Image via HBO Max
When a new streaming service launches, the library and back catalog is among the first concerns—rightfully so, in a world where nebulous copyrights now control which of even the most mainstream properties is available and where. But the name of the game is content, and so with each new service comes new originals to ostensibly secure loyal subscribers and set the tone for what kind of brand this service will be.
Now to be fair to HBO Max, some of their originals plans—like, say, iconic auteur Michael Mann's Tokyo Vice, which he was filming on location—have been dashed by COVID-19. And they have long game aces up Bob Greenblatt's sleeves, like 2021's planned launch of Zack Snyder's original vision for Justice League. But, the service launched last week with several original series, so this is what we have to go on now and so far, it's not the biggest splash. A lot of family-friendly fare, Anna Kendrick, a couple of competition shows and a whole lot of BBC imports add up to a nascent service who's biggest draw is still TCM and Studio Ghibli titles. And, Harry Potter I guess, if you're into that sort of thing. Anyway, for curious and ravenous minds, Complex Pop sampled each of Max's originals to tell you what's worth your time. Hit the flip for our first dispatch on HBO Max.
'Craftopia'
Genre: Competition series
Length: 25 minutes
Recommended for fans of: Master Chef Junior, Nailed It!
As I’ve worked my way through previous seasons of Top Chef during quarantine, I’m constantly in awe of how skilled you can become if you dedicate yourself to the mastery of a craft. Top Chef and shows of its ilk are the types of reality competition programs I enjoy: a show where everyone is focused on creating the best possible version of something in their own unique way with their particular skills. Given my admiration for these series, it’s no surprise that I find myself enjoying Craftopia.
Hosted by YouTube personality Lauren Riihimaki, aka LaurDIY, Craftopia swaps food for craft projects and top-rated chefs for three amateur teen crafters, each proficient in some sort of crafting specialty, ranging from yarn to glitter. From there, the trio competes in a warm-up and then larger crafting-based challenge—a format that should be pretty familiar to avid watchers of any existing competition shows. The set is infused with the aesthetics of a Lisa Frank binder on overload—seriously it looks like a rainbow vomited everywhere—and a maniac editing style that frequently verges on too much. However, the actual, technical skill on display from the contestants is staggering; the first episode features a crocheter named Jonah who is so incredibly fast that judge James Worsham goes out of his way to specifically address footage of Jonah at work wasn’t sped up in any capacity.
I didn’t anticipate being this interested in a show that’s definitely geared towards teens, tweens, and families. But those who find appreciation in a perfectly poached egg will find similar admiration for many of the projects and skillsets on display in Craftopia. If you’re willing to embrace the inherent campiness and frenzied pace of it all, you’ll be delighted by how effectively the series wins you over. —William Goodman
'Ghosts'
Genre: Comedy
Length: 30 minutes
Recommended for fans of: What We Do In The Shadows, Yonderland, British comedy troupes
It’s always a delight when you discover a truly great British sitcom. Ghosts, which originally aired on BBC One, has the potential to become an all-timer. The premise follows a married couple as they inherit a dilapidated country mansion, a bit of a fixer-upper. However, it’s haunted by dozens of ghosts. When Alison Cooper (Charlotte Ritchie) gets pushed from a window by one of the ghosts and dies for a minute, she’s able to see and communicate with these spirits. Even though the place is obviously haunted, she and her husband, Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) decide to stay.
Ghosts is a silly take on the house of horrors. Think what if the “Murder House” season of American Horror Story was a pure comedy, light on the camp and horror. The ensemble features a breadth of different personalities from different eras. You've got a creepy poet (Mathew Baynton) who's in love with Alison. There’s Lady Fanny Button (Martha Howe-Douglas) a relative of Alison’s (and former owner of the house) who pushes herself out of a window screaming bloody murder every single night. A disgraced politician who died during a sex scandal (Simon Farnaby). Kitty’s (Lolly Adefope) a clingy woman who just wants friends and The Captain (Bill Willbond) is a World War II general who just wants to watch TV about war. Mary’s (Katy Wix) an accused witch who was burned at the stake. A jolly scoutmaster (Jim Howick) who walks the halls with an arrow in his neck. And of course, rounding out this ensemble is a neanderthal (Laurence Rickard) who mostly communicates by grunting, who is probably an idiot savant. —H. Drew Blackburn
'Home'
Genre: Comedy
Length: 24 minutes
Recommended for fans of: Alf, fish out of water comedies
Home begins with a helluva meet-cute. A middle-aged man’s hiding in the back of a middle-class family’s car, sandwiched between suitcases and duffle bags. Terrifying. He pops out wearing a drawstring backpack and a suit. Doubly terrifying. This combination might make you wonder if this stranger is deranged, tripping on bath salts, just moments away from trying to eat somebody’s face. But, Sami (Youssef Kerkour) isn’t some random lunatic, he’s a Syrian refugee looking to reconnect with his wife and son.
