Tag Archives: Transparent

‘Squawk Alley': Amazon studios: 4 pilots you can’t miss

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I took a quick hiatus from winter press tour to make an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Alley and discuss my Quartz story on Amazon’s new pilots. While I’ve appeared on the show several times, this was my first time doing it remotely via CNBC’s L.A. studio. Here’s a clip from the segment (though it’s more of an audio segment, because the network can’t stream Amazon footage — which aired during the segment — as part of its online video).

It was a great time as always. Thanks, Squawk Alley!

Amazon studios: 4 pilots you can’t miss

Amazon Debuts 13 TV Pilots Today—Here are the Four You Should Watch

amazon pilots

It’s been a huge week for Amazon Studios, between Transparent’s Golden Globes wins and the big coup signing Woody Allen to write and direct and new TV series. Now they are hoping to continue that momentum with its fourth round of pilots — 13 in all! — debuting today. At Quartz, I helped narrow the field to the four pilots you should watch, along with the one to avoid at all costs. Among my picks, The Man in the High Castle:

Like Amazon and Netflix’s best offerings, this one seems wholly unique, a show you won’t find anywhere else on television. Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1962 alternate history novel, this compelling drama imagines an alternate history in which the Allied Powers lost World War II. Twenty years later, the world has been divided among Japan and Germany, while a small resistance group continues to keep hope alive. Written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files) and executive produced by Ridley Scott, this is packing with stunning imagery, including American flags with a swastika in place of stars, and one scene involving what initially looks like snowflakes that haunted me for days.

While none of these pilots is at the level of Transparent yet (to be fair, few pilots emerge as fully realized as that one was), overall this is a much more ambitious and realized slate than the previous rounds, which should bode well for Amazon going forward.

But make sure to read my story before diving into the latest batch of pilots. After doing so many stories for Quartz, it was great to finally figure out a way to write a TV review for them!

Amazon debuts 13 TV pilots today—here are the four you should watch

For One Night at Least, Amazon Reigns Supreme Over Netflix

transparent golden globe

Something happened at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards that had never occurred on a televised awards show before: one of the winners started off her acceptance speech by thanking Amazon and Jeff Bezos.

That person was Jill Soloway, who picked up Amazon’s first-ever TV award for one of 2014’s best shows, Transparent. (Jeffrey Tambor added to the tally later in the evening, with his own trophy.) As I wrote at Quartz,

The victory was especially sweet for Amazon because it triumphed over co-nominee Orange is the New Black, from its streaming competitor, Netflix. While House of Cards’ Kevin Spacey later won a Globe for best actor in a drama, giving Netflix one trophy out of seven nominations, Netflix still hasn’t broken through with a best comedy or drama series win at the Golden Globes or Emmys.

Now Amazon has beaten them to the punch. It’s not quite David beating Goliath, but for one night at least, Amazon—which still lags far behind Netflix in total streaming video usage—is the top streaming network in Hollywood.

I also talk about why the Globes victory couldn’t have come at a better time for Amazon.

For one night at least, Amazon reigns supreme over Netflix

What Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Showtime and the Rest of TV Need to Resolve to Do in 2015

2015 resolutions

It seems like just yesterday that I had written five 2014 resolutions for the TV industry. But it’s already time to look ahead to 2015, which I did today for Quartz. (First, however, I took stock of how my 2014 resolutions turned out — not too shabby!)

This year, instead of making resolutions for the entire industry to follow, I created specific ones for the industry’s major players. For example, for Hulu:

Hulu: Don’t get left in the dust by Netflix and Amazon

In 2014, Hulu made some big moves to try and stay in the race with Netflix and Amazon, including an $80 million-plus deal acquiring the rights to all seasons of South Park and ordering three new series produced by the likes of J.J. Abrams, Jason Reitman and Amy Poehler. But those new shows, and South Park, need to deliver, and make Hulu a worthy streaming competitior. Oh, and Hulu, you know how you’ve been considering cutting back the number of ads running on Hulu Plus? Do that. Immediately.

I hope my 2015 resolutions fare as well as the 2014 ones did!

