For some reason, some shows never get the recognition (i.e. Emmy love) that they deserve. One such show is THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount +. One reason may be that it’s on Paramount +. If it were on Netflix or HBO Max there would be more subscribers to watch it. Unless you're one of those people who've signed up for five or six platforms I imagine you don't subscribe to Paramount + (or Peacock).
Not to take anything away from other very excellent dramas, and because of all the platforms there is a plethora of them, but THE GOOD FIGHT seems left out of the conversation when Emmy noms are handed out.
It’s just not in the Zeitgest, which is a little odd because I can’t think of a recent drama that references the current politics and news events as much as THE GOOD FIGHT does. From the election to insurrection, cancel culture, inclusion, pandemic — they’re all addressed but in a human way that illustrates just how these events affect us personally.
Episode 4 of the new season is a whole take down on how overly sensitive we are to jokes. Among the many jokes presented, as a throwaway, was Selena Gomez and her kidney transplant. And wouldn't you know, Selena Gomez was outraged and Twitter blew up. See tomorrow's post when I touch more on this topic.
As for this season, I will say I miss Delroy Lindo and Cush Jumbo who left this season, but new addition Mandy Patinkin is a hoot, and Sarah Steele “steals” the show.
The storylines are always compelling, they take big swings at the plate, and the dashes of humor are generally laugh-out-loud funny. There are creative touches including animation and songs. They somehow manage to combine stark realism with utter absurdity. For my money it’s the best written drama on whatever is considered television these days.
THE GOOD FIGHT has everything but buzz. And I guess you need that more than anything else. Too bad they didn't set the show in Hawaii.
Maybe it's because Paramount+ hasn't fully embraced prestige nudity.
ReplyDeleteIf you state the best episode, I'll endeavour to watch it.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone want to be signed up for more than a few streaming services? I don't WANT to be signed up for more than I already have. I only intermittently get around to watching them all as is. I would absolutely watch The Good Fight if I didn't have to sign up specially just for that, and I don't really care about anything else that service offers. I actually went to a movie theater (in a pandemic) because I wanted to see Coda but don't want to subscribe to Apple+. I'm sure those services make it hard to unsubscribe and if I don't want to commit to the service, then I don't bother.
ReplyDeleteAnyway: no matter how good the show is, I'm not going to go out of my way to sign up to pay more monthly money indefinitely just for that. That's the problem they've insisted on having.
Part of the problem is you have to pay to watch it. I have really cut down on tv watching except for a few shows. I watch a couple of shows on CBS and don't recall seeing much advertising. Of course with summer reruns I am mainly watching baseball. I did see the first season of the Good Fight when they aired the first season in order to get more subscribers to All Access. I can't think of any thing I would want to watch other than the Good Fight. Every streaming network has something I would like to watch. I would like to see the McCartney thing on Hulu but I am not going to subscribe just for that or Amazon for Bosch and Mrs Maisel. Both of which I can watch when I visit him as his mother in law shares both of those with him. Even if I cut the chord and got every streaming platform I would end up paying close to what I pay for cable.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with the above on streaming packages. We have Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and the Hulu package (Hulu/ESPN+/Disney+)--and we're not going to get any more (in fact, we'll probably get rid of one of them sooner or later).
ReplyDeleteI feel bad about the shows I'm missing--I really want to see Girls 5 Eva--but at some point, you've just got to say enough. I don't have time to watch everything offered anyway; why add to the pile. (The stack of books and DVDs I already own notwithstanding.)
Paramount has Frasier, Cheers and Wings, which is why I subscribe. Anything else I watch is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteIf you're a soccer fan on top of enjoying scripted programming, Paramount+ is a great deal, as they have the Champions League, the NWSL women's league, and other soccer rights. That something-for-everybody approach, like with the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ package, is a great approach for streaming services; you'll cover more than one dedicated niche audience, and any crossover reach is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteI won't subscribe to a service for just one or two shows. If it has just one show that I absolutely have to access, I'll buy the DVD set.
The Good Fight deserves better writing too. The storyline with Mandy Patinkin is awful this season
ReplyDeleteI sort of agree that the Mandy Patinkin storyline has gone way overboard, even for The Good Fight. If nothing else, it has allowed Sarah Steele to show what a fine actor she is. Still, the writing on this show has been incredible for pretty much the entire run. I hold out some hope that the "Judge Wackner" plot will end brilliantly, but who knows. Some of the The Good Fight writers have also been working on the King's other Paramount Plus series called EVIL, which is also topical, funny and creepy at the same time. There isn't a "regular" network show that is near as great as The Good Fight. Just my two cents on the topic (which will be horked by Brian Johns sooner than later).
