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April 2020 #86 ______

TV Shows to Binge When Have to #StayTheF*** By Steve Sternberg

As many of us are working from home, and stuck at home, with no bars or restaurants to go to, no clubs or concerts to attend, and no live sports to watch, somewhat comforting to know we live in the era of Peak TV+. OK, not really, but there is more good stuff to watch on TV than ever before.

And now that almost everything is available to stream somewhere, is the perfect time to catch up on some great premium cable and streaming series you may not have seen – such as HBO’s , , , Deadwood, , and , Showtimes’ The Word, Weeds, , Ray Donovan, and , ’ Spartacus, Black Sails, Power, Counterpart, , and Outlander, ’s Banshee, , and Strike Back, ’s House of Cards, , BoJack Horseman, , Unbreakable , , , and , Prime Video’s Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, and , ’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Casual, and Marvel’s Runaways. And, of course, nine seasons of are still available on Netflix before switching to Peacock in 2021, while 11 seasons of are moving to HBO in May.

A Sternberg Report Sponsored Message

ION . Better TV is in the Air.

With a lineup that features 5 OF TV’S TOP 6 DRAMAS, ION gives you more reasons than ever to look towards the sky.

Source: Nielsen, 10/01/07-09/29/19, Gross A25-54 C3 Imp., Total Day

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______Here’s my list of some of the most binge-worthy scripted series, from a variety of sources, that might be flying under your radar. They are definitely worth checking out, and should keep you busy for several weeks if need be. Note that new season premiere dates listed here are subject to change due to the Coronavirus.

Altered Carbon (Netflix): In a dystopian future 300 years from now, new technology has transformed society by making human bodies interchangeable (if you can afford it), and death no longer necessarily permanent (your consciousness can be put into a new human “sleeve”).

Joel Kinnaman portrays the of a group of elite warriors who were defeated in an uprising. His mind was imprisoned for years until a wealthy businessman gives him a chance to live again if he solves the of the man’s previous “sleeve.” The second season dropped last month and has a new cast, with Anthony Mackie taking for Kinnaman (the same character in a new human sleeve). Season 2 is good, but it’s hard to top great first season.

Bad (Netflix): Canadian mob drama based on a true story about a Montreal-based Italian crime family. They consolidate various mob factions – Haitians, bikers, the Irish – to completely control Montreal, the entry point for much of the drug trade going to the Northeast United States. Things run smoothly until other gangsters try to muscle in on their turf.

Anthony LaPaglia and Paul Sorvino bring their “gangster cred” as heads of the Rizzuto crime family, as does the always interesting Enrico Colantoni as the family’s consigliere. Kim Coates (Sons of

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______Anarchy) shines as their ambitious and often brutal right-hand man. Two seasons are available. No word yet on a potential third season.

Barry (HBO): Seamlessly moving between light comedy and dark drama (not easy to do), is superb as a disillusioned and depressed midwestern hitman. In season 1, he follows one of his targets to an acting class, where he becomes drawn to this of students, falling in love with (Sarah Goldberg). He remains there to take acting lessons and pursue a more normal life. But changing is not so easy, as gangsters he’s worked for and against come to town.

Henry Winkler is great as Barry’s pompous acting teacher, as is Anthony Carrigan as wacky mobster, Noho Hank. also shines as Barry’s “handler.” On paper, this high concept show shouldn’ work. On television, with these stellar performances, it somehow creates magic. It’s been renewed for a third season.

Better Call Saul (AMC): how ’s lawyer, Jimmy McGill (the excellent ) takes the long slide the slippery slope that ends when he re-invents himself as sleazy mob lawyer, . Other Breaking Bad regulars, Mike (), the one-time cop turned criminal “cleaner,” and drug kingpin (), have prominent roles. gives an award-worthy performance as Jimmy’s girlfriend Kim, a hotshot lawyer in her own right, who is thrilled by his con-man side but gradually starts to believe that she is being conned as well.

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______The fourth season starts to move closer to the Breaking Bad universe (that show aired from 2008- 2013 and led to the BCS spinoff). Bob Odenkirk’s performance is so good that the viewer (who knows what he becomes in Breaking Bad) can still be unsure of his motives and moral compass. Currently airing season 5, it’s been renewed for a sixth and final season. Seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix.

Billions (Showtime): A master class in casting and acting. Set in , a shrewd, brilliant, and ruthless U.S. Attorney, Chuck Rhoades (), who’s never an insider trading case faces off in a high-stakes battle with Bobby Axelrod (), a shrewd, brilliant, and ruthless multi- billionaire hedge-fund king. Who’s the predator and who’s the prey shifts throughout, as each uses all his power and influence to outmaneuver the other, as well as fight the many power players that get in their way.

Maggie Siff is excellent as Rhoades’ wife Wendy, who also has a high-profile job at Axelrod’s firm. is a revelation as brilliant non-binary Axelrod mentee, Taylor Mason, who goes off on their own and becomes his adversary. Everyone in the supporting cast, both in regular and recurring roles (which include , Eric Bogosian, Nina Arianda, and Rob Morrow), is great. Four seasons (48 episodes) are available to binge before season 5 debuts in May.