This program, which originally aired on Channel 4, is a tender sitcom that reflects on Brexit, immigration, and the family unit. Though Home tackles such serious subjects, it isn’t scathing. Some might find it lacking in a full-throated critique of prejudice in the UK, but tremendous heart and hilarious gags pick up the slack. Sometimes those two things intersect, but creator and star Rufus Jones’ soft touch is what makes this show work. —H. Drew Blackburn
'Legendary'
Genre: Competition series
Length: 49 minutes
Recommended for fans of: Pose, Paris is Burning, So You Think You Can Dance, general glitz and glamour
In 2020 it feels like almost everything in pop culture is basically derivative of two things—hip-hop and drag balls. And even though Langston Hughes attended balls in the 20s and Gil Scott-Heron was dropping crazy bars in the '70s, the enduring legacy of hip-hop and drag culture is most finely traced back to the '80s, in Harlem. All your lingo, the way you dress—everything emanates from sweaty basements in Harlem, black and brown bodies pulsating in ecstasy, escaping all of which is wicked outside.
Even though hip-hop became ubiquitous in the '90s, the same treatment hasn’t been afforded to drag culture, assuredly because its almost entirely populated by queer folks. Until fairly recently, faithful celebrations of this culture in film and TV have been few and far between. Legendary looks to add itself to such hallowed ground as Pose, Paris is Burning, and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Legendary is a competition reality show that features eight houses—Gucci, West, St. Laurent, Balmain, Ninja, Lanvin, Escada, Ebony—battling for $100,000. The judges—Jameela Jamil, Law Roach, Leiomy Maldonado, Megan Thee Stallion—range everywhere from icons to not really sure why she’s here. The show’s master of ceremonies, Dashaun Wesley, has a pedigree that may make up for some aspects of the show that may feel out of place. As a competition show Legendary has culled together brilliant performers, but the way the performances are shot—like if Kanye’s dream of having a reality show shot like Kubrick was realized—takes some of the wonder and delight away from the actual performing. The reality aspects of the show are thin, which deprives Legendary from having those well, legendary, moments of shade, those reads that leave you gasping, with your hand on your chest. —H. Drew Blackburn
'Looney Tunes Cartoons'
Genre: Cartoons
Length: 15 minutes
Recommended for fans of: Classic Looney Tunes characters
Long before they played basketball with Michael Jordan to determine the fate of the universe, the beloved characters of Looney Tunes lived as a series of dedicated cartoon shorts from the mid-1940s to the late-1950s. As helmed by Tex Avery and Chuck Jones, the original cartoons are some of the most treasured bits of Americana and (understandably) cast a large shadow over the 2020 reboot for HBO Max. Lovingly titled Looney Tunes Cartoons, the Peter Browngardt (Uncle Grandpa) series looks to capture and update the appeal of what made the shorts such classics all those decades ago.
Despite the presence of a smartphone in some key art for the show, Browngardt and his crew largely avoid incorporating modern elements into the slapstick plots of Cartoons. Instead, the series opts for a decidedly throwback approach that trickles down all the way to its polished 2D animation and vintage-inspired character designs. The animation style looks just as kinetic and alive in 2020 as it was in the '40s and '50s.
However, diehard fans might object to the loss of nuance in the new portrayals of classic characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, as the shorts are often one purely chaotic exercise after another. Maniac energy has always been at the core of Looney Tunes, but Cartoons leans heavily into sight gags and cartoonish violence almost exclusively, which can get exhausting after a while. Fortunately, the episodes are only 15 minutes or so and include two shorts with a brief interstitial in between.
