Branson

Whatever your view of Branson, this was an absorbing, if rather reverential.

Part of what makes this series so compelling is the subtle, unspoken tug of war over who’s controlling the narrative. Watch carefully and you’ll see that director Smith never quite lets Virgin’s marketing operation have the reins.

It is an effective portrait of the sort of contradictions and coincidences that, when revealed, so often recast the legend of an entrepreneurial hero as more of a myth.

There are nuggets of information in there that are enlightening. ... For the most part, though, it feels like we’re going to see four hours of mostly praise and maybe some good-natured ribbing from associates who think Branson tells his own story in a more grandiose way than how it actually happened. Your enjoyment of that will depend on how you feel about Branson.