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TV To Watch Out For: 'Lessons In Chemistry,' 'Shining Vale,' And 'The Fall Of The House Of Usher'
The Fall of the House of Usher. Carla Gugino as Verna in episode 102 of The Fall of the House of Usher.
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TV-Talk: Is Peak TV Dead? Plus Reviews Of ‘Lessons In Chemistry,’ ‘Shining Vale’ And More
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network tv and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we’re going to try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week Larry talks with Joe Flint, staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, about his recent piece “Peak TV Is Over. A Different Hollywood Is Coming.” And Cristina Escobar, tv critic and co-founder ofLatinaMedia.Co, joins to share thoughts and review some upcoming series. Today’s shows include: Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+) Shining Vale [Season 2] (STARZ) The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
In the content-rich world of television where options can be overwhelming, it helps to have a professional highlight what’s worth watching. That’s why every week, television critics join the LAist 89.3 daily news program AirTalk to discuss the latest shows coming down the pike. This week, Cristina Escobar, TV critic and co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co, shared her thoughts on what to stream.
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Listen
16:44
TV-Talk: Is Peak TV Dead? Plus Reviews Of ‘Lessons In Chemistry,’ ‘Shining Vale’ And More
Lessons in Chemistry
The basics: Adapted from a novel by Bonnie Garmus, the show takes place in the 1960s and follows a woman forced to give up on her dream of becoming a scientist. Instead, she finds success as the host of a TV cooking show.
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The vibe: Mad Men meets Julie & Julia. The show is “set in a realistic time period and a realistic place in Los Angeles. It references real historical events, but it's a little bit of a fantasy,” says Escobar.
Who’s who: Brie Larson, known for her work in the Marvel Universe, stars alongside Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, and Kevin Sussman.
When and where: The first two episodes premiere Friday, Oct. 13 on Apple TV+.
“The examples of sexism are very clear cut. There's not a lot of gray in this show, but because of that, It's very satisfying to watch. It's very satisfying to see Brie Larson be a superhero of a different kind and tackle and expose sexism as she goes.” — Cristina Escobar, TV critic and co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co
Shining Vale
The basics: Explains Escobar, “This is about a couple and a family who move out of New York to the suburbs” into a house where horrible things have happened. Pat, played by Courtney Cox, has to figure out, “is she being possessed? Is it just madness? Is she just a hysterical woman?”
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The vibe: According to Escobar, “It's got that like horror genre camp. It references a lot of sort of famous horror tropes and horror films.”
Who’s who: The show is created by Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan, known for the shows Bad Sisters and Catastrophe.
When and where: Premiers Friday, Oct. 13 on STARZ. Episodes drop weekly.
“It does have some really smart and more nuanced things to say about gender and where we are as a society. It's a little bit uneven, but I think for fans of that kind of horror genre trope... there's a lot to enjoy.” — Cristina Escobar, TV critic and co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co
The Fall of the House of Usher
The basics: In this contemporary take on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, The Usher family sits atop a pharmaceutical fortune made by selling addictive painkillers. One-by-one, the heirs begin to die off mysteriously.
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The vibe: Just in time for spooky season. “I was scared,” says Escobar.
Who’s who: Created by Mike Flanagan, who’s also responsible for the popular Netflix horror series “The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” and “Midnight Mass.”
When and where: All eight episodes premiere Thursday, Oct. 12 on Netflix.
“Overall, the show really works, and I think fans of Mike Flanagan are going to be rewarded for viewing this one." — Cristina Escobar, TV critic and co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co
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