\t\tCOLOR THEORIES BY JULIO TORRES\t<\/p>\n
\n\tOnly the brilliant oddball behind Los Espookys<\/a> and Problemista<\/a> could have come up with something like this HBO special. Styled like a Dr. Seuss character and speaking in his signature deadpan, the comic delivers what begins as a whimsical exercise in synesthesia but becomes a cogent reflection on the systems guiding our nonsensical world. \u2014\u00a0ANGIE HAN<\/p>\n \n\tCredit Steven Conrad, committed to doing odd things in a too-safe medium, with the year\u2019s best bait-and-switch. His HBO limited series lures us into a murder mystery\/love triangle (Jason Bateman, David Harbour and Linda Cardellini, all in peak form), only to change into a dramedy about loneliness, male friendship and the perils of posing for Playgirl in your youth. \u2014\u00a0DANIEL FIENBERG<\/p>\n \n\tOne could say Robert Carlock and Sam Means\u2019 new NBC show is a rehash of the Carlock\/Tina Fey 30 Rock formula, elevated by a perfect cast (Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander) that adds heart to the story of a disgraced NFL star and documentarian both seeking redemption. Yup! It\u2019s the best broadcast comedy since Abbott Elementary<\/a>. \u2014\u00a0D.F.<\/p>\n \n\tLisa McGee\u2019s Netflix follow-up to Derry Girls<\/a> is the funniest, most vicious and most mysterious crime comedy of the year so far. Roisin Gallagher, Sin\u00e9ad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne anchor a top-notch ensemble as a trio of friends whose trip from Belfast to Ireland\u2019s County Donegal for a funeral leads to unearthed secrets, hilarity and emotion. \u2014 D.F.<\/p>\n \n\tThe HBO drama returned nastier and more ambitious than ever, ensnaring Myha\u2019la\u2019s ruthless antiheroine, Ken Leung\u2019s toxic mentor and Marisa Abela\u2019s cynical heiress in the web of funny money, shady politics and sexual exploitation. There are plenty of shows about the moral void of the rich, but none with so much fire in its belly, or ice in its veins. \u2014\u00a0A.H.<\/p>\n \n\tWriter Jack Thorne and director Marc Munden\u2019s Netflix adaptation of William Golding\u2019s novel is as harrowing and haunting as the source material demands, putting an astonishing cast of newcomers through a gorgeously photographed descent into marooned madness. Think The White Lotus<\/a> without the comforting satiric streak. \u2014\u00a0D.F.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat do you get when you combine a struggling single mom, her unusual family and an alien-themed OnlyFans account? One of the year\u2019s most pleasurable shows. Led by a radiant Elle Fanning and a richly nuanced Michelle Pfeiffer, David E. Kelley\u2019s Apple dramedy delivers heart and humor while having its feet firmly planted in the real world of dirty diapers and unpaid bills. \u2014 A.H.<\/p>\n \n\tSorry Bridgerton, BritBox has the year\u2019s most irresistible Regency drama. The show sends Pride & Prejudice\u2018s resident frump (a charming Ella Bruccoleri) on a journey of self-discovery filled with kindly relatives, enormous books, lavish balls and, yes, eligible suitors. It\u2019s smart, but not so smart that it can\u2019t indulge in a bit of giggling and sighing. \u2014 A.H.<\/p>\n \t\tSHORESY SEASON 5\t<\/p>\n \n\tJared Keeso\u2019s Crave\/Hulu hockey comedy started as a puerile Letterkenny spinoff but has evolved into a surprisingly mature, unexpectedly sweet meditation on decency, civic pride and holding on to the things that you love. It\u2019s the Better Call Saul to Letterkenny\u2018s Breaking Bad. \u2014\u00a0D.F.<\/p>\n \n\tCome for the spooky lore, stay for the small-town humor. Or come for the goofy shenanigans, stay because the eerie fog won\u2019t let you leave. Parks and Rec alum Katie Dippold\u2019s delectable genre-bender features a sweaty Matthew Rhys, a salty Stephen Root and an exciting comedic breakout in Kate O\u2019Flynn. Unlike so much TV, this Apple series feels like a true original. \u2014\u00a0A.H.<\/p>\n