An affectionately made five-part series that takes neither the sport nor itself too seriously. One of the more amusing things about it is Mr. Schreiber, who seems intent on echoing the kind of voiceover heard in the educational films of yesteryear, with a deliberately mellow, vaguely pontifical tone, albeit with an ironic twist.
Purely as entertainment, it is inert; the story, about a family in mourning, features histrionics worthy of grand opera and a level of rudeness that could peel paint.
Weaves police-procedural knottiness around a family-oriented thriller. But what separates it from the crowd of such domestic dramas are the dynamics of the clan. .... The performances are first-rate; Claire and Pete, for instance, are imbued by Ms. Richards and Mr. Cullen with a distinctly unstable chemistry. But “Mudtown” is also distinguished by the uncommon amount of deviant psychology at play among the characters.
Overstuffed. .... A treat amid all the narrative disarray is watching Mr. Parrish and Amanda Righetti (the younger Dorothy) mirror the mannerisms and vocal tics of their older selves. Unlike so much here, their technique is both subtle and effective.
Ms. Weisz is shortchanged by the material, which likely wouldn’t be improved by, say, a snappier delivery. Or a less self-absorbed M. Everyone seems to be trying too hard, with the exception of Mr. Slattery, which is why he’s the best thing here.
The funniest series of recent memory. .... The cast is uniformly first-rate, not just the likes of Mr. Tenney but the lesser knowns. .... While there might be a revival—as in a second season—one hopes not. It couldn’t be this good.
If it were solely a series about sex, the tender yet confounding “DTF St. Louis” would be one cool piece of work. .... Usually, one would have a pretty solid idea of where things were headed after watching more than half a series. Yet “DTF St. Louis” is so emotionally elusive I’m less confident than usual in my clairvoyance.
The inclusion of Mr. Dominé’s florid prose and his fellow citizens’ good manners are parts of what makes “Glitterball” a supremely creative example of creative documentary. The facts are what they are. But the presentation and even the digressions make it all a story with layers, and atmosphere, and maybe even transcendent meaning about perception and justice.