 What Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Showtime and the rest of TV need to resolve to do in 2015

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The 10 Best TV Performances of 2014

My Best (and Worst) of 2014 TV week continues. Yesterday I shared my Top 10 shows of the year, and today I’m unveiling the 10 best performances of 2014. These knockout performances aren’t all leads (two of them are supporting), but they all anchor their respective shows, which would be lost without them. Here are the crème de la crème, in alphabetical order:

Nora packs

(Paul Schiraldi)

Carrie Coon, The Leftovers

I ran hot and cold on The Leftovers, which careened wildly between brilliance and annoyance, but never when Coon was onscreen. As Nora Durst, who lost her entire family in the Sudden Departure, Coon’s performance was often heartbreaking, yet always captivating. She was neck and neck with Ann Dowd, who commanded the screen in her largely-silent performance as Guilty Remnant leader Patti, but Coon pulled ahead during an unforgettable scene in the finale in which Nora was finally forced to comfort the loss that she had kept bottled up for years. This was the year that Coon made a spectacular leap from the stage to TV and movies (where she was also a standout in Gone Girl), and I’m not sure how either medium had existed without her.

julianna margulies

(Jeff Neumann)

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Alicia Florrick is the gift that keeps on giving for Margulies. This year alone, she’s grieved the loss of her former (and likely future) boyfriend, solidified her emotional divorce from her governor husband, fought to free her law firm partner from prison and embarked upon an already-bitter run for State’s Attorney. But the actress shines brightest in the moments where she’s not saying a word: her furtive elevator gazes, her pregnant pauses on the phone and the way she’s a bit too eager about the glass of wine in her hand. She’s also not afraid to take Alicia into unexplored avenues, particularly ones that make viewers realize Alicia isn’t as “good” as we’d like to believe.

I wrote about Margulies and The Good Wife here.

Fusion x64 TIFF File

(BBC America)

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black

If Orphan Black fell back to earth a bit in Season 2, that certainly wasn’t the fault of Maslany, who was superb once again as she gave life to a more than a dozen distinct clones. Any one of them — particularly soccer mom Alison and assassin Cosima — would warrant Tatiana a slot on this list; add them up and her work ranks among the most stunning acting ever seen on television. And her infectious, impromptu clone boogie party in the finale gave new meaning to the song “Dancing with Myself.”

truedetectivemc

(Lacey Terrell)

Matthew McConaughey, True Detective

McConaughey seemingly collected all the awards this year (except for the Emmy), but months after his weekly visits to a podium, the potency of his Oscar-winning Dallas Buyers Club turn has receded, while Rust Cohle remains as vibrant as ever. As the series jumped back and forth through time, McConaughey kept peeling off layer after fascinating layer, often accompanied by another hypnotic monologue. Costar Woody Harrleson, creator Nic Pizzolatto and director Cary Fukunaga deserve a ton of praise, but the entire project would have collapsed without McConaughey.

matthewrhys

(Craig Blankenhorn/FX)

Matthew Rhys, The Americans

When I named The Americans the best show of 2014 yesterday, I noted that the series is clicking on all fronts. Well Rhys is clicking most of all as Philip Jennings. His degree of difficulty is astounding: at times, the Welsh actor is pretending to be a Russian pretending to be an American pretending to be whatever alias Philip has assumed that week. That he keeps all those balls in the air, while also struggling with Philip’s shifting loyalities, is a wondrous achievement.

Chapter One (Pilot)

(Tyler Golden/The CW)

Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin

Every year at Television Critics Association press story, there is one actor who completely captivates and charms the room. This summer, that was Rodriguez, who worked the same magic that she exhibits each week on Jane the Virgin. The show’s soapy silliness and outrageous premise could never work without it being grounded in something very real, and that’s all due to Rodriguez, who single-handedly keeps the show from becoming a parody of itself.

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(Amazon Studios)

Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Most actors are lucky if they get one defining roles in their career. Tambor now has three: Hank Kingsley, George Bluth Sr and Maura, his best, and most fearless performance yet. There are so many ways that a cis actor playing a transgender role could have gone horribly wrong, but all of Tambor’s instincts have been spot-on. We cheer and weep for Maura, in all phases of her life, even if we’re not always sure that we actually like her.

robinlordtaylor

(Jessica Miglio/FOX)

Robin Lord Taylor, Gotham

Gotham remains very much a work in progress, but the show had one thing right from the start: Taylor’s riveting turn as Oswald Cobblepot, the man who will one day will become the Penguin. In a show bursting with too many villains, he immediately seized the show’s focus and refuses to relinquish it, thanks to the perfect mix of braggadocio, sycophancy and pathos. I would be perfectly happy if this show were called Penguin, because he’s the one character I truly care about.

