TV You Might Have Missed 17: Good Cop/Bad Cop

A procedural dramedy centered around Lou and Henry, an odd couple sister and brother detective team in a small Pacific Northwest police force, who must contend with colorful residents, a lack of resources, and their own complicated dynamics.

We like police procedurals, especially if they're not too gritty. Pokerface, Killing It, Brokenwood. You know the sort of show I mean. Good ones are in all too short suppy these days.

So were happy to find promise in the pilot episode and kept going. We found a fun, quirky show that wasn't too over-the-top while providing a murder-of-the week, albeit often also quirky such as the rodeo murder. With each episode the writers increasingly found their stride and we got more attached to the characters. I especially enjoyed the brother - sister dynamic which came on strong in the first episode but quickly became a solid strength of the show.

Season One is 8 episodes and can be found on Prime. We're now in there with the other fans who are hoping there will be a Season Two.

TV You Might Have Missed 16: Taskmaster

Five comedians are set tasks challenging their creativity and wit. The tasks are supervised by Alex Horne but the Taskmaster, Greg Davies, gives points based on his own personal, occasional whimsical criteria. The tasks are nonsensical but inventive such as making a portrait of a celebrity using toilet paper rolls, getting three giant yoga balls to the top of a hill, or catching things in an open top hat on your head. 

The fun depends on the good cheer of the comedians who earnestly strive to win each task. The true hilarity, though, comes from the Taskmaster's quick wit and his comic exchanges with Alex Horne, who is also genuinely funny just in a different way.

This is the only show I can think of which is so genuinely funny. We have watched all 19 seasons, some of them twice. Usually crudity is held to a minimum which is refreshing. (Except for season 5 which we couldn't finish.) This show helped get me through the early, chaotic days of my mother's latest illness and beginning of her hospice at home. It's truly enjoyable.

TV You Might Have Missed 15: Peter Gunn

Peter Gunn is a private investigator in a nameless waterfront city who uses Mother's jazz club as his "office." He's modeled on Cary Grant and it shows. Suave and debonaire, he's also handy with a gun and can trade punches with the best of them. A spare case of regulars include the sultry jazz singer Edie as Gunn's girlfriend, tough but classy broad Mother, and cynical Lieutenant Jacoby as a friendly police contact.

My parents loved Peter Gunn and had the soundtrack by Henry Mancini. Indeed, you usually only hear this series mentioned because of Mancini (with Johnny Williams on piano) but the show is well worth watching for the half-hour bites of cool film noir.  It was created and written by Blake Edwards in the days before his movie directing. 

The excellent acting, interesting stories, creative camera angles and shadows, and snappy dialogue make each episode a pleasure. There's not a lot of time to develop intricate plots but the variety and atmosphere make it a pleasure.

TV You Might Have Missed 14 — Beyond Evil

As a killing resembling a cold case resurfaces in a small town, the chase for the truth falls on two policemen who each harbor secrets of their own. In the course of uncovering the culprit's identity, they question the innocence of everyone involved in the case, including themselves. "Who is the monster?" "Is it you?" "Is it me?" "Is it us?"

We found this because we'd seen Yeo Jin-goo in The Crowned Clown and wondered what else he'd done. This showed other facets to his range as he played the entitled, determined young cop with a lot of baggage. We were also wowed by Shin Ha-kyun opposite him as someone with so much baggage he shouldn't be able to stand up straight.

I don't usually like serial killer plots but my daughter is unfazed by them so she could fill me in on plot points when I had to look away. This morphed into a multi-layered investigation into much more than a serial killer, which I didn't expect. There were some plot holes but they were more than made up for by the simply excellent acting by the two leads. I should add that the other acting was great too.

TV You Might Have Missed #13 — Hwayugi (A Korean Odyssey)

A stylish urban fantasy about the Monkey King, a powerful immortal banished to the human world, and a young woman who can see ghosts and spirits. Their intertwined destinies and a contract made years ago lead them to clash and become allies, battling evil and exploring themes of fate, love, and redemption.

This urban fantasy was tons of fun. We really grew to love these characters. I especially enjoyed watching Son O Gong (Monkey) behaving in such a monkey-like fashion as he ignored what anyone wanted but himself and acted on whichever whimsy occurred to him. 

This is a very loose riff on the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West about a Buddhist monk on pilgrimage accompanied by protecting deities atoning for their sins. It  certainly broadened my horizons as I wound up reading The Monkey King, Vol. I and 2, graphic novels by  Chaiko Tsai looking for a few clues as to the characters or symbols from that story. You don't have to know anything about Journey to watch the show, but it does make it more fun to be able to identify a few things such as the Geumganggo.

