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I am not one to disengage from what’s happening in the world but goodness, we all need to escape sometimes. Sometimes, we just want to be entertained and drawn in to a story that is not our own. Don’t get me wrong, it has to be well written and acted (and please don’t be too predictable). It feels like we are living in a sort of golden age of television with all the new streaming services. There’s a lot of competition, so it works out well for us, the viewers.
The Golden Globes and Oscars recently got some bad press for not having any female directors up for awards. I can’t speak to that since I haven’t seen most of those movies. But I can tell you the lead actresses in the following series are phenomenal. I’m so glad I watched every one of these and if you haven’t, you’ve got to give them a chance.
These women are at the top of their craft and why the series below are some of the best shows to stream now:
The Crown (Netflix)
I love Olivia Colman. I saw her in the Broadchurch series and she blew me away. But, I have to admit I was nervous with the re-casting. The perfection that was Claire Foy in the role of Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1 and 2 of The Crown, was truly a hard act to follow. The show is so well done overall and Colman is a great get for the series as the aging Elizabeth. Colman does a marvelous job. It’s always fun to learn a little history as well and there have been several times when I have taken to the internet to learn a little more about a particular event, like the tragedy at Aberfan. What an episode. I do miss Vanessa Kirby from season 1 and 2 as Princess Margaret, she was fantastic. Colman just won a Golden Globe for her role so if somehow you’ve missed this series, get watching.
Big Little Lies (HBO)
The second season of this great series premiered in June 2019. Big Little Lies stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern (love her!) and Zoë Kravitz. Mothers, friends, partners in crime, too with the backdrop of the beautiful (and upscale) area of Monterey, California. I had read the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty (I think of her as the queen of the beach reads) before the show came out. Nicole Kidman was everything in her role as Celeste. Everyone knows who Nicole Kidman is but until I watched the first season of Big Little Lies I don’t think I could have named a standout role I had ever seen her in. But she has earned my respect. Pairing her this season with Meryl Streep as her mother-in-law, I mean. What are you waiting for?
Dead To Me (Netflix)
Ok, for some reason it took me a while to get to Dead To Me after it premiered in May of 2019. I might have thought it was going to be silly? Christina Applegate plays newly widowed real estate agent Jen Harding. She is amazing in this role. She’s come a long way from her Married with Children days and she is fantastic. I didn’t know until this writing that Will Ferrell is one of the producers of this black comedy. There is plenty of quirky humor but a lot of “heart” in this series as well. There are elements of mystery, the kind where you are constantly trying to figure out exactly what is going on. Especially in regards to the other main character, Judy Hale played by Linda Cardellini (Bloodline). Completely entertaining series, I’m so glad I gave this a try. Can’t wait for a second season of this show.
Unbelievable (Netflix)
The three (!) female leads in Unbelievable, Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, and Kaitlyn Dever make this series a standout. Based on true events, it’s the story of a series of rapes that occurred in Colorado and Washington. It is definitely one of the more somber choices on my list but important, and you don’t want to miss it. I’ve been a fan of Toni Collette since Muriel’s Wedding (1994), how great is she? Collette and Wever play police detectives who meet through the course of their investigations into a series of rapes and work together to find this monster. Parallel to their plotline, is the story of the young victim, Marie Adler, played by Dever. We see her struggle to deal with the aftermath of her assault, the choices she made and the treatment of her by the police. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role.
Fleabag (Amazon Prime)
The first season of Fleabag premiered in 2016 and the second season in 2019. I thought maybe this series would be a little too weird, too out there, too… something? It got so many glowing reviews that I decided I had to give it a try this past Fall. It is one of those shows that starts with a sex scene and you think, ok, how is this going to go? Will it be too in your face? But you watch a bit more, and you learn more about the characters and your curiosity begins to grow. And then you begin to really care about the characters and you’re completely invested and at some point you’re laughing and then you have tears in your eyes. And finally, wishing it wouldn’t end. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, created and wrote this series and stars in the title character role. She is wonderful, but it may be the relationship with her successful sister, Claire, played by Sian Clifford and the way they play off each other while trying to navigate their lives and their dysfunctional family that puts this show on another level.
The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
This is the most recent series I streamed and it felt indulgently delightful. I kept hearing little things about The Morning Show but I knew it was on a new Apple streaming service that I wasn’t subscribed to. I’m all about the free trial, however (which they offer), so I decided to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did. The Morning Show stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who also produced the series for Apple+. Aniston plays successful, veteran morning show TV host Alex Levy. She hires younger, less filtered, smart, Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon) as her new co-host when Alex’s male co-host (played by Steve Carrell) gets abruptly fired for sexual misconduct.
They say it’s not supposed to be about former Today Show host Matt Lauer, but rather a compilation of different people and things that happen in the cutthroat world of TV. I couldn’t help but think of Lauer the whole time I was watching. Aniston is absolutely fabulous. This show is very entertaining. It’s feels like a voyeuristic glimpse at the drama that really goes on behind the scenes of morning TV. But real life heartbreak is reflected as well. At one point, the anchors rush to Las Vegas to cover the devastating mass shooting. There is the backdrop of the Me Too movement and the issue of workplace sexual misconduct and none of it is handled in a petty or frivolous way.
If you missed any of these, give them a try. And let me know if I left off one of your favorites from 2019.
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