Since I started writing about books I’ve read, I’ve found that more and more people come up to me in real life and start talking to me about books. I’m continually amazed that any ‘real people’ take any notice of what I write online; but given that at least some people notice, I thought I should balance those posts with one about veging in front of the TV, which I do at least as often as reading. So here are some TV shows I’ve enjoyed recently.

The Good Wife / The Good Fight

Wendy and I have recently finished an epic marathon of all seven series of The Good Wife, followed by the first season of the sequel series, The Good Fight. The Good Wife is about a politician’s wife whose husband is sent to prison, meaning that she has to return to her former profession as a lawyer after 13 years as a stay-at-home mother. It’s a smart show, with lots of personal drama played out against a background of politics, law and technology. The Good Fight changes the pace and style a little, which was a bit jarring at first, but overall served to freshen the show up well. Wendy and I are both looking forward to the next season!
DVD on Amazon / Stream on Google Play / Stream on iTunes / Stream on Netflix

Mozart in the Jungle

The Amazon Prime series Mozart in the Jungle is a brilliant comedy-drama about passion, professionalism and music. Inspired by Blair Tindall’s autobiography of the same name, the show follows both the appointment of a new conductor to the New York Symphony Orchestra, and the travails of a young oboist trying to break into the orchestral ‘big league’. Wendy and I ran through all three series in a couple of weeks, and are eagerly awaiting the release of series four next month.
Stream on Amazon

The Young Pope

The Young Pope is a beautifully shot ten-parter featuring Jude Law as the first American pope. The plot essentially concerns whether Pope Pius XIII is a megalomaniac intent on the destruction of the Church or an actual Saint capable of performing miracles. Or, I guess, both. This is a series unlike anything else I’ve seen on TV – artistic, dramatic, hilarious, over-the-top, and just plain weird in parts (including the opening shots). I beleive a follow up series is being made next year, and I can’t wait.
DVD on Amazon / Stream on Google Play / Stream on iTunes

The Bridge / Bron / Broen

Despite being years late to the party, I’ve really enjoyed watching the first two series of The Bridge recently. It’s an expertly crafted bi-lingual Scandinavian crime drama. Both series are dramatic and thrilling, but also filled with enough humour and levity to prevent it becoming depressing. Absolutely brilliant – I just wish I’d watched it before I visited Cophenhagen and Malmö last year!
DVD on Amazon / Stream on Google Play / Stream on iTunes

Amanda Knox

The Neflix special Amanda Knox is one of those programmes that feels a bit ethically conflicted, profiting (as it surely does) from the murder of a 21-year-old young woman. But it nonetheless gave an intriguing and thoughtful insight into the events surrounding the crime and provided food for thought and reflection.
Stream on Google Play / Stream on Netflix

American Vandal

The Netflix series American Vandal is a brilliant, hilarious yet strangely dramatic spoof of true crime series, and especially the podcast series Serial. The (scripted, fictional) series follows an amateur investigation into which student at a high school is accused of vandalising 27 staff members’ cars by drawing “phallic images” on them. It’s ridiculous yet brilliant.
Stream on Netflix