Bodyguard (Netflix): British television hit centering around a forces war veteran with PTSD (), who is now a police sergeant in . After thwarting a terrorist attack, he is assigned to protect the home secretary, a controversial politician and major proponent of the conflict he fought in.

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______You’ be hooked after the first 15 minutes or so as the intensity of the opening continues unabated for the entire six-episode run. Complicated, taut, absorbing, violent, and perfectly paced. It will hold you and keep you guessing from start to finish. They’re still discussing a potential second season which probably wouldn’t happen until 2021.

Bosch ( Video): Titus Willever is the smart, tough as nails, and haunted detective Harry Bosch. He’s been brilliant in many supporting roles over the years, and it’s great to see him in the lead. He melts into the role (as he does with virtually everything he touches). The of regulars, including Jamie Hector, Madison Lintz, , , Troy Evans, and Gregory Scott Cummins, are spot on for their respective roles. The guest stars have been a string of superb character actors who you will immediately recognize (if you’re over 40) and wonder where you’ve seen them before.

Each season focuses on one main crime that Bosch and crew need to solve, along with one or two related (or not-so-related) crimes. Solving the crimes focuses on the everyday routine police work that the show somehow manages to continually make interesting. This is not only the best procedural drama currently on television, it might be the best procedural drama ever on television. If you haven’t discovered Bosch yet, you’ll have the joy of being able to binge 50 episodes. Season 6 is scheduled to drop this April.

The Boys (): What would happen in a world where superheroes are real, unaccountable, and can basically do whatever they want (such as accidentally kill ordinary citizens)? And what if they work for a multibillion-dollar conglomerate that licenses their images and covers up their 5 ______The Sternberg Report ©2020

______crimes? Perhaps a vigilante group would be formed to try and expose the rogue “heroes.” In this dark comedy-drama, based on the comic book series, such a world exists, as members of a Justice League-type superhero group known as The Seven wreak havoc as they sometimes do and sometimes only pretend to do great deeds, often leaving destruction and death in their wake.

Just because this show centers around superheroes, however, does not mean it’s for kids. Scenes of graphic and implied violence and sex are prevalent throughout. But for adults, this is a surprisingly thoughtful take on the power of giant, faceless corporations in our society, and how they can shape the news and public opinion – and sometimes can only be brought down by whistleblowers and vigilant activists. It has been renewed for a second season, probably in summer 2020.

Castle Rock (Hulu): Castle Rock, Maine, the fictional location to fans, is the setting for this psychological horror anthology series that delves into worlds and themes that unite King’s canon. , Bill Skarsgard (who starred in King’s Carrie and It, respectively), Jane Levy, and Scott Glenn are among the first season stars.

Season 2, which focuses on the early pre-Misery days of Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan), has a completely new cast, including, , , , and Tim Robbins. There are really three for Castle Rock – hardcore King fans, non-fans, and casual fans (who might be aware of Shawshank and Misery, but are not intimately familiar with the Stephen King multiverse). As the latter, I liked the season 2 better. No details yet on a third season.

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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix): A darker re- imagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, with the excellent in the title role as Sabrina Spellman, who has to deal with her dual nature (half witch, half mortal), while fighting evil forces that threaten her family and the human race.

The writers and actors, which include Lucy Davis, , Michelle Gomez, Tati Gabrielle, and Richard Boyle provide just the right combination of thrills and camp. As the characters become more comfortable in their roles, each season is better than the last. There are currently three seasons and there will be a fourth.

Dark (Netflix): In a fictional German town, children start disappearing. Secrets and hidden connections among four estranged families and a time-travel conspiracy are slowly uncovered in this sci-fi that spans four generations.

Netflix’s first original German series is compelling and twisty, and often mesmerizing. There are currently two seasons available. A third and final season has been ordered.

Dead to Me (Netflix): gives a career performance in this dark comedy as a woman whose husband was recently killed in a hit-and-run crash. She becomes friends with a woman () she meets at a grief-support group. Her new friend, however. may not be all she seems.

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______The show seamlessly moves from comedy to crime mystery and back. There are numerous twists and turns, many of which happen in the first few episodes. Produced by Adam McCay and Will Ferrel (the team that brought us ). This is definitely worth a look. It has been renewed for a second season, which will probably drop in mid-2020.

Elite (Netflix): I’ve heard this enormously entertaining Spanish language teen drama (watch the subtitled version) described as a combination of The .., Riverdale, , and Big Little Lies. When three outsider scholarship students (Itzan Escamillia, Miguel Harran, and Mina El Hammani) arrive at an elite Spanish private school, class warfare ensues. Wealth, sex, and power are all social currency here, to go along with several juicy subplots, a love , and a central murder mystery.

On paper, many of these characters and plots seem like typical teen soap clichés, but the rises above them – especially in its portrayal of class, privilege, prejudice, and sexuality. Season 3 dropped this March, and there will reportedly be a fourth and fifth season with a completely new cast.

