Always Be Streaming... some of the biggest shows of the year
It is a very full week of TV - here's what you need to know.
Another week of TV in May, another week of streamers delivering a bunch of new shows they hope will garner Emmy Awards attention (as we near the end of the nominations period).
What’s on offer this week…
The big show you’ll watch just because it is on Netflix… Queen Charlotte is a Bridgerton spin-off series. For viewers into the massive hit show, that immediately makes this a must-watch. For others, they might want to turn their attention instead to…
The big show that got all the buzz this week despite being just okay… White House Plumbers on HBO. Great cast, led by Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux, this comedic take on the Watergate scandal just feels tonally a bit off and *I* found I struggled to stay interested.
But if it is a comedy you seek… you could do worse than the Pete Davidson comedy Bupkis. But you could also do better things with your time. It’s a half-hour comedy that feels like Davidson retrofitting his King of Staten Island series into a series with Curb Your Enthusiasm aspirations. But mostly, I’m just left wondering why a viewer wouldn’t just watch the waaaaay better comedy Dave instead?
And then there’s the show that will develop a very loyal viewership… Apple TV+’s sci-fi drama Silo has an interesting, if not wholly original premise. After 120 years-ish of living in what seems to be an underground silo bunker supporting what may be (hundreds of?) thousands of people, what happens to those who break from the bureaucratic norms of the society and question whether they are being told a lie about why they shouldn’t leave. The show has a really strong cast led by David Oyelowo and Rebecca Ferguson and the production quality is great with its huge lavish silo set. But ultimately I found myself with my frequent concern: wouldn’t this just be better as a 2-hour movie?
And finally, there’s the under the radar pick… Slip is a new comedy written by, directed by, and starring Zoe Lister Jones. You may not know her by name, but you’ve seen her a lot on TV in (mostly) comedies and indie films over the past decade - most notably New Girl and Life In Pieces. She stars as a woman who loves her husband, but the spark is gone. After a one night stand, she finds herself jumping between alternate realities and long-term relationships every episode as she confronts elements of her life that could have been different. The show is rather good, but tonally Zoe Lister Jones occasionally plays the comedy too broad (especially in the first episode) which is counter to her general icy, too-cool-for-the-room vibe. It’s a smart, cool TV show worth your time. I’m here telling you to watch it because it is so under the radar, no one else is going to mention it.
