Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Tuesday, May 7th, 2024

Introducing a new feature: "Deep Streams"

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, May 7th, 2024:

INTRODUCING A NEW FEATURE: 'DEEP STREAMS'
I grew up listening to classic rock FM radio stations and I always enjoyed it when they would play some lesser-known "deep track." That song buried in an album that should have been a single. The song that's a concert favorite even if it never got any airplay.

One of the things I try and do here and at AllYourScreens is to help readers with content discovery. Surface interesting things you might have missed or worthwhile shows on a streaming platform you might be thinking about subscribing to in the future. 

So beginning today I'm launching a feature called "Deep Streams." Each day, I'll post a review on AllYourScreens of some streaming original series or movie I think is worthwhile. I'll cover every genre and streaming platform and each day will offer up an unpredictable and what I hope will be helpful selection.

I'll link to the posts in the newsletter every day. But to get things started, here is my choice for today's "Deep Stream," the 2020 Netflix France original series La Revolution:

At its best, television is a reflection of the culture that created it. It's not always an accurate representation, but it's a window into the mythology and stories that culture thinks are important. It's why I love watching television made outside of the United States. It's not just the enjoyment I get from seeing the work of people unfamiliar to me. It's the joy of seeing a familiar story through the lens of a different culture. 

That unfamiliar approach to storytelling is just one of the reasons to recommend La Révolution, an original series from creator Aurélien Molas and Netflix France. 

The series is set in 1787 France, in a town about 60 miles from Paris. Two years before the start of the French Revolution, local doctor Joseph Guillotin (Amir El Kacim) uncovers a series of mysterious murders. Young peasant women are disappearing and it appears that there may be some serial killer at work. It's not clear why the murders are taking place, but as Guillotin continues to dig, he discovers an unknown virus which turns the victim's blood blue. It also gives them extraordinary strength along with some unsettling urges.

Joseph Guillotin was a real person. In fact, he is best known for his work to convince the French government to execute criminals by guillotine - a method he argued was more humane than the traditional axe or "breaking wheel." He didn't actually invent the guillotine, but it was named after him because of his work. 

But while the Joseph Guillotin in La Révolution bears the same name as France's leading proponent of the guillotine, their stories have very little in common. And that is the case with much of the storyline in La Révolution. It's very loosely based on the real events that led to the French Revolution, but I don't think there is any historical evidence that France blueblood aristocracy literally had blue blood. Instead the story is a "reimagining" of history, drawing on the inequities of French society to frame more traditional tale of monsters - both human and not-so-human.

There are a number of strong performances in La Révolution, including Marilou Aussilloux, who takes an impressive turn as the haunted Elise de Montargis. Elise is the daughter of the local nobility and argues that the population is overtaxed and abused. But she has little sway in a society where women are seen primarily as vessels for giving birth to the next generation of nobility. Her story is one of the over-arching arcs of the season as viewers learn more about how she has been treated and all of the things that have been taken away from her in the past. Amir El Kacem is also extremely effective as Joseph Guillotin, a man who desperately wants to overthrow the current political system. But also somehow believes that change can happen without violence and death. 

It's difficult to say too much about the main storylines of La Révolution without spoiling things. But Molas and the cast do a spectacular job at framing an unlikely premise in a way that seems as if it's the way the French Revolution *could* have happened. And the story also feels contemporary in some very unsettling ways.

I don't know enough about the current political and cultural climate in France to hazard a guess about how La Révolution will feel to French viewers. But as an American, the show's themes of a dismissive and corrupt upper class, a lack of upward mobility and a deck stacked against the working class seems painfully contemporary. While there aren't a lot of factual similarities between pre-Revolution France and the United States in 2020, the feel and emotional weariness of fighting what seems to be a hopeless battle against the powerful resonates deep into me.

La Révolution  was a treat to watch and it's perfect suggestion for viewers wanting something that is entertaining, unexpected and often thought-provoking.

LIFETIME ANNOUNCES SEVEN NEW ORIGINAL FILMS FOR JUNE
Lifetime rolled out its schedule of original films for June today and here is a quick rundown:

Saturday, June 8th: The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story
Sunday, June 9th: Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story
Saturday, June 15th: Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story
Sunday, June 16th: Danger In The Dorm
Saturday, June 22nd: The Bad Orphan
Sunday, June 23rd: Devil On Campus: The Larry Ray Story
Saturday, June 29th: The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story

ODDS AND SODS
* ABC has announced it has picked up the reboot of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and I am not having any of it.

*  Here is a rundown of the global TV news that should be on your radar.

* Prime Video has released a trailer for the new animated series Angry Birds: Mystery Island. On a sidenote, I'm not saying that I doubt Prime Video's commitment to kids-oriented programming. But before today's video, the last time the Prime Video Kids YouTube page was updated was a year ago.

* As it turns out, it was not a wise financial move for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to invest in Wrexham AFC.

* NBC has renewed Deal Or No Deal Island for a second season.

* Erin Burnett will sit down with President Biden for an exclusive one on one interview tomorrow. The interview will air Wednesday at 7pm ET on Erin Burnett OutFront.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

TUESDAY, MAY 7TH:
* Crimes Gone Viral Season Premiere (Investigation Discovery)
* Eurovision Song Contest 2024 (Peacock)
* Outdaughtered Season Premiere (TLC)
* Super Rich In Korea Series Premiere (Netflix)
* The Other Mrs. Jordan Series Premiere (Britbox)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8TH:
* Dark Matter Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
* Hollywood Con Queen (Apple TV+)
* In Pursuit With John Walsh Season Premiere (Investigation Discovery)
* Let It Be (Disney+)
* Nature - Grizzly 399: Queen Of The Tetons (PBS)
* Palm Royale Season One Finale (Apple TV+)
* Reginald the Vampire Season Two Premiere (Syfy)
* The Final: Attack On Wembley (Netflix)

SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY!