Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Monday, February 5th, 2024

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Monday, February 5th, 2024.

SOME PROGRAMMING NOTES
Yes, today's newsletter is later than normal and maybe not as long. Today was the first day of the TCAs and along it with being a long 11-hour or so day, I ended up having a drink or two with a writer/producer I met through this newsletter. And the irony of the fact that I wasn't able to set up a direct interview with him through the show's publicist is not lost on me.

I'll do my best to get newsletters out every day through the TCAs. But the timing is likely to be a bit unpredictable and for that, I apologize in advance.

APPLE TV+ DAY AT THE TCAS
It was day one of the twice-a-year (in theory) Television Critics Association gathering in Pasadena. Apple TV+ has a tsunami of new and returning shows premiering in the spring and summer. Here is a rundown of all the titles the streamer announced on Monday.

There were also eight panels for various shows and while I've seen them, for the most part, I can't write much about them until closer to the premiere. But here are some general impressions I can share.

* Loot - Season Two
Images: [Season Two Photo Gallery]
To be honest, I'm a bit ambivalent about Loot. It's one of those shows that seems better in theory that what I saw in season one. I don't hate, but its certainly not a "must-watch" show for me. Or maybe even a "probably should make sure to watch" show. It wants to use comedy to make points about wealth and inequality. But it just has never gelled for me.

*The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin
Watch: [First Look Video]
I don't think I'm breaking the review embargo to let you know that I absolutely love this six-episode comedy very roughly based on the real life highway robber Dick Turpin. I had a chance to speak with series star Noel Fielding and executive producer Kenton Allen and it was the most fun I've had in an interview in a long time. I'll post the interview (along with a review) closer to the March 1st premiere. I'm really curious to hear everyone's reaction to this Blackadder-ish period comedy.

* The New Look
This drama about fashion designers Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and their contemporaries during WWII isn't my typical type of show. But it includes a murder's row of talent and it tells a nuanced moral story that I wasn't familiar with before watching the series. It's a perfect fit for fans of high-fashion, but the series also works as a haunting historical drama.

* Palm Royale
I wasn't able to attend the TCA panel for this (I was doing one-on-ones at the time) and even after watching the screeners, I'm not sure if it connected with me. So we'll revisit this one at a different time.

* Franklin
Just the idea of Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin is a fascinating idea and the show itself is an acting tour de force. As I said, I'm a bit limited on what I can say about the show now. But Douglas told the TCA membership that one of the reasons why he decided to do the show was because he had never done a period piece over his long career. I'm not why it took him so long, but it was worth the wait.

* The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy - Season Two
This show is one of those ideas that is simple and really depends on your willingness to watch Eugene Levy as a slightly anxious globetrotter. 

* Constellation
I am really struggling with this series. It's a psychological drama that shifts back and forth between a couple of timelines. Even after the panel and watching the screeners, this is one of those shows that I want to like. But I am struggling with the tone of the show, even though I think the idea that is the framework of the series is really fascinating.

* Manhunt
This is one of those historical dramas that focuses on a topic - the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln - that most Americans have a small amount of familiarity with but don't really know a lot of the details. The series primarily focuses on the aftermath of Lincoln's death, tracking both the search for assassin John Wilkes Booth and the political turmoil that followed. Incredible acting and it tells a story that is both infuriating and compelling.

LIFETIME HAS A NEW THERESA CAPUTO SHOW
Monday's TCA ended with a dinner  and cocktails sponsored by Lifetime and the opportunity to be part of the audience as Theresa Caputo read some members of the assembled crowd.

I love to talk and as many of my acquaintances will tell you, I probably talk too much. But I am weirdly uncomfortable at cocktail parties, especially if I don't know a lot of people. And I don't know a lot of people in the TCA. I'm based in Minnesota and don't work for one of the big outlets. I'm one of the very few independent journalists in the organization (as opposed to the many freelancers) and as a result, I'm just out there doing my own thing. 

So I really hate these cocktail parties. I end up befriending random people who aren't TV critics, which isn't really the point of these events.

But I went to Monday's party because I wanted to see Caputo in action. I don't know that I quite believe in what she does, but I don't NOT believe it, either. I will say that while she struggled a bit with a couple of tonight's readings, some of them appeared to be right on the mark and they evoked an extremely personal and moving response.

Seeing her in person, it's easy to see why she is so popular. She's funny and self-depreciating. In her intro, she explained that she was a practicing Catholic, although the church didn't agree with her approach. "Although that doesn't stop them for accepting money," she quipped.

I don't want to write about the conversations that came during the event. But it seemed to bring some people closure and while I'm am still on the fence about this, if it brought some people peace, then I don't have a problem with it.

ODDS AND SODS
* * I am missing out on tonight's L.A. premiere of the season finale of the wonderful Hulu series A Shop For Killers. But this is a reminder the final two episodes of the season premiere this Wednesday.

* The CW has renewed the motorsports documentary series 100 Days To Indy for a second season. FWIW, the series is produced by Penske Entertainment.

* The Thundermans Return, the new movie reuniting the cast of their 2013-2018 superhero sitcom The Thundermans will premiere on Thursday, March 7th at 7 PM on Nickelodeon.

A SHOW TO WATCH FOR
Unfortunately I wasn't able to coordinate interviews to cover it (the time differences turned out to be a killer), but the series House Of Ninjas is premiering Thursday, February 15th on Netflix.

Here's the official logline: Ninjas existed throughout many pivotal times in Japanese history — but what if they were still secretly undertaking missions in modern society? Set in today's Japan, this series tells the story of the Tawara family, the last ninja clan who abandoned their roots after a mission gone wrong. Now, an unprecedented crisis beckons the family back into action.

Showrunner Danny Boyle's feature Man From Reno was really distinctive and I'm looking forward to seeing this. Netflix just sent me the screeners and I'll write more about it around the premiere. 

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH:
* Below Deck Season Premiere (Bravo)
* Country House Hunters Canada Series Premiere (fyi)
* Dee & Friends In Oz Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Solar Opposites Valentine's Day Special (Hulu)
* Tiny House Nation Season Premiere (fyi)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH:
* America In Black (BET)
* #CyberSleuths: The Idaho Murders (Paramount+)

SEE YOU TUESDAY!