The female lead was the weakest actress and her story was also the weakest but the engaging side stories more than made up for that problem. Of course, we were invested in the main romance/fighting evil story but you just can't resist the sweet and zany cast of demon characters masquerading as humans —  including an octopus prince in a pop star's body, a friendly and sweet zombie who willingly lives in the fridge, the loyal dog secretary, or a winter deity who runs (of course) an ice cream stand.

And there was plenty of romance. With Monkey wearing funky fur coats.  Of course.

I enjoyed this as much as Tale of the 9 Tailed, even though in some ways they are very different.

Best of 2024 — TV

 Here are my top picks from our year of TV viewing. Our television viewing was not extensive but we discovered some that were pure gold. In no particular order.

I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..." 

 

 

2024 BEST TV

Peter Gunn

The coolest of the cool, Peter Gunn is a detective modeled on Cary Grant. He's smooth, sophisticated and doesn't like to use violence to solve his cases. We watched these with my 90-year-old mother and were surprised at how noir-ish these were. I grew up with the soundtrack by Henry Mancini and was pleased to find that John Williams was the piano player for the studio band. 

Read more about it on Wikipedia. Then try it!

Pokerface

We really love procedural murder mysteries and this one is really entertaining. It is a creative, superfun throwback to TV the way it used to be.

(My review here.) 

The Fiery Priest

A really fun K-drama action thriller about Father Kim, a priest with big anger management issues. They get the Catholicism right while delivering an engaging drama and murder mystery.

(My review here.)

Killing It

Florida security guard Craig Foster's and Aussie Uber driver Jillian enter the Florida Python Challenge (which we discovered is a real thing) to win $20,000 seed money for a farm. Craig is a good guy who is often faced with choosing the lesser of two evils. Jillian is the moral compass of the show. She always knows the right thing to do and will push for it even if if hurts personally.

(My review here)

Star Trek: Lower Decks

An animated comedy that focuses on the missions and adventures of the "lower deckers." By episode 4 we were hooked. Part of the fun is the references to other Star Trek shows that the lower decks gang toss around. Part of it is the friendship between the lower decks gang. And, finally, part is the wackiness and humor.

(My review here.)

The Crowned Clown

This series came about because of the extraordinary popularity of the movie Masquerade which is in the Best of 2024 Movies list. Partway through The Crowned Clown takes a different path than the movie because they have the time to explore more ideas. It's also gorgeous as well as interesting.

(My review here.)

TV You Might Have Missed 12 —The Crowned Clown (Korea)

Standing in for an unhinged Joseon king, a look-alike clown plays the part but increasingly becomes devoted to protecting the throne and the people.

In the context of this show, "clown" actually means actor or comedian. When the reigning king becomes unbalanced because of the many assasination plots aimed at him, his main advisor secretly gets a look-alike to replace him until the king can recover. The clown is good-hearted and a quick study, but it is his innocence and dedication to caring for people and country which are his best attributes. 

 We're familiar with this concept from The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. This series came about because of the extraordinary popularity of the movie Masquerade which I highly recommend. Partway through The Crowned Clown takes a different path than the movie because they have the time to explore more ideas. 

Though it is a political drama it also has a romance, some mystery, and intrigue (of course - it's in a royal court!). And let's not forget the three main villains who we hate as much as we love the clown, the Royal Court Secretary, the Queen, and the head Eunoch. These are all expertly interwoven in compelling storylines.

 This is the best K-drama I've seen yet. That's saying something considering the quality of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Law School and Tale of the Nine-Tailed.  The plot is interesting and just when you think you know where the big dramatic climax is going, they twist it around and surprise you with completely unexpected (but logical)  developments. 

The acting is top-notch, often very subtly conveying a lot of information. The direction and cinematography are beautiful and arresting. I'm also a sucker for period costume from the Joseon period. Since we're in the court of the king, it is all simply gorgeous.

Highly recommended. My favorite television show watched in 2025.

TV You Might've Missed 8 — The Fiery Priest

Nobody messes with Father Kim Hae Il. He's ready to bring the Holy Order to serve justice, one fist at a time.

This is a really fun K-drama action thriller about Father Kim, a priest with big anger management issues. Following the mysterious death of a beloved elderly priest, Father Kim attempts to bring the culprits before law. The journey in taking down the gangsters and corrupt officials in the city is both dramatic and funny. 

