Are my ratings getting consistently lower or is it just Mid TV? James Poniewozik published a fascinating article in the New York Times on April 27, 2024 detailing the lack of spectacular television series currently on air. His tag line, “It’s got a great cast. It looks cinematic. It’s, um … fine. And it’s everywhere” really got to me. From the Times,
I do not mean to single out Glover and Erskine here. They are not alone — far from it. Keri Russell, a ruthless and complicated Russian spy in “The Americans,” is now in “The Diplomat,” a forgettably fun dramedy. Natasha Lyonne, of the provocative “Orange Is the New Black” and the psychotropic “Russian Doll,” now plays a retro-revamped Columbo figure in “Poker Face.” Idris Elba, once the macroeconomics-student gangster Stringer Bell in “The Wire,” more recently starred in “Hijack,” a by-the-numbers airplane thriller.
I’ve watched all of these shows. They’re not bad. They’re simply … mid. Which is what makes them, frustratingly, as emblematic of the current moment in TV as their stars’ previous shows were of the ambitions of the past.
What we have now is a profusion of well-cast, sleekly produced competence. We have tasteful remakes of familiar titles. We have the evidence of healthy budgets spent on impressive locations. We have good-enough new shows that resemble great old ones.
We have entered the golden age of Mid TV.
I touted the second golden age of television for what seems like forever. But when I think about my favorite shows of all-time, most of them happened in the 2000’s. That’s nearly 25 years ago. But stick with me because I am processing all of this as I write. That’s not to say incredible television hasn’t happened in the 2020’s. It has and when I think Reel Charlie’s favorite television series list, it’s gigantic, but of course spans five decades. Focusing on 2020 forward, there are many incredible series that were born in the past four years such as:
As We See It – realness from the Spectrum
Bonding – incredible look at BDSM sex work
Doctor Foster – Suranne Jones magic
The Gilded Age – addictive follow-up to Downton
A League of Their Own – amazing interpretation of the film
Sex Education – brilliant sex therapist and son drama
Somebody Somewhere – finding your way at 40
Sort Of – non-binary Pakistani-Canadian magic
Succession – scary corrupt corporate family
Total Control – Rachel Griffiths Prime Minister
The Wisting – Norway police procedural
Woke – crazy great African-American experience
Work in Progress – misfit lesbian finding her place
Keep in mind that’s only a four-year period, not ten. And I omitted a number of titles which began their first season in 2019.
For me there’s two things going on here. First, there’s too many streaming services. Who knew QVC would jump into the late night talk show race with Busy Philipps? Who knew streamers would create original content to the tune of 23 billion dollars in 2023? We’ve had second-rate copiers for as long as we’ve had great cinema and television. But the massive amount of streamers producing new content makes it impossible to maintain the level of excellence we had 20 years ago. Or does it? When Six Feet Under, The Wire, Queer as Folk, and The L Word aired in the 2000’s, there’s was still a crap ton of mediocre network and cable television. So maybe there’s still enough outstanding television today, it’s just standing next to a ton of ok, decent, eh, and crappy TV. But isn’t that how it’s always been? I know, I know, the article is talking about shows that fool you, trick you into thinking they are incredible when they are actually Mid. Then there’s my own threshold. I’m working full-time. I don’t always want to focus on Friday nights. Or Wednesday nights. So I don’t mind watching ok/decent and falling asleep. When I fall asleep watching outstanding I have to rewind. Not with Mid. So as much as I related to this article initially, I am not sure I agree with it. Yes, there’s a lot of Mid TV out there. He’s absolutely correct. But there are gems. They aren’t always easy to find, but they are there. Yes, Mid TV is here and sort of always has been. A lot of people sell out at least a few times to bank their retirement account. Nothing wrong with that. I’m ok watching an episode or two of Poker Face and thinking “next.” My description says it all,
Got dull after four episodes. I wanted more. I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t great. I’ll give this a 2.9. You might want to check it out. Tons of buzz.
Maybe I should demand more. But somehow I find the gems. If there’s not a lot of 5 out of 5’s, maybe that’s a good thing. Thoughts?
