The Langham Huntington hotel in Pasadena, Calif., was packed earlier this month as the Television Critics Association launched its first in-person tour in three years. Masked critics and cheering publicists filled the rooms, halls and event spaces for the scaled-back affair, which included important players such as NBC Universal, Disney General Entertainment Content, AMC, MGM+, Paramount+, PBS and the big finisher, Apple TV+.
Over 10 days, almost 80 returning and upcoming projects presented panels with actors and creatives, setting the TV landscape for the next six months. There was a new stage courtesy of SenovvA , but fewer lavish parties . Only two executives – FX chairman John Landgraf and PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger – braved the stage to field industry questions, making them two of the most popular people on the tour.
The essential conversations, however, were those that took place between official business. As TCA members caught up during breaks and dissected early screeners and panels, they also dug into which creatives had winning long-term plans and which series came out with more swagger than substance. Here’s what won them over.Every year there’s one presentation that surprises and leaves critics enthusiastic for more. This year that entry was, an adaptation of Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel.
Danai Gurira gives the late Christopher Plummer a run for his money when she tackles Shakespeare’s greatest villain in this subversive and inclusive take on Richard III.Danai Gurira gives the late Christopher Plummer a run for his money when she tackles Shakespeare’s greatest villain in this subversive and inclusive take on. Gurira embodies the role with every scene, but she’s just one piece in the diverse new cast.
The limited series puts plenty of thought and detail into the entire production, from the annex where they hid to the hope that kept the family going through a horrible time. There’s more than six years of research crammed into eight episodes, but it’s Powley’s stunning performance that left critics talking.