BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: September 28, 2026
Welcome back to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am looking at Apple TV's new comedy Brothers and NBC's new drama Line of Fire! Plus, a look at the most recent Ted Lasso, a few brief thoughts on the New York Times' list of 100 Best TV Shows This Century, my Top 10 TV shows starting with P, a look at the Oscar race for Best Actor and Actress and some NFL Musings from Week 3!
WHAT'S NEW
I think Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are both good actors. But their public personas leave a lot to be desired as far as I'm concerned. Look at the Emmys appearance as proof. I've never been into the "alright alright alright" side of McConaughey even when I've liked him as an actor, most recently Apple's underrated The Lost Bus. And Harrelson often plays the same type of role in the movies but he's done it expertly for decades. And yet, I also tire easily of Harrelson's "stoner anarchist" shtick when it's not channeled properly. I was already leery of this show but given what I just said, I probably should have known that I was going to straight up hate Brothers.
I did watch both episodes that premiered on Apple this past week but I'm done and honestly I probably should have stopped after one. This show hinges almost entirely on how you feel about those public images of the two stars. There was a world where that wouldn't matter so much if the writing and concept were a bit stronger, perhaps a bit more subversive in its approach. But this feels completely like a dual vanity project and quite frankly, it's a little bit painful to watch.
It's been a week now since NBC's Line of Fire premiered as the second episode airs tonight so probably most people who want to see this show have checked it out but here's a few thoughts anyway! This show has been compared to Blue Bloods a lot and it might settle into more of a Blue Bloods vibe, but the premiere definitely had a more serialized and more thriller tone than just the "family of cops and law enforcers solves crimes" weekly approach. There was a fair amount of silliness in the pilot with some treacly melodrama and a few twists that I saw coming from a mile away (at least the broad strokes of them).
But, it was absolutely watchable. Hope Davis is the strongest part of the show to date while Peter Krause provides a steadying presence (even if he seems a bit bored by the show so far). The three kids (Kat Cunning, Tommy O'Brien & Taylor Bloom) each had some strengths and weaknesses. I was not familiar with any of them before this. While I don't think this show totally works, I'm going to give it a few more episodes at least as I could see it being a guilty pleasure of sorts. It reminds me of a network drama from the late 2000s or early 2010s but that is not a diss. The recent drama entries on network TV have mostly been straight up procedurals with a range of tones. The fact that this has a soapy element is something to be praised and championed even if it doesn't end up being that great. Is it a sign of the sad state of Network TV that a show like Line of Fire feels fresh and different? Probably. But I'll take what I can get.
LAST WEEK ON...
I have been enjoying the new season of Ted Lasso more than I thought I would but specifically when it focuses on the team and not on Roy/Keely or Rebecca. So this week's episode was mostly a really strong one especially because they finally had Rebecca interacting with the team. I'm not sure every moment with the team in this episode was earned with how they've struggled to make the players on the team individual characters, but they're getting there with Gemma (Abbie Hern). Watching the brief return of Phil Dunster's Jamie Tartt recently made me wish that all the returning characters aside from Ted and Beard were recurring at best so the show could focus more on the new stories. To that end, the Roy and Keely stuff, while sweet, was not that interesting. We always knew they were going to get back together and their speeches to each other felt very writerly. But I'll take a little bit of that if every episode is going to focus on the team as much as this one did.
New York Times 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century
There has been a lot of talk about the New York Times' crowd-sourced list of the Best TV Shows of the Century. I made a similar countdown of the Top 25 on my blog last year. I was content with a lot of the list. Obviously Mad Men and Breaking Bad have to be right near the top. The Wire is a TV blind spot for me but I fully expected it to round out the Top 3. I love Succession but perhaps it's a bit too high. The most egregious miss for me? The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I knew wouldn't make it but should have. I haven't seen everything on the list but ones that really shouldn't have been on the list that I have seen include Severance, Ozark, and House of Cards.
For what it's worth, my Top 10 from last year were (in order): Mad Men, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Recreation, Breaking Bad, The Office, Friends (unlike the NYT, I counted shows that premiered in the 90s but only considered their 2000s episodes), Ripley, American Dreams and The People vs. OJ Simpson.