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(Chris Large/FX)

Allison Tolman, Fargo

Fargo arrived packed with top-shelf actors, including Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman and Kate Walsh, but Tolman somehow came in and stole the miniseries out from under all of them. As the Marge Gunderson-esque Deputy Molly Solverson, Tolman could have been crushed by comparisons to Frances McDormand, or even her fellow actors. Instead, she confidently made the role her own, one disheartened grimace at a time. I worry that Hollywood won’t know what to do with her now (though I loved her arc on The Mindy Project), but she was the find of the year, and I look forward to (hopefully) watching her eventually act her way through the entire FX slate (your move, The Americans!).

adenyoung

(Tina Rowden)

Aden Young, Rectify

I can’t think of another actor who would be disciplined and restrained enough to remain so bottled up as recently-released Death Row inmate Daniel, but Young proves every episode that less can be much, much more. (Here’s my pitch for a TV show: Alicia Florrick and Daniel team up for a show in which they do nothing but silently take elevator rides, walk around and sit in silence. It would be absolutely riveting.) This season, Young took advantage of Daniel’s slightly-expanding emotional palette and allowed slivers of sentiment to break through.

I wrote about Young and Rectify here.

Check back on Wednesday, when I’ll pause the accolades to discuss the year’s 10 biggest disappointments.

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The 10 Best Shows of 2014

I’m kicking off my week-long look at the best (and worst) TV of 2014 with my rundown of the year’s top 10 shows. Even more than usual, 2014 was overstuffed with TV goodies, and winnowing the list of worthy series down to 10 was a near-impossible task. There were easily 20 additional shows that also could have made the cut, but the 10 below represent the most exceptional programs I watched over the past year. These cable, broadcast and digital series resonated with me more than any other in 2014, and have continued to awe, challenge and inspire me, weeks and months later.

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(KC Bailey/FX)

10.  Louie (FX)

Returning after a near 20-month hiatus, Louie remained the most surprising show on TV. Each episode offers something completely unexpected, from Sarah Baker’s knockout monologue in “So Did the Fat Lady” to the six-part “Elevator” arc. And while Louis CK’s batting average may not have been quite as astronomical as in previous seasons, it was still worthy of a spot on the list. Netflix and its ilk might be changing the notion of what TV is, but no one is redefining the medium on a weekly basis more than CK.

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(Lacey Terrell/HBO)

9. True Detective (HBO)

I was among the many that was disappointed by the season’s conventional ending, but as the months have passed, that feeling has been dwarfed by the appreciation of all that came before it. Over eight riveting episodes, creator Nic Pizzolatto, director Cary Fukunaga and stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson tackled the most tired of genres – the buddy detective drama – and completely reinvented it. And the fourth episode’s uninterrupted, six-minute tracking shot was TV’s most euphoric experience of the year.

rectify1

(Tina Rowden)

8. Rectify (SundanceTV)

Almost every show on this list could be described as “unlike anything else on television.” But that goes double for Rectify, which ventured even further into uncharted territory in Season 2 as Aden Young’s Daniel continued his assimilation into society after spending 19 years on Death Row for the rape and murder of his teenage girlfriend. It dares you to put the outside world on pause and immerse yourself in its staggering emotion.

I wrote about the season here.

youretheworst

(Byron Cohen/FX)

7. You’re the Worst (FX)

This is the only comedy that cracked the list, though several shows — including The Mindy Project, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Black-ish and Archer — consistently made me laugh this year. You’re the Worst seemed like the kind of show I’d watch once, and then never glance at again. But I ended up falling for the abrasive Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) and obnoxious Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash) even harder than they fell for each other. Comedies aren’t supposed to be this assured out of the gate, but You’re the Worst had my number from the raucous, raunchy pilot. In a year when too many fantastic, low-rated comedies were canceled, You’re the Worst’s renewal was a glorious blessing.

I wrote about the show here.

