Because TV Thursdays now appears regularly, today’s post will be the final of four annual lists of recommendations. In 2020 Glen (a fussy viewer) and I may have turned off as many series as we watched, including several praised by TV critic John Doyle of The Globe and Mail. Still, the following shows on Netflix, a few suggested — thank you — by family and friends, preoccupied us during a year in which we probably spent more evenings than usual in front of the TV.
TOP FIVE SHOWS
- “Bad Blood” (Canadian) Set in the 2000s in Montreal, Vito Rizzuto, the boss of the real-life Rizzuto crime family, attempts to bring peace to the criminal world. After he’s arrested for multiple murders of 1981, he turns control over to his top man. And we watch the empire slowly collapsing. The first season is based on actual events but not the second.
- “Criminal” Police investigators interrogate suspects, intensely, in an interview suite. Season one examines different crimes by different suspects in each of three episodes set in four countries: UK, France, Germany and Spain. This drama of dialogue is engrossing, even with its limited action and claustrophobic set. To whet your interest: in season two, episode two of “Criminal UK”, the suspect — a good looking, somewhat arrogant, business leader — gets drunk with a female employee who hopes to learn how to advance in the company. The two have sex at his apartment, and a week later he’s accused of rape. Thus ensues a pointed interrogation as police try to determine the man’s guilt or innocence. No spoiler alert.
- “Fauda” (Israeli), meaning “chaos” in Arabic, is a political thriller in which Arabic-speaking Israeli soldiers pose as Palestinian civilians to apprehend suspected terrorists in the West Bank. We don’t necessarily gain a new understanding of this long-standing conflict, but the motive of revenge, on both sides, seems to be an impediment to peace.
- “Giri/Haji” (British/Japanese) Previously disparaged critic John Doyle turned us onto this highly original series — translated as “Duty/Shame” — set in London and Tokyo. He writes: “[this show] is nothing like a conventional British drama. It breaks the mould deliberately by stretching traditional aspects to the point where it becomes a unique hybrid of stock British gangster epic and Japanese mob drama, complete with sequences of anime and even what might be called an interpretive dance intermission… It is gloriously different.” Regrettably, the BBC and Netflix canceled this series after a single, albeit successful, season.
- “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (American, Prime) I laughed aloud, often, in this 1950s musical dramedy about a young Jewish woman who breaks from convention when her husband deserts her for his secretary. The music is marvelous, as is Miriam’s story of going from an upper class housewife in Manhattan to … No spoiler alert. The three seasons start and end strong, with some questionable episodes in between. Stay the course: it’s entertaining to accompany Mrs. Maisel on her adventure.
DOCUMENTARIES
- “Five Came Back” (American) Five accomplished Hollywood directors — Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, George Stevens and William Wyler — served overseas during WWII and returned home irrevocably changed by their experiences. For instance, George Stevens, who was among the first group to discover the unbelievable horrors of Dachau, never made another comedy. Frank Capra felt compelled to make pictures with strong moral messages. In this documentary, modern filmmakers — respectively Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass, Francis Ford Coppola, Lawrence Kasdan and Steven Spielberg — discuss some movies of the five. You will recognize the voice of Meryl Streep, who won the Primetime Emmy Award in 2017 for Outstanding Narrator.
- “They Shall Not Grow Old” (British) This documentary by New Zealand director Peter Jackson (e.g. “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy) appeared in theatres in 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWI. Transforming original footage from the archives of the Imperial War Museum, Jackson gives human faces — and real veterans’ voices — to the anonymous men who fought in the terrible conflict. It’s an emotionally and technically rich homage. (Readers: can you name the poet who inspired the title?)
Please add your viewing recommendations in the comments below. •
P.S. Many thanks to readers, commenters and guest writers for participating in my blog over the years. Your engagement ensures Sunset Years will celebrate a fourth anniversary on January 23, 2021 and work towards a fifth in 2022.
P.P.S. I wish a joyful and healthy New Year to one and all!
Sonya R Bardati says
Thank you Pam for the recommendations, great. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and Glen
Pam McPhail says
Happy New Year to you and Ken. Try not to have another biking accident in 2021, Sonya!
Lillian Rogerson says
Duly noted Pam. There is a good of variety of shows on the menu. Thanks for sharing the post.
My love to you and Glen. Xox
Pam McPhail says
We welcome your suggestions, Lil, for shows to watch in this new (better?) year of 2021. You will recognize Montreal playing itself in “Bad Blood” if you haven’t already seen it. Love to you. Pam
Lillian says
We finished the Bad Blood series just a short time ago. Kim Coates, a fine Canadian actor, he may have kicked off his career at Stratford, drew us in after completing Sons of Anarchy. On to Peaky Blinders for more dark viewing. Only seems a propos in these dark corona days.
L xox
Pam McPhail says
Other dark viewing: the Italian crime drama Gomorrah is excellent — if you’ve not seen it, Lil.
Catherine McCallum says
Thanks Pam for your list, some of which I have watched. I found many series, usually on Netflix, to watch and anxiously await new seasons. I am generally a crime/police drama or historical drama watcher (generally Scandinavian or British). My feel good series this year was Somebody Feed Phil. Being a foodie or actually someone who just loves food, I took great joy in watching his interactions with the locals of whatever country he was in and his sheer delight in sampling their cuisine. I am awaiting his next season with anticipation.
Pam McPhail says
Cathy, Please pass on your suggestions of good shows as you watch them in the year — or, even better, write about one for my blog! Like you, we enjoy dramas, often foreign ones. My reading of subtitles is now much improved!
Ken McLean says
Thanks for these recommendations, Pam. We saw and liked “Bad Blood”. We also saw “Criminal :UK” and found it great.We saw it on Acorn, where it is apparently differently structured: it consists of 7 episodes, all set in UK. There was no “Criminal” in the format you describe, but separate shows called “Criminal :Germany”, Criminal: Spain”, and “Criminal :France”. Another excellent British police drama on Acorn is “Accused”. I will make other suggestions later.
Linda says
Thanks for the suggestions Pam. Surprising I haven’t seen any of these shows but will add them to my list.
I am looking forward to next years posts. Happy New Year to you and Glen.
Pam McPhail says
Hope you enjoy one or all of the shows, Linda. Also hope you noted Cathy’s recommendation of “Somebody Feed Phil”, foodie that you are.
Ken McLean says
I need to amend my previous comment: “Criminal:UK” is on Netflix, not Acorn. We just watched “Criminal:Germany” last night, and found it equally good. It defaulted to dubbing, which I generally oppose, but scrolling down the “audio” options did offer German original language, with English subtitles.
Pam McPhail says
We cannot watch any show that’s dubbed but, like you, have figured out how to switch to subtitles. Apparently we can access Acorn through our Library membership — if I take the time to learn how to do it. A small project (as if dealing with technology is ever small!) for 2021 perhaps? Meanwhile, Glen and I, plus other readers, await your recommendations, Ken.
Ken McLean says
My five top suggestions:
The first 3 are on Acorn, which I highly recommend. It is not expensive.
1)Accused. Somewhat like Criminal, it tells the stories of various accused, showing gradually how the accusations came about
2)Keeping Faith. A man suddenly disappears,and his wife tries desperately to find out why, while keeping the family intact.
3)Singlehanded. Recounts the cases dealt with by a uniformed police officer in rural County Galway. (How many other police shows features uniformed officers?)
4)My Brilliant Friend (HBO) two seasons so far. Based on Elena Ferrente’s compelling novels about the lives of two young Neapolitan women.
5)Endeavour (PBS) Investigations by the young Morse.
Others I recommend: Blood and Hidden (both Acorn), You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Dead to Me ( latter 3 Netflix)
Documentaries:
The first two are on Netflix:, A man must tell his twin brother, who lost his memory in a motorcycle accident, about their childhood.
2)Confessions with a Killer: the Ted Bundy Tapes.
3) Spy Wars (History Channel) fascinating lives of 8 spies, narrated by Damien Lewis.
Pam McPhail says
Thanks for your suggestions, Ken and Marie. We’ve not seen any of them. I guess it’s time to subscribe to Acorn to add more good shows to our evening viewing.
Like you, I read the pseudonymous novels about the two women of Naples and can appreciate how well they’d adapt to the screen. Alas. We do not get HBO, but this series will eventually come to our Library on DVDs to borrow.
Glen continues to resist comedies; other readers may follow up on Dead to Me and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Ken McLean says
Good news: apparently some shows shift venue. We watched “Accused” on Acorn, but when we recommended it to Marie’s sister Doris , she could not find it on Acorn. I checked and both seasons are now on Amazon. I consider it the best of the “Acorn” shows I suggested. We’ve now seen all the “Criminal” shows. I found “UK” and “France” to be the best. Glen would probably like the “Curb”.
Marie McLean says
Ken neglected to tell the name of the first documentary: “Tell Me Who I Am.”
Patricia Young says
For those technologically disadvantaged folk who can barely keep up with the offerings of cable TV (like us), a note re Keeping Faith. This series starts on BC’s Knowledge Network at 9 p.m. this Saturday, 8 January, much to our delight.
Thanks for this excellent list, Pam. It’s another nudge towards expanding our viewing horizons.
Thanks to Ken for his additional suggestions. This edition of Sunset Years is a keeper!
Pat
Patricia Young says
Oops, in my haste I made an error. . Keeping Faith begins on Knowkedge Network at 9 p.m. FRIDAY 8 January!
Pam McPhail says
Pat, You also enjoyed reading the novels of Elena Ferrante, as I recall. I recently borrowed the adaptation, season one only, on DVD from the VPL. Perhaps you want to place a hold on it?
Patricia Young says
Thanks the tip, Pam. As a librarian and a big user of the VPL for DVDs, among other things, I am ashamed to say it never occurred to me to see if they had this. I am now #8 in line on 19 copies. It is time to check whether they have any of the other series I assumed were available only through streaming.