Streaming TV has been a boon for us viewers, with some excellent shows produced by and shown on services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime alongside the offerings from such cable staples as HBO and Showtime. At the same time, one does have to wade through the plethora of both movies and series this boom has created.
And then there are the gems well worth seeking out that almost by themselves justify the monthly fees. And few series have impressed me like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel,” an Amazon Prime original production. It’s a marvelous show indeed.
It was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who first caught my attention with “Gilmore Girls” after I was sent a DVD of its initial episodes by one of its junior producers who I spoke with for a press release I was writing. I was immediately impressed by its smart, snappy dialogue liberally salted with pop cultural references, delightful characters and winning small Connecticut town storyline. A later show of hers, the short-lived “Bunheads,” also immediately won me over with its similar qualities.
I’d been wanting to watch it on Amazon but reluctant to add yet another streaming service to my current line-up. But then, as luck would have it, I ordered a book from Amazon and was offered a free month of Prime. I immediately started viewing Mrs. Maisel and leapt headlong into a binge.
It outpaces all of Sherman-Palladino’s previous shows in its story, setting and quite original concept. Mrs. Maisel, first name “Midge,” is a Jewish housewife in Manhattan in the late 1950s, whose husband fancies himself a stand-up comedian and gamely keeps performing at an open mike night at The Gaslight (a famed club in real life) in Greenwich Village, though it’s obvious he doesn’t have the gift.
When Midge and her husband separate after she discovers he’s been sleeping with his secretary, she winds up one night at the Gaslight and on the mike and wows the audience as she cracks wise about her life and its travails. A rising new star is born.
Actress Rachel Brosnahan shines like high summer sunlight as Midge Maisel, vibrant, witty and dynamic. The show rivals “Mad Men” for its vividly accurate and realistic recreation of the look and ways of its era. And it’s an utterly original series unlike anything else on TV. And tons of fun to watch. Sherman-Palladino’s gift for sparklingly smart and sharp dialogue glistens throughout.
After baring her breasts to make a comic point at her debut performance, Midge ends up getting arrested, and meets the pioneering real-life comic Lenny Bruce, who becomes her mentor. When Midge’s Mom runs off to live as a bohemian in Paris, Mrs. Maisel and her father follow her there in a wonderfully delicious excursion to Gay Paree. Season two includes a spell in a summer Catskills resort that captures that unique culture and skewers it in a pointed yet loving way. And that’s not all the riches packed into the show’s first two seasons.
To wit, the show and its creators along with Brosnahan and supporting actress Alex Borstein racked up a slew of Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy awards in just its two seasons. And critics have sung its deserved praises.
“Mrs. Maisel” returned with a third season this December. And I am happy to shell out Amazon’s $12.99 monthly fee for Prime to watch it, because it’s such a stunningly distinctive and delightful show.
Populist Picks
Book: “SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome” by Mary Beard – A subject I never got to in my formal education that has increasingly fascinated over the years, the origins and history of Rome are well-covered in this highly readable tome.
Documentary Film: “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood: The Secret Lives of Classic Hollywood Stars” – Ex-Marine Scotty Bowers landed in Tinsel Town after World War II to become a central figure in its gay underground as a friend, lover, (unpaid) pimp and facilitator to its behind-the-scenes culture.
Rob Patterson is a music and entertainment writer in Austin, Texas. Email orca@prismnet.com.
From The Progressive Populist, January 1-15, 2020
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