BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: January 13, 2025

Welcome to this week's newsletter! This week, I am looking at The Pitt, Shifting Gears and Doc plus thoughts on the Landman finale and the crossover episode of Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

"THE PITT"

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of The Pitt going in. I thought it would be a serviceable medical drama but I also thought "what can a streaming version of a network procedural offer that a network can't besides some better production values and swearing a bit more often?" Well, at least with The Pitt, the answer is quite a bit. While the series is really just a traditional medical drama with the slight gimmick of being in real time (each episode is an hour in a 15 hour shift), the show feels better than anything a network can offer in this genre in 2025.

It's apparent in both big and little things. The show has an incredible attention to detail. They take the time to show doctors getting a squirt of hand sanitizer whenever they're about to enter the room. That might seem like a small example but as someone who spent some time in a NICU with my newborn son, that is something that happens out of habit for everyone working there. That tells me that the director has their eye on realism and the actors are fully immersed in the moment. I'm sure someone who actually works in an ER could tell you a bunch of things that the show gets wrong in specifics but, like Abbott Elementary is to schools, it feels like they at least got the vibe right. The Pitt (the location in the show) feels claustrophobic and busy. It doesn't feel like it was done on a Hollywood soundstage without enough extras (see the next show down for more on that). And the production value bells and whistles that come from being a streaming show really does make a difference, even in a medical drama. The show feels crisp and sharp in how it looks, how it's directed, how it's edited.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: January 6, 2025

Welcome to my Monday Newsletter! This week, I am looking at my Top 15 Most Anticipated Shows of 2025 plus a review of Going Dutch and thoughts on the Golden Globes and the Shrinking season finale.

MY TOP 15 MOST ANTICIPATED SHOWS OF 2025

It's a new year so here's a look at my most anticipated shows of 2025! Some shows are dated and coming very soon. Others have much less information but here's my list based on what I know now. 

Close Calls: The Night Agent Season 2 (Netflix, Jan 23), Death by Lighting (Netflix, TBD), Mid-Century Modern (Hulu, TBD), The Artist (The Network, TBD), The Hunting Party (NBC, Feb 3)

15. The Four Seasons (Netflix, TBD)

Date Night reunion alert! This project puts Steve Carell and Tina Fey together in a comedy based on the 1981 film starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett. There is very little known about this show, which also stars Will Forte and Erika Henningsen and it's not even guaranteed a 2024 premiere. But I had to put it on the list because of Carell and Fey. They may have a few misses in their repertoire but I like the chances of this being good when they are together.

14. The Pitt (Max, Jan 9)

The Pitt is one of the closer attempts to a network procedural that a streamer has done. It's basically 24 in a hospital with each episode of the 15 episode first season taking place over one hour in a hospital shift. Noah Wyle's putting on the scrubs again years after ER and this seems to hit a lot of the same beats as many broadcast medical dramas that came before it (just more swearing). I tend to check out quickly on medical dramas but I'm still interested in this one, or at least interested in giving it a try especially with the solid reviews it's gotten.

13. Grosse Pointe Garden Society (NBC, Feb 23)

I'm intrigued by this show because it feels a little different than the type of shows Broadcast TV have been offering us lately. It feels like it could be more like Desperate Housewives than yet another procedural drama. I wasn't really into Housewives but I'm still intrigued with a cast that includes Melissa Fumero, Aja Naomi King, Nancy Travis and others. If this proves to be something a little bit different, I hope it is rewarded by viewers so broadcast networks will branch back out a bit.

12. Etoile (Prime Video, TBD)

I'm not sure I would be into a show set in the ballet world except that Etoile is the follow-up to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. Maisel is one of my all-time favorite shows so I'm going to absolutely follow them to their next show, which already has a two-season order and stars Maisel's Luke Kirby. Consider me very intrigued.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: December 23, 2024

Welcome to my last Monday newsletter of 2024. This week, I am looking at my Top 10 Shows of 2024 plus the series finale of What We Do in the Shadows and thoughts on Laid, Accused and Silo. This newsletter will take a week off next week and then return on January 6 with my most anticipated shows of 2025 among other things!

YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP 10 SHOWS OF 2024

Here it is, my Top 10 Shows of 2024. It was an interesting year for TV. There were some great shows as evidenced by this list, but there was a vacuum with the departure of shows like Succession and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel plus no new seasons of shows like The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Poker Face and more. The after-effects of the strike and general industry contraction meant less scripted shows. That was felt in the summer with slim pickings but the fall ramped back up and there's plenty coming in 2025. Even if the numbers are down from their peak, it's not like we are hurting for content! So, here are my Top 10 Shows of 2024!

