncomfortable vibe which I kind of enjoyed. But it never did kick into another gear, and ultimately just didn’t really come together. I’d slot it in “Liked.”
TWO AND DONE
Stupid Pet Tricks (TBS) A Worldwide Pants production based on the beloved old Letterman segment, but with smart/funny Sarah Silverman hosting? Sounded promising! Well, Dave showed up briefly in episode 1, and later there was a pencil toss and a mention of “please, no wagering,” but the overall anarchic spirit of Late Night is clearly missing, so it’s just a plain ol’ show.
ONE AND DONE
Grimsburg (FOX) I hoped to enjoy this animated comedy in which Jon Hamm voices a sloppy detective. I did not. It felt like they were trying too hard, and was unnecessarily set in the future.
BAILED AFTER 34 MINUTES
A Murder at the End of the World (Hulu) I was suckered in by another isolated Arctic setting. But as soon as the Gen Z detective found herself invited with several other “intriguing” guests to a mysterious compound by a reclusive billionaire — it just seemed too stupid for me to watch any more.
BAILED AFTER 6 MINUTES
Letterkenny (Hulu) Let me get this straight: The hicks are actually smarter and more clever than the jocks? Um, pass.
YES, I STILL WATCH THE SIMPSONS
Though am occasionally playing Words With Friends simultaneously.
THANK YOU AND GOODBYE
I have so much gratitude for Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm, one of my absolute favorite shows of all-time! The passing of Richard Lewis added an extra level of poignance to the final season, but never at the expense of comedy.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
The 2024 Summer Olympics — can’t wait! And if I spring for Peacock during the Games, I can finally watch We Are Lady Parts. Sugar has been recommended. The slightly delayed second season of Unstable is coming later this summer. We’ll get through whatever comes our way.
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, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, and XXV.
Jack Silbert, curator