Each month, more and more new series invade the TV channels, streaming platforms and replay sites. But during the year, we don't have time to see everything and we inevitably miss nuggets. For a summer catch-up session, follow our editor's favorites.
COMEDY
"Zoey and his incredible Playlist"
On WarnerTV - MyCanal. Real tangy and colorful candy, this is a series that does the greatest good. It immerses us in the life of Zoey, a young coder who, following an incident during an MRI, hears the thoughts of those she meets in the form of songs. Without their knowledge, of course. An unusual super power rather embarrassing, but which also illuminates the everyday life of the heroine.
We laugh a lot in front of this catchy musical series and we also have tears in our eyes. Because when a colleague from Zoey embarks on a heart-rending interpretation of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears, or when his sick and unable to speak father sings "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper, we are seized by the emotional intensity . The talent of the authors, who manage to choose the right song for each situation, is fascinating.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4/5
"Zoey and his incredible Playlist", American music series by Austin Winsberg (2020), with Jane Levy, Skylar Astin ... 12 episodes of 42 minutes.
"Parliament"
On France.tv. On paper, it looks like a pledge. On an impossible mission. Sign a whole series on the adoption of a simple amendment on the regulation of shark fishing at the European assembly: this is however the bet that "Parliament" succeeds. Somewhere between “the Spanish Inn”, “Borgen” and “Quai d'Orsay”, the series recounts with lightness (on the form) and rigor (on the bottom) the tribulations of Samy, young parliamentary assistant who discovers the cogs complexes and the human comedy which govern the European institutions, from Brussels to Strasbourg, against the backdrop of Brexit.
A hilarious dive behind the scenes of an unknown institution. The role of Samy, is interpreted by the mischievous Xavier Lacaille who, with his acolyte Ambroise Carminati, was one of the Hope Hope Humor of the "Parisian" last year.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4/5
“Parlement”, Franco-German-Belgian comic series by Noé Debré (2020), with Xavier Lacaille, Liz Kingsman… 10 episodes of around 25 minutes.
The complete "The Good Place"
On Netflix. Launched in 2016 on NBC, before being gradually broadcast on Netflix, "The Good Place" ended in 2020 on a fourth and final season, and the series is now fully visible on the platform. At the beginning of the story, we discovered characters welcomed into the afterlife at the Bon Place, another name to designate Paradise. Multiple adventures later, the heroes have the mission to save all of humanity from eternal damnation.
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Hilarious and offbeat, the series, which is full of visual gags, tasty dialogues and good words, is served by a great team of actors, led by Kristen Bell. She embodies a young woman execrable during her lifetime. Beside him Ted Danson, astonishing as an angel from hell, softens when in contact with humans. With its short and funny episodes, this is an ideal series for aperitif time…
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4/5
"The Good Place", an American series by Michael Schur, with Kristen Bell, Ted Danson ... 4 seasons of 12 to 13 episodes of 22 minutes.
ADVENTURE
"Watchmen"
On OCS. The graphic novel series is cult, the film that was made from it is cult, and the HBO series, available on OCS, is already… cult! Fabulous presentation of the concept of superheroes, very dark vision of an alternative America where Robert Redford is president and where white supremacists remain more active than ever, but, above all, festival of unusual images and completely crazy sequences, "Watchmen" has already established itself as one of the most ambitious and successful series of all time.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 5/5
"Watchmen", American drama series by Damon Lindelof (2019), with Regina King, Jean Smart, Don Johnson ... 9 episodes of 52 minutes at 1:07 am.
"The Mandalorian"
On Disney +. Returning to the codes, creatures and decorations of the first "Star Wars", the flagship Disney + series will impress you. "The Mandalorian", whose action is situated between episodes VI and VII of the saga, follows a Mandalorian mercenary resembling Boba Fett, character who appeared in "The empire strikes back", whose new high-risk contract consists to capture on a distant planet a mysterious character, Baby Yoda.
The episodes multiply the twists, the action scenes crammed with visual effects and the nostalgic sequences, oscillating between science fiction and western. It is the very creative Jon Favreau ("Iron Man", "the Lion King" ...) who is at the helm, supported by other Hollywood champions. The result turns out to be totally addictive, pending a season 2, already shot.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4, 5/5
“The Mandalorian”, an American science fiction series by Jon Favreau (2020), with Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito… 8 episodes of 36 minutes to an hour.
