15. “Irma Vep”
The masterful French director Olivier Assayas convinced HBO to let him revisit the world of his 1996 film “Irma Vep,” a commentary on the indie filmmaking process. By expanding the focus of this story and shifting its form, Assayas delivers a program that comments on the art of the mini-series in much the same way the original did for the film. Alicia Vikander does some of the best work of her career as Mira, an American movie star looking for more career legitimacy by starring in a French TV series that remakes the silent-era horror film “Les Vampires.” Assayas comments on art, television, commerce, and culture through every episode of this richly-written experience, a show that reveals how much has changed since 1996 and how much remains the same. – BT [read our review]
14. “Abbott Elementary”
The demise of the network TV comedy appears to have been exaggerated. Admittedly, it looked like the era when people talked about last night’s NBC or ABC comedy hit around the water cooler the next day appeared to be done, but everyone underestimated Quinta Brunson. The creator and star of the biggest comedy on network TV shattered expectations by giving viewers a smart, relatable, consistently funny show about people who are easy to root for and easier to love. That’s really at the core of the success of “Abbott Elementary”–how much people simply enjoy visiting this Philly educational institution every week to see what an increasingly lovable group of characters are doing. Brunson is deservedly the face of the show, but it’s a program that doesn’t work without its entire ace ensemble, including the unforgettable Janelle James and Emmy-winning Sheryl Lee Ralph. It’s almost hard to believe that this show premiered as recently as 12 months ago because it’s that much a part of the landscape already. And it feels like it will be for years. – BT [read our review]
13. “Fleishman is in Trouble”
Journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner adapted her own novel into one of the smartest, funniest, and more richly challenging television series of the year. Jesse Eisenberg plays the newly-divorced Toby Fleishman, a New Yorker who is looking forward to his days of freedom when his wife Rachel (Claire Danes) drops the kids off for the weekend and never returns. The stunning turn in his life forces Toby to reconsider how he got here in the first place, even reuniting him with lost friends played by Adam Brody and the amazing Lizzy Caplan, who does the best work of her career here (and also narrates). “Fleishman is in Trouble” becomes more than just a sad-sack character study, digging into how much we can impact our friends simply by our choices, even while revealing how much we don’t really know about them. – BT [read our review]
12. “We Own This City”
The latest from David Simon was too quickly written off in some circles compared to his undeniable masterpiece, “The Wire.” How silly. An adaptation of the book of the same name by Justin Fenton, this six-episode series details the incredible corruption at the core of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. Jon Bernthal gave maybe the best performance of his career as the head of the organization, becoming one of eight officers convicted of corruption charges. Simon and his writers really capture how much corruption is a crime of opportunity and how people will take power and privilege if they see an opportunity to do so. A great supporting cast that includes Jamie Hector, Wunmi Mosaku, Josh Charles, and many more contributes to another essential chapter in Simon’s history of detailing how modern cities function or, more accurately, fail to do so. – BT [read our review]
11. “Slow Horses”
There’s something so comforting about seeing genre television done as well as it is on this Apple TV+ hit. The first season of these adaptations of the novels by Mick Herron introduced the world to the characters of Slough House, a halfway house for British spies at the bottom of the power structure in the world of espionage. Gary Oldman is phenomenal as Jackson Lamb, the leader of this band of misfits, which also includes a hotshot played by the excellent Jack Lowden. Apple was wise to give viewers two full seasons of the show before the end of the year–season two is currently unfolding on the streaming giant–and they’ve already commissioned two more! Blending action, character study, and a strong moral compass, these seasons play out like great spy novels that you didn’t know you should read. They may be about characters who are rough around the edges, but they are lean, taut examples of genre television. These horses are out in front. – BT [read our review]