Fleabag (Amazon Prime Video): The immensely talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars in this comedy-drama as a depressed, dysfunctional, yet strangely confident single woman with a voracious sexual appetite, navigating the streets of London and dealing with her equally dysfunctional family (and a “hot priest”).

She regularly breaks the with her side-eyed glances and talking directly to the camera as the show provides insights into the ongoing themes of love, grief, faith, and using sex to fill a void in your life. The sex scenes (of which there are many) are sometimes hilarious and sometimes squirm- 8 ______The Sternberg Report ©2020

______inducing, so is not for everyone. You seldom, if ever, see an aggressive, independent, and sexually autonomous woman like Fleabag on television (even in the age of more creative offered by advertiser-less programming). A uniquely inventive gem. Fans had to wait three years between the two six-episode seasons, but it was worth it. Phoebe Waller-Bridge has indicated there probably won’t be a third season.

Future Man (Hulu): plays a janitor who spends most of his free time playing a that is so hard to win that most people have given up on it. After he finally beats the game, warriors from the future appear to tell him the game was a test to find a champion who can save the Earth from extraterrestrial invasion. Seth Rogan is one of the executive producers. Two seasons are currently available, and it has been renewed for a third season.

Giri/Haji (Duty/Shame) (Netflix): British TV series first broadcast on BBC Two in the UK in October 2019. Family duty sends a detective to London to look for his mob-assassin brother as a yakuza war threatens to engulf Tokyo. The dialogue switches between English and Japanese. Don’t let that chase you away from this excellent and underrated crime thriller. Takehiro Hira, , and Will Sharpe star. No word yet on a second season.

Glow (Netflix): A behind-the-scenes fictionalized look at the syndicated TV show, the low-budget Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. , as an unemployed actress who becomes a GLOW star (as evil Russian, “Zoya the Destroyer”) and Betty

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______Gilpin as a former soap star (now spandex-laden wrestling All-American, “Liberty Belle”), are standouts, as is comedian Marc Maron as a washed up “” movie director who leads the ladies to fame. Along with a winning and diverse ensemble cast of misfits, they make this way more fun than it has any right to be.

Geena Davis joins the cast in season 3, which brings some shocking real-life 1980s events into the forefront, and deals with more serious topics (, gender inequality, and homophobia, among others). It manages to walk the tightrope between pathos and genuinely entertaining comedy. The writing and acting in the latest season raise GLOW to another level. One of the best original series on Netflix (or anywhere). It has been renewed for a fourth and final season.

Goliath (Amazon Prime Video): Billy McBride (), once a high-powered lawyer ln , has become a burned out and washed-up ambulance chaser, who spends more time in bars than in a courtroom. But he’s still got the skills. Thornton’s naturalistic, laid back style is well suited as a former Goliath, now a David, beaten down but still confident in his ability to take down new Goliaths each season. In season 1 he reluctantly agrees to take on a wrongful death lawsuit against the biggest (and extremely dangerous) client of the giant law firm he helped create ( Hurt plays his former partner, now biggest adversary). He puts together a ragtag team that helps him uncover a big and deadly conspiracy. Season 2 has a harder edge, as it becomes more difficult for David to slay all the Goliaths. Randy Quaid, Amy Brenneman, , Griffin Dunne, and Sherilyn Fenn, join the season 3 cast.

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______Created and written by David . Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro. Each season is substantially different from the previous one, so I can understand only liking one or two of them – I liked season 1 the most, and season 3 the least. It’s been renewed for a fourth season.

The Good Fight (CBS All Access): The wonderful Christine Baransky stars, along with Cush Jumbo and Rose Leslie in this female-driven legal drama spinoff of CBS’s . They make a diverse team that is as much in (or out of) control professionally as they are in their relationships. Audra McDonald and Delroy Lindo also star. Sexual harassment, racism, and income inequality have been dealt with here in a more thought-provoking way than is typically seen on television. The first season is uneven with its Madoff- like plot, but as it developed its main characters, the second season hit its stride and found its voice. There remains a clear anti-Trump tone, particularly with the over-the-top animated shorts that appear in each episode during the third season (which are often hilarious if you agree with the politics).

Just the right mix of drama and humor, along with the excellent cast and superb writing, make this great television – although returning to more courtroom drama and less anti-Trump rhetoric would not be a bad thing (but not likely as election season looms). The fourth season starts this April.

The Good Place (NBC): The afterlife has a good place and a bad place in this sharp-witted, original comedy that’s hard to describe providing spoilers. Suffice it to say that this is a show about humanity and hope. There’s a point system to get into , and life on Earth has become so complex, that it’s virtually impossible for anyone to get in under the current system. So how did Eleanor Shellstrop (), who was a terrible person when alive, wind up there? Michael (), the architect of her heavenly 11 ______The Sternberg Report ©2020

______neighborhood, seems to have the answer. The group of misfits that might also be in the wrong place include William Jackson, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, ’Arcy Carden, who are all excellent here. has a recurring role as the judge, which she plays to hilarious effect.

