About midway through the second episode of The Big Cigar, the latest AppleTV+ series, I found myself wondering just why this particular story hadn’t been made into a movie instead of an over-long and wholly unnecessary six-episode limited series. And when I dug a little bit, I discovered that in fact, it was originally optioned […]
Tag: AppleTV+
Dark Matter Review
Dark Matter, the new AppleTV+ series adapted from Blake Crouch’s novel of the same name (largely by the author, who holds writing or joint writing credits on most of the season’s episodes), is a story about the multiverse – something I wanted to get out there at the top of this review, because I know […]
Sugar Review
There’s a major twist in Sugar, the new noir drama from AppleTV+. Now, I wouldn’t normally lead with this in a review, but if you don’t realize there’s a major twist coming (which would be a shock, considering the series does everything in its power to hint that there’s something more happening than just a […]
Palm Royale Review
When you look at the cast list for AppleTV+’s new comedy series Palm Royale, you can’t help but be impressed. Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Carol Burnett, Ricky Martin, Burce Dern. And that’s only the tip of the cast iceberg. You have two Oscar winners, a multiple-Oscar nominee, multiple Emmy winners (in fact, two […]
Manhunt Review
Your enjoyment of Manhunt, the new historical miniseries from AppleTV+, will likely hinge on how much you remember from your American History classes. If you can’t quite recall just who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln (that would be John Wilkes Booth, played here – with a flat American accent – by Anthony Boyle), who his Vice […]
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Review
If you’re still mourning the loss of HBO’s Our Flag Means Death, the new AppleTV+ comedy series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin might go a little ways toward filling that void in your life. Much like Our Flag Means Death, the series takes a humorous look at the life of a historical figure […]
Constellation Review
In this era of way too much television, one of the big questions I routinely get asked by folks looking for a new binge is if the series “sticks the landing.” Want to invest the time and energy into tackling The Americans? Know that it absolutely sticks the landing. Succession? Better Call Saul? Barry? Yes, […]
The New Look Review
When you spend the better part of a series’ premiere episode trying to figure out just how big of an age gap exists between the actor playing the older brother of another character and his sister (for reference, the real-life age gap between the sibling was 12 year – in the series, it’s a whopping […]
Masters of the Air Review
A Brief Note: Whenever I review a series, I try to be as objective in my review as possible. However, it’s rare that I review a series that has such close ties to my own family history. My grandfather, Robert Ryan, was a B-17 bombardier, stationed in England, with the US Army Air Corps in […]
Criminal Record Review
On paper, Criminal Record, AppleTV+’s new crime thriller, sounds like a sure bet. The series, which twists and turns through a rehashing of a past murder investigation that might have landed the wrong man in prison, stars the exceptional pairing of Peter Capaldi in the role of grizzled elder Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty and […]