ReplyDeleteThere's a show called Evil? You mean they actually made a series about today's Republican party?
DeleteHar-de-har-har, Alice.
DeleteIf you don't want to be saddled with 5 streaming services to watch 6 shows, there's always torrents.
ReplyDeleteSame here, not gonna pay for another subscription service. I already have Netflix, Hulu, and YouTubeTV, plus share Amazon prime with my son.
ReplyDeleteLOVE Christine Baranski... you ever work together, Ken?
ReplyDeleteI've said all along that CBS blew it putting this, their best show, on a streamer. Originally it was on CBS All Access or whatever, a platform not a single person I knew subscribed to. I was able to watch the series each year because of WGA FYC codes. For this current season I've actually watched it through a friend's Paramount+ account.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to agree, The Good Fight is excellent. I watch in awe of what they are able to get away with. And despite my argument that it should be on the broadcast network, I realize now that there's no way it could stay this good and, as you said, take such big swings, if it weren't on a streamer. It's sharp, topical, funny, poignant and other words from a thesaurus. I even put up with some of the really big swings (I'm not a fan of fantasy stuff in an otherwise grounded show, so it took a minute to accept the Frederick Douglass cameo). It's clearly not for everybody, but it's for me and my only criticism is there aren't enough episodes.
Maybe if it had a laugh track people might like it better. Oh wait, that was a previous blog.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, I don't have Paramount +. But even if I did I probably wouldn't watch "The Good Fight" because I didn't like "The Good Wife" from which "T.G.F." is an offshoot. It is possible that you just like the show more than everybody else. Drama much like comedy is subjective.
M.B.
The Good Fight obviously has an audience, or it wouldn't still be in production. Even streaming networks are quick to axe any series that has low ratings. It's a quality series that we clever clogs really enjoy. As the Zoomers say, your mileage may vary.
ReplyDeleteKen, which streaming services do you use? (You can count "cable" as a service if you want, even though it's not a streamer.) Which ones do you watch the most, and which ones feel like the best bang for your buck? And which ones do you think will survive?
ReplyDeleteMy father (90) still has cable. He pays $215/month. I have six streamers for about $75, and I can watch a lot of cable content on THOSE. It's not that expensive. I got sick of 3,000 useless cable channels.
ReplyDeletePlus, I add and drop streamers, as desired shows come and go. You pay by the month. No cable BS.
Trying to get into "Mr. Corman" on AppleTV+, but all I can imagine, is that creator/star Joseph Gordon-Levitt must have known some extremely unappealing people during his lifetime.
ReplyDelete"The Chair" on Netflix? Interesting, but several of the characters are just too annoying.
Ken, have you watched "Grace & Frankie" on Netflix, now in its final season (filming). They dropped the first four episodes, filmed before the pandemic in 2020. Jane Fonda is 83 now. Yes, it ALSO has irritating "players," but somehow, you manage to still like them. To me, it's somewhat of a current take on "The Golden Girls."
I still really hate that Kelsey Grammer is screwing with a "Frasier" reboot, of sorts. Just leave it alone. It appears that he has finally enticed some of the original actors to join. Time will tell.
Why are Cheers and Frasier on Paramount instead of Peacock?
ReplyDeleteThe Good Fight is our favorite show, and The Chair comes a close second, tied with Ted Lasso - all three due to the fantastic dialogue and plotting. Strikes me nutty that people find characters on these shows annoying, but I guess there really can't be any accounting for taste...
ReplyDeleteFriday Question:
ReplyDeleteIt's funny in the ironic sense how Tv works now where actual quality shows (which is rare this day and age) in both drama and comedy like The Good Fight and The Middle for example are so overlooked by Emmys, publications, blogs etc. Although they're critically acclaimed and clearly have big enough fanbases to last for years, The Middle even had the exact same ratings as Modern Family at one point. Anyway, now to the actual question lol... With such quality shows being ignored and the Zeitgeist only paying attention to the more flashy and frankly less quality shows do you feel that if shows like Taxi or Hill Street Blues, Homicide Life on The Street etc. would've even made it past year one if they were made today?