NOW SEE THIS

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

Welcome to Now See This, THR chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg's weekly viewer guide newsletter dedicated to cutting through the daunting clutter of the broadcast, cable and streaming TV landscape! Comments and suggestions welcome at daniel.fienberg@thr.com.

Uh-oh. Sounds Like HBO's Got a Case of the Mondays

HBO has experimented with a variety of programming options on Monday nights and the new approach seems to be one of polar opposites. Earning the best reviews is Luca Guadagnino's We Are Who We Are, an almost structureless coming-of-age story set on an Italian military base. Even behind the camera, the Call Me By Your Name auteur is the star here in a show THR TV critic Inkoo Kang praises for its "aura of pleasant aimlessness." Wildly different is its Monday companion The Third Day, a Wicker Man-esque pastiche in which structure and A-list stars (Jude Law and Naomie Harris) dominate. I appreciated pieces of the mysterious tale, but found it far too familiar.

Are You a Good Niche or a Bad Niche?

Not everything is made for everybody! Isn't that nice? So are you the target audience for Netflix's YA punk-rock ghost musical Julie and the Phantoms? Our Robyn Bahr praises its journey from "kiddie shlock to buoyant family entertainment." She's less enthusiastic about Netflix's "noxious and obnoxious" The Duchess, a comedy from Katherine Ryan that's getting generally savaged. I agree the show's a bit of a mess, but amid the noxiousness, I saw similarities to The Other Two, a much more adored show, albeit one with much more initial heart.

Toon In

Hulu's new comedy Woke is timely and a well-deserved star vehicle for New Girl veteran Lamorne Morris, but as to whether it makes you laugh? That's a different question. Inkoo Kang, for example, calls it both "bland" and "under-thought." If you're amused, check out last week's TV's Top 5 podcast, featuring a conversation with Woke director and executive producer Mo Marable.

'Terriers,' Come Out To Plaaaaaaaaaay

Ten years ago this week, FX premiered Ted Griffin's seaside private eye dramedy Terriers to rave reviews and ratings so low that even FX, a network devoted to critical response, had to cancel it after one season. Blame the title. Blame the marketing. Blame a tone that isn't easily describable. As I discussed at the beginning of quarantine in a column about getting over your common TV prejudices, the 13 episodes are all available on Hulu and you can enjoy the atmosphere and performances by the likes of Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James without stressing about the title or whether or not it has complete closure at the end. It's a great show.

Honoring Dame Diana Rigg

If you only know Dame Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell from Game of Thrones, you barely know this acting icon, who died this week at 82. Unfortunately, while you can watch GoT on HBO Max, Rigg's work in The Avengers and On Her Majesty's Secret Service is only accessible via rental.  But if you have BritBox, you can watch The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries, while her Emmy-winning turn in 1997's Rebecca is available if you're a PBS Masterpiece subscriber. Other options: The Hospital, with a script by Paddy Chayefsky, is on Prime. HBO Max has the "The Crimson Horror" episode of Doctor Who (also featuring her daughter, Rachael Stirling). And, of course, The Great Muppet Caper is on Disney+.

This Week's THR Staff Pick

Senior film writer Pamela McClintock writes, "Another day of lockdown, another free 7-day trial. This time I hit the jackpot when singing up for Acorn TV, an American subscription service offering TV programing from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other far-flung territories. I've spent the last week bingeing Line of Duty, the much-watched BBC police procedural that first launched in 2012 and recently aired its fifth season. If you’re into twists and turns, you won’t be disappointed."

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

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