The surprise ending to season 1 changed the game for everything that came after, and elevated this comedy into something greater than it was. The show has surprisingly insightful conversations about the nature of goodness – does it matter if you’re a bad person, do people have a natural tendency to better themselves, is it possible for people to be ethical when surrounded by unethical systems. These heavy topics are sprinkled in with fart jokes and from the bad place discussing particularly gross ways of torturing people. The fourth and final season just ended. Head and shoulders above any other comedy on the broadcast networks (and among the top anywhere).

Hanna (Amazon Prime Video): Based on the 2011 film of the same name, 15-year-old Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles) has been raised in the forest by her ex-spy “father” (Joel Kinnaman) to be a hunter and killer, as they evade the relentless pursuit of off- the-book CIA agents (one of whom is played by Mirielle Enos, who teamed with Kinnaman in AMC’s ). Part thriller, part coming-of-age drama, Creed-Miles and Kinnaman give performances over eight episodes that elevate this beyond just another action series. Season 2 will air sometime in 2020.

Harlots (Hulu): portrays a brothel owner trying to secure a better future for her two (, Eloise Smyth) in 18th century London. When her business is attacked by a ruthless rival madam (Lesley Manville), it sets off a war over the sex trade. 12 ______The Sternberg Report ©2020

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This is a story of how every class of woman navigates and tries to survive and thrive in a world where wealth and social standing mean everything, one in five women works in the sex trade, and good fortune or disaster is just a deception away. The show is full of sex (although not as much nudity as you might think – they wore so many layers of clothing back then), most of it not for pleasure, but for power or to gain some advantage. The series is created, written, and directed by women, and it shows, as the point of view is refreshingly from the female perspective. Enjoyable, entertaining, and insightful. No word yet on whether there will be a fourth season.

High Fidelity (Hulu): A female record store owner (Zoe Kravitz) in Crown Heights , revisits past relationships through music and pop culture, as she tries to get over her one true love. This is a gender-swapped remake of the popular 2000 movie starring . No word yet on season 2.

Killing (BBCA): has justifiably received critical acclaim and awards for her role as the title character, a bored, but ambitious and insightful mid-level MI5 security officer. But (who just won an Emmy for her performance) is the real revelation as a mercurial and brutal female assassin.

In season 1, Eve is tasked with hunting down the sociopathic killer. As they become equally obsessed with one another (admiration, fear, love?), a fierce game of cat and mouse ensues. Men are the peripheral characters here, and most of the victims. The second season lacks some of the magic of the first, no doubt because the great Phoebe Waller-Bridge is no longer the , as the two

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______women become even more obsessed with and attracted to one another. It’s still a great show, however. Season 3 premieres this April, earlier than originally planned.

The Kominsky Method (Netflix): Created by comedy master, Chuck Lorre, and starring and as an iconic aging acting coach, Sandy Kominnsky and his long-time agent and friend, Norman. Life is constantly throwing them curveballs as they navigate their years in Los Angeles, a city that places more value on youth and beauty.

The inspired pairing of Douglas and Arkin, combined with brilliant writing, make for a hilarious and often poignant first season. Danny DeVito has an extremely funny recurring role as Kominsky’s urologist. If you’re over 50 (or 60), this will resonate, if you’re under 50, this is what you can look forward to (or not). In season 2, Paul Reiser joins the cast as Sandy’s daughter’s new boyfriend (who is uncomfortably close to Sandy’s age), and guest stars as Norman’s former flame (and they renew their relationship after 50 years). , who worked with Michael Douglas during the 1980s (, The War of the Roses) also joined the cast as Sandy’s ex- wife. Another winning season. No word yet on whether there will be a third season.

Hunters (Amazon Prime Video): Inspired by true events, this drama follows a diverse squad of vigilante Nazi hunters in 1977 , who discover that hundreds of escaped Nazis are living in America and conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the U.S. The cast includes , Kate Mulvany, , Saul Rubinek, Logan Lerman, Tiffany Boone, , and Lena Olin. Over the top and not always easy to watch, but worth a look. No details yet on season 2, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t happen.

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Little America (Apple TV+): This eight-episode anthology series tells eight different stories that go beyond the headlines to look at the lives of immigrants in America. It was renewed for a second season prior to its premiere.

Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu): Based on Celeste NG’s 2017 novel, this drama is set in ’s planned neighborhood of Shaker Heights in 1997. Elena Richardson () is a pillar of the community with a seemingly perfect husband (Joshua Jackson), four smart children, and an impeccable home. Into her life comes newcomer, African-American Mia Warren (), who moves to Shaker Heights with her teenage daughter (Lexi Underwood), with a fair amount of emotional baggage. Their families become intertwined, lifestyles collide, and “it has a ripple effect that will forever change {the town’s residents} in both good and very tragic ways.”

