While one can easily get roused and riled by the sheer tonnage of lazy film-to-tv reboots, or the mixed bag of nostalgic continuations (The X-Files,Full House, etc.), it’s important to remember that television is still where some of the offbeat stories are being told by major visual artists. One must be mindful that TV gave a home toSteven Soderbergh- the extraordinary Cinemax series,The Knick-when the major studios limited his vision considerably, and held him back from taking on bigger, more ambitious, and, in all likelihood, hugely popular works; he even showed interest in directing one of those silly superhero movies, for crying out loud. AMC and FX proved themselves similarly ambitious houses for such striking and odd stories with today’s announcement of Season 3 renewals ofHalt and Catch FireandTyrant, two massively fascinating dramas that deserve audiences three times as big as the cultish viewers they play for now.
ForTyrant, Season 2 saw the admittedly still problematicAdam Raynersettling into his lead role more convincingly than the intriguing but troubled first season, whereasAshraf Barhomturned in an awards-worthy study in despotic psychology in the role of Jamal Al-Fayeed, one of the more interesting political roles on television right now. Tyrant certainly sharpened its thematic point this year, butHalt and Catch Firehas proven to be one of the most remarkable and stunningly detailed melodramas around, giving a broad, immaculately styled stage to some of the best performers that television has schooled, fromLee PaceandToby HusstoScoot McNairyandMackenzie Davis, and an especially moving performance fromKerry Bishéas a hungry entrepreneur and the beleaguered wife of McNairy’s computer genius. Though neither have the thrilling camerawork and stylized atmosphere asThe Knickor, for that matter,Mr. Robot, they are nevertheless taken with strange desires, complex emotions, and open, convincingly argued politics, and have the unshakeable sense of a world built out of meticulous, lively images.
Check out which of your favorite shows were renewed onour handy-dandy TV Lifeline.
