Bad Sisters is a dark comedy-thriller from Apple TV+ that arrived with little fanfare in 2022 and promptly became one of the most celebrated television series of the decade. Created by Sharon Horgan, who also stars, the series follows the four Garvey sisters in Dublin who conspire to murder their abusive brother-in-law John Paul Williams — a man so comprehensively awful that audiences are cheering for his death before the end of the first episode. The show's masterstroke is its dual-timeline structure, which reveals in the opening minutes that John Paul is dead, then spends ten episodes showing how he might have gotten that way.
The ensemble is uniformly brilliant: Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, and Eve Hewson each bring distinctive textures to the Garvey sisters, creating a family unit so believable and warmly drawn that viewers will want to be adopted into it immediately. Claes Bang is magnificently hateable as John Paul, a performance that requires the audience to understand exactly why murder feels justified while also illuminating the specific and insidious ways such men operate within families. The comedic timing across the ensemble is impeccable, arriving in moments you least expect and making the darkness all the more bearable.
What elevates Bad Sisters beyond its clever premise is its profound emotional intelligence about grief, family loyalty, and the way women are conditioned to endure harm rather than name it. The series was renewed for a second season, which expanded the universe while maintaining the tonal balance that made the original so distinctive. Bad Sisters is that rare achievement: a show that is genuinely funny, genuinely suspenseful, and genuinely moving, often within the same scene.
Those familiar with Law & Order will appreciate the concept of approaching legal cases from more than one perspective. In The Whole Truth we see each case from both the prosecution and the defense angles so have an opportunity to decide whether a defendant is guilty or innocent judging by the evidence presented to us and to a judge and jury. One memorable episode includes the addition of Judd Hirsch (Taxi) to the cast as a beloved judge who has been charged in a murder. Seems he approved a wiretap on a dangerous drug lord before it turned into a far larger problem involving federal charges. Rob Morrow (Numb3rs, Northern Exposure) portrays Jimmy Brogan is the prosecuting attorney for the state of New York (actually the filming was done in Los Angeles, California) and Maura Tierney (ER) is Kathryn Peale a strong advocate of personal and legal rights for her clients. The two attorneys are on opposite sides of the courtroom in each episode and we must decide who we think has the upper edge or who puts on the best case for their clients, then we see the results in the finale.
The new version of the hit television show 90210 is filled with all the usual conflicts and angst found in real life for typical teenagers. But how typical are these kids who reside in one of the most expensive zip code areas in America? 90210 is Beverly Hills, California and all that the name implies goes with the younger set who live there. When Dixon and Annie Mills family moves away from their quite life in Kansas to the very well to do area in Beverly Hills they soon discover jealousy and fierce competition abound in their new high school and with their new acquaintances in their posh new neighborhood. Naomi is the unofficial queen bee played by AnnaLynne McCord (from Nip/Tuck), Shenae Grimes (Degrassi: The Next Generation) is Annie Mills who along with her adopted brother Dixon Mills (played by Tristan Wilds from The Wire) try to become part of the inner social circle in school. Dixon falls for his sister's friend Erin Silver (Jessica Stroup from True Blood, Prom Night) and she feels the same. Things get complicated as they always do when teenagers are involved.
A fictional British Royal finds he is in succession for the throne after his father King James III has died. The twenty four year old Richard IV who is played by Rupert Evans (Paradise Heights, Emma) finds himself being resented by his older sister, the Princess Eleanor (played by Sophie Winkleman from Red Dwarf, Love Live Long) because she has evidently been passed over in favor of her brother and she desperately wants that throne for herself. Princess Eleanor and Major Simon Brooks, played by David Harewood (Blood Diamond) who is her private secretary have devised a way to plot together in an attempt to discredit now King Richard and bad family blood may be shed before she gets her way. Richard's own secretary, Abigail Thomas (Zoe Telford) has plans on writing a "tell all" book about the goings on in the Royal Palace. Politics and corruption within the royalty of Britain is always interesting viewing and The Palace brings plenty of interesting half truths and while a dramatization it still provides some insight into how royalty live their lives.