Hannibal - Season 2

(Brooke Palmer/NBC)

6. Hannibal (NBC)

How can this show exist on broadcast TV? Is NBC even aware that they air it, or does someone else hack their airwaves every Friday at 10? Anyone who claims that broadcast TV has become mediocre and colorless has obviously never seen Bryan Fuller’s vibrant work of art, which puts most cable fare to shame. Fuller has taken a once-noble franchise that was driven into the ground by increasingly awful novels and even worse films, and restored its luster via a lush tapestry of visual and aural verve. It is a feast for the eyes, stomach and mind. Even if we know how the story will end (hell, Fuller revealed how the season would conclude three minutes into the premiere), Fuller has crafted a captivating journey, as we witness the psychological chess match between Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen).

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(JoJo Whilden/Netflix)

5. Orange is the New Black (Netflix)

The biggest surprise of 2013 wasn’t content to coast in Season 2; instead, it upped its game by deepening its depictions of all the Litchfield inmates we got to know in Season 1 — along with some we didn’t even realize we cared about (Rosa!). Even Taylor Schilling’s Piper — who last year seemed dwarfed by the likes of Kate Mulgrew’s Red and Uzo Aduba’s Suzanne — finally grew into her own this year. Lorraine Toussaint’s Vee proved a perfect wolf in sheep’s clothing, but almost everyone was given their share of unforgettable moments in the spotlight.

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(Amazon Studios)

4. Transparent (Amazon)

Amazon, I didn’t think you had it in you! Sure, the pilot for Jill Soloway’s examination of a patriarch (Jeffrey Tambor) who decides to finally live his life as the woman who has always been inside him, was impressive. But the series managed to be even more moving, as it was able to be groundbreaking without putting Maura on a pedestal (instead, she’s just as flawed as everyone else). Every character and moment seemed vivid and real, a feat that was every bit as innovative as its subject matter.

I wrote about Transparent here.

Fargo

(Chris Large/FX)

3. Fargo (FX)

I watched the Fargo pilot almost a year ago and was bowled over. Speaking with FX Networks CEO John Landgraf soon after, I asked if the subsequent episodes could possibly measure up. He assured me they were even better — and boy was he was right. Noah Hawley took sacred ground — the Coen Brothers’ 1996 masterpiece — and crafted a sprawling story that felt both new and very much of a piece with that film. It was packed with superb performances, particularly Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman and find-of-the-year Allison Tolman. And unlike True Detective, it stuck the ending, which honored the spirit of the show. You betcha!

The Last Call

(CBS)

2. The Good Wife (CBS)

This isn’t supposed to happen. A series A) in its sixth year B) on a broadcast network C) which loses a major cast member (RIP, Will Gardner) shouldn’t be reaching new creative heights. But nobody told The Good Wife that, because the show is as enthralling as it has ever been. Astoundingly, Will Gardner’s shocking death has turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to the show, and star Julianna Margulies, as it pushes its story and cast in wondrous new directions. I don’t know how long it can keep this up; but I’ll never bet against showrunners Robert and Michelle King, who are somehow pulling this off 22 times a year.

I reviewed The Good Wife here, and also profiled Christine Baranski and showrunners Robert and Michelle King.

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(Patrick Harbron/FX)

1. The Americans (FX)

I enjoyed the 2013 debut season of this series much more than some of my colleagues, but even I was astounded at the gargantuan creative leap it made in Season 2. Suddenly, the Russian spies working undercover as a married couple in ’80s America (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) were grappling with the gradual realization that their nuclear family was worth fighting for even more than Mother Russia.

It remains mindboggling so many viewers (and awards show voters) continue to overlook this show, which is a triumph on every level: from casting to scripts to production to costumes and wigs. It’s a spy thriller, a relationship drama, a family drama and a political drama rolled into one. And, oh yeah, it has several of the best music cues on television. In one series, The Americans packs in everything that television aspires to be. And the crazy thing is, I think it’s primed to get even better in Season 3, especially given the gutpunch of a twist in the season finale.

Check back on Tuesday for my look at the year’s 10 best performances.

