Night Sky (74%)
The Lake (71%)
This Canadian comedy comes in part from the real story of its executive producer Julian Doucet. He was known for his work on Killjoys and Hudson & Rex, but this more personal project mines humor from a couple of strained relationships. The show stars Jordan Gavaris as Justin, a man who is sent reeling after a nasty breakup. To turn his life around, he seeks out the teenage daughter he gave up for adoption and attempts to reconnect. His plan to bring her out to his family’s cabin falls apart when he discovers that his perfect step-sister is the new owner. This show would’ve been stronger as a 100-minute movie, but it’s still a lot of fun.
Mammals (69%)
Starting a streaming series with James Corden in the starring role is like starting a marathon with a bullet wound in each leg. The people who hate him already assume everything he’s in will be obnoxious garbage, and they’re right more often than not. The people who like him want to see him sing with famous people, not suffer through a complex exploration of modern marriage. Perhaps unshockingly, he’s better in the role of a bitter paranoid jerk than he is as a pseudo-friendly talk show host. Well-respected playwright Jez Butterworth’s script is the most engaging aspect of the series. The plot follows Corden as a celebrity chef who has become convinced that his gorgeous wife is cheating on him. The show manages to drag at times, some storylines are vastly less interesting than others, and the mess of metaphors and symbolism becomes more tiring than inspiring. The tone gets lost in the changing tides, frequently leaving the audience sucking air in through their teeth. This is a tough watch at the best of times, but Corden’s presence cut the possible audience in a way that might have been fatal from the start.
Jungle (67%)
One of the big problems with this show is that its title is identical to that of a 2017 survival thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe. The SEO is terrible, people will have a hard time finding the show online. Jungle is a strange show. It’s a musical built around English rap. It tells the story of a young gang member who wants to turn his life around. Characters frequently speak in rhymes, though some of the cast is better at the art form than others. It’s a very interesting idea that isn’t for everyone. The show is style over substance, but it’s the actors who fail to carry their weight. Jungle is still worth watching, but it could’ve been much better than it is.
The Terminal List (39%)
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