I really LIKED Station Eleven, the 2014 novel by Emily St. John Mandel.

But I’m not sure I can recommend Station Eleven (miniseries), the HBO adaptation.

Twenty years after a flu pandemic resulted in the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors who make their living as traveling performers ….

Mackenzie Davis is excellent as Kirsten, the main character. The entire cast is excellent.

BEST is David Wilmot.

It’s original. Brave.

But for me the story is too confused. Jumping back and forward in time worked in the book, but was too confusing on screen for me.

On the other hand, it’s 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can’t help but admire the attempt.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Excellent. Like many of the best British TV shows, the cast is very believable. Plots fascinating. And the actors look like real people, crooked teeth and all.

Dalgliesh is a crime drama TV series based on Adam Dalgliesh novels by PD James. 

Bertie Carvel stars as the titular character, an enigmatic detective–poet. …

It’s set in mid-1970s England. Thatcher times.

Dalgliesh in the books is dour, cerebral and private. A poet.

In this TV adaptation, to keep the pace lively he’s partnered with LIVELY colleagues.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

FIRE THE WRITERS.

So much potential. An excellent cast. Tons of money for special effects.

But what is the STORY?

61% on Rotten Tomatoes is far too generous.

It’s a mess. I’ll try not to watch season 3.

This is the second book in the Joe Pickett series. He’s a Wyoming game warden.

The plot is intriguing.

Someone hired hit men to kill a number of environmental protection activists across the States.

The lawyer who protected Grizzly Bears was made to look as if he was killed and eaten by those bears. They don’t want martyrs.

I recommend it.

A good insight into the pros and cons of environmentalism in Wyoming.

Amazon

A Joe Pickett TV series just launched. USA only, so far.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Because I HATE advertising, I subscribe to YouTube Premium for about $10 / month.

Included in that bundle is YouTube Music. I downloaded about 100 favourite songs so I can listen offline on the rare occasion I want music rather than podcasts and audio books.

It includes “YouTube Original” TV and movies, a sad collection of things you’d never want to watch. Google has ALL the money so I’m surprised they don’t buy some streaming platforms and compete against Disney, Netflix and the rest.

BUT their only remaining scripted series is Cobra Kai.

However, I tried Impulse, a science fiction drama streaming television series based on the 2013 Steven Gould novel.

Excellent.

It’s part SciFi, part female teen coming-of-age drama.

16-year-old Henrietta “Henry” Coles who discovers she has the ability to teleport but has no control over her destination. …

The main plot gets more complex as it turns out there are others with her superpower. And they come looking for Henry.

Madelaine Hasson plays the strong, unlikable lead character.

The cast is all good, but I particularly like Enuka Okuma as Anna Hulce. A good cop in a very bad situation.

And Daniel Maslany as Townes Linderman, an autistic student.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

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I also watched the second and final season — but don’t recommend it.

One highlight, however, of season two is Callum Keith Rennie as Nikolai, another with Henry’s powers who’s trying to help(?) her.

And Townes gets a girlfriend.