Reviews  

by Kevin Downey for HereIsTV

One hundred years ago, at a time when African Americans were firmly second-class citizens (if that) but with a thriving, music-rich culture of their own, despite it all - slavery being a fresh, raw wound - Ma Rainey and right behind her, Bessie Smith, were against all odds becoming self-made, rich and famous American blues singers.

by Kevin Downey for HereIsTV

There are two eye-opening and potentially fascinating stories being told in the EPIX documentary Deep Web. Each arguably affects every American whether or not they care about their privacy - in this case, online privacy - and the federal government’s evolving interpretation of the 4th Amendment, which guarantees citizens’ protection from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.

By Kevin Downey for HereIsTV

Somehow, Starz’s drug-world drama Power from The Good Wife‘s Courtney Kemp Agboh and rapper 50 Cent is an exciting, fun and addictive drama, despite some serious flaws that would’ve long ago derailed an ordinary show. Power‘s second season begins on Saturday.

by Kevin Downey for HereIsTV

Somewhere buried beneath the layer upon layer of reality show gimmicks on CBS’s summer reality show The Briefcase from The Biggest Loser‘s Dave Broome is a decent premise that has the feel of someone dreaming it up while having one too many at the corner bar.

Rating: 3 (out of 5). The SyFy Channel” new series 12 Monkeys is based on the 1996 movie of the same name and stars Aaron Stanford as Cole, a survivor of a plague that has almost wiped out the population of the Earth. He has been sent back in time to stop the virus from being released to save humanity. A split of opinion for this series with some critics thinking it was a great adaptation while others thought it was laughable.

Rating: 3 (out of 5). HBO’s new sports mockumentory 7 Days in Hell recounts a fictional seven day Wimbledon tennis match played by badboy Aaron Williams (played by Andy Samburg) and proper, if dimwitted, Englishman Charles Poole (played by Kit Harington). The show also features tennis stars Serena Williams, Chris Evert, and John McEnroe. Mixed reviews for this“absurd and over-the-top,” comedy.

Rating: 5 (out of 5). The HBO documentary “A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY,” premiering Monday night, is produced by former New York fire fighter, the actor Steve Buscemi (4 years on the job). The documentary features interviews with the men and women as well as a look at life in the firehouse. The critics are fans of the documentary saying it provides a personal look at the lives of firefighters while on the job.

Rating: 3 (out of 5). BBC America has A Poet in New York, a look at Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, his visit to New York City (where he drank himself to death) in the early 1950s, and his complicated relationship with his wife. Its cast includes Tom Hollander, Essie Davis, Ewen Bremner, and Phoebe Fox. High marks from the critics for movie lead Tom Hollander.