Close Calls: Abbott Elementary, Bad Monkey, Elsbeth, Ghosts, Nobody Wants This

10. SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE (HBO)

I recently wrote about this charming little show when it ended its three season run a couple weeks ago so I won't repeat myself too much here. I just love how little happened in this show. It was such a slice of life. Just dropping in on a quirky little group of individuals in Manhattan, Kansas looking for belonging. It was sort of the opposite of Seinfeld: that was famously a show about nothing but it really leaned into its plots. This show had almost no plot at all but was certainly about something.

9. ENGLISH TEACHER (FX)

I was excited about English Teacher when I saw the trailer in the summer and it mostly lived up to expectations. There were a few up and down moments but this is a show that arrived so fully formed and so aware of the type of show it wanted to be. That's hard to do for a comedy. My only regret was it was only an eight episode season and felt like it was just getting started. The show had hilarious and heartfelt moments and I really hope it gets renewed for a second season.

8. BABY REINDEER (Netflix)

Baby Reindeer was the phenomenon of the year. It felt like everyone was watching it in the spring and it took on sort of a morbid curiosity usually reserved for exploitative reality shows. The fact that it was based on a true story (I know, it's up in the air how true it was) made it that much more compelling. And a breakout performance from Jessica Gunning really made the show. I'm glad there's not more of this show but I definitely understood the hype.

7. THE BEAR (FX/Hulu)

I really struggled with where to put The Bear on this list, or if to put it on this list at all. The third season was all over the place in terms of quality and definitely a step down from the brilliant second season. But I think it suffered a bit in comparison and because of expectations. When a show has two episodes in my Top 10 ("Ice Chips" and "Napkins"), it deserves to be on the list. Just because it wasn't at its best doesn't mean it wasn't still strong.

6. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (FX)

I have a lot more to say about What We Do in the Shadows below since it just ended last week. This show never seemed like it would be for me but the hilarious performances and writing overcame any genre biases I have. I was mixed on the final season overall but this ranking went up a few notches after the spot-on, near-perfect series finale that was so inventive and fitting. I won't say much more so as not to repeat myself below.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: December 16, 2024

Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am sharing My Top 10 Episodes of 2024 plus thoughts on Netflix's No Good Deed and the series finale of Blue Bloods as well as Shrinking and Silo!

YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP 10 EPISODES OF 2024

Continuing my Year in Review, this week I have my Top 10 Episodes of 2024. Last year was a banner year for individual episodes. All time great episodes: "Long, Long Time" from The Last of Us, "Connor's Wedding" from Succession, "Four Minutes" from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and "Forks" from The Bear made up the Top 4 and could have all been #1 this year. Despite the fact that none of this year's episodes top those four, there was still much to celebrate!

10. Mr. & Mrs. Smith "First Date" (Prime Video, February 2)

The first episode of Mr. & Mrs. Smith really set the tone for what kind of show it was going be. It was a big-budget, action-filled spy show as we expected but what we didn't expect was a sharp commentary on marriage and relationships and it was clear from the very beginning that it was aiming higher.

9. Ghosts "Halloween 3: The Guest Who Wouldn't Leave" (CBS, March 7)

It aired far away from Halloween due to the dual Hollywood strikes but the third Halloween episode of Ghosts was a laugh riot with a very funny concept that kept building on itself. I was excited to see how they untangled the knot they put themselves in and they did it well.

8. The Bear "Ice Chips" (FX/Hulu, June 26)

The Bear's third season wasn't my favorite but there were two standout episodes, both on this list. "Ice Chips" was a great showcase for Abby Elliot and Jamie Lee Curtis. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and Curtis' character to mess up so when she didn't, it turned out to be a very sweet and cathartic episode.

7. The Penguin "Cent'Anni" (HBO, October 13)

Easily the best episode of the eight episode run of The Penguin, this episode was a complete showcase for Cristin Milioti. She was equal parts sympathetic and terrifying in a very compelling backstory that was more interesting than the main story.

6. Fargo "The Useless Hand" (FX, January 9)

The penultimate episode of Fargo's excellent fifth season was intense from start to finish. Centered around a standoff at a ranch, the action kept going through the entire episode and the visual flourishes were equally stunning.

