Zorro (2024)

A thoroughly original and quite wonderful take on the material; it’s one of my favorite new shows this year, possibly the one that made me happiest.

Zorro has enough charm to make it a totally painless eight-episode binge, without being exciting or funny enough to be mandatory viewing.

The entire production takes quite a while to get into gear; the setup is intended to be witty, and a vehicle for Mr. Dujardin’s cheerfully awkward style, but is as dry as unirrigated L.A. It eventually picks up speed, like Tornado the black stallion (part of the lore), and the actors are charming, notably Ms. Dana and the wonderful Salvatore Ficarra.

Told in French, shot in Spain, and full of the colorful imagery of Old California, “Zorro” makes for an enjoyable enough summer distraction, a pleasant throwback to when adventure-themed television was still something major networks still made.