Locke & Key (Netflix): Based on the comic book series of the same name, this series revolves around three siblings (Jackson Robert Scott, Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones), who, after the murder of their father, move into their ancestral home in . They find the house has magical keys that give them a vast array of powers and abilities. They don’t know yet that a devious demon will stop at nothing to get those keys. No word yet on whether there will be another season.

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The Mandalorian (Disney+): Its first original drama, a live-action spinoff, created by Jon Favreau, has been well received by fans and critics alike. It is essentially a about bounty hunters in the outer reaches of the Galaxy (taking place five years after the events in of the Jedi movie). The bounty hunter mythology has long been extremely popular among hard-core Star Wars fans. stars in the title role. There will be a second season.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video): In the late 1950s, Miriam “Midge” Maisel (), has a husband, two kids, and an elegant upper West Side apartment in New York. When she discovers she has a talent and love for stand-up comedy, her journey takes her from her comfortable life through the gritty Greenwich Village comedy scene. as her agent, and as her father are standouts, as is Luke Farrel Kirby as Lenny Bruce and as a rival comedian. Top notch across the board. Season 3 became available this past December, and it’s been renewed for a fourth season.

Marvel’s (Netflix): shines as Jessica Jones, a reluctant , haunted by her past (she was given super strength in a medical experiment that saved her life after a car crash killed her family). Darker than other Marvel series. Jessica swears, drinks too much, has meaningless sex, and thinks nothing of breaking the rules if it suits her idea of the greater good –

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______the type of woman you virtually never see on television (or in the Marvel universe). Traditional female roles – sidekicks and “the girlfriend” – are the male characters in this world.

The first two seasons were strong social commentaries on male/female relationships and the abuse of privilege and power, focusing on topics such as addiction, sexual harassment, rape, retaliation, and redemption – subjects seldom dealt with on television, and never in the Marvel universe at large. Season 3 is a fitting end to Jessica’s journey as she not only has to fight a killer, but her sister/best friend as well, as she struggles with what it means to be a hero. This was the last of Netflix’s Marvel series about street-level heroes to be officially canceled, as Disney ramped up its Disney+ streaming service and took full control of Hulu. The others were, , , , and The Punisher (all worth checking out).

Mindhunter (Netflix): In the late , FBI hostage negotiator Holden Ford () and veteran agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) pioneer behavioral profiling of a new type of murderer – the serial killer. also stars as a psychology professor who helps them categorize the killers and predict future behavior.

Their interviews with imprisoned serial killers can be tense and chilling, as they and the viewer start to realize how many multiple killers are out there, and how far behind the curve law enforcement was at the time. Rises way above a typical procedural. Smart, compelling, and cinematic. If you enjoy series such as , Hannibal, and Prodigal Son, you’ll probably like this too – but keep in mind there’s no murder of the week that conveniently get solved by of each hour. This aims much higher, and, for the most part, hits the mark. Season 2 has more urgency and gets darker, as

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______the series focuses on events such as the Atlanta child murders, which uncovers flaws in the FBI’s methods, and raises doubts into how effective they are. No word yet on a potential third season.

The Morning Show (Apple TV+): The first original show on Apple’s new streaming service, inspired by Brian Stelter’s 2013 book, Top of the Morning, is a winner. is great as half of an iconic morning show couple, who is stunned when her partner of 15 years () is fired for sexual misconduct (shades of Matt Lauer and the Today Show).

As she learns how to exert her power against the many male executives who want to push her out, she forces them to team her with an abrasive correspondent her smarmy () brings in – an aggressive female reporter from a conservative leaning local station (Reese Witherspoon, who is excellent here). The episode 3 scene between Steve Carell and his director friend (), who are commiserating about being caught up in the #MeToo movement, which they see as discriminating against men who have done nothing wrong (or at least nothing that men in power haven’t always done), is one of the best couple of minutes of television I’ve seen in years – as Steve Carell’s character slowly starts to realize his friend is a sexual predator (and maybe he is too). The second season will premiere in late 2020 or early 2021.

Mr Inbetween (FX): A half-hour Australian dark comedy/drama about Ray Shoesmith (the magnetic Scott Ryan, who also created and writes the show). Ray seems to have a relatively normal life. He’s juggling raising a pre-teen daughter with his ex-wife, a relationship with a new girlfriend, and caring for a sick brother. He also has a day (and night) job collecting debts from deadbeats, and occasionally as a hitman. 18 ______The Sternberg Report ©2020

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The series is lean and taut, sharply written with no bloat or wasted content. It seamlessly jumps from humorous to violent moments. That we like and root for Ray despite his casual brutality is a tribute to Scott Ryan’s talents. It also fits the mold of many FX dramas, where you root for bad or flawed people with some redeeming qualities who go up against even badder people with no (or at least fewer) redeeming qualities. It’s now available on Hulu, No word yet on a potential third season.

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet (Apple TV+): A workplace comedy about the team behind the biggest multiplayer videogame of all time. Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, and . Murray Abraham star. Funny and surprisingly insightful. Already renewed for a second season.

