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Some historical figures are so towering that they become mythical. Muhammad Ali, the athlete, the man, the activist, is one of them. Ali’s life was under the microscope while he was alive, and it has been chronicled during this century in films like 2001’s “Ali,” starring Will Smith, and Regina King’s 2020 film “One Night […]
The U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves was a real person; an escaped slave turned groundbreaking lawman, Reeves’ remarkable biography has inspired a Taylor Sheridan show and HBO’s “Watchmen,” among other pieces of pop culture. The Netflix animated series “Bass x Machina,” created by LeSean Thomas (“Yasuke”) and produced by the Korean company Studio Mir (“The Legend […]
Television has no shortage of thrillers, but the sinister twists and turns of Apple TV’s latest entry into the genre, “Nocturne” — based on Lars Kepler’s novels “Lazarus” and “The Sandman” — make it well worth your time. Created by Rowan Joffé, the series follows Jonah Lynn (Liev Schreiber), a former homicide detective turned recluse […]
There are not a lot of famous people in “The One About Matthew Perry.” None of the late actor’s “Friends” castmates sat for an interview for the three-part Netflix docuseries; neither did Perry’s longtime friend and “Simpsons” star Hank Azaria, who knew Perry as a striving young actor in L.A., or later collaborators like Bradley […]
The witchy thriller “Yaga” is a Canadian production that co-stars Hudson Williams, now hot enough off of “Heated Rivalry” to earn a “with” before his name in the credits. That’s about where the similarities with the hockey-themed megahit end, though not for lack of trying: “Yaga” — which airs on streaming service AMC+ in the States […]
Sitcoms aren’t what they used to be. Though a select few on network television, like “Abbott Elementary” and “Ghosts,” pay homage to comedies of the past while tapping into present-day culture, sitcoms today rarely feel truly universal. NBC’s “Newlyweds,” co-created by Jamie Lee Curtis and (the since-fired) Gail Lerner, is fun and refreshing, speaking to […]
It’s a shame Hulu shared only half the first season of the streamer’s new comedy-mystery series “Phony” with critics in advance, because so much depends on how the show resolves its central source of suspense. The premise is what one character calls a “reverse cuckoo situation,” or at least a potential one: When Sonny (Sam […]
Thirteen years after Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” did its final curtain call, Netflix is returning to the Los Angeles-based performing arts school with a brand-new spinoff, “Hollywood Arts.” Created by Jake Farrow and Samantha Martin, the series follows Trina Vega (Daniella Monet reprising her role) as a struggling actress stuck in the shadow of her superstar sister, […]
On the one hand, it wouldn’t be very apt for a show about a scrappy citizen journalist in a small heartland city to become a massive hit. On the other, FX’s “The Lowdown” was one of the great TV debuts last year, a follow-up from “Reservation Dogs” showrunner Sterlin Harjo that upped the star power […]
Partway through “VisionQuest,” the titular android Vision (Paul Bettany) attempts to help a British teenager named Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) understand the precise nature of their relationship. The truth goes something like this: Vision is a reconstituted version of his former self, who was killed by Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” and then kinda-sorta brought back […]
This summer, the Avatar franchise reintroduced itself by revisiting its most iconic character: Aang, the namesake of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and the original protagonist of a story now in its third decade. For its next act, the Avatar Studios imprint — overseen by original series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and tasked […]
On its face, the CBS drama “Cupertino” is a reversion to type for creators Robert and Michelle King. After dipping a toe into the supernatural with “Evil,” a kind of “X-Files” riff set inside the Catholic Church, the married couple behind “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” are back on factual terra firma with […]
The oceans’ vastness can feel ominous, and though scientists have studied what lurks beneath, so much remains unknown. In Netflix’s new limited series “Below,” creator Jesse McKeown introduces viewers to a tiny town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, a man still haunted by his past and a family desperate to look ahead toward the […]
Based on Stephen King’s debut novel and adapted for TV by horror connoisseur Mike Flanagan, Prime Video’s “Carrie” is a captivating reimagining of the oft-told story. Set in the present, the show pays homage to King’s writing and Brian De Palma’s acclaimed 1976 film, which made Sissy Spacek a star. This series follows Carrie White […]
Three years after “NCIS: Los Angeles” wrapped its 14-season run, LL Cool J has returned to the franchise as Senior Special Agent Sam Hanna in CBS’ new “NCIS” spinoff, “NCIS: New York.” Created by R. Scott Gemmill — also the creator of “The Pitt” — the series follows Sam, who returns to his hometown after […]
The words “you lot” come up quite often in “Tip Toe,” the five-episode limited series coming to Starz after an initial run on Channel 4 in the U.K. earlier this year. Most often, they’re directed at queer and trans people, and not in a friendly way: “It’s always sex with you lot,” Manchester electrician Clive […]
From “Hijack” and “Lupin” creator George Kay, HBO and Sky Television’s “War” is a thrilling legal drama highlighting a bitter, high-profile divorce. Though the couple at the center of the story are tech billionaire Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) and A-list actress Carla Duval (Sienna Miller), their rapidly collapsing marriage anchors “War,” which looks well beyond […]
“East of Eden,” the John Steinbeck novel, opens with a place: the author’s native Salinas Valley, the fertile terrain transitioning from the nation’s frontier to its bread basket at the turn of the 20th century. “East of Eden,” the Netflix limited series created by actor and screenwriter Zoe Kazan, opens with a person: Cathy Ames […]
Thirty-nine years after the beloved NBC series premiered, Netflix is reopening the gates of the fictional, historically Black Hillman College with “A Different World.” Created by Felicia Pride and executive produced by Debbie Allen (who helmed the first version of the sitcom), the bold and brilliant reboot follows Deborah Wayne (an outstanding Maleah Joi Moon), […]
“You have all the hallmarks of a world-class politician,” campaign manager Gwen (Lisa Gilroy) tells her client Matthew McConaughey (Matthew McConaughey). “However, your Achilles’ heel is that you’ve been a celebrity for so long that your brain has turned into a big old sloppy pile of goo.” The literal premise of the Apple TV comedy […]