We were a bit worried about how the priesthood would be depicted. I'm happy to say that the show represented Catholicism well. We felt there must have been a Catholic adviser or writer. Even when a couple of women rhapsodized about Father Kim's good looks, it never went further than simply noticing and a bit of a crush, which eventually wore off and was never acted on. Father Kim's struggles to overcome his sins are real and we were impressed by the fact that many characters wound up in prayer or looking for divine help with their problems. 

That's not to say that it was spiritually deep or sappy. Most of the show is taken up with the investigation, plot twists, and character development. But it is a thread that is always just below the surface. The last episode blew us away and I even shed a few tears.

This was a really popular show that grew by word of mouth. It features parodies of popular movies and dramas which we obviously didn't get. However, you often could tell when they were happening. The drama was genuinely engaging, the mystery of who killed Father Lee was a great springboard for a lot of other plot points, and we especially enjoyed the Catholic parts.

A fellow reviewer on Letterboxd summed up well:

The depiction of "fiery/mad" priest is really genius. Something I never imagine, yet something that I NEEDED the most. Being a priest means being a leader, not a God. They hold a big community, but they're not a sinless bcs they're human after all. And anger is one of human nature. We should and needed to be angry for the sake of change the world and speak for injustice.

I personally love the endings. Sometimes we misinterpreted the terms of "forgiveness". Forgiveness doesn't mean we could run from our sin, but rather realize ourselves that we're wrong and we must atone it by fighting the evil inside us.

It is certainly a special action show that leads to such a review. And I agree with it.

Streaming/Viewing Notes:

This is streaming free on Kokowa. The show has 40 episodes, but don't panic. They are actually 20 hour-long shows which are broken into two pieces so they could put ads in the middle when it ran in Korea. Evidently, there's a law that you can't run ads except before and after shows. This is how some shows get around that law.

Just fyi, it sags in the middle and we almost stopped watching but decided to give it one more episode to prove its worth. It turns out that was the one where everything suddenly hit high gear and took off.  

Best of 2023 — TV

 Here are my top picks from our year of TV viewing. Our television viewing was not extensive but we discovered some that were pure gold. In no particular order.

I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..." 

 

 

2023 BEST TV

The Romantics documentary series
The legacy of Yash Chopra and Yash Raj Films

A really excellent documentary. Well edited, conceived and executed. This series is one that Indians will enjoy and that true film fans will appreciate. Other than that, only people like us — a true minority of Indian film lovers who are not ourselves Indian — will appreciate.

(My review here.)

Tale of the Nine Tailed

Lee Yeon is a mythical nine tailed fox in this fun and exciting roller coaster of a K-drama. He works on earth for the the gods' Department of Immigration of Life After Death — hunting down mythical beings who kill humans. A lovely television producer, Nam Ji-Ah, whose show investigates the supernatural, suspects that he is involved in a murder case. She investigates him and he investigates her. Ji-Ah's looking for her long lost parents and Yeong's on the lookout for the reincarnation of his lost love. Naturally they will work together. Just as naturally, nothing is as it appears on the surface.

If you like this then go watch Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 which is the sequel (prequel). Although not quite as good as this, it is a lot of fun and still quite good.

(My review here.) 

Law School

Yang Jong-hoon, a prosecutor-turned-professor, teaches criminal law at a prestigious law school. He and his first-year law students get involved in an unprecedented case during a mock trial. During a mock trial class, the supervising professor is found murdered and Professor Yang is arrested as the main suspect. Showing on Netflix.

There was a refreshing lack of romance, aside from the occasional glance sent from one student to another while they weren't looking. This was a straight up drama that's wildly intricate and inventive in the plot's twists and turns. Somehow it had plenty of drama without being emotionally over-the-top, which we appreciated too.

(My review here.)

Only Murders in the Building
Season 3

If you've watched the first two seasons then you know what to expect. If not, please go find this series and begin with season one. I mention it because we were impressed with the way the show followed the new theme (murder at an off-Broadway musical) and held true to all the things that made it great in the first two seasons. We're looking forward to season 4.

Wellington Paranormal

Sergeant Ruawai Maaka of the Wellington Police enlists the aid of Officers Minogue and O'Leary to tackle paranormal events in New Zealand's capital city. The mockumentary follows these kiwi cops as they investigate cases such as the demon possession of a teenager, a noise complaint at a haunted house and a blood bank robbery.

Just plain fun.

