By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
Max, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, gets considerable attention for its high-profile shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Succession and Game of Thrones. However, the streamer is also the home for a host of lesser-known titles that deserve your love. We call them ‘hidden gems’ and here are three great ones:
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Tokyo Vice (Seasons one and two)
Have you watched Tokyo Vice? No? Stop what you’re doing right now and stream over to Max where the first two seasons are now available. Ansel Elgort stars in this dramatic series based loosely (very loosely) on real-life American journalist Jake Edelstein who moves to Tokyo and investigates the local crime syndicate. With visionary Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral) as a hands-on executive producer (and director of season one, episode one), Tokyo Vice is a thrill-a-minute ride with strong performances from Elgort, Ken Watanabe as a haggard detective caught in the middle of good and evil, and Rachel Keller as an ambitious American with a mysterious past who wants to leave the Tokyo floozy life for something better. (But she might lose her soul in the process.) Great show! There’s speculation a third season is coming but we’ll see.
Station Eleven
What would happen if a pandemic flu wiped out most of civilization, leaving a small number of survivors in each city to build new lives and systems? That’s the question asked of Station Eleven and the answer is that humans will always yearn to connect and move forward despite the circumstances and odds. Featuring an excellent ensemble cast including MacKenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Lori Petty, and Gael Garcia Bernal, the 10-episode one season of Station Eleven shows how all lives are intertwined in one way or another. And if we allow ourselves to accept that, life gets easier and more understandable. It’s an absorbing show that you won’t soon forget after it’s over.
Hacks
Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, an aging comedienne (based loosely on Joan Rivers) who must freshen up her act or else face show business extinction. Hannah Einbinder plays Ava Daniels, a young arrogant comedy writer who can’t keep a job because of her stubborn nature. The comedy begins when Deborah hires Hannah to write her a new act, but the real charm of Hacks comes from the Mommie/Daughter relationship between the two leads. Smart is terrific as an overbearing performer desperate to stay relevant while Einbinder (the daughter of Saturday Night Live charter member Laraine Newman) is equally good as the rebellious Ava. You’ll laugh and cry with Hacks, sometimes both at the same time.
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