Already five seasons airing on The Food Network, Max just got up to Season 4 of Ina Garten’s newest show, Be My Guest. The premise is simple. Ina invites one guest to her barn – the kitchen studio where she shoots her series. They talk career and life. Then they cook something together. And finally they take a trip somewhere in East Hampton where Garten and her husband live. I loved watching Laura Linney, Julianna Margulies, Rob Marshall and John DeLuca, and Nathan Lane. I realized however that the Nathan Lane episode got to a point where I didn’t care for what they were making. Other episodes I am not interested in the guest. So this is a hit or miss for me. I am looking forward to watching at least one more episode – Frank Bruni. After that, I’m good. This is feel good Ina in her element – her home studio, showing off her interviewing skills, and her town. 3 out of 5 for Be My Guest with Ina Garten.
I love that we live in an era where a super fan can create a documentary about their favorite cult classic film and not only do they manage to interview cast, crew, and other fans, the experience turns out to be a whole lot of fun. Do you love Clue (1985)? I do. I recently purchased the 4K disk version of the film because I feel like I need to start watching Clue on a more regular basis. It’s been slowly gaining ground since the invention of VHS – which I know is a long time ago. But decade after decade it’s found a greater audience and now people are proud to say how much they love this camp fest classic. Director and fan fanatic Jeff C. Smith helms the project interviewing Colleen Camp, Jeffrey Kramer, Jonathan Lynn, Michael McKean, Lee Ving, and Lesley Ann Warren. Tim Curry’s interview got axed because of COVID. Or course he’s talked about with lots of love from all the other players. If you’re a fan, or need to be reminded of why you should be a fan, check out Who Done It: The Clue Documentary. 3 out of 5 because it’s so specific.
Reel Charlie favorite Pedro Almodovar’s latest film, Strange Way of Life clocks in at 31 minutes and surprise – it’s in English. I knew this was going to be a tough sell for me. I’m not a huge fan of Ethan Hawke. I have no love for Westerns. The film landed about where I imagined. I didn’t love it. It felt one-dimensional, sparse, and unfinished. Felt like Pedro Pascal’s talents were wasted. Almodovar is my favorite living director. I have said this before, no one makes a perfect film every time. No one. So it doesn’t upset me I didn’t connect with Strange Way of Life. I wanted more. I wanted less cookie-cutter genre. I’m happy the filmmaker stepped outside of his comfort zone. I look forward to the next film from the master. 2 out of 5. I tried giving it a higher score, but I didn’t like it. Next.
Outstanding 2020 documentary, Ahead of the Curve follows the life of magazine publisher Franco Stevens, who in 1990 published Deneuve, the first lesbian lifestyle magazine. After a 1996 trademark infringement dispute with French actress Catherine Deneuve, the case was settled and the magazine changed names to Curve and continued as a lesbian magazine until 2010. Stevens reacquired Curve in 2021 and helped launch The Curve Foundation to help advance its mission. Curve magazine is now a non-profit project of The Curve Foundation which champions lesbian, queer women, transgender and nonbinary people’s stories and culture through intergenerational programming and community building. The documentary begins as Stevens contemplates the future of Curve and wonders if she should get involved again. She travels around the country interviewing young lesbian and queer women about what they need, if they care about history (they do), and where does she need to point Curve. In between there is a massive amount of footage from the 1990’s showing the rise of the magazine, it’s triumphs, it’s imprint on the lesbian community, and Stevens personal and professional challenges. I was so impressed with the crafting of the story and the sensitivity between generations as everyone grapples with identity and the use of labels in the 2020’s. A must-see. 5 out of 5.
What is it with journalism stories and Reel Charlie? I just love a good journalistic sleuth story. Think 
More rabbit hole fun with HGTV shows on Max for Reel Charlie. Looks like the show Luxe for Less only has one season which is a damn shame because Atlanta’s Michel Smith Boyd’s design aesthetic and sex appeal deserves a whole lot more. Joining Michel are colleagues Kai Williamson, Laura Green, and Anthony Elle. Incredible quartet of creatives who help home owners realize their renovation project on a budget. The banter between these four is amazing. I love this show’s designs. Wish there were more seasons. C’mon HGTV! This one was a whole lot of fun! 4 out of 5.
Reel Charlie 