This year I embarked on the journey of a lifetime... in which I watched one complete show every day. Be it one season or multiple, cancelled or renewed, critically panned or critically acclaimed. I had high ambitions, and yet I managed to last a mere nine days. If nothing else, I managed to watch lots of great and varied TV I had missed in those nine days.
Day 1 - The Last Tycoon (Amazon Prime)
The Last Tycoon was an ambitious show for sure. Premiering in Amazon’s 2016 pilot season and releasing the rest of the episodes in 2017, it surely showed there was interest in it. Unfortunately, the show was not very well received upon coming out, which eventually turned out to be a cause for it’s cancellation after just one season. Loving the concept of the show, I set out to watch it nonetheless. I can see why the show got mixed reviews. The show is absolutely gorgeous, with some of the best cinematography of 2017. It’s incredibly well acted thanks to all of the great actors involved. Where the show faltered however, was in it’s story and pacing.
The story and scenario itself are fascinating. A fictional movie studio on the edge of bankruptcy back in the golden age of movies tries to save itself from incoming death. On paper, that should make for a fantastic show on the level of Mad Men. Despite that, the writing let it down. While the dialogue was fine, even great at times, the pacing of the story was incredibly off. At times it felt like it went too fast, while at other times it felt like it was going at a snail’s pace. It never quite learned to settle and be consistent, which ultimately hurt both the story and the overall. Add some unnecessary melodrama distracting from the core of the show, and you’ve got a somewhat messy script. Even with that, the show still has it’s merits. Would I say it’s worth watching? Only if you’re truly into the concept like I was, because it’s Twin Peaks-esque unresolved cliffhanger doesn’t do the show any favors either.
Day 2 - The Bold Type (Freeform)
Did I have high expectations for The Bold Type? Yes, and no. On one side, it’s a Freeform show heavily focusing it’s appeal towards the teenager crowd. I don’t usually quite mesh with those shows, or even find them interesting in the first place. Then on the other side, it’s a Freeform show. The same network that recently put out Grown-ish, which is currently one of my favourite new shows of 2018 so far. The great reviews for the show were enough to push me over the edge and convince me to give it a shot. I’m glad I did.
While The Bold Type is in no way an all-time great show, it doesn’t have to be. The show is plain fun, with likable characters and interesting scenarios.The actors involved do a great job in portraying their social media-frienzied characters, all in all being able to not turn their characters into unlikable, annoying, whiny women who simply don’t have their priorities straight. That last part may be true nonetheless, but it attests to the quality of the actors and writing that that was never of any bother. The setup feels very sitcom at times, except the show also manages to blend in drama elements to the show without problems. One of the scenes in the finale is without a doubt one of the most powerful scenes of TV in 2017. Much like sitcoms, the strength will always be in the characters, and that’s where The Bold Type more than shines.