The OA (Netflix): An adopted blind woman who disappeared seven years earlier resurfaces and now calls herself “The OA” (Original Angel). She has scars on her back and her eyesight has been restored. She refuses to tell her parents or the FBI where she has been. She recruits a team of four local high- school students and a teacher, to whom she reveals everything, and gets them to help her try to rescue other missing people by opening a portal to another dimension. Two seasons are available.

One Day At A Time (Netflix/Pop): Based loosely on the 1975 , this excellent series, which you can watch with the whole family, now centers around a Cuban- American single and her family living in Los Angeles. The ensemble cast includes, , , Isabella

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______Gomez, Marcel Ruiz, and Todd Grinnel. The first three seasons aired on Netflix. The fourth season was picked up by Pop TV, and is currently airing. This is the first series to move from a streaming service to a linear network.

Ozark (Netflix): (in his best and most nuanced performance) is Marty Byrde, a financial advisor whose partner is killed after stealing from a . Marty is forced to move to a summer resort community in the Missouri Ozarks with his wife Wendy (, who is also excellent here) and two kids, to launder money for the . When they get there they also have to deal with local gangsters. Quirky, gritty, and dangerous characters and situations abound.

Julia Garner is a revelation as Ruth, the teenager who lives in a trailer with her dysfunctional and often violent family. After initially clashing with Marty, she winds up working for him. Laura Linney’s shift from reluctant tag-along wife to take-charge protector of her family is fascinating to watch. Season 3 dropped this March.

Peaky Blinders (Netflix): In the aftermath of World War I, returning soldiers, revolutionaries, and criminal gangs are struggling to survive in a 1919 Britain rocked by economic upheaval and shifting social mores. Returning war hero, Thomas Shelby () is the young, charismatic, cunning, and ambitious leader of one of the more powerful gangs of the time, the Peaky Blinders, which he runs with his family.

The series is stylish, suspenseful, moody, beautifully shot, and often violent. The Peaky Blinders are different from most pop-culture-type mobsters we tend to see on TV and in the movies, and it’s

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______interesting to see how they react when forced to clash with a New York mafioso (played by Adrian Brody). It has an excellent ensemble cast (Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Joe Cole), and perhaps the coolest theme song of all time. There are five six-episode seasons, which are perfect for bingeing. We probably won’t see season 6 until sometime in 2021.

Queen of the South (USA): This crime drama’s uneven first season got better and hit overdrive in seasons 2, and 3, as Camila Vargas (Veronica ) and her former protégé, Teresa Mendoza ( Braga), battle for supremacy of a drug cartel. Both are seductive and conniving, occasionally vicious, and always captivating. Hemky Madera is wonderfully menacing as Teresa’a loyal . Season 4 sees Teresa and her allies move to and try to expand her fledgling empire, while facing a whole new level of threats and enemies. No awards or brilliant writing here. Just a gritty and entertaining guilty pleasure. It has been renewed for a fifth season.

Ramy (Hulu): Comedy-drama created by and starring Ramy Yousef. He plays the son of Egyptian immigrants who is on a spiritual journey in his neighborhood – caught between a traditional Muslim community and his own American millennial generation. It’s been renewed for a second season.

Rick and Morty (): My 20-year-old son got me hooked on this Adult Swim animated piece of brilliance several years ago. It follows super-genius (and boozy) scientist, Rick, as he drags his not-so-bright grandson, Morty, on wild adventures through other worlds and alternate dimensions. While other great animated series, The

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______Simpsons and , are grounded in reality and have some absurd situations, is grounded in absurdity. It’s at once high- and low-brow, clever and silly, but always hilarious. You’ll either love it or say “huh?” After making fans wait more than two years, Season 4 came out this November. It’s better than ever. Seasons 1-3 are available on Hulu.

Reprisal (Hulu): Abigail Spencer (Timeless) was left for dead by her ruthless brother and his gang of gear heads. She recovers, changes her identity, and re-emerges seven years later seeking (and acquiring her own crew). Ron Pearlman has a meaty role as a menacing mob boss. Smart and taut, as this relentless femme fatale goes on her dark mission getting out of one jam after another until the final showdown. No word yet on season 2.

Russian Doll (Netflix): Star, created this comedy-drama with . She is stuck in her own “Groundhog Day” loop, as she repeatedly attends her own 36th birthday party in New York City, dies at the end of the night, and re-awakens on the same day unharmed as though nothing had happened. No matter how many times she goes through slight variations of the same events and tries to alter the ultimate outcome, she reaches the same end by a variety of means (getting hit by a car, falling down a flight of stairs, etc.). When she gets stuck in an elevator about to to her umpteenth death, she meets a guy (Charlie Barnett) who is going through the same thing. They team up to try and figure out what is going on and how to stop it (and how they might be connected) – but each time, they only have a day to figure it out before the cycle begins again.

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______Inventive, clever, and thought provoking. The dialogue is fast-paced and witty, and provides several different and insightful views of life in New York City. A rare gem. There will be a second season, but it probably won’t be until summer 2020 at the earliest.

