Second Seasons on Amazon

Amazon has approved second seasons for The Man in the High Castle and Red Oaks.  Both the 1960s and 1980s pop in these series, yet in very different ways.  While not everyone is a fan of the fashions of the 80s as portrayed in Red Oaks, I think we can all agree that the 1960s went much better, fashion and otherwise, that Philip K. Dick's much darker version in The Man in the High Tower.

Don't Miss the Slate TV Club

If you are looking for good commentary on the best television shows of 2015, you should catch up with the Slate TV Club.  TV critics Margaret Lyons, Willa Paskin, Alan Sepinwall, and June Thomas provide their top 10 list of shows and take you through the year again to highlight some corners that you may have missed.  

Here is June Thomas singing the praise of Netflix's Sense8:

Sense8’s sloggy bits were minorly irritating, whereas the transcendent sections were maximally mind-blowing. The discovery period in which the eight people in the cluster figured out their interconnections went on for slightly too long, but it was still magical. (If you aren’t familiar with the Sense8 mythology, David Levesley summarized it as follows: “An evolutionary quirk has bred an ubermensch species known as ‘sensates,’ who are born on the same day and ‘cluster’ together, a connection that links their senses and emotions telepathically and allows them to speak the languages and perform the skills of their cluster-mates.” You can also see this in action in the clip below.) Directors Andy and Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, and James McTeigue brought a grand, if slightly goofy, cinematic vision, and even if I have some cavils about the writing by the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski, their creative ambition was breathtaking.

And here is Alan Sepinwall highlighting the much forgotten Manhattan on WGN America:

So here you’ve got another period drama about Complicated but Great White Men—specifically, the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project—from a writer who already worked on one of those (Sam Shaw, formerly of Masters of Sex). And while it’s not perfect—it suffers from the Nucky Thompson Problem, where the most important character (rebellious scientist Frank Winter) is played by a fine actor (John Benjamin Hickey) doing good work, yet most of the time I’m more interested in every other person on the show—it looks amazing. Thomas Schlamme of West Wing fame is the lead director, and it’s become a whole lot more complicated and interesting as we’ve gotten to know all of the supporting characters (a more diverse lot all around) and their many conflicting agendas.

Just reading through the banter back and forth tells me I have a lot more viewing to do just to give 2015 justice.  And now we are about to embark on a new year.  I am not ready, but I am eager to see what else is in store for the new year.

Vatican Review Pans Star Wars

I remember hearing that years ago the Catholic Church would rate movies for its flock to ensure they did not see anything too distant from church teachings.  Well, the Catholic Church is back to its rating duties, and this time the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano has voiced its opinion about the new Star Wars film.  According to the UK's Daily Mail, the Vatican daily called the movie "twisted to suit today's tastes and a public more accustomed to sitting in front of a computer than in a cinema."  

I found a more supportive Catholic review and rating at AmericanCatholic.org primarily concerned about the aging cast than the souls of viewers:

If there are moments you suspect you might be watching the cast-reunion special of an old TV show -- John Williams' majestic music counters that feeling to a degree -- it's largely attributable to how stiff and weather-beaten Ford and Fisher appear...The film contains much stylized fantasy violence. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. 

I will let you know if I find any good television ratings.

Going for a Third Season and More

If you are worried about the future of some of your favorite shows then I have some good news. For instance, HBO's Leftovers has been approved for a third and final season. Yes, even the end of the world needs proper closure.

And if you prefer a good comedy, you will be happy to hear Netflix's Grace and Frankie have already been approved for a third season before the second season has even aired (it is scheduled for early 2016).  This terrific story stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston as married couples going through a huge transition.

And a fourth season of ABC Family's (or Freeform now) The Fosters will go forward.  The second half of season three starts January 18th as this growing family continues to face the trama of sex-charged teens and troublesome courts. 

Even with all the new shows, you don't want to miss out on some of your favorites.

Amazon Piles on New Shows

Just as earlier Amazon shows Mozart in the Jungle and Transparent were nominated for Golden Globes, we learn five pilots were approved for full seasons.  I provided a summary of all these pilots in an earlier post. 

Overall, I am happy to read Amazon is moving forward with some great new shows, including One Mississippi, a dark comedy about one woman as she deals with death in the family as well as her own declining health; Patriot, that follows a one-family spy machine were the unstable son puts classified information into folk songs at the end of each mission; and Good Girls Revolt, a historic tale that seems more like a cross between Mad Men and The Newsroom. Of the three, Patriot probably surprised me the most for its originality. I think we are looking at the next Transparent in terms of a popular series. 

I am somewhat confused that the odd comedy Highston made the cut. And while Z is a beautiful period piece, it was more an extract from a  longer piece than a stand-alone piece. As far as Edge, which did not get a green light, it was little more than a gore-fest too pleased with flying body parts. Good riddance. 

In at least three of these approved pilots, Amazon is keeping pace with Netflix when it comes to quality programming, and the awards indicate others agree.

Plenty of New Awards

Earlier this week the American Film Institute (AFI) announced the 10 most culturally and artistically significant TV programs in 2015.  Here is the list:

--The Americans

--Better Call Saul

--Black-ish

--Empire

--Fargo

--Game of Thrones

--Homeland

--Master of None

--Mr. Robot

--Unreal

The AFI also gave a special award to Mad Men. 

I was surprised Aziz Ansari's Master of None, a series just released by Netfilx, made the list.  That said, I would put it up there with Louie, though Ansari has his own unique perspective on America.  And Mr. Robot certainly broke from the pack this year with a thrilling attack on capitalistic complacency.

Last week the Golden Globe nominations were also released and they included some similar shows, yet some nice additions as well.  For instance, best television drama nominations included:

--Empire

--Game of Thrones

--Mr. Robot

--Narcos

--Outlander

Best television comedy/musical included:

--Casual

--Mozart in the Jungle

--Orange is the New Black

--Silicon Valley

--Transparent

--Veep

And the best limited series/television movie included:

--American Crime

--American Horror Story: Hotel

--Fargo

--Flesh & Bone

--Wolf Hall

Outlander certainly deserves the attention and Wolf Hall was a gem.  I would have added Poldark to the series list as well, and Humans deserved a nod under drama, but the lists are fair. That said, as True Detective fell apart in season two, I feel Fargo is not worthy of an award.

I need to put together my own list shortly.

Post-Netflix Binge Depression?

Last weekend Matthew Schneier wrote a piece titled The Post-Binge-Watching Blues: A Malady of Our Times in the New York Times, highlighting the new trend of television binge-watching as a result of services such as Netflix and Amazon.  Discussing his own recent viewing habits, he noted:

I felt anxious, wistful, bereft in advance; I’d eaten up nine episodes in only a few days, liking them more than I’d expected to. Once finished, there’d be no more until the next season — if there was a next season, which has still not been officially announced.

He goes on to quote others and concedes that excess watching has been around for awhile.  I think his piece was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but it does discuss the state of affairs for some where television becomes their view on the world, for good and bad.  And one cannot say excess is new.  People have been much the same with books and other things.  For example, ask George R.R. Martin about the continual requests he gets about his next book in his Game of Thrones series.  

With everything else going on in the world, I think this issue as well as too many programs on television is something we will survive.  This is entertainment, folks, and not a death march.  Relax and enjoy the show.  And maybe check out the news from time to time to see what you should really be worried about.