BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2021: Outstanding Technical Design of a Drama Series

Today's award is Outstanding Technical Design of a Drama Series!

Check out the nominees and winner from 2020!

This year's nominees are:

BRIDGERTON (Netflix)

THE CROWN (Netflix)

FOR ALL MANKIND (Apple TV+)

THE HANDMAID'S TALE (Hulu)

P-VALLEY (Starz)

PERRY MASON (HBO)

RATCHED (Netflix)

And the Winner Is...

P-VALLEY

Starz

This was a tough decision with a lot of deserving contenders but my vote goes to a show that most effectively captured the tone and setting through its technical elements. P-Valley was so intertwined with its setting of the Mississippi Delta, an area that doesn't get explored often in television. The "dirty south" feel to the show (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way) was captured in every design choice on the show. The club at the center of the story - The Pynk - was a character in and of itself. And then there were all sorts of other technical elements to consider - the costumes (especially for Nico Annan's character), the choreography, the music choices. This was a visually arresting show that was able to back it up with story and that made the visual elements all the more impressive.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:

There were a lot of strong nominees in this category. Both Bridgerton and The Crown were lavish period pieces that went big often with gorgeous costumes and settings and yet they were specific to their own styles when it comes to the technical elements (The Crown was appropriately more stuffy than the more freewheeling Bridgerton). For All Mankind, a repeat nominee in this category alongside The Crown, does some very impressive technical things in its space scenes. Perry Mason was gorgeously shot and meticulous to detail in re-creating the 1930s. The Handmaid's Tale has such a specific look and feel to it that assist with the storytelling and the fourth season had more great visual choices. Finally, the best part of Ratched was its technical elements. The candy-coated costumes and scenery were fitting for a Ryan Murphy show and for the campy approach it was trying to take.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series!

Comments

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While Rhoda has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way. Rhoda could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls: Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...

Benjamonster's TV

Search This Blog