You’re going to need more hours this weekend. There’s a lot of TV to get through.
- Normal People is the fancy pants literary show that people on your Twitter feeds are already raving about. Based on the novel by Sally Rooney, it is the story of young love with all of the challenges and realities of the world getting in its way. It’s rather good. Enjoy it with a crumpet and cup of tea.
- Viewership will be high for the big budget Netflix drama Hollywood. It’s the new Ryan Murphy show about the golden years of, well, you know where.
The off-broadway pick of the week is a show that feels purpose-built for my tastes. It’s a new Amazon Prime series called Upload from Greg Daniels who created the US The Office and Parks & Recreation and King of The Hill. Greg knows how to make TV. It’s a tech dystopia comedy about a world in which tech bros have found a way to cheat death. You can check out my review of the show on the ABW website:
While gentle with its comedy (that’s a nice way of saying that the show is humorous without being actually laugh out loud funny), the show is a savage criticism about the role of tech giants in our lives, relationships, and the result which is an ever-growing divide between rich and poor.
- Trying is a new British comedy on Apple TV+. It has been frequently compared to the great comedy Catastrophe, which is almost dooming it. No show should have to live up to that level of expectation.
returning:
Vida (s3), Blindspot (s5), The Last Kingdom (s4)
new:
Normal People - BBC3 | Hulu | Stan
Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal, Eliot Salt
Follows Marianne and Connell, from different backgrounds but the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other's romantic lives.
Hollywood - Netflix
Stars: Darren Criss, Jake Picking, Jeremy Pope
A group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood try to make it big - no matter the cost.
Upload - Amazon Prime Video
Stars: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Zainab Johnson
A man is able to choose his own afterlife after his untimely death.
Never Have I Ever - Netflix
Stars: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, Poorna Jagannathan
The complicated life of a modern-day first generation Indian American teenage girl, inspired by Kaling's own childhood.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels - Showtime | Stan
Stars: Daniel Zovatto, Jessica Garza, Michael Gladis
When a grisly murder shocks Los Angeles in 1938, Detective Tiago Vega and his partner Lewis Michener become embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of the city.
Trying - Apple TV+
Stars: Esther Smith, Rafe Spall
All Jason and Nikki want is a baby, but it's the one thing they just can't have. So, they decide to adopt. With their dysfunctional friends, screwball family, and chaotic lives will the adoption panel think they're ready to be parents?
Code 404 - Sky TV
Stars: Richard Gadd, Stephen Graham, Michelle Greenidge
A British detective killed in action is brought back to life using experimental Artificial Intelligence.
