A daily chronicle of creativity in film, TV, music, arts, and entertainment, produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from November 2014 – March 2020. Host John Horn leads the conversation, accompanied by the nation's most plugged-in cultural journalists.
As the midsummer heat sets in, TV networks are showcasing their upcoming Fall season talent during what usually is a dry period for exciting television. However, this year there is no need to wait for Fall for exciting shows.
Andy Greenwald, who covers TV for Grantland and shares the ups and downs of the biz on his podcast, "Hollywood Prospectus," tells us what we should be binging on right now.
1. "Mr. Robot" (USA)
A psychological hacker thriller starring Rami Malek and Christian Slater, "Mr. Robot" tells the story of Elliot Alderson (Malek), tech security worker by day, vigilante hacker by night. Alderson meets the quirky "Mr. Robot" and is enlisted to help take down "E Corp," the very company he is employed to protect.
Fun fact: The series was originally conceived by creator Sam Esmail as a feature film.
What Andy thinks:
I know if you heard USA and you heard the name Mr. Robot" you might already be tuned out. Let me advise you to tune back in. This is unlike anything else on TV. It is a very paranoid hacker thriller that takes aim squarely at corporate American in a way that is both funny, bold, and deeply, deeply surprising.
"Mr. Robot" has already been renewed for a second season.
2. "Catastrophe" (Amazon)
This British romantic comedy was created by and stars Irish actress Sharon Horgan and American comedian Rob Delaney. Their characters meet on a UK business trip and engage in a week-long affair that results in an unexpected pregnancy. An effort to have a relationship ensues. The series is broadcast by Channel 4 in the UK and available on Amazon Prime in the USA.
Fun fact: Delaney initially received attention because of
.
What Andy thinks:
Absolutely the most fun you'll have watching TV this summer. The thing about "Catastrophe" is that is it very funny, but it actually stars characters that are real human beings. The humor goes to places that traditional rom-coms rarely do."
"Catastrophe" was renewed for a second season earlier this year.
3. "Deutschland 83" (Sundance TV)
Jonas Nay plays Martin Rauch, an East German border patrol officer who is stationed in West Germany as a spy to gather information. It is, indeed, set in 1983.
Fun fact: The eight episode mini-series is also the first German-language series to air on an American Network.
What Andy thinks:
It is a sexy spy story. It is incredibly fun. If you are a fan of TV shows like "The Americans," the novels of John le Carré, or spy fiction in general, you'll like it. But it also has an incredible New Wave soundtrack, obviously relevant to the era. Really, it's a show about youth."
4. "Humans" (AMC)
"Humans" takes place in London where people are learning to coexist with the newest accessory, "synths" — uncanny human-like robots that help humans around the house with mundane tasks. William Hurt is featured in the series as Dr. George Millican, a mostly housebound scientist who helped create the synths.
Fun fact: William Hurt.
What Andy thinks:
William Hurt has long had the reputation of being one of our great American actors and he is almost always good, but he rarely seems as invested as he does in this. He is very emotionally alive and his performance is the best I can remember from him in a long time."