THE BEST TV ALPHABETICALLY: LETTER P
In honor of 2026, I am looking at the 26 letters of the alphabet and listing my Top 10 TV Shows of All Time that start with that letter (no "The" or "A" don't count as the first letter of a show). This week, I am looking at letter P.
One of two very recent shows on the P list, I loved the first season of Pluribus with its mix of apocalyptic dread and straight up comedy. Depending on how the series progresses, it definitely has the potential to climb up in the rankings if future seasons are as strong as the first one.
9. Petticoat Junction (CBS, 1963-1970)
I never liked The Beverly Hillbillies or Green Acres but the rural comedy that came between them - Petticoat Junction - had a gentler, and better, sensibility. Yes, it's basically a less well-written version of The Andy Griffith Show but it's still great TV comfort food with the distinctive railroad element helping it quite a bit.
8. Pose (FX, 2018-2021)
Pose was one of the many shows I discovered during the COVID lockdown. I really didn't know much about ballroom culture before watching the show but I was very taken by the strong performances and evolution the show went on through its three seasons as it understood itself more and more.
7. Poker Face (Peacock, 2023-2025)
A show that proudly tried to harken back to the Columbo days, this probably would have worked well as a broadcast procedural. But by being in a streaming environment, the show had some extra trappings that made it special, especially the very strong first season.
6. Person of Interest (CBS, 2011-2016)
I did not actually finish this show but I was all in on it for the first few seasons. The dark view of technology pre-dated today's AI conversations but it feels like it might be even more relevant now. And the grim view of New York City gave the show a moodiness that most broadcast procedurals don't have.
5. PEN15 (Hulu, 2019-2021)
In the era of Peak TV, this will stand out in the "I can't believe this was actually a show" category. Two grown women playing the middle school versions of themselves? Sounds ridiculous. And it was ridiculous but also oh so fun with a unique look at the world and growing up.
4. Pardon the Interruption (ESPN, 2001-Present)
I don't watch it nearly as often as I used to - the result of cutting the cable cord - but I do still enjoy when I get the chance to see Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debate the sports stories of the day. It may not be the cultural touchstone it once was but they are as fun as ever, even if they've both softened a bit as the years have gone on.
3. The Pitt (HBO Max, 2025-Present)
It's only two seasons in but already has more episodes than many streaming shows. The hospital drama that re-taught everyone (including hopefully execs) what we love about TV, this has been a delight to watch on Thursday nights during the winter months the last two seasons. Equal parts a standard medical drama and a revelation, it is everything good about TV.
2. Parenthood (NBC, 2010-2015)
Now that I am a parent myself, I've been meaning to re-watch NBC's weepy drama. With an incredibly strong (and sprawling) cast, the show could push some manipulative buttons but mostly was just a warm-hearted look at a big family. This is a genre that I really miss on TV today and Parenthood was one of the best to ever do it.
1. Parks and Recreation (NBC, 2009-2015)
One of the sunniest and most optimistic sitcoms in TV history, this Obama-era comedy was about a small town government and all the funny situations that arise from that. But it was also impeccably written and impeccably cast. After it stumbled through a rough start, it became one of the greatest comedies in TV history.
