2018 Summer Watch List

We’re getting ready to head into the dog days of summer. The solstice was last week and many parts of the country will head into a period of extreme heat and, if you’re as lucky as I am, some nasty humidity, too. Never fear, when it’s too hot to go outside, spend some quality screen time with these great shows. 

Champions – Do you miss the early seasons of The Mindy Project? Me too. Look no further than Champions. Former Mindy Project cast members abound in this story of a father raising his son in New York City. Oh yeah, and it’s a son he just found out existed when the mother needs to find a place for him to stay while he attends a prestigious performing arts school in the city. It’s no surprise that Champions has a similar tone and sensibility to The Mindy Project because Champions is co-created by Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy. Michael (J.J. Totah) is one of those precocious teenagers who often acts wiser than his fifteen years but the writing is so smart that it’s hilarious rather than obnoxious. Anders Holm (Michael's father and owner of Champions gym), Andy Favreau and Fortune Feimster round out the cast. Kaling (as Michael’s mother) pops in every now and then as well. Pump it up on Hulu.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine – It’s not very often that a major television network comes to the rescue, but we have NBC to thank for saving the life of this underrated comedy. Fox gave it the axe, Lin Manual Miranda tweeted and now we get to look forward to another season on NBC. Andy Samberg is at his most tolerable as Jake Peralta, a New York City cop at Brooklyn’s 99^th precinct. Working with him are a gaggle of goofy, lovable characters portrayed with gusto and expertise by Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Lo Truglio, Chelsea Peretti and Andre Braugher. The fact that Braugher has not yet won an Emmy for his portrayal of a buttoned up captain whose idea of fun is listening to recorder music is a crime right up there with Steve Carrell not having an Emmy for The Office. Just watch it, you’ll be hooked. Have you watched a couple and remain unconvinced? Pick an episode featuring the brilliant Craig Robinson guest starring as the Pontiac Bandit, then you’ll be hooked. Solve the case on Hulu.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – After spending 15 years underground, kidnapped by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, Kimmy (real-life Kwepie doll Ellie Kemper) has a lot to learn about life aboveground. And who better to teach her than struggling actor and roommate Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), landlord Lillian (Carol Kane) and employer/maybe-friend Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski). The dialogue is lightning fast; it is almost impossible to catch some of the jokes when they land. Titus’ nicknames for Kimmy are a prime example. He seems to drop a new one each time he addresses Kimmy but does so with such speed that he’s at the end of his speech before you catch the reference. Some of the best: Kimberlake (as in, “Get in sync”), Kimpanzee, Kimillionaire, K-PAX, Kimothy, Kim Kim Kim (Titus explains: a play on Rin Tin Tin). I blew through the most recent season without realizing that it was a shortened 6 episodes. Had I known, I would have slowed down to savor the off the wall dialogue (“Your fart just got to me, why is it so slow?”) and wacky – yet totally believable for this group – storylines. Kimmy lives aboveground on Netlix.

The Middle – This family sitcom plugged along on ABC for 9 seasons – not in a Yes, Dear way, in a hidden gem kind of way. The Middle was a 21^st century Rosanne without the crassness. The Middle followed the Heck family, a constantly down on their luck crew who find a way to stick together despite their struggles. It was a pleasure to get to know the Heck family in good times (Sue won a trip to Disney World!) and in bad (it was actually Disneyland and they drove to the wrong place). With a cast led by Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn, The Middle was never showy enough or considered groundbreaking enough to compete in a Modern Family sitcom landscape. Which is a shame because it was just plain good. The last episode was the cherry on top of a nine-season sundae. As a sister whose brother moved across the country, the last couple of episodes tore me up. Get the Kleenex ready. Meet the Hecks on Hulu.

Hear the Music, See the Light

Even if you have not seen the movie Frozen you have heard “Let it Go.” The movie’s power ballad was inescapable after the release in 2013. The movie went on to make millions, win Academy Awards and, most recently, it spawned a big-budget Broadway musical. The Walt Disney Company knows a good opportunity when it sees one and, after seeing the show in New York last month, it’s hard to argue with their logic. Frozen is a faithful adaption: the magic, the music and the story are all brought to life with exquisite detail and expert performances.

The Frozen story is originally drawn from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen” and follows sisters Anna and Elsa, the latter of which has the power to create snow and ice. When Elsa becomes queen of Arendelle and accidentally turns the kingdom to an ice town (Parks and Rec anyone?) Elsa flees the kingdom and Anna sets off to find her.

The movie version of Frozen was essentially a movie musical so it comes as no surprise that the movie translates well to the stage. The show includes the music from the movie but is filled out with new material. Adding new music to a beloved story is a risk that may not pay off (ahem, Aladdin) but in the case of Frozen the new musical numbers feel like a natural fit. For example, “A Little Bit of You” and “Hygge” are fun and serve as a showcase for the talented young performers and ensemble cast. And then there is the moment for which the entire audience has been waiting. The audible gasp when the audience hears the opening strains of “Let it Go” illustrates the exact reason live theater is so important. The collective, immediate experience of a performer inspiring joy right before your eyes is impossible to replicate in any other medium.

Caissie Levy as Elsa and Patti Murin as Anna

One of the reasons Frozen is such a delight is that the theatrical effects, lighting and design literally turn the stage into bustling Arendelle – before, during and after the freeze. Creating a frozen wonderland without the use of actual snow or ice is surely no easy feat but the sounds of crunching snow, cracking ice crystals and the shimmer of icicles is inspiring. 

Of course no matter how good the music, the book and the design, it all falls flat if the actors tasked with bringing the story to life are not up to the task. Caissie Levy has the weight of “Let it Go” on her shoulders but you would not know it to look at her. Her Elsa navigates the arc from fear to confidence to contentment with poise. On top of that, Levy’s voice is impeccable, smooth and strong; she belts the high notes without belying any of the difficulty inherent in that task. And while Elsa has the biggest moment of the show, it is actually Anna who has more stage time, so it is perfect that Patti Murin is tailor-made for the role. Murin imbues Anna with a bubbly brightness and the head and heart of a modern princess. Jelani Alladin and Greg Hildreth, as Kristoff and Olaf, have great comedic timing, always appreciated in a show where the meat of the story is not rooted in comedy, and the ensemble is made up of a talented group of singers and dancers.

Does Frozen break any new ground? No. But it doesn’t need to. Frozen is perfect for families with young children but will also appeal to the kid in all of us. A national tour has already been announced so very soon audiences across the country will be able to take a trip to Arendelle.