TV Reviews

Final Season Of 'Last Chance U' Focuses On Laney College Football

6:31am July 28, 2020

by Eric Deggans

The fifth and final season of Last Chance U — Netflix's verité series — is its best. It follows the football team at Laney College in Oakland, Calif., through a rocky season.

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Netflix Transforms A Childhood Game Into A Not-So-Serious Competition Show

4:36pm July 24, 2020

by Linda Holmes

Netflix's Floor Is Lava is an obstacle-course competition show premised on a children's game. It's like American Ninja Warrior meets Honey, I Shrunk The Kids — but with pits of "lava" to avoid.

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Evan Rachel Wood is one of the interview subjects in the new documentary Showbiz Kids.

Arts

'Showbiz Kids' Gives Child Actors The Chance To Tell Their Own Stories

9:00am July 18, 2020

by Linda Holmes

In a new HBO documentary, current and former child actors from Wil Wheaton to Todd Bridges to Evan Rachel Wood talk about abuse, money, work and finding your way as an adult.

2 New Shows, 'David Makes Man' And 'Twenties,' Are Now Available For Streaming

4:14pm July 16, 2020

by Eric Deggans

David Makes Man, a series about a Black teenager dealing with his friend's death, debuted on HBO Max. Showtime has released Twenties, a show about a young Black woman learning to navigate life.

Arts

Peacock, NBC's New Streaming Service, Isn't Quite Must-See TV

2:14pm July 16, 2020

by David Bianculli

Peacock launches with thousands of hours of old programs, plus a sampling of new ones. Most of the new shows are just average — except for Intelligence and The Capture, which are worth catching.

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TV Review: 'P-Valley'

6:03pm July 12, 2020

by Eric Deggans

P-Valley is a new drama on Starz about black strippers working a club in the Mississippi Delta. It's one of the year's most provocative dramas.

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Arts

Seamless And Moving, 'Hamilton' Streaming Works Stunningly Well

12:25pm July 03, 2020

by David Bianculli

Filmed in 2016 when the actors were at the height of their comfort and performance levels, the steadycam and close-ups make the Broadway sensation impressively impactful on the small screen.

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Dory (Alia Shawkat) faces the music (and the viewer) in the third season of Search Party on HBO Max.

Arts

'Search Party' Season 3: Jerks Brought To Justice

7:01am June 25, 2020

by Glen Weldon

The darkly comic series about four entitled New Yorkers striving to cover up a murder returns for a third season, now on HBO Max.

Arts

Addictively Suspenseful Thriller Series 'The Bureau' Will Keep You On Edge

3:57pm June 22, 2020

by John Powers

Currently in its fifth season on Sundance Now, the series focuses on the clandestine missions, office politics and kaleidoscopic personalities at France's big spy organization, the DGSE.

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Arts

'Perry Mason' Reboot Reimagines The Original Aggressively — And Effectively

2:13pm June 18, 2020

by David Bianculli

HBO's new 8-part miniseries stars Matthew Rhys in the title role. The show is full of delightful surprises, including its portrayal of Mason as a gumshoe — not an iconic defense attorney.

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