AWARDS CORNER
Last week, I took a look at the Best Picture Oscar race. This week, I am taking a look at the Oscar Race for Lead Actor and Actress. While there are still many months to go, the major festivals coming to an end make it at least clear most of the players who will be in the running even if the five nominees are far from clear yet. Here are my predictions at the current moment (ranked from most to least likely):
Best Actor
1. Matt Damon, The Odyssey
2. John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine
3. Andrew Scott, Elsinore
4. Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary
5. Jaafar Jackson, Michael
Keeping an eye on: Robert Pattinson (Primetime), John Turturro (The Only Living Pickpocket in New York), Pedro Pascal (Behemoth!), Sebastian Stan (Fjord), Tom Cruise (Digger)
Best Actress
1. Julianne Moore, The Debut
2. Inde Navarrette, Obsession
3. Olivia Wilde, The Invite
4. Renate Reinsve, Fjord
5. Virginie Efira, All of a Sudden
Keeping an eye on: Sandra Huller (Fatherland), Ruth Madeley (Being Heumann), Daisy Edgar Jones (Sense and Sensibility), Sandra Huller (Rose), Cynthia Erivo (Prima Facie)
NFL MUSINGS
Here's some thoughts coming after a thrilling Sunday Night Football game capped a very exciting Week 3 slate of Sunday games with one more to come Monday night in Chicago where the Philadelphia Eagles arrive to take on the Bears without Caleb Williams:
- Rio de Janeiro certainly got a thrilling game with the instant classic between the Ravens and Cowboys. The Cowboys really blew a ton of opportunities in a way that could linger for a team. And the Ravens were staring at another week of questions about their ability to hold a lead but instead showed some grit to get the win. That had to have felt great for Kicker Tyler Loop too. I will always remember the final image of John Harbaugh as Ravens coach walking off the field with his arm around a dejected Loop in the season finale loss to the Steelers last year. And today, Loop was pretty much being carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates.
- Speaking of the Ravens, I don't know what to make of the AFC North with every team sitting at 2-1, even the Cleveland Browns. I don't think the Browns will ultimately hang with the big dogs all season but the other three might be in another fight to the end.
- The Drake Maye collapse is satisfying to me because I thought he was so incredibly overrated last year and not just because of his easy schedule. I just didn't even understand how the MVP race was close. And now Maye looks completely lost.
- Will the Titans or Dolphins win a game? Losing Devon Achane is pretty devastating for the Dolphins but they've at least been a game opponent twice (they hung with the Chiefs for awhile today). The Titans showed some life last week but those were sandwiched by really, really uninspiring performances.
- I don't know if we'll see many bigger upsets this year than the Marcus Mariota-led Commanders taking down the mighty Seahawks. Talk about a team playing with some pride in themselves. Good for them.
- The Bills are continuing to only have one unit show up each week but this week it was the defense. If the offense of Weeks 1 & 2 plays alongside the defense of this week, they will be very scary.
- I don't know if the Raiders can keep this up but I am happy for Kirk Cousins, who has shown that the Falcons did not really understand what they had with him. It also may be great long-term for the Raiders if they can continue to let Fernando Mendoza learn on the bench longer than anticipated (perhaps the entire season?)
- Stick a fork in the two "Bay" teams. Green Bay has a lot of soul-searching to do after Thursday night's debacle and I just don't believe they'll pull it together enough to even sneak into the playoffs like they have the last couple years. And Tampa Bay can't even get a win in the terrible NFC South yet while the now-injured Baker Mayfield might be giving the Bucs buyers remorse after his big contract extension days before the season began. Yes, I know these two teams play each other this coming week so someone will win. But they're both done.
- It's a long season but four of the six remaining undefeated teams are the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles and 49ers. Four teams who have consistently been among the last teams standing this decade. before last year's fluky season.
COMING UP
The Fall entries are continuing to roll out though this is a bit of a quieter week before a very busy week next week. On Wednesday, ABC has the second revival season of Scrubs after a successful return last spring. Also premiering Wednesday is the second season of Sacrifice on Paramount+. The first season aired way back in 2022. On Thursday, Netflix has the premiere of their limited series adaptation of East of Eden, which seems like it could do well for the streamer. Also premiering Thursday is the HBO limited series War starring Dominic West and Sienna Miller. It seems more of a prestige play than a big audience draw. Thursday also has the premiere of Coven Academy on Freeform with four episodes before all ten episodes are available on Disney+/Hulu on Friday. Friday has the premiere of Kill Jackie on AMC+ starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as well as the Alan Cumming vehicle Tip Toe on Starz. And finally, Sunday kicks off CBS's premiere week with the return of Marshals for a second season and Tracker for a fourth season.
I am now a contributor to The TV Ratings Guide and posting them there on Tuesdays. Check it out!
Comments
Post a Comment