(My review here.)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds and carry out missions throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

We enjoyed this quite a lot. It was an intriguing blend of faithfulness to the Star Trek sensibilities while containing character development and modern ideas.

(My review here.)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds and carry out missions throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

Although I watched many of the Star Trek series as they came out, later ones haven't really been my cup of tea. However, I was intrigued after two trusted sources recommended this prequel to the original series featuring Captain Pike and several other regular characters from the original series. 

We enjoyed this quite a lot. It was an intriguing blend of faithfulness to the Star Trek sensibilities while containing character development and modern ideas. Generally this worked out well although our family didn't like the Dr. M'Benga arc with his child. While trying not to spoil anything, I will add that Catholics will understand our basic objections and note the unapologetic storyline here. It's nothing to avoid but I did want to mention that some modern elements just can't be avoided in current television.

However, generally thumbs up and we super duper loved the final episode.

My sources tell me that season two was terrible but the season ending was so satisfying that we are quite content to let our exploration stop here. If you're a Trek fan definitely try season one.

TV You Might Have Missed 7 — Wellington Paranormal

Sergeant Ruawai Maaka of the Wellington Police enlists the aid of Officers Minogue and O'Leary to tackle paranormal events in New Zealand's capital city. The mockumentary follows these kiwi cops as they investigate cases such as the demon possession of a teenager, a noise complaint at a haunted house and a blood bank robbery.

What the description above misses is that the whole thing is done with deadpan humor as the cops clearly don't have the faintest idea what "paranormal" involves. They don't believe in ghosts, think that a wolf in jeans is just like dressed up dogs on YouTube, and are baffled by crop circles.

Partway through the first episode I felt echoes of Flight of the Conchords and, sure enough, Jermaine Clement is a creator. I haven't seen What We Do in the Shadows, having been assured by my girls that it is way too gory for me, but this is a spin-off of that, which makes sense.

TV You Might Have Missed 6 — Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938

This second season of Tale of the Nine Tailed is unusual since Korean TV doesn't run much to sequels. This one is a prequel as Lee Yeon is sent back to 1938 to retrieve a precious, supernatural object that has been stolen. While there the quest becomes increasingly complicated — of course — and it takes 11 more episodes to get everything wrapped up. 

 It wasn't as good as the original series (my review here) but entertaining overall. The first three episodes were extremely light on story with a lot of time devoted to broad humor which felt like a real waste of time and talent. However, it began picking up speed and plotlines from there and turned into a good series by the end. 

As a prequel, it worked as long as you don't worry too much about timeline continuity. Which we didn't. You do learn a lot about Lee Yeon's past as a mountain god and meet a few of the other mountain gods from the area. (Don't worry. None are as awesome as Lee Yeon.)

We also learned a few things about the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII, indigenous gods, and other tidbits of Korean culture. Not to mention zombies and time-travel thrown in for good measure.

As an American it was fascinating to see how the Japanese villain was equivalent for Koreans to what a Nazi villain would have been for us. I hated that villain so much.

We also had wondered how any tale about Lee Yeon would be possible without his true love. No problem. There is always the brotherly angst and heartache of striving for little brother Lee Rang's love. And, of course, Lee Rang's struggle with trusting his brother. Which, to be fair, was just as absorbing as a romance.

If there's a third series we'll be ready to watch!

TV You Might Have Missed 5 — Law School

Yang Jong-hoon, a prosecutor-turned-professor, teaches criminal law at a prestigious law school. He and his first-year law students get involved in an unprecedented case during a mock trial. During a mock trial class, the supervising professor is found murdered and Professor Yang is arrested as the main suspect. Showing on Netflix.

We expected that the law students would band together to prove their professor's innocence. It turns out that Professor Yang needs no one's help. He is a formidable master of the law and detection. As he fights his arrest and investigates his fellow professor's death we see that he is the coolest of cool. (As you can tell from the poster above.)

We follow not only the professor but some of the students who have a study group. Some turn out to be connected to the murder victim while others have their own mysteries for us to discover. It soon becomes obvious that the professor regards every situation as an opportunity to teach his students. Whether in class or not, even when he is in jail fighting for his own freedom, he is continually teaching. This isn't always obvious but thinking back over the series it is a tribute to the writing and what drives the character's actions.

There was a refreshing lack of romance, aside from the occasional glance sent from one student to another while they weren't looking. This was a straight up drama that's wildly intricate and inventive in the plot's twists and turns. Somehow it had plenty of drama without being emotionally over-the-top, which we appreciated too.

