The 3 Best New TV Shows to Watch Right Now!! You'll Thank Me in the Morning
These 3 exceptional shows will remind you why TV is in its new Golden Age.
I’m taking a brief rest from writing about my outrage over the Supreme Court decisions and the January 6 hearings to share the three best TV shows I’ve watched recently. We all need a break sometimes, just to bring down our blood pressure and recharge our battered spirits for the next news cycle of buffoonery and evil. We should never ignore enjoying our lives, even as we fight the good fight. Otherwise, what’s the point?
The three shows featured today are examples of riveting television at its best. Two of the shows might be the kind you expect from me. But the third will surprise you. I hope you’ll trust me enough to give each a chance.
By the way, all the shows mentioned have been renewed for a second season. Great news for me and my blood pressure.
The Old Man (HULU)
The Old Man is Jeff Bridges, who plays a grizzled ex-sniper/spy whose been living out his life as a family man in hiding until the CIA and FBI suddenly wants to bring him in on behalf of an old Afghan enemy. Everything about the premise sounds like a retread of a lot of “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” stories. But this one is far, far superior in every way.
Instead of the usual cast of stereotypical characters put through the paces of a predictable plot, The Old Man is filled with dynamic and original characters and a plot filled with exciting surprises. But while it’s intensely suspenseful with plenty of action, the series’ real power comes from the great characterization and superb dialogue.
Dan Chase (Bridges) is the aging ex-spy still trying to recover from the death of his wife who’d been suffering from Alzheimer’s. Through flashbacks we learn more about the nature of their relationship, which gives the story more depth of emotion. John Lithgow plays the FBI assistant director in charge of bringing in his old friend, though it would benefit him more if Chase is killed rather than brought in alive. The complexity of their relationship—and the refusal of the show to make Lithgow purely a villain—keep us riveted.
Chase is forced to fight much younger men and these encounters are brutal and awkward, as they would be in real life. He also forms a romantic relationship with a woman (Amy Brenneman) while on the run and that is as emotionally brutal and awkward as the fighting. But it is enormously satisfying to watch a mature relationship between experienced adults who’ve lived with grief and disappointment as they navigate their own vulnerabilities.
This is a compelling take on aging, fatherhood, love, and doing what’s right. All with a lot of bullets and ass-kicking.
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Dark Winds (AMC+)
After I retired from the NBA, I spent some time on the White Mountain Apache reservation coaching the local high school basketball team to the state tournament. (Which I chronicle in A Season on the Reservation: My Soujourn With the White Mountain Apaches.) My experiences there gave me a deep appreciation for and connection to the lovely people I lived with. Maybe that’s why I have a special affinity for books, TV shows, and movies that show the same affection and respect for Indians and the challenges of life on reservations.
Even though only 22% of Indians live on reservations, the cultural ties and personal impact the existence of the reservation has is powerful. It represents not just a history of betrayal and suppression—which this series addresses—but a pride in a heritage that survives despite the best efforts of others. It’s a flower that grows even under the harshest conditions.
Set in the 1970s, Dark Winds is based on a Tony Hillerman novel. Hillerman is one of the most popular and respected mystery writers of the twentieth century, writing many novels about the Navajo Tribal Police and officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. There’s all kind of action and mystery as the cops try to solve a grizzly murder and a violent bank heist. But mixed in with the familiar mystery elements is also the portrayal of the Indian culture and traditions that add a layer of interest and meaning, raising the stakes on solving the mystery.
The mystery is engrossing, the characters endearing, the setting enveloping—the series entertaining and enthralling.
Julia (HBO Max)
Warning: Do not turn away! Do not skip this!
I, too, didn’t watch this show when it first aired in March because I felt like I’d learned all I need to know about Julia Child when Meryl Streep played her in Julie & Julia (2009). I don’t care about French cooking and I never watched any of her famous shows back in the sixties through the eighties. No way would I like this show.
I was soooooooo wrong.
Julia follows Julia Child’s fascinating and surprising journey from housewife to famous author and TV star. But it is much more than a familiar chronology of overcoming obstacles, it’s a revelation about the different ways women found their voices at a time when no one was listening. There are many women characters in the series, and each has her own struggles, no matter where they are on the ladder of success. From famous and respected editors and publishers to a neophyte Black producer to a young mom working on her thesis to a middle-aged widow finding renewed purpose, we are passionately committed to each of their stories.
The series has a The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel vibe, partly because of the historical setting of the sixties, partly because it’s about the trials and tribulations of women trying to be taken seriously, and partly because the writing is so witty, intelligent, and funny. There are so many wonderfully laugh-aloud and poignant lines (that I wish I’d written) that elevate this show to greatness.
There is no denying the addictive charm of Julia as played by Sarah Lancashire. She commands the screen whenever she’s on and you can’t help but wish she was your best friend. But the show doesn’t rest on the charm alone, it pushes much deeper into the character and her nuanced relationship with her devoted husband (David Hyde Pierce), even daring to explore their sex lives as well as Julia’s menopause. (If any of that scares you off, you don’t deserve this remarkable series.)
One way I know how good a show is, is by how satisfied yet sad I am when I’ve watched the last episode. Here I was both sated and saddened, as if I’d just enjoyed a wonderful two-week vacation with close friends, only to have to take them to the airport to wave goodbye. Goodbye, Julia. Can’t wait for you to visit again.
So true, that feeling when a good series ends is the worst most satisfying thing
I enjoy your newsletter whether somber or lighthearted. I heard Jeff Bridges on the Smartless podcast. Hearing that, and reading your recommendation, I'll definitely watch. I also want to read Tony Hillerman novels and check out the other two shows! Thank you.