During the pandemic, all of us may have set a record for Diversion TV as we hunkered down at home and stayed off the streets. Last week I share with you six of my favorite “regular series” from 2021.
This week I have six more of them, although it may be less likely that you’ve heard of them. Some of them are relatively new and others are older and have finished, but with 170 episodes, you’ll get a few fresh ideas to consider.
Big Sky (ABC) 2 Seasons, 26 Episodes. Future Uncertain.
Big Sky is an American crime drama thriller series created by David E. Kelley and based on The Highway series of books by C. J. Box
The series has a few demented characters in the plot line, but the two woman detectives are pretty badass, particularly Katheryn Winnick who got some practice in the period piece, The Vikings.
The kind of plot that has you saying after every episode … “okay, just one more ….”
SEAL Team (CBS, now Paramount+) 5 Seasons, 94 Episodes. Future Uncertain.
SEAL Team follows the lives of an elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan, and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions their country can ask of them. The show strives for authenticity with characters who are flawed but committed.
Startup (Netflix) 3 Seasons, 30 Episodes. Finished
Startup features a desperate banker, a Haitian-American gang lord and a Cuban-American hacker who are forced to work together to unwittingly create their version of the American dream. I love the mix of characters in this show and hope that efforts to resurrect it will be successful.
Godfather of Harlem (Epix) 2 Seasons, 20 Episodes. Renewed for S3.
In the Godfather of Harlem, Forest Whittaker plays a fearless gangster as Bumpy Johnson, who makes his way in Harlem during the 1960s. There’s no messing around here, but Whittaker along with Nigel Thatch, who plays Malcolm X so well you think it’s him … and Giancarlo Esposito playing Congressman Adam Clayton Powell … round out a compelling cast.
Halt & Catch Fire (Netflix) 4 Seasons. Episodes. Finished.
Halt and Catch Fire is another series I wish hadn’t ended … and like other series, is being reconsidered for resurrection given the renewed interest in binge TV during he pandemic.
In many ways, it’s a realistic portrait of the 80s technological revolution that led to the information society that exists today.
Sorry to see this one go, too.
For Life (ABC) 2 seasons, 26 Episodes. Finished.
For Life apparently didn’t get a lot of love after two seasons, and was cancelled but undeservedly so.
Nicholas Pinnock stars as Aaron Wallace, a prisoner who becomes a lawyer and fights to overturn his life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. He is a serious man, committed to his principles and who stands up to all comers. A terrific acting performance that deserves an audience.
