mdbackes

First-rate show absolutely packed with the latest science about human evolution. Ell Al-Shamahi is a superb host and she appears on her way to joining the greats like Attenborough and Sagan. Highest recommendation.

Exceptionally fresh. Reminds me of Patriot. Definitely offbeat and lowkey.

Adapted by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) from the official history and war diary of the SAS, this is the whip smart and bitterly funny story of "ungentlemanly warfare" in North Africa. Excellent casting, lots of twists, and real heroics. Loved it.

The first episode, about LSD, is very interesting. The footage of Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann discussing the first experiences he had after he discovered the drug are great. Pollan's approach is delightfully matter of fact. Lucy Walker's direction is excellent.

I took professional acting training in the 70s from one of Lee Strasberg's proteges at the Actors Studio. In one of my many conversations about what constituted great acting, eventually the discussion would shift towards which actors were the very, very best: the greatest. Olivier? Brando? I would ask. The answer was surprising. My teacher said flatly that Alan Arkin was the greatest actor in the world. and Christopher Plummer a close second to him, but Arkin was greatest because he was brilliant at both drama and comedy, while Plummer was a dramatic genius. The Kominsky Method is a rare opportunity to watch the best being the best. The show is funny and sad and real, if sometimes a little much. Michael Douglas is the titular lead and he's believable as hell and wonderful. This is a show about aging, death, memory and loss, but it's still pretty funny. And it's got Alan Arkin, and perhaps that is more than we deserve. Just watch him, and you'll surely see that it's kind of ridiculous how good he really is and he's that good every single instant he's onscreen.

Judging by the first episode, Succession presents an uncomfortable and very entertaining black comedy about a ruthless media baron and his spectacularly damaged family. The kickoff episode reminded me a lot of my favorite parts of director Adam McKay's film, The Big Short and confirms McKay's deft touch with class comedy. Creator and writer Jesse Armstrong (Veep and Black Mirror.) delivers a hilariously lacerating edge to the show's characters. Really looking forward to the rest of the series.

Ugly Delicious is a great show that really thinks about food as the endlessly moving target that it is. It's constantly surprising, occasionally exhausting, and genuinely interesting. What becomes very clear when watching it, is that David Chang and Peter Meehan really have something to say and that Morgan Neville was the right person to help them show it. Hard to pick a favorite episode, though the show about tacos was pretty epic. Loved it.