Matt Lynn Digital focused a bit less on reviewing television in 2020. Today we walk down memory lane for reviews made in 2020, whether they be network television or streaming services through the year.
The third season of FX television series Justified (2010-2015) earned out top rating for the year with a rating of 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five. I particularly enjoyed the flawed characters in the series told and portrayed with a realism that spoke of excellent storytelling. This is a great series.
The first season of HBO Original Series Perry Mason (2020- ) earns out second mention for the television. The reimagining of the origin stories of the core characters coupled with the provocative storytelling captured my interest in earning a 4.0-stars on a scale of one-to-five. The focus on a single case through the season coupled with establishing the relationships that will undoubtedly evolve into what I hope will be additional seasons remains worth your viewership.
The full installment of the SyFy Channel series Eureka (2006-2012) gets another 4.0-stars from us. Despite ending its run eight years ago, the sense of humor of this nerd festival for the rest of us does a solid job of being episodic yet somewhat thematic. The longevity of the series definitely comes through in the willingness to change things up through the course of a show that didn’t push boundaries while really landing in a fresh place.
Looking into the 1990 American Broadcasting Company television mini-series for the 1986 Stephen King novel named It: A Novel, which is now called Stephen King’s It (1990), lands at our one television review earning 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five. This television adaptation for network television is tamer than the book in addition to the darker treatment offered by the theatrical released movies from 2017 and 2019. The mini-series feels more like the 1980s, the era from the book, than do the movies. Consider this mini-series a safer entry point to the cinematic story than the movies, especially for a younger viewership.
Manifest came back for a second season on the National Broadcasting Company. There was backslide in the second season for the underlying story that had me optimistic for more episodes after the first season. A compelling story to keep an audience for a third season remains. The story of a flight that disappeared for a number of years with the people not aging, then coming back to weird interpersonal experiences, can work if done well. The second seson earned 3.50-stars on a scale of one-to-five from us.
A second season of Amazon Prime Original Series Homecoming (2018- ) works if you stream it the season on the heals of the first season. In garnering 3.50-stars from us, the story does include suspense, intrigue and surprises throughout the lives of people involved in a weird set of events surrounding interventions with war veterans suffering from PTSD. The method of storytelling is what drives me to suggesting experiencing the two seasons in quick succession. Trust us that the experience works better this way.
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Matt – Saturday, December 26, 2020
Matt Lynn Digital 