We found this series by looking for more shows featuring actor Kim Bum after watching Tale of the Nine Tailed where he played Lee Rang. 

However, we're now fans of Kim Myung-Min who played Professor Yang. So we're going to follow him to the Detective K film series where he plays the titular character during the Jeoson dynasty. Which means wonderful period costumes as well as mystery!

Professor Yang is off to the side while actor Kim Bum is front and center.
We can see who is expected to draw the fans! Hey, he got us here!

TV You Might Have Missed 4 — Tale of the Nine Tailed

The nine-tailed fox is a magical creature that appears in the folktales of East Asia and legends of Korea. It can transform into a beautiful woman, often to seduce men in order to eat their liver. Korean television plays fast and loose with this idea, as television often does, to create an urban fantasy where the titular nine-tailed fox is an enigmatic man, Lee Yeong. 

He works on earth for the the gods' Department of Immigration of Life After Death — hunting down mythical beings who kill humans. A lovely television producer, Nam Ji-Ah, whose show investigates the supernatural, suspects that he is involved in a murder case. She investigates him and he investigates her. Ji-Ah's looking for her long lost parents and Yeong's on the lookout for the reincarnation of his lost love. Naturally they will work together. Just as naturally, nothing is as it appears on the surface.

The plot just gets deeper, more intertwined, and definitely more fun from there. With 16 episodes of over an hour long, there is plenty of time for the obligatory romance of the K-dramas along with the many adventures into the supernatural. The writers did an extraordinary job of skillfully leading us to expect plot developments and then yanking the rug out from under us with twists and turns for every episode.  We also really enjoyed seeing the supernatural creatures from Korean culture which were often really different from anything American.

Tale of the Nine Tailed is a sixteen episode roller coaster ride of that never fails to leave you wondering how they'll get out of each predicament, while the romance keeps things feeling cozy in the background.

TV You Might Have Missed 3 — The Brokenwood Mysteries

Set in the quiet New Zealand town of Brokenwood, this is a cozy mystery show that manages to avoid being too cozy. It is more of a Midsomer Murders than a Murder She Wrote, in other words. 

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd is an experienced, big city cop with plenty of quirks like an inordinate love of country music (on cassette tapes), a "classic" car which is more of a beater,  too many ex-wives to keep track of, and a habit of talking to the deceased when he first meets them. Local partner, Detective Kristin Sims, does detective work by the book but they soon form a good working relationship. Soon they're joined by a subordinate and a medical examiner who both provide a bit of comic relief but never anything that is too over the top.

It's got a good amount of humor but always keeps the focus on solving the mysteries. The "kiwi" element is strong because the show was made for New Zealand audiences and that makes it just exotic enough. The murders always pull the detectives into a bit of local culture that is fun to see also, like the local Shakespearean troop or tours for the Lord of the Ringz filming locations. (That "z" in Ringz is important.) sometimes they just go for something everyone understands like playing Clue.

We've been really tired of edgy, melodramatic mystery shows and this fits just right. A procedural with a new case each week and slightly quirky detectives to watch do their thing — just what we like on a Sunday night.

TV You Might Have Missed 2 — Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Woo Young-woo is a female rookie attorney with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who is hired by a major law firm in Seoul. Being different from her neurotypical peers, her manner of communication is seen by them as odd, awkward, and blunt. With each legal case and through her intelligence and photographic memory, she becomes an increasingly competent attorney. Wikipedia

There isn't a good way to describe the show's premise that conveys the charm and delight of this show. A legal drama at its heart, each episode features an interesting  case that has to be won. Often we learn about Korean culture in surprising ways such as the case of the bride whose wedding dress dress fell down or the fact that a beautiful tree can be eligible for national treasure status. Woo Young-woo's different point of view often yields the key to resolving tricky details. At the same time we learn more about her life and see how her presence changes the people on the legal team that she's assigned to.

This all sounds like something we've seen before and yet this show is unique and quirky without being over the top. The need for others to understand Woo's way of thinking yields interesting results. Her passion for whales and way of seeing complex relationships through a whale-centric focus is startling, refreshing, and adorable. The show is funny and optimistic and has genuine depth.

Even more importantly it has excellent acting, superior writing, and sensitive directing that isn't afraid to let the camera linger on silence while the actors convey complex thoughts without words. It avoids standard romance tropes although there is indeed romance — K-dramas demand romance. It is truly an extraordinary show and every time I get done watching an episode I feel happy for the rest of the day. That is rare indeed.

This is showing on Netflix.

