“Poker Face” (Peacock)
Rian Johnson decided that he missed mystery-of-the-week shows like “Murder, She Wrote” and “Columbo,” so he decided to create one of his own. To do so, he turned to the phenomenal Natasha Lyonne, who does the best work of her career as a casino employee who happens to be able always to know if someone is lying. On the run from a dangerous casino heavy, she stumbles into murders each week, allowing for entertaining guest turns from a parade of celebrities that includes Adrien Brody, Hong Chau, Lil Rel Howery, Chloe Sevigny, Judith Light, Ellen Barkin, Nick Nolte, and many more. It’s already been renewed for a second season. Let’s hope it runs as long as the shows that inspired it. – BT [Read our review]
“Schmigadoon!” Season 2 (Apple TV+)
Not only did it avoid the sophomore slump, but Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio’s clever musical comedy became funnier, richer, and deeper in its second season. Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong seem more confident in this second outing, once again ending up in a world of musical tropes, these ones employing the darker themes of the ’60s and ’70s as they riff on singing classics like “Sweeney Todd,” “Hair,” “Cabaret,” and “Chicago.” The leads are fantastic, but the show is almost stolen by its supporting players, including stage legends like Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth. – BT [Read our review]
“Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
“Ted Lasso” may be exiting the pitch, but co-creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein have already found a new team in a show that had a better 2023. They partnered with Jason Segel in this character study about a therapist who decides to get bluntly honest with his patients and himself. Segel plays Jimmy, a widower who finds himself stumbling through life more than the people who pay him for advice. There are some kinks to iron out in season two, but this is a very promising freshman outing, especially the excellent work by Harrison Ford as a colleague of Jimmy’s. Ford is looser, funnier, and more genuine than he’s been in years. He makes it worth watching on his own. – BT [Read our review]
“Silo” (Apple TV+)
Apple has had the best 2023 of any streaming service by some stretch, and this is their best show, an adaptation of the “Wool” series of novels by Hugh Howey. Creator Graham Yost (“Justified”) turns the books into a dissection of free will, conformity, and class. Set in a future where thousands of people are living in a massive underground bunker, “Silo” is constantly shifting, even switching protagonists a few times over its early episodes. It ultimately settles on the riveting Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette, an engineer in the silo who unexpectedly gets involved in the investigation into a series of murders. With sharp writing and captivating production design, this is one of the best sci-fi shows in years. – BT [Read our review]