The Future of TV is Here: Netflix and Amazon Will Face Off for a Golden Globe

The marquee of United Artists theater is seen during Amazon's premiere screening of "Transparent" at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles

It was a very good morning for Amazon, which received 2 Golden Globe nominations for Transparent, its first great series. As I wrote at Quartz, it’s the first major award nominations ever for Amazon, and something that the company — and Amazon Studios director Roy Price — have been pursuing for a long while:

It represents an important step forward for the upstart content provider, in its quest to join the ranks of television’s most respected outlets.

While insisting that he wasn’t solely competing with Netflix, Amazon Studios director Roy Price told me last summer that receiving recognition from a major awards body (as Netflix had been doing since last year’s Emmys) was very important to the company. “It could be great for us, and it gives the part of the audience that hasn’t tried the shows yet an idea that people are responding well to these shows,” Price said. “So, we’d love to see some love from the Emmys or the [Golden] Globes.”

Even better, the streaming outlet will be facing off directly against Netflix, as both are nominated in the best musical/comedy series category, for Transparent and Orange is the New Black. In the story, I also explain why Transparent and/or Tambor have a very good chance to go home with a Golden Globe on Jan. 11.

The future of TV is here: Netflix and Amazon will face off for a Golden Globe

Sorry, Netflix: Serial Proves That the Best Shows Shouldn’t Be Binged On

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Like everyone I know, and more than 1.4 million others around the world, I’m hopefully addicted to the podcast Serial, fall’s most riveting show. (Episode 9 is less than 24 hours away!) As I wrote at Quartz,

It’s also captured our imagination in a way no TV show has done this fall, and has the kind of deafening buzz and rabid fan base that any series would kill for. The unlikely global phenomenon is also the strongest proof in years that taut, weekly storytelling trumps the increasingly-popular binge-watching method that Netflix helped pioneer.

While my own tweets occasionally flourish and become stories, in this case I was inspired by a tweet from someone else, Veep actor Timothy Simons:

That crystallized something I’d been thinking about myself, and gave me the perfect opportunity to finally write the anti-binging story (at least when it comes watching TV’s best shows) that I’ve been mulling for months.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back to counting down the minutes until Episode 9 of Serial drops!

Sorry, Netflix: Serial Proves That the Best Shows Shouldn’t Be Binged On

‘Melissa Harris-Perry’: The debuts of ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ and ‘Black-ish’

I was very excited to make my debut on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, which is executive produced by one of my best friends, Eric Salzman. I joined Clarence Page and Alicia Quarles to talk with Melissa about fall TV, and the debuts of How to Get Away With Murder, Black-ish and the phenomenal Transparent.

We then spoke about Scandal’s season premiere, and its powerful message about sexual assault.

It was a great appearance and I look forward to returning soon!

Buzzworthy Fall Shows Make Their Debut

How Olivia Pope Schooled Roger Goodell

This is How Amazon Developed Its First Great TV Series

amazons first great series

Transparent, which debuts Friday, is not just Amazon’s first great series, but it’s fall’s best new show. At TCA, I spoke with creator Jill Soloway and star Jeffrey Tambor for this Quartz piece about this important, moving series, and why Amazon was the only place for it:

“We have this absolutely unprecedented amount of creative freedom. So Amazon to me wasn’t necessarily like a TV network, it was a really vital and vibrant distribution system that would be able to get the stuff to the people quickly,” said Soloway, who was a writer and co-executive producer on Six Feet Under. “It feels more like I got to make a five-hour movie that already had distribution in place than it did like anything I would ever do for CBS that’s an episode to episode deal. There was none of that [network] interference: these stop signs that you constantly have to deal with, that really interrupt your flow and your connection to your inspiration, in any kind of TV. This is nothing like TV! It’s not TV, it’s not HBO, it’s Amazon!”

Soloway was also frank about being wary of Amazon’s decision to release Transparent’s entire first season at once, Netflix-style.

“That was Amazon’s decision,” said Soloway. “In some ways, I was excited because it makes us like House of Cards or Orange, and I’m happy to be compared to shows like that. But I think as a showrunner, I have to get over the idea that there’s not going to be a, ‘And then next Friday, they’ll see the next piece!’ That’s different.”

You’ll also want to read what prompted Tambor to channel his Larry Sanders Show alter ego, Hank Kingsley. But even more importantly, make sure you watch Transparent!

This is how Amazon developed its first great TV series