The Kilkenny Observer Friday 13 May 2022
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The coolest television shows of all time Now, here’s something you could possibly argue about with family and friends until the cows come home. Back in the real world, however, we know different. Television is right up there with music, films and books when it comes to being cool. How could you watch Monty Python, The Simpsons or The Wire and think differently? Exactly. So, herewith is the first in a series of the coolest TV programmes of all time. The shows that changed the way we think, the way we dress and how we watch TV itself. 1. Breaking Bad (2008-13) A teacher dealing crystal meth in order to provide for his family before he succumbs to terminal cancer might not sound like a fridge full of chortles, but the astounding Breaking Bad is just that. Unsurprisingly dark, the show flicks back and forth between surrealism and gallows humour. Moreover, it serves as a modern-day fable; a show that while dealing in the murkier aspects of human life (a suitable reflection of
our current malaise) demonstrates that actions do have consequences. Amusingly moral in other words. 2. The Wire (2002-2008) The Wire has been called the greatest TV show ever by so many people that repeating such an opinion feels like damning it with faint praise. No matter, The Wire’s excellence is apparent to all who have fallen under its spell. Ostensibly a crime drama set in Baltimore, it is so much more than that. An unflinching expose of modern America – the death of the American Dream and the post-industrial urban decay - critics have called the show’s five series the closest thing we have to a modern Shakespeare. They are not wrong. We envy those who have yet to watch it. 3. The Sopranos (1999– 2007) Although there had been precedents – Twin Peaks chief among them – The Sopranos changed everything. Every series that followed in its wake owed a debt to the
programme. A drama concerned with the mob (a subtle metaphor for the family) it was dripping in pop culture references, was hysterically funny, glamorised nothing and, for a programme that dealt in murder and deception, was incredibly poignant and moving. Alongside The Wire it is the ultimate in box set viewing. 4. Game Of Thrones (2011-19) It may have lost its cool at the end with a so-so season but let’s not forget just how much fun it was tuning into Game of Thrones week after week, watching warring factions try and battle it out for what was a frankly rather uncomfortable looking throne. When it comes to TV, some of GoT’s episodes were damn-right cinematic - and there’s nothing cooler than seeing a white walker do its damage. 5. Luther (2010-) The Wire may have started Idris Elba’s career but it was Luther that cemented it. Luther is a badass detective who is put into some — quite
frankly — scary situations. From the Massive Attack score to the violent whodunnit storylines, to that famous coat Luther oozes cool throughout. And we aren’t finished with the character yet as there’s a movie in the works. 6. Better Call Saul (2015-22) We were worried that this prequel would not be able to match the, er, highs of Breaking Bad but we think it’s surpassed it. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould has created one of the best character on TV with Saul Goodman, but it is Bob Odenkirk who breathes life into the corrupt lawyer. 7. Mindhunter (2017-19) We may never get a third season of Mindhunter which is a real shame as David Fincher’s TV show, about the FBI tracking and coining the idea of serial killers in the 70s, is a creepy series that takes its time as it gets into the mind of some famous killers. All three leads, Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany and Anna Torv excel in this riveting thriller. Continues next week
Is Ozark open to a new series? Netflix’s Ozark recently came to a savage and shattering end with some unexpected developments. First, Marty Byrde and his entire family made it out alive and presumably headed back to Chicago for good; second. Ruth Langmore did not survive, which was to be expected, given her actions earlier in the final season. Still, we received a poetic scene with Killer Mike to make that finale hit home in retrospect, and now, fans of the show are left to wonder
if maybe there could be a followup. It would certainly be in Netflix’s best interests to hop on that opportunity, given that the show’s consistently done gangbusters numbers for streaming charts. A followup would also help to wash down those highdollar slip-ups and keep subscribers hooked when they’ve got a million options to go elsewhere. Ozark show-runner Chris Mundy is acutely aware of how people are probably
very upset about Ruth’s demise, but as he told TV Line, talks have happened when it comes to potential spinoff material. Nothing would prevent a Ruth prequel, obviously, but beyond that dream, the door has sure been left open for Jonah to continue breaking bad after no one’s quite sure who he ended up shooting at the end of the series. Was it Mel the Private Investigator (while he clutched that cursed cookie jar full of ashes) or did Jonah actually
turn the gun on Wendy? I don’t believe anyone has seriously floated the latter as the possibility, but hey, that gunshot went down offscreen. So never say never. Still, Mundy seems satisfied with finishing Ozark proper, and in fact, he declared, “It was really important for me to end this show.” He declared that any spinoff would be in the same universe but “would be its own distinct thing.” Clear as mud, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
From Netflix’s impressive stash of international films comes Spanish sci-fi horror The Platform from 2019. Its high- concept story centres on a tower that delivers food to people on each of its many levels via a platform. Those at the top snag the best and most abundant spread, which is devoured as the platform lowers down the levels. Social commentary rings throughout this dystopian thriller, which takes shocking, occasionally gruesome turns all the way to the bottom.
This 2020 movie tells the story of Ellie Chu, a shy Asian American discovering her sexuality in the remote town of Squahamish. A straight-A yet friendless student who has a side-hustle writing papers for her classmates, Ellie helps footballer Paul Munsky write a love letter to Aster Flores. But it turns out Aster is perfect for Ellie instead. A story of self-acceptance told with a delicate touch, The Half of It is a joy.
The Incredible Jessica James from 2017 introduces a delightfully self-possessed main character played by an equally delightful Jessica Williams. The confident and independent Jessica James goes on a blind date where she ends up talking about nothing but her ex. A fresh take on the breakup movie with an empowering lead, this is an easy hit for an entertaining night in.
This award-winning 2019 French film begins with a severed hand escaping a refrigerator in a laboratory and embarking on a Pariswide search for the rest of its body. What an opening! With a few flashbacks and elegant animation, this strange, satisfying story delves into loss, both physical and emotional, in the most poetic of ways.
Spike Lee’s fierce 2020 war drama follows a group of ageing Vietnam War veterans who return to the country in search of the remains of their squad leader -- as well as buried treasure. With a frenzied energy coursing through it, Da 5 Bloods gives you a look at the Vietnam War through Black experiences, delivering an all-tootimely critique of racism and warfare.
