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Best Television of April

Author: Sam Joseph
by Sam Joseph
Posted: Apr 28, 2017

And just like that, another April has come and passed.

This April, we saw the beginning of another baseball season. We experienced the first 100 days of a brand new presidential administration. And we saw another Kendrick Lamar album receive insane but deserved critical acclaim.

Of course, we also saw a heap of magnificent television offered in Dish tv packages. Here is some of the best new television that April 2017 had to offer.

American Gods

Confession: I have not read the 2001 book by Neil Gaiman that this new Starz series is based on. It’s immensely popular--it was the first book selected for Twitter’s version of a book club--and it received a bevy of prestigious awards upon its release.

Judging by the immediate reaction to the first few episodes of the adaptation, it’s likely that Gaiman’s wildly intelligent and dense brainchild about a war between Norse gods and newer American gods is on the path for even more awards.

Brockmire

Personal opinion alert: I’ve always been a fan of Hank Azaria. That’s the "Simpsons" fanatic in me. He may not have the pedigree of someone like Daniel Day-Lewis, but his talents have been perpetually undervalued. So I’m delighted that he’s getting another shot at television with the new IFC show "Brockmire."

With "Brockmire," the veteran character actor resurrects his character from the Funny or Die web series. He’s a profane sports broadcaster looking for redemption after his fall from grace a decade before. Cliched plot? Undeniably. But does the show have smart writing with an immensely charismatic lead? Also undeniably.

The Get Down

Baz Luhrmann is one of the most divisive artists of any form, let alone in film and television. Some people adore his garish flourishes; others find them annoyingly self-indulgent. Personally, I take him on a case-by-case basis. Whereas his musical "Moulin Rouge!" was an optimal vehicle for his style, his adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" was overdone times 1000.

"The Get Down," his Netflix series about the birth of hip hop and disco in New York City, is a marvelous marriage of man and material. The last half of the first season was uploaded on Netflix earlier in the month, and it appears more and more people are getting down to this intoxicating docudrama.

Fargo

The acclaimed anthology series is back for another round with a new cast and new storyline. What’s not new is the unmitigated adulation coming its way. Just like with previous seasons aired on Dish tv packages, the cast is stellar.

This season features David Thewlis, Michael Stuhlbarg, the rising superstar Carrie Coon, and *two* doses of Ewan McGregor. McGregor plays a pair of brothers who couldn’t be more different on the socioeconomic spectrum, but still end up in the same dark underworld of crime. All signs point to yet another masterful season of this FX series.

Guerilla

My favorite show currently on television is "American Crime," an anthology series now in its third season. Somehow, the Academy Award winning showrunner John Ridley found time to step away to produce this explosive Showtime miniseries included in Dish tv packages about British rebel groups fighting authorities.

Whereas most shows like to draw the line between "good guys" and "bad guys," Ridley is far more interested in exploring the complexities and gray areas that make us human. Few artists depict controversial issues with the delicacy and intelligence that Ridley can. And no one should *ever* complain about more Idris Elba on television.

The Handmaid’s Tale

In 1985, Margaret Atwood published one of the seminal novels of the last 50 years, "The Handmaid’s Tale." Even though the novel was published over 30 years ago, many feel that it’s never been as relevant as it is right now. Thankfully, in a matter of sheer coincidence, the novel has been adapted into a television series starring Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss.

The dystopian series depicts a future in which the United States government has been overthrown and replaced by a theocratic military dictatorship, and the new regime is quick to remove a large number of basic rights for women. Just as she was on "Mad Men," Moss is devastatingly effective in the central role. Even if you already know the plot and outcome--as many do--this show will manage to keep your stomach in a knot.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Despite being an Academy Award nominated actor for "The Color Purple," Oprah doesn’t act that often. Her last major role came in 2013, when she was surprisingly snubbed from another Oscar nomination for "The Butler." This year, there’s more of a chance that she marries Stedman than there is for her to be snubbed for an Emmy nomination for her touching turn in "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."

The HBO movie, about the family of a woman whose diagnosis of cervical cancer revolutionized cancer research, may veer into standard tearjerker territory from time-to-time, but when the acting is this good it’s easier to ignore.

About the Author

Sam Joseph is a film/television connoisseur. Did he say connoisseur? He meant addict.

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Author: Sam Joseph

Sam Joseph

Member since: Apr 13, 2017
Published articles: 6

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