As is the case with any revival, Looney Tunes Cartoons was always going to have a nearly insurmountable amount of expectations placed on it. The good news is they didn’t botch its execution. Rather, Cartoons provides a solid foundation to build upon moving forward. —William Goodman
'Love Life'
Genre: Dramedy, rom-com
Length: 28-35 minutes
Recommended for fans of: Nicholas Sparks movies, Someone Great, rom-coms where New York is “a character”
This young woman’s on a quest for love. She traverses through the city, looking for The One with an air of the same seriousness you’ll find in adventure tales where finding The Chosen One is necessary or else the fate of humanity is doomed. You’ve heard this one before, right? Yeah, you have. Love Life is exactly like everything you’ve seen before… at least for now.
Anna Kendrick stars in the first season of this anthology project as Darby Carter. Darby’s your classic New York transplant who moved to the city to make it. At what? That’s not entirely clear. The fulcrum of Darby’s life and of the series seems to only move towards the inertia of her romantic interests. Each episode focuses on a different lover. Though Kendrick is every bit as excellent in this role as you’d expect, the character of Darby Carter isn't a particularly interesting one. The men she dates seem more fully realized and compelling as they aren’t given the burden of a one-track mind. Her friends appear as though they’re only around to set the Bechdel test on fire. A few episodes into Love Life and you might just feel compelled to see how it all ends. As the world’s on fire, this decidedly saccharine program might serve as a decent 30-minute dose of soma.
There is hope yet for this project. As an anthology, the next season gives us a new protagonist and a new slate of lovers and a new journey. As HBO Max’s sole truly original narrative program at launch, it's a concept worth investing in. Hopefully, next time around Love Life gives us a bigger helping of the life and lays off the love, just a little bit. We crave a balanced diet. —H. Drew Blackburn
'The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo'
Genre: Talk show
Length: 15 minutes
Recommended for fans of: Sesame Street, Fallon-era Tonight Show
Considering the sheer amount of talk shows (late-night or otherwise), it seemed inevitable that we’d end up with a puppet-based version eventually. Who better to rise to the occasion than Sesame Street? The Not-Too Late Show with Elmo is exactly what it sounds like, using Jimmy Fallon’s (who fittingly enough appears in the first episode) version of The Tonight Show for inspiration in the same way The Muppet Show used Saturday Night Live as a foundation to build upon. Cookie Monster serves as the sidekick while Elmo interviews celebrities and queues up musical performances just like any other late-night show—albeit with Elmo’s unique sense of charm and warmth.
Some of the guests work better than others. While I personally don’t vibe with Fallon, his energy is a good match for the show; the Jonas Brothers episode didn’t work for me at all (their song about brushing your teeth is weirdly sexual?!) The real winner has to be the John Mulaney and Lil Nas X episode, as both guests know exactly how to tailor their sensibilities for this show. I’ll also give kudos to Kacey Musgraves, who shows up in the premiere episode after Fallon for a lovely rendition of the Sesame Street classic “Rubber Ducky.”
The show makes sense for HBO Max insofar as it leverages one of its splashier IPs as a launch title for kid-friendly audiences, and in turn, provides a solid lure for high-profile talent. The execution of each element doesn’t feel forced and manages to be entertaining for adults too; there’s a bit in the Mulaney episode where Elmo cuts him off before he has a chance to plug anything—a point the comedian himself actively acknowledges—that garnered an earnest chuckle from me.
Roughly 15 minutes apiece, Not-Too Late is an excellent way to wind down your kids for the evening, not unlike the way traditional late-night shows often serve as background noise for an adult’s nightly routine. —William Goodman
'On the Record'
Genre: Documentary
Length: One hour, 38 minutes
Recommended for fans of: The Hunting Ground, hip-hop history, Ronan Farrow, justice
Harvey Weinsein blew it wide open. After he faced a myriad of accusations of rape and sexual assault, the floodgates opened and the reckoning began. Dozens of men in the entertainment industry who’ve used their power as a tool for exploitation had their feet held to the fire. An army of brave women birthed the #MeToo movement. They were once ignored or told to stop being sensitive and now a phone call from Ronan Farrow is prone to turn any powerful man’s stomach into knots.
The #MeToo movement has been met with its share of criticisms: Is it an overreach? Should the court of public opinion hold as much or more weight than the actual courts? When and how do these men seek redemption? Out of all of the criticisms—some that stick, some that extremely don’t—the most valid is, where do black women fit within the #MeToo movement?
