Schitt’s Creek

I am including this because everyone seems to love it (think cult following); I do not. I have been told that it takes a few episodes to get hooked; I couldn’t get that far. So, based on what others are saying, Schitt’s Creek is really really funny. It’s the story of a family who loses all of their money and is forced to move into a motel in Schitt’s Creek. Now in its sixth and final season (good riddance); start in season two if you really want to settle in quickly. (Netflix)

Unbelieveable

Sent in from one of our readers, this is an eight-episode true-crime drama based on a real story. This is an intense, deep-dive into a story of rape and injustice. and a study of how gender biases affect the way sex crimes are handled. Gripping and intense, our reader noted that he follows up each episode with something much lighter, think The Office of Good Girls. (Netflix)

Waco

Only six episodes, this miniseries tells a story that many of us may remember, about the 1993 standoff between the FBI and David Koresh’s Branch Davidians cult in Waco, Texas. Great acting by many you will recognize (Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights, Julia Garner of Ozark, Melissa Benoist of Supergirl). Told from several perspectives, including a Branch Davidian survivor, you may want to follow this often harrowing portrayal with something lighter, such as Odd Mom Out. (Amazon Prime)

Escape at Dannemora

I watched this pre-COVID and loved it. Based on a 2015 real-life prison break in upstate New York (you might remember reading about it) and directed by Ben Stiller with wonderful performances by Patricia Arquette, Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano, this chilling story will keep you locked in! (Amazon Prime)

The Last Dance

(reviewed by Hunter Frantz)

ESPN’s The Last Dance has capitalized on the void left in the wake of COVID-19 in the otherwise packed, mid-spring sport calendar, captivating an audience thirsty for any and all sports content. The show overdelivers in its recount of Michael Jordan’s esteemed career with the Chicago Bulls, with unparalleled camera crew access, showing both the ups and downs of the infamous Bulls dynasty teams in equal fashion. Furthermore, the show ads a significant array of star power and legitimacy with the inclusion of some of the most high-profile individuals in recent history, cross-cutting between sports, politics, media and pop culture. As sports fans have been left reeling in the pandemic-induced destruction of sport and entertainment, The Last Dance provides a welcomed return to “normalcy” and captures the imagination of onlookers yearning for inspiration. (ESPN)

All American

Introduced to us by our 14-year-old daughter, this series is a little reminiscent of High School Musical (without the music), Blind Side and Friday Night Lights. There are two seasons; I have watched one. Each episode is full (sometimes too full) of individual stories within the larger context of a great football player from an economically disadvantaged neighborhood (South Crenshaw) recruited to play for a high school in a more affluent community (Beverly Hills). Sounds a little cliché, a little, but the relationships formed, and challenges overcome, are worthy of the championship title. (Netflix)

Normal People

This twelve-part series on Hulu is based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel, Normal People. I loved the book that follows the relationship between Marianne and Connell, from high school through their years at university. Set in Ireland, this is more than a coming of age/teenage romance; it is a story that deals with class and privilege and the complexity of human relations. (Hulu)

Unorthodox

This Netflix miniseries (too mini for me) is the story of a young woman’s escape from her Hasidic community in Brooklyn. I was intrigued by the peek into a lifestyle that I don’t know much about and the incredible acting by Shira Haas (Esty). (Netflix)

Modern Love

This eight-episode series of short vignettes is wonderful - my favorite - and, if you are looking for something to watch right now (please don’t judge me), I would start here. Each episode is its own story, inspired by the “Modern Love” column in the New York Times Sunday Styles section. The stories are steeped in emotion and love. You will cry and laugh and cry again. I love everything about this series: the music, the acting (Tina Fey, Andy Garcia, Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, Dev Patel and John Slattery) and the stories. Have I mentioned that I love this series? (Amazon Prime)

World on Fire

Also sent in from a reader, but immediately enjoyed by my history-loving boys, World on Fire, a PBS “Masterpiece”, is set during World War II and follows the fates of ordinary people in five countries as they cope with the effects of war. (Amazon Prime)

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