In advance of my 2021-2022 television top ten list (I go by Emmy eligibility rules, because it's easier), I want to talk about some of the shows I didn't watch this year, for various reasons. It's not that I didn't have the inclination, but mostly because I didn't have the time and don't expect I'll have the time to watch them moving forward. The streaming content flood means that there are far, far more shows out there than anyone can possibly keep up with. The ones listed below are only the most high profile that I regret not seeing the most.
I reserve the right to revisit these choices in the future, but I still haven't seen anything from last year's list.
"The Dropout," "WeCrashed," and "Super Pumped" - There was a wave of miniseries based on the troubles of famous Silicon Valley startup flops, all with a lot of star power behind them. I know that Amanda Seyfried has gotten a lot of praise in particular for playing Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos. However, I've followed the ups and downs of all of these companies over the past few years, watched news reports and documentaries about them, and frankly I think I'm way too knowledgeable about all of the material to really get much benefit out of dramatizations. Instead, I've been watching miniseries based on true events that happened several decades ago like "The Offer" and "Gaslit."
"Outer Range" - There was a lot of buzz about this early on, but I resolved to wait until the show was finished before taking a look, and I'm glad I did. This is a science-fiction western about a small Wyoming town that appears to develop a wormhole, or a timehole, or whatever, and a bunch of other supernatural shenanigans start going on. As much as I like Josh Brolin and Imogen Poots, I don't have it in me to commit to another mystery box show right now. If this wraps up nicely in a couple of seasons, maybe I'll give it another look, but I've been burned too many times before by similar genre programs. I probably would have found time for it if it were a miniseries, but an open ended show is out.
"The Gilded Age" - I noped out of "Downton Abbey" so early, I really wanted to give this Julian Fellowes series a chance. The cast is absolutely spectacular, with Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, and Cynthia Nixon in prominent roles, and some truly gorgeous production values. And it got completely lost in the shuffle as I kept putting it off, and putting it off, and the next thing I know I have a dozen other things I'm watching on HBO Max. Frankly, "The Gilded Age" is intimidating, with twenty five main characters in the first season alone. I know the show is in no danger of being canceled early, already renewed for a second season at the time of writing, so I'm keeping this on the backburner. And it might just stay there.
"Why Didn't They Ask Evans"? - I enjoy Agatha Christie mysteries, and I've watched all the adaptations I've come across in recent years. When I heard that Hugh Laurie was adapting one, with an all star cast led by Will Poulter, I was looking forward to it. And it turns out that the series is exclusive to a streaming service called BritBox, which handles mostly BBC titles. And I'm already juggling too many streaming services to wrangle another one. If this series ever becomes available to rent through a different platform, I'll give it a watch, but the show hasn't gotten nearly the amount of praise or buzz for me to prioritize it. Unless Britbox racks up enough other originals for me to give it a trial run.
"Bel-Air" - Of all the reboots, remakes, and reimaginings of old favorites that have come along recently, at least "Bel-Air" was trying something truly different. I thought that the show's attempt to present a serious take on the "Fresh Prince" sitcom premise and its origins as a fan film shouldn't count against it. Of course, then the reviews started rolling in, and it was clear that the creators had probably bitten off more than they could chew. I'd still like to take a look at the show and decide for myself, but "Bel-Air" is exclusive to Peacock, another one of the smaller streamers that couldn't retain my interest after the free trial ran out. They don't have much programming coming up that looks too promising either.
"The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray" - It's a highly lauded crime drama about a dementia sufferer trying to recall memories that could help him solve the mystery of his nephew's death. It stars Samuel L. Jackson in what's been lauded as a very strong performance. It's got Dominique Fishback and Walton Goggins. Ramin Bahrani's name is on this as a producer and director of the premiere. It's only six episodes long, and an actual self-contained miniseries. But good grief, I really dislike the memory loss plot device, even when it's done well, like in the Mahershalla Ali season of "True Detective." I feel bad about putting this one aside, because it seems to have fallen through the cracks, but there's just too much on my plate.
"Halo" - It exists! It actually exists! And it's made a lot of people really mad! Honestly, I'd love to hate-watch this thing, since I have Paramount+ in the rotation anyway, but I can't work up enough interest in this show to even do that. Aside from the animated titles, have any of these game-based shows turned out well?
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