The lives of Camelot, Guinevere, and King Arthur has been a popular subject for story telling for a long time now and it may be time for a reality check. The true story of Camelot and the lives and times affected by swords, magic, sex, betrayal, and the absolute monarchy of the times is played out on Starz television's Camelot. This time the story is told from a youthful perspective as Jamie Campbell Bower is a young and intrepid Arthur who is on his way to the throne. King Arthur himself is a complicated and complex character who came from humble beginnings to reach the seat of power. His lady Guinevere is the one bright and shining light in his life and the challenges faced by the man who would be King of England include moral issues, deception, and wars that never seem to end. The concept has long been put to film or play with many varying opinions on what kind of man Arthur actually was. The cast of characters, including Lancelot, Lady Guinevere, and Morgan, his overly ambitious half-sister make for intriguing viewing and this time around it seems more true to the facts than previous ventures.
Another reality television show that actually has merit is School Pride. The show is based on an actual restoration on Carver Elementary, a school in Compton, California seven years ago. The schools chosen on this program will receive around two million dollars worth of upgrades and repairs that were sorely needed plus plenty of exposure via the television program. Additionally the student participation helped with School Pride as they were a part of renovations and it is their family, volunteers, and neighbors that help organize the production. The premise is that schools in need of costly repairs can receive help when they showcase how much need there is for improvements and students participate by showing how much pride they have for their school. Somewhat based on the television program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" the cameras follow students, teachers, and community members performing the renovations badly needed by a particular school. In seven days it's amazing how much can be done and camera crews will return a few months later to see just how much improvement has been made and how it affects the surrounding community.
Created by Josh Appelbaum, Happy Town depicts your typical small pleasant town full of average and friendly townsfolk until a series of kidnappings occur. Most of the residents assume the one called the "Magic Man" is responsible for the disappearance of seven who are never heard from again. The small sleepy town in Minnesota has been a Happy Town in which to live up until some of the local residents simply vanish in what apparently is a mystical way. The town's deputy, Tommy Conroy (Geoff Stults) can't figure out where the folks are going and residents Jay Paulson (as the deputy known as "Root Beer" Rogers, Rachel Conroy (actress Amy Acker), John Haplin played by Steven Weber), and Merritt Grieves (actor Sam Neill) can't help but worry who will be next to disappear. With the arrival of Henley Boone "Chloe" played by Lauren German the mystery gets deeper as she is determined to solve the intriguing case and find who is behind the disappearances once and for all. Set in a small town in Minnesota much of the show was filmed in and around Ontario, Canada.
Describing "Harry's Law," one summary says flatly, "A former patent lawyer brings together a group of misfit associates to form an unconventional law practice." How did the producers ever pitch that concept to the network? Oh, wait. It was NBC. Still, a patent lawyer? Misfit associates? Real exciting, right? Do not judge too quickly, because Kathy Bates applies her quirky charisma to her portrayal of Harriet "Harry" Korn, and she works some small screen magic. A mid-season replacement for one of NBC's cavalcade of epic failures, "Harry's Law" actually looks a lot like a real television drama"”real characters, real actors, real plots, and dialogue peppered with genuinely witty repartee. The premise and some of the best writing come from David E. Kelley, television's answer to John Grisham"”prolific and provocative. As The New York Times observes, "A hallmark of Mr. Kelley's shows is often the thinnest application of logic or reason in depictions of a world dedicated to logic and reason." The settings and courtroom dramas seldom resemble anything in real life, but they tend to recreate the audience's imagination of the legal system and "crusading" criminal attorneys. Close enough. In eight episodes, "Harry's Law" has established a loyal following in a timeslot long dominated by ABC's "Castle." Vegas betting parlours probably will give you odds on "Harry's Law" returning in the fall, and it might be worth risking a dollar or so.