Sex Education (Netflix): A comedy drama about a socially awkward high school student (Asa Butterfield), whose mom () is a sex therapist. He and his friend (Emma Mackey) use his expertise to open a school sex therapy clinic. Season 2 debuted in January 2020, and it’s already been renewed for a third season.

Shrill (Hulu): Aidy Bryant (SNL) stars in this dramedy about a full-figured woman who wants to change her life (but not her body). She’s trying to make it as a journalist while dealing with bad boyfriends, sick parents, a perfectionist boss, and a world that favors thin over “fat.” A second season has been ordered.

Sneaky Pete (Amazon Prime Video): Con man and ex-con (), on the run from some very bad people, assumes the identity of his still imprisoned cellmate Pete, and tries to hide out with Pete’s family (who hasn’t seen him for 20 years). They have a bail bonds business in Connecticut and their own set of problems and sinister characters to deal with, so it takes a while before any of them questions his story. All three seasons have multiple cons and obstacles to solve that are handled in a crisp, keep-you-guessing manner. There are short cons, long cons, and double crosses, as “Pete”

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______cleverly navigates the new world he finds himself in, while trying to avoid the old, as certain family members become increasingly suspicious.

The excellent cast includes and Peter Gerety as Pete’s grandparents, and Marin , Shane McRae, and Barer as his cousins. is executive producer, and has a role as a gangster who is after Pete in season 1. Intelligent, gritty, and a good mix of drama and humor. Unfortunately, season 3 was the last for this fine series. Definitely worth a look.

Star Trek Discovery (CBS All Access): Taking place a decade before Captain Kirk and crew’s original five-year mission, the series follows the exploits of the U.S.S. Discovery as it seeks out new worlds and new civilizations (and battles Klingons and other forces along the way).

Sonequa Martin-Green is excellent as science officer Michael Burnham, a human who was raised on Vulcan by ’s parents. Michelle Yeoh is also excellent as Captain Philippa Georgiou. Season 2 has several nods to the original series, introducing us to a young Spock and Captain Christopher Pike (James T. Kirk’s predecessor on the U.S.S. Enterprise), but you need not be familiar with canon to like this series. Season 2’s ending propels Star Trek Discovery into new terrain to make season 3 a completely new entity with endless possibilities.

Star Trek: Picard (CBS All Access): The latest series in the Star Trek franchise centers on Jean-Luc Picard (), now a retired Admiral, and is set 20 years after the events in the 2002 movie, Star Trek: Nemesis. Picard forms a crew as he embarks on a dangerous rogue mission. Isa

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______Briones, Alison Pill, Santiago Cabrera, Michael Hurd, Harry Treadway, and Evan Evagora also star. Some returning cast members include, Brent Spiner (), Jeri Ryan (), (William Ryker), and (Deanna Troi). A second season has already been ordered.

The Stranger (Netflix): Eight-part British based on the Harlan Coben book of the same name. A mysterious stranger (Hannah John-Kamen) tells a man () a secret that has a devastating effect on his perfect life.

Succession (HBO): One of the buzziest shows in the past couple of seasons actually lives up to the hype. When Logan Roy (), an aging style media tycoon has a stroke, his four adult children (, , Alan Ruck, Sarah Snook) start jockeying for control of the family’s international media and entertainment empire. When he recovers and lets them know he has no intention of stepping down anytime soon, all types of power plays, backstabbing schemes, and elaborate infighting ensue, as ambitions collide with family loyalties.

One might think a series about unlikeable and privileged one-percenters is not the recipe for broad success, but the sharp writing, fierce acting, acid wit, and effortless shifts between comedy, tragedy, and family drama, make this compelling viewing. Season 1 started out slowly, but built into something great as the season progressed. Season 2 is near perfection, with strong guest starring roles for and . Season 3 will probably debut in summer 2020.

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The Tick (Amazon Prime Video): Bizarre six-foot-four blue superhero, The Tick, teams up with Arthur, an unassuming accountant, to battle evildoers. Based on the comic book characters of the same name. It was canceled after two seasons.

Tin Star (Amazon Prime Video): Tim Roth and star – he’s a former London detective who moves with his family to become Chief of Police in a small town in the Canadian Rockies (to escape his violent past, which, of course, catches up with him). It has been renewed for a third and final season.

Tom Clancy’s (Amazon Prime Video): is the fifth actor to portray Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst first introduced in a series of best-selling novels in the 1980s. This is the character’s first incarnation on the small screen, and one of the best. It covers his early years in the CIA, as he’s just starting to make a name for himself (updated to take place in present day). The supporting cast is excellent. Part of the character’s appeal is that Jack Ryan is no Jason Bourne-type superspy. He’s a regular guy (although smarter than most) who works in an office, who, as a former marine, can defend himself if he has to. It’s first two seasons are excellent – there will be a third season, although no date has been announced.

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Travelers (Netflix): Hundreds of years in the future, the last remnants of humans discover how to send their consciousnesses back through time, into people of the 21st century. These “” work in teams to save humanity from its horrible future. Eric McCormack stars in this sci-fi thriller that was canceled after three seasons.