TV You Might Have Missed 1 — Crash Landing on You

A sudden storm leads to a successful South Korean businesswoman and heiress crashing her paraglider in the North Korean portion of the DMZ. She meets an army captain in the Korean People's Army who decides he will help her hide. How will she get back to her own life and escape prison in North Korea? Over time, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

I came for the accurate depiction of North Korean life. I stayed for the charming actors, the romance and the drama itself. Granted, the drama can be pretty sparse in some episodes when the romance is front and center, but there are some genuinely bad guys and interesting dramatic tension. 

We're only halfway through but have learned some fascinating things about North Korean life. The writer interviewed North Korean defectors to get those details right.

Also it is sweet in the same way that I like in Indian movies. The romance is winning, the side characters are fun (the four Korean soldiers are great, as are the village women who interfere in the captain's life). 

Rose has seen enough K-dramas (Korean dramas) to clue us in to typical behavior or plot devices, but you don't need that to enjoy this. You do need to have time to watch a 19-episode show with each episode lasting between 1-1/2 to 2 hours. We often split them up in order to fit them in our schedule.

 It definitely is worth trying.

So Much Fun: Lupin, Only Murders in the Building

Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers, played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, who share an obsession with a true crime podcast. After a murder in their building, the three neighbors decide to start their own show that covers their investigation of the murder.

We were attracted to this by seeing Steve Martin in the ad. We've watched two episodes. It is clever and funny and the performances are great. Somehow it is like a throwback to the old murder mystery shows while being thoroughly modern. If you haven't heard of this, try it out. The first season of six episodes is on Hulu, with a second season in the works.

 

Lupin is a French mystery thriller series starring Omar Sy in the role of Assane Diop, a man who is inspired by the adventures of master thief Arsène Lupin. The first part, consisting of five episodes, is subtitled Dans l'ombre d'Arsène (In the Shadow of Arsène), referring to the primary character's inspiration. The series became the most-watched non-English series on Netflix.

A lot of people know about this one but we've liked it so much that if you are waiting to try it out, just jump in! It was recommended to us a lot of times but we had other things we had to finish first! Now the time has come and it was worth the wait. 

Omar Sy, Paris, and a crusade to redeem his father's reputation (tarnished at the hands of an evil millionaire, of course) are a combination made to please. We fell in love with Omar Sy in Intouchables, a movie I've pushed a lot around here. His charm and talent are undeniable and a pleasure to watch. I'd read and enjoyed the whimsical tone of the Lupin mysteries, a French series that ran long ago around the same time as the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. These mysteries only slightly intersect with those long ago tales, but the tone is the same — whimsical, ingenious, and Lupin (or Diop) always wins. Paris is almost another character because it adds so much atmosphere to the show.

Two seasons of five episodes each are on Netflix, with a third season in the works.

Nate Bargatze — a stand-up comedian who is both nice and hilariously funny

Bargatze broke out during Donald Trump’s presidency with the first of two hour-long Netflix specials. A college dropout who insists he’s too dumb to make informed decisions for himself, let alone lecture anyone else, he never talks about politics. He goes nowhere near race or identity issues. He maneuvers so gingerly around other subjects—religion, gender roles, the fracturing of America—that they feel untouched.

After reading this article in The Atlantic, I was intrigued. Bargatze sounded like the comedians I enjoyed most — Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, David Brynner — doing observational comedy without trying to skewer people.

After watching both his Netflix specials we agreed, this guy was somehow hilarious without being mean. We were all laughing out loud at things like ordering coffee and coughing in public. It was a refreshing change of pace. We may be the last people to hear about him, but in case you hadn't watched him yet, give Nate Bargatze a try. 

 I found the article via The Dispatch's daily newsletter. They're good too and not mean. Give them a try.

All In Good Fun: Taskmaster

This is a British comedy show that you can see here on YouTube. It is ostensibly a game show but really is watched for the comedy.

Taskmaster Greg Davies set a series of simple and bizarre challenges to five comedians who are the contestants.  The tasks – usually performed alone, but sometimes in teams – are funny and challenging.

The first season included such things as doing something that will look impressive in reverse, cooking a meal using ingredients representing every letter of the alphabet (this one had us looking up what begins with X), making a huge block of ice disappear, and drawing a picture while riding on the back of a trotting horse.

Part of the fun comes in listening to the contestants justify their methods and results — they are comedians, after all, and can get hilariously creative as they think outside the box.

We just finished season one and I'm delighted to see that there are eight more seasons awaiting us.