On the Record is a harrowing and beautiful answer to that question. This documentary centers around Drew Dixon, who was a music industry wunderkind in the early 90s. She put Biggie on. She helped create hip-hop’s greatest duet, “You’re All I Need.” You're enraptured by Dixon’s joy as she reminisces on those good times. The twinkle in her eyes as she talks about her first love, music, is contagious. Then you remember that this happiness was, allegedly, stripped away from her by Russell Simmons and L.A. Reid. That Dixon was forced out of doing the thing she loved so dearly because two men couldn’t, “allegedly,” of course, refrain from deviant behavior is painful. After the New York Times published its piece on the Russell Simmons accusations, Dixon filed for a divorce because the weight of it all was too much and she needed solitude. Look at all this woman’s lost and for what?
If you can stomach the multiple accounts of sexual assault, On the Record is required viewing not only because it gives a voice to black women who’ve been historically and strategically abused and ignored, but also because any hip-hop head needs to hear the sweet music of Drew Dixon putting you on game on just how much of a music industry giant she should have become. —H. Drew Blackburn
'Stath Lets Flats'
Genre: Comedy
Length: 23 mintes
Recommended for fans of: What We Do in the Shadows, The Office
I suspect the initial appeal of UK import Stath Lets Flats will be the presence of Natasia Demetriou. The What We Do in the Shadows actress heads up the supporting cast of this workplace comedy written by and starring her brother Jamie Demetriou (who you might remember as the “Bus Rodent” in Fleabag). As the titular Stath, Jamie infuses the character with a staggering amount of stupidity, creating all kinds of chaos as a real estate broker for apartments in London’s Greek-Cypriot community.
UK housing is somehow even worse than apartment hunting in major US cities and the show capitalizes on this anxiety by having an already difficult process made even worse by Stath’s complete lack of both professional and personal skills. The result is a decidedly cringe-worthy show; situations dogpile up on top of one other in a manner reminiscent of The Office’s more difficult moments. The Demetriou duo plays extremely well off one another, elevating each other’s respective performance in a sort of game of idiot chicken, leading to all kinds of antics.
Fans of Shadows will likely enjoy seeing Natasia flex a different set of comedic muscles in Stath (she’s typically the brains of the household when it comes to Shadows) and interact alongside her own brother. However, those who are totally unfamiliar with the two might have a tougher time deciding to sign the lease on this one. —William Goodman
'Trigonometry'
Genre: Drama
Length: 44 minutes
Recommended for fans of: The Affair, Fleabag Season 2’s relationship intrigue, Parenthood, The Americans minus the spycraft
Let’s get this out of the way up top: Trigonometry is not about math. Well, it kind of is. But not in the solving for equations kind of way. Rather, the BBC Two series (airing in the states for the first time courtesy of HBO Max) is about what happens when you add a new, third party to an existing relationship. So, yes, the “tri” portion of the title does hint at an encroaching threesome—but the series is fully content with easing all parties (including the viewer) into the new situation as delicately and lovingly as possible.
Under the guidance of showrunning duo Duncan Macmillan and Effie Woods, Trigonometry skillfully introduces all the players: couple Gemma (Thalissa Teixeira) and Kieran (Gary Carr) clearly love one another but are saddled with increasing concerns about their futures, both as individuals and as a unit. Gemma’s restaurant (located under the couple’s apartment) is in desperate need of repairs and more servers, while Kieran’s late-night EMT shifts don’t put him in much of a position to help out around the joint house/cafe during the day. With housing costs on the rise (this is the second HBO Max import, along with Stath Lets Flats, to be directly influenced by the London housing crisis), the pair decide to lease a room to a new tenant named Ray (Ariane Labed). A professional synchronized swimmer Ray, of course, is in the middle of her own transitional period after a life-altering accident.
Woods and Macmillan have such affection and warmth for their characters that the whole affair feels decidedly intimate, almost as if the viewer is intruding on the proceedings. The pilot episode ends with a bathroom standoff—for lack of a better term—that evoked shades of one of my favorite moments from The Americans; it’s a quiet sequence that uses glances and the physical presence of the characters to convey an ocean’s worth of emotions. Nothing about the growing sentiments between Gemma, Kieran, and Ray feels forced, rather the growth of fondness between all feels inherently natural. It’s a delicate needle to thread and I’m shocked it works as well as it does.
I’m still early on in the series, but I’m more than impressed with what I’ve watched thus far. The sheer amount of content in HBO Max makes it a little overwhelming to take everything in, but Trigonometry is worth seeking out—as the show is a veritable diamond in the ruff. —William Goodman