5. Ripley "V Lucio" (Netflix, April 4)

I adored Ripley but it was hard to pick out an individual episode since it was really the whole series I was captivated with more than an individual episode. But the fifth episode was easily the most tense of the series and the closest it seemed to all falling apart for the titular character. The drama built and eased and built and eased through the hour and it was captivating from start to finish.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: December 9, 2024

Welcome to my weekly newsletter. This week, I am looking at my Top 12 Performances of 2024 and the Somebody Somewhere finale. Plus, thoughts on Black Doves, What We Do in the Shadows, Shrinking, Abbott Elementary, Silo and Landman!

YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP 12 PERFORMANCES OF 2024

I am kicking off my three week Year in Review posts with my Top 12 Performances of the year. Why 12 instead of 10? Well, because I felt like my #11 and #12 really deserved to be on this list so why not list 12? Next week, I will take a look at my Top 10 Episodes and finish off with my Top 10 Shows of the year. 

12. Kathy Bates, Matlock & Carrie Preston, Elsbeth

The two CBS ladies of Thursday nights kick off this list in large part because of how they elevate their shows. These are really just average CBS procedurals but Bates and Preston keep them a cut above the rest with their quirky performances. That's especially true of Bates in her legal drama that is by the books despite the pilot twist. Preston sometimes gets help from great guest stars but also sometimes not if the guest star is bad. Either way, these two performances set the two shows above many other network dramas.

11. Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent

Presumed Innocent was a real misguided show in many ways and I had many qualms with it. But I didn't have any qualms with Peter Sarsgaard's fascinating performance. He was so interesting and unique in a show that was such a mess. I would have loved to see him return for the second season but he's already said he's not interested. Without Sarsgaard, I can't say I'm interested either.

10. Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

I didn't love The Penguin but I thought Cristin Milioti was absolutely the reason to watch. As a tortured soul but also a true villain, she was absolutely the reason the story kept moving and a very compelling figure. The episode that focused primarily on her backstory was far and away the best episode of The Penguin. Colin Farrell wasn't bad but this was Milioti's show.

9. Kristen Bell & Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

I feel like Nobody Wants This caught people off guard this fall but it really shouldn't have. This is what happens when you put two extremely likable personalities in a rom-com together. Sure, we can quibble about some of the tropes or the way the show handled Judaism. But we can't quibble about the chemistry between Kristen Bell and Adam Brody or the fun they brought to the show.

8. Liza Colon-Zayas, The Bear

The third season of The Bear was very divisive. I thought maybe the internet reaction was a little overblown but there's no denying it was a step down from season two. However, the exception was the charming "Napkins" episode that finally put Liza Colon-Zayas in the spotlight. She rose to the occasion in what was easily the best episode of the season, a sweet and sentimental look at her character's life over several years.

7. Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside

At this point, Ted Danson is a national treasure. He's been giving great performances since Cheers but his last couple decades has been especially prolific from his arc on Damages to his incredible run on The Good Place. Now he is back with The Good Place creator Mike Schur as the headliner of a late year entry that was really delightful. Danson was a huge reason A Man on the Inside worked. His quirky charm was perfect for the role and he has showed no signs of slowing down.

6. Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd may have been the brains behind Baby Reindeer and the star but the series captured the zeitgeist thanks in large part to Jessica Gunning's performance. It was abrasive, funny and even scary at times. She was absolutely magnetic on screen in what proved to be a major breakout role.  It's hard to imagine Gunning in another show, though she certainly deserves one, because she completely embodied her character here.

5. The Cast of Shrinking, Shrinking

Is it cheating to put an entire cast on this list? I don't think so. I was mixed on the first season of Shrinking but it is firing on all cylinders in its second season. A huge reason for that is they built out the ensemble and gave them all meaty material. On top of that, they devote a significant amount of time to the ensemble just hanging with each other. This is one of those times where the entire cast is just clicking and in complete lockstep with each other. It's fun to watch.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 25, 2024

Welcome to a pretty quick newsletter - it was a very busy week! This week, I am looking at A Man on the Inside and a few brief thoughts on What We Do in the Shadows and Silo.

The blog will be off next week but will return December 9 with the start of my end of year Top 10 lists!

"A MAN ON THE INSIDE"

It's always weird to write about Netflix shows on the blog because I'm sure many reading this have already binged the entire season of A Man on the Inside and I've only seen three episodes so far due to the aforementioned busy week. So I'll keep this review relatively short except to say that Mike Schur and Ted Danson have done it again. Schur's brand of comedy is one of my favorites and he rarely misses especially as a showrunner (some of his producing credits are less great). And Danson is just a TV icon at this point.