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix): Based on the comic of the same name. In 1989, 43 infants are inexplicably born to random women who showed no signs of pregnancy. Seven are adopted by a billionaire industrialist who creates the Umbrella Academy, and prepare his “children” to save the world. But first they have to solve his mysterious death. The ensemble cast includes, Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Casteneda, Cameron Britton, Emmy Raver- Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, and Mary . Blige. One of Netflix’s 10 most popular shows of 2019, it has been renewed for a second season.

Vida (Starz): Two vastly different and estranged Mexican- American sisters Lynn (Melissa Barrera) and Emma (Mishel Prada) – both perfectly cast – are forced to come together to deal with the death of their mother (nicknamed Vida) and the discovery that she had a secret wife, Eddy (Ser Anzoategui). They also have to deal with the apartment building and Vida owned in her East L.A. neighborhood, which is in the process of undergoing gentrification. Emma is a buttoned-down Chicago lawyer (and closeted ), while Lyn is more fun loving, hopping from one job and sexual partner to another. They are both insiders and outsiders, having left the neighborhood, but still intimately familiar with the life on these streets. 27 ______The Sternberg Report ©2020

______Their friend and anti-gentrification activist, Marisol (Chelsea Rendon), calls them “chipsters,” Chicana hipsters who traded their Mexican for more snobbish and stereotypically white personas.

This half-hour dramedy has all Latinx writers (a first). LGBTQ characters fill the writer’s room and supporting cast as well, and queer communities are dealt with in a casual matter-of-fact way you never see on television. The sex scenes, of which there are many, are shown from a female perspective – they are often graphic, but treated with a certain gentleness and care. There’s nothing else like Vida on television. Its upcoming third season, which premieres this April, will be its last.

Watchmen (HBO): Those of us familiar with ’s 1986 of the same name will either love or hate it. Those unfamiliar with the mythology involved will either love Watchmen or hate it.

Rather than remake the original (which has been done in a less-than-successful 2009 theatrical ), writer-producer (Lost, The Leftovers) decided to set this tale of an alternate reality 30 years later, moving the main action from New York City to Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of the real-life race massacre committed upon Tulsa’s black population, known as Black Wall Street, in 1921, which was virtually erased from history books, and figures prominently in the story.

In this version of the United States, Richard Nixon remained President well into the 1980s, the U.S. won the war (with of Dr. Manhattan, a blue, omnipotent “superhero,” now living on Mars), Vietnam becomes our 51st state, there are no internet or smartphones, and an interdimensional psychic giant squid appeared in Manhattan, killing 3 million people 30 years ago, in 1985. In 2019 an unseen is President, and a white supremacist group called the Seventh Kavalry is at

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______war with the police (who wear masks to protect their identities after several cops and their families are murdered).

Numerous mysteries abound, and whether or not you are familiar with Watchmen canon, you will likely be confused at several points in the first few episodes. Episode 6 will either thrill or outrage hard-core fans of the comic. The stellar cast is led by (as a detective and masked vigilante known as Sister Night), (as FBI agent and former costumed “hero,” ), (as the mysteriously exiled “smartest man in the world.” Adrian Veidt), Lou Gossett Jr (as the mysterious Will Reeves), and (as the Tulsa Police Chief). Watchmen is strange, complex, ambitious, and exhilarating.

Westworld (HBO): Rich vacationers can live out their fantasies without consequences in a futuristic amusement park, where human-like robotic “hosts” are continually abused and rebooted – until they start to become “conscious.” The excellent ensemble cast is led by , Thandie Newton, , , , and . joined the cast in season 3.

You (Netflix): A New York bookstore manager and stalker (Penn Badgley) becomes obsessed with a customer and aspiring writer (Elizabeth Lail) and will do anything to insert himself into her life, including killing anyone who gets in his way. The first season aired on Lifetime. It was canceled and picked up by Netflix, where it became a hit. The second season moves from New York to L.A., where he meets a new object of his affection (Victoria Pedretti). It’s been renewed for a third season.

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There are also many top-notch series recently or still on ad-supported cable, many of which are available to stream, such as AMC’s The Walking Dead, , and Into the Badlands, FX’s , , Atlanta, , Snowfall, and Pose, TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, The Last Ship, Claws, and Animal Kingdom, USA’s Suits, Mr. Robot, and The Sinner, , Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars and Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, OWN’s Greenleaf and Queen Sugar, Paramount’s Yellowstone and 68 Whiskey, among others.

And let’s not forget you can always live-binge repeats of network favorites on TBS (, Family Guy, Family Matters, Friends, , 2 ), TNT (Law & Order, Bones, Charmed, Supernatural, NCIS New Orleans, ), USA (Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, CSI, NCIS: L.A., , Chicago P.D., New Amsterdam), ION (Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods, NCIS: L.A., Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Leverage), Nick-at-Nite (, Friends, George Lopez, Mom), TV Land (, King of , Two-and-a-Half Men, The Goldbergs, , ), and several other cable networks.

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