NOW SEE THIS

DECEMBER 18, 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.

I'm Still 'Stand'-ing

This week's biggest new TV release is probably CBS All-Access' adaptation of Stephen King's post-pandemic classic The Stand. The first episode is up and I can tell you that despite some good performances — Odessa Young, James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgard, etc. — and strong production values, the decision to jumble King's propulsive narrative has drained the book of its unrelenting narrative momentum and produced confusion where none needed to exist. Showrunner Benjamin Cavell discussed those changes in last week's TV's Top 5 podcast.

The 'Bottom' Line

If this week's series offerings are disappointing, maybe you're better off checking out Friday's biggest streaming movie, George C. Wolfe's adaptation of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, featuring Viola Davis as Ma Rainey and the late Chadwick Boseman in his final screen performance. THR chief film critic David Rooney calls it "a bluesy hymn of sorrow," raving that Davis "burns a hole in the screen" and Boseman delivers "explosive thunder and searing pain."

The 'Flight' Stuff

When I praised HBO Max's The Flight Attendant before its November premiere, that was based off of four episodes and there was a chance that everything that worked about the show — a sense of jaunty fun coupled with an unexpectedly thoughtful treatment of alcoholism — could fall apart in the second half of the season. Nope! All eight episodes are now up, and the mystery unfolded and resolved smoothly, all held together by Kaley Cuoco's superb and tone-balancing star turn. It's a close-ended finale, but makes room for future seasons, which Cuoco discusses in this week's TV's Top 5 podcast.

Death and 'Axes'

After five weeks, we've reached the end of Steve McQueen's anthology TV series of movies Small Axe, and Education — much like the others — has been earning raves. This installment stars Kenyah Sandy as a young man struggling with flaws in the British educational system. Rooney praises its "crisp narrative economy" and "tender emotional insight," noting how well it ties in to all of the themes developed over the course of the series. And with no mystery to resolve, you don't need to worry about Small Axe sticking the landing.

'City' Even MORE Real

Since Francis Ford Coppola just released a newly reedited version of The Godfather Part III, you might see a listing for a four-hour City Hall on PBS on Tuesday (December 22) and think, "Wait, is that another Al Pacino movie getting an unnecessary director's cut?" No. This City Hall is actually the latest piece of epic observational filmmaking from documentarian Frederick Wiseman, and this chronicle of governance in Boston may be the week's most acclaimed release. THR’s Jordan Mintzer called it a "4.5-hour portrait of transparency and multiculturalism." Sold! And if that's not enough, you can always check out Steve James' somewhat similar portrait of politics in Chicago, the exceptional City So Real, on Hulu.

Honoring John le Carré and Ann Reinking

John le Carre, master of Cold War and post-Cold War British espionage novels, died this week at 89, and adaptations of his work are well-represented across streaming. AMC's The Night Manager and Martin Ritt's tremendous adaptation of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold are both on Amazon, and the Oscar-winning take on The Constant Gardener is on Peacock, of all places. Legendary dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking also passed away this week at 71, and most of her prime screen credits (like Micki + Maude and All That Jazz) aren't available for easy streaming — but if you have Starz, you can check her out in 1982’s Annie, while Reinking is a featured character played by Margaret Qualley in FX’s Fosse/Verdon, which is on Hulu.

This Week's THR Staff Pick

Assistant to the editorial director Emily Hilton raves: "It’s the season of wholesome, holiday entertainment, and I somehow just discovered the The Great British Bake Off. The show is distinctly un-American in its lack of yelling, its random food history digressions and its underwhelming first place prizes — flowers and a cake stand — making it the perfect escape-entertainment. With eight seasons ready to stream on Netflix, plus a new edition of the holiday spin-off that dropped on Dec. 4, this is all the inspiration you’ll need to attempt an impossibly difficult holiday dessert."

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DECEMBER 18, 2020

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