The premise of A Man on the Inside: putting Danson undercover in a retirement home is about as perfect a setup for those two as there can be. Schur excels at ensemble comedies that blend humor with heart and the ensemble of this nursing home really delivers the ensemble comedy while the sentimentality of aging brings the heart. And Danson has such a congenial presence that he just exudes charisma and charm. 

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 18, 2024

Welcome to my weekly newsletter! This week, I am looking at Landman, St. Denis Medical and the second season of Silo. Plus I have thoughts on Disclaimer, American Sports Story and more!

"LANDMAN"

Unlike many, there hasn't really been a Taylor Sheridan show I've enjoyed. I have never seen Yellowstone. I watched a whole season of 1923 and Tulsa King but didn't love either one. I didn't finish 1883 and never even tried Lioness. But I was drawn to Landman because I thought the premise was interesting and I was particularly intrigued by the all-star cast. 

This is definitely a soapy drama but I quite enjoyed the first two episodes. It definitely feels a bit like a modern day Dallas meets Friday Night Lights. It's not as focused on the fabulously wealthy oil barons as Dallas was and gives more attention to the "boots on the ground" and of course it's not as endearing as Lights, but I feel like those two shows are at least starting points for the vibe as long as you understand I'm not saying this is anywhere as good as Lights. The main reason to watch this show is Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris. He's chewing scenery but doing it in a real delightful way. His interactions with his daughter, Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) and ex-wife, Angela (Ali Larter) were the highlights of the first two episodes even if the show veered a little too far into voyeuristic territory with the Ainsley character.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 4, 2024

Welcome to my weekly newsletter. It was a quiet week for premieres and next week is even more quiet so I will take a week off from the newsletter next week and return on November 18! This week, I am looking at Season 2 of The Diplomat and giving some quick thoughts on other shows.

"THE DIPLOMAT" SEASON 2

The Diplomat returned for its second season this week. The season is a brisk six episodes. I've gotten to the first three of them. I'm sure many have finished the season but these thoughts are only on the first three episodes. I enjoyed the first season of The Diplomat, particularly the performances of Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell but I found myself not really remembering a lot about it by the time the second season rolled around. So I was glad for the lengthy "previously on" that Netflix gave us. But as it started to come back to me, I felt like the show spent much of the first two episodes sort of resetting the table from its explosive (pardon the pun) finale.

It wasn't until the third season where I felt the show was settling into its plot for the second season. And therein lies the problem with these short seasons. Back when broadcast dramas used to be more serialized, it wouldn't have mattered if they spent an episode or two following up to a finale and getting things clear and reset for a new season. There were still 20 episodes to go! But here we have the third episode finally getting things going and there's only three episodes left. I am not necessarily advocating for serialized dramas to go back to 22 episodes a year because we all know they can run out of stories quickly. But getting back to 10 or 13 for most of these types of dramas would be really nice.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: October 28, 2024

Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week I am looking at Poppa's House, the third and final season of Somebody Somewhere and the sixth and final season of What We Do in the Shadows! Plus, thoughts on Before, Abbott Elementary and Elsbeth!

"POPPA'S HOUSE"

I always hold my breath when new multi-cam sitcoms appear on Broadcast TV because some of them are just so cringey and then I have to go on my regular rant about how the artform has died and lament how we can go from the format boasting shows like Cheers and The Mary Tyler Moore Show to being the lowest form of scripted TV. I was expecting to feel those feelings after watching Happy's Place and/or Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage but I didn't end up hating either one of those. Then I watched Poppa's House and well... you know what I want to say.

BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: October 21, 2024

Welcome to a busy Monday newsletter! It's a comedy heavy week this week. I am looking at Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Happy's Place, Season 2 of Shrinking and the pairing of Matlock and Elsbeth. Plus thoughts on English Teacher, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, Agatha All Along, Abbott Elementary and Frasier!

"GEORGIE & MANDY'S FIRST MARRIAGE"

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage is the third series in the Big Bang universe. I never watched The Big Bang Theory but when it went from a raucous multi-cam sitcom to the single camera family sitcom, Young Sheldon, I was on board and watched the entire seven season run. I never loved the show but I liked it quite a bit at times. Now the show is shifting back to a multi-cam format with Montana Jordan and Emily Osment taking their Young Sheldon characters to their own show. Big Bang didn't share any actors so the format switch seemed fine but this is jarring because its characters we've seen in a single cam format thrown into a multi-cam world.