Krapopolis (TV)

 

(2023 - )
Created by Dan Harmon
Starring Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy, Duncan Trussell, Hannah Waddingham
IMDB Entry

I don't watch Fox animated shows often. The older ones seem tired and the newer ones don't seem all that interesting. That's why I didn't pay much attention about Krapopolis. But when I saw it on a streaming service, I decided to take a look. And seeing it was created by Dan Harmon, the mind behind Community and Rick and Morty, I started to watch the episodes.

It's set in the ancient Greek city that gives the show its name. Tyrannis (Richard Ayoade) has declared himself king, and lives with his family. His mother, Deliria (Hannah Waddington) is a goddess, kicked out of Olympus and his father Shlub (Matt Berry) is a mantitaur, part human, part lion, and part scorpion. His sister Stupendous (Pam Murphy) is a cyclops with a patch where her right eye should be* and his brother Hippocampus (Duncan Trussell) has the head of a fish kept inside a fishbowl, with a baby walker ro move his weak body around.

Tyrannis lacks self-confidence, even though he's trying to do something special with the city. Schlub is only interested in sex and drinking, and isn't subtle about it at all.  Deliria is completely self-centered and doesn't care about mere mortals. Stupendous is a warrior, while Hippocampus is a scientist, whose schemes aren't appreciated until they're needed.

The show stars two of my favorite actors. Richard Ayoade came to my attention as Moss in The IT Crowd, as a clueless computer nerd. Matt Berry is a very busy actor, usually playing bombastic roles. He came to my attention in Snuff Box and later in Toast of London and seems to be showing up all over the place.

The show also covers contemporary issues like the problems with social media as a hydra** acts in that capacity.

As of this writing, the show is still in production. Give it a look.

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*An eye is painted on it.

**Voiced by D'arcy Cardin of The Good Place.

My Life is Murder (TV)

 

(2019-2024)
Created by Claire Tonkin, Rick Maier
Starring Lucy Lawless, Ebony Vagulans, Tatam Warren_Ngata, Marting Henderson
IMDB Entry

There's a lot of TV outside of the US and the UK and when you stumble upon something with a well-known actress in the lead, it requires a closer look. My Life is Murder is a gem from Austrailia/New Zealand, a cozy mystery with sharp writing and strong characters.

Alexa Crowe (Lucy Lawless) is a retired cop who is still a sharp investigator and is hired by the police as a consultant to look into crimes that seem a bit fishy. Alexa is assisted by Madison Feliciano (Ebony Vabulans), a computer hacker who finds information online.

The mysteries are cleverly wrought, but the big reason for watching the show is Lucy Lawless* as Alexa. She smart, clever, and witty, something of a pain, but willing to put herself on the line to solve the case. Ebony Vabulans is also excellent and the dialog between the two is always a joy.

In the third season, they added Beth (Tatum Warren-Ngata), a friend of Madison's, who takes over when she is away and become part of the team. The third season also adds Will Crowe (Martin Henderson) as Alexa's ne'er-do-well brother.

The first season was set in Melbourne, Australia, but Alexa and Madison move to Aukland, NZ for the second season. Lucy Lawless is a New Zealander, and I suspect that had a lot do to with the move. A nice little touch is the way the title of the show is displayed in each episode as part of the background.

The show is on Acorn TV and -- if you're library offers it -- Hoopla. It's a charming little detective show that's a lot of fun.

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*I knew her from Xena, of course, and didn't realize she was a natural blonde.

No Good Deed (TV)

 

(2024)
Created by Liz feldman
Starring Lisa Cardellini, O-T Fagbenie, Abbi Jacobson, Lisa Kudrow, Denis Leary, Poppy Liu, Teyonah Paris, Ray Romano, Luke Wilson, Anna Maria Horsford

IMDB Entry

I sometimes wonder the decision process for categorizing a show on a streaming service. I've seen thing flopping because the expectations in the promotional material mislead audiences. No Good Deed is a prime example.  

It's billed as a dark comedy, and while there are quite a few darkly comic moments, it's better described as a mystery and a drama.

It's centered around Paul and Lydia Morgan (Ray Romano, Lisa Kudrow), who are trying to sell their house.  Lydia was a concert pianist, but has developed tremors that make playing impossible.  Three couples are introduced looking over the house. JD Campbell (Luke Wilson) is an out-of-work soap opera actor whose wife Margo (Linda Cardelli) is having an affair. Leslie Fisher (Abbi Jacobson), a prosecutor, and Sarah Webber (Poppy Liu), a doctor, are a couple looking to move up. Dennis Sampson (O-T Fagbenie) is a best-selling author who is suffering from writer's block*; his wife Carla (Teyonah Parris) is pregnant and worried that Dennis's overbearing mother (Anna Maria Horsford) might come to live with them. Paul and Lydia are also visited by Paul's ex-con brother Mikey (Denis Leary), who is clearly up to no good, and plays a little blackmail game on them.

The concept doesn't seem like much, but the key to understanding it is that everyone has secrets they're keeping from their partner.  Some are small; others are enormous and everything centers around selling the house.

The main plot line involves why Paul and Lydia are selling the house, a mystery that is slowly revealed (and solved) as the show goes on. Most of the humor depends on plot twists, so there aren't a lot of laughs throughout (especially when we learn more about Paul and Lydia), but when there is one, it's a big one.

I've liked Lisa Kudrow as an actress since I saw her in The Opposite of Sex.  This is primarily a dramatic role; there's a scene in the final episode where she is spectacularly good. Ray Romano also shows some strong acting chips and the entire cast is wonderful. Lisa Cardinelli has a great presence also. Denis Leary also shows a great deal of depth as his character is not what he seems.

The story is extremely well-written, both in character and plot. It unfolds the mystery slowly, but it's not just finding the perpetrator, but is shows how it affects the people involved.**

No Good Deed is on Netflix, and deserves a binge.

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*Authors in movies often have this problem.

**I noticed a nice bit of foreshadowing in the first episode, and the title is a clever bit of wordplay