The original MacGyver is such a product of its time that, for those of us who lived through the ‘80s (or, in this writer’s case, half of it), it’s a veritable nostalgia cherry bomb. Richard Dean Anderson’s feathery hair remains iconic, and the show’s then fresh, science-driven send-up of the then eminently popular superspy and action-adventure genres is to this day one of the most fun and unabashedly silly concepts to ever hit primetime.
Lucifer's second season gets off to a nice start, building on the show's strengths while retaining some of the weaknesses. It remains an unapologetically sordid, demonically fun hour of TV.
Returning to IFC this fall is one of the most peculiar, inventive comedies on TV, the veritable documentary spoof factory Documentary Now! Created by SNL MVPs Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and their ever-loving godfather Lorne Michaels, the show found its niche on the “always on, slightly off” cable network by spoofing some of the most popular documentaries of all time, appealing to the indie-minded set while providing enough surface-level humor to appease fans of their famous late-night shenanigans. The show’s first season goofed on classics like The Thin Blue Line, Grey Gardens, and Nanook of the North, and now the comedy triumvirate is back with a new lineup of 20-minute spoofs.
Luke Cage is a breakthrough for Marvel, a provocative, socially conscious crime drama that brings a fresh perspective to the ever-crowding superhero genre.
Queen Sugar, Ava Duvernay’s small-screen adaptation of the Natalie Baszile novel on Oprah's OWN, is a progressive force in the TV landscape on several fronts. The family drama’s predominantly black cast is anchored by strong female characters and views the world from their perspective; the male characters are defined by sensitivity and vulnerability rather than the typical malady of American faux-machismo; the storytelling sidesteps explosive, tearjerker sensationalism in favor of nuanced drama that unfolds organically.
