Welcome to my Monday newsletter! As you can see, there's a new look for this blog and also a new format for the newsletter. Hope you enjoy!!
WHAT'S NEW
THE STUDIO
Apple TV+'s The Studio premiered with two episodes this past week and the series is definitely a show for those who are either in the industry or follow the industry closely. I fall into the latter camp and really enjoyed the first two episodes. The idea of a movie studio trying to greenlight a Kool Aid movie in today's IP obsessed world was a pretty predictable topic for a show like that. But the execution of the episode, complete with a very funny appearance by Martin Scorsese really worked for me. The second episode, which was a meta take on filming a oner (the episode itself was a oner) almost didn't work for me considering how artfully the oner take was just used on Adolescence on Netflix. But it ultimately did work thanks to all the humor in the episode.
Seth Rogen is terrific in this show and it's a great vehicle for him. The supporting cast, particularly the always reliable Catherine O'Hara and Kathryn Hahn, are pure gold too. And the show will have cameos and guest stars galore all season starting with Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Greta Lee and Sarah Polley in the first two episodes. While I don't think this show is super sophisticated or hard to follow, the jokes and even the premise are probably a little too inside baseball for the show to be a mass-appeal hit. But since I'm one of those people who read Deadline every day and mostly follow people in the industry on Blue Sky, I'm certainly at least adjacent to the target audience and it completely worked for me through two episodes.
ALSO...
I checked out the first episode of Mid-Century Modern on Hulu, but it's not for me. It felt like a show that would have aired on TV Land in 2015. As much as I like Nathan Lane on talk shows and award shows and what I've seen of theatrical performances, I've never been a big fan of his TV work (though he was good in his Elsebeth guest appearance earlier this season). I also have never been a big fan of the comedy from the Will & Grace team. It was sad to see Linda Lavin so full of life in the first episode knowing that she died partway through the filming of the first season.
LAST WEEK ON...
The White Lotus
I've been a staunch defender of The White Lotus and its slow burn all season but last night's penultimate episode left me more frustrated with the show than I've been... ever? It just felt like things needed to really ramp up and they only ramped up just a tad. I think part of the overall problem this season is the plot has been more important than the vibes. In the first two seasons - especially the first one - I sometimes had to remind myself there was a mystery at the heart of the show. The character exploration was so rich. This year, the character exploration is still rich, but it seems to be much more about trying to figure out the mystery element and every character seems tied to it because there are still so many possible perpetrators or victims still in the mix. I've gone on record before saying that I don't think every season of The White Lotus needs to start with a dead body (or a shooting spree) and this season is proof of why. Let's develop these characters in a way that doesn't just service the mystery. Mike White did that extremely well the first two seasons. He's only sort of doing it well here.
The Pitt
I hate when people say things like this but I'm going to say it anyway: GIVE NOAH WYLE THE EMMY. Seriously. The Pitt is my favorite show of 2025 and Wyle is a big reason why. Even though the other characters are strong and the show is very well-structured and directed, Wyle is the reason to watch. His final scene in the most recent episode was heartbreaking. I saw someone say they had to keep reminding themselves these characters are fictional and that's how I feel watching The Pitt, I feel so deeply for them. That being said, I do still hope the shooter storyline is a misdirect because all the stories colliding in that obvious of a way would be a small misstep for a show that has made so many great choices.
The Righteous Gemstones
Last night's The Righteous Gemstones was the best yet in the final season. Setting the entire episode at the lake house had a natural way to bring the whole cast together and the totally inept kids scheming to break up Eli and Lori. Edi Patterson, who should probably have multiple Emmy nominations to her name, was absolutely hilarious in this episode. And the scene with Keefe dressing up as Aimee-Leigh was so over the top ridiculous. After the show had such a natural ending at the end of the third season, I think it has successfully proven there were more stories to tell for this season.
Good American Family
I know this show hasn't gotten great reviews but I've been pretty engrossed by Good American Family. I'm not too much into the true crime genre so I didn't really know the Natalia Grace story and I've found it interesting. I think Ellen Pompeo is very strong in this and Mark Duplass is interesting as well. I don't think the show is particularly good - the sideways filming at times looks like a villain's lair from the 1960s Batman show and there's already some continuity errors (Mark Duplass' co-worker was extremely pregnant for what has appeared to be 3-4 months?). But the story is intriguing and the performances are solid and I think it's doing a good job of justifying being longer than just a two hour movie, at least so far.
AWARDS CORNER
THE EMMY RACE for SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Over the next several weeks, I'll be looking at the acting races for Limited Series/TV movie. A common thread will be that this year's Limited Series/TV Movie race looks pretty barren. The recent emergence of Adolescence helped things a bit, but it's definitely feeling like the weak area this year, much like drama was last year. Before Adolescence broke out, a reluctant frontrunner appeared to be Deirdre O'Connell for The Penguin. But now there's some serious competition from both Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco in Netflix's water cooler hit. Early reviews for Dying For Sex have been mostly positive and if the upcoming FX/Hulu show has a pulse then Jenny Slate and Sissy Spacek will probably be in the mix. A common thread you might see in the coming weeks is that I'm pretty down on Disclaimer and its chances to do much at the Emmys but Lesley Manville is still certainly a strong contender to get a nomination in a weak field. Before Adolescence, Netflix's biggest priority in this field was likely to be Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and, although the show received mixed reviews, it was widely seen and that could help Chloe Sevigny. Angela Bassett is always a threat but Zero Day was poorly received and sort of came and went so I'm skeptical. Presumed Innocent recently moved back to this category so Ruth Negga is in the mix too but I'm not sure that performance will be remembered. Dakota Fanning was a nominee in this category last year for Ripley and has a chance to get in again for The Perfect Couple. Some dark horses include Edie Falco for the movie Parenting, Betty Gilpin for Three Women, Imogen Faith Reid for Good American Family and, if you want a real deep cut, recent Oscar winner Mikey Madison for Lady in the Lake.
Projected Nominees (ranked by likelihood of a nomination):
1. Erin Doherty, Adolescence
2. Deirdre O'Connell, The Penguin
3. Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
4. Jenny Slate, Dying For Sex
5. Chloe Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
6. Lesley Manville, Disclaimer
7. Sissy Spacek, Dying For Sex
Just Missing
8. Ruth Negga, Presumed Innocent
9. Angela Bassett, Zero Day
10. Dakota Fanning, The Perfect Couple
SPECIAL FEATURE
Starting next week, this space will start counting down my Top 25 Shows of the 2000s! Before that, here's a few shows that almost made the list (in alphabetical order):
Arrested Development (FOX, 2003-2006/Netflix, 2013 & 2018-2019)
The Bear (FX/Hulu, 2022-Present)
Broad City (Comedy Central, 2014-2019)
The Crown (Netflix, 2016-2023)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+, 2020-Present)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 2019-2024)
COMING UP
There's nothing new coming until the end of the week this week. On Thursday, Netflix jumps into the medical drama craze with Pulse, a Miami-set drama that seems more like the Grey's Anatomy if The Pitt is ER. With the success of shows like The Pitt, Doc, St. Denis Medical and more, we'll see if the trend can keep going on the most successful platform. Also premiering on Thursday is The Bondsman on Prime Video. Kevin Bacon stars in this show but the premise seems pretty outlandish as Bacon plays a bounty hunter brought back from the dead. Premiering on Friday is Dying For Sex on FX/Hulu. The series stars Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Sissy Spacek and Rob Delaney among others. It could definitely be a player in the mostly barren limited series awards area this year.
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