"Into the Night"
On Netflix. An armed unknown enters the plane by force and is about to take off from Brussels airport. According to him, the sun's rays have become deadly and he wants the device to go immediately, heading west, to stay in the terrestrial night zone. On board, only a few crew members and a handful of passengers of various nationalities ...
The starting point for "Into the Night", the first Belgian series commissioned by Netflix, is as simple as it is effective. After five minutes of introduction, it's time for action and suspense, with a touch of apocalyptic science fiction. The urgency and incessant twists return to series full of adrenaline like "24 Hours chrono". In the casting, we find Pauline Etienne, seen in "the Office of legends", and Laurent Capelluto, already appreciated in "The Revenant" or "White Zone".
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4/5
“Into the Night”, Belgian drama series by Jason George (2020), with Pauline Étienne, Laurent Capelluto, Stefano Cassetti… 6 episodes of approximately 40 minutes.
"Carnival Row"
On Amazon Prime Video. In an imaginary universe, fantastic creatures, terrorized by humans, find refuge in Carnival Row, a colorful and ill-famed district of a city that resembles 19th century London, where they are tolerated. Among them, Vignette, a young fairy who once had a passionate history with a human, Rycroft Philostrate, a police officer who investigates savage murders. His investigations will bring him back to these creatures banished from society, in the direction of Vignette, but also of his past ...
Visually stunning, full of suspense, aptly interpreted by Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom, this series also impresses with the themes it addresses: the ill-treatment inflicted on migrants, social and ethnic diversity, the beauty of difference, and the evil of those who want to "cut the wings" to freedom-loving who play taboos and rules too strict. By constantly handling the metaphor, "Carnival Row" fascinates and sometimes touches the sublime.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 5/5
"Carnival Row", an American fantasy series by Travis Beacham and René Echevarria (2019), with Cara Delevingne, Orlando Bloom ... 8 episodes of 50 to 67 minutes.
EMOTION
"Unorthodox"
On Netflix. She is 19 years old and will change her life, and continent. This four-part German series features Esty, who leaves Brooklyn, New York, where she belongs to the Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Here she is married and destined to fulfill her role as wife. Educated in a vacuum, she has no right to devote herself to music, her only passion. Or to have a job.
This world, where all access to modernity is prohibited, is the only one that Esty knows. However, she suddenly leaves him on a plane to Berlin, hoping to find her mother, who fled years earlier. Served by a fabulous production and a masterful actress, "Unorthodox" is an ode to life, freedom and the strength of these women who dare to challenge the established order.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4.5 / 5
“Unorthodox”, German drama series by Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski (2019), with Shira Haas, Amit Rashav… 4 episodes of 52 minutes.
"Little Fires Everywhere"
On Amazon Prime Video. Reese Witherspoon, heroine of "Revenge of a blonde" or of the series "Big Little Lies", plays here Elena Richardson, a married mother of four who lives in a huge villa. Her fate crosses that of Mia (Kerry Washington, star of "Scandal"), mother of a teenager and broke artist. From their first meeting, their confrontation sparks, and the relationship between the two women will turn into an implacable struggle. A duel that is all the more delicate since their children form close ties.
The series starts with the image of the Richardson's burning house, then goes back to unfold the events that will lead to the drama. If the two actresses shine in the shoes of their characters with heavy secrets, the young actors who play their children have nothing to envy.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4/5
"Little Fires everywhere", American drama series by Liz Tigelaar (2020), with Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington ... 8 episodes of 53 to 66 minutes.
MUSIC
"Valid"
On MyCanal. It was Franck Gastambide, actor and director of "Pattaya" or "Taxi 5", who created "Validé", the first series devoted to French hip-hop. A talented young rapper, supported by his two childhood friends, finds himself overnight "validated" by one of the stars of the field, when he managed to get noticed during the famous radio show "Planète Rap" " But this alliance quickly turns into a dangerous rivalry ... With the participation of Soprano, Kool Shen, Lacrim, this season of 10 episodes is a little gem which envisages with great realism the world of rap.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 4/5
"Validé", a French musical series by Franck Gastambide, Charles Van Tieghem and Xavier Lacaille (2020), with Hatik, Saïdou Camara, Brahim Bouhlel ... 10 episodes of 30 minutes.
