{"id":1442977,"date":"2022-04-18T08:01:16","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T12:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1442977"},"modified":"2022-04-18T08:01:25","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T12:01:25","slug":"these-4-riveting-springtime-tv-series-prove-excellent-storytelling-isnt-dead-however","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/these-4-riveting-springtime-tv-series-prove-excellent-storytelling-isnt-dead-however\/","title":{"rendered":"These 4 Riveting Springtime TV Series Prove Excellent Storytelling Isn\u2019t Dead However"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthese-4-riveting-springtime-tv-series-prove-excellent-storytelling-isnt-dead-however%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1442977&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Hardy-e1650115339358.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>A decade ago, entertainment coverage began to use the term \u201cpeak TV\u201d and, since then, the number of shows hoping to find an audience has <em>doubled<\/em>. Hollywood is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/now\/peak-tv-tally-according-fx-002950517.html\">currently producing<\/a> 559 scripted original series, with no end in sight thanks to a dozen-plus major streaming services.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"pvNfujkQOyRUVKzYZEMm18PAJSI\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">People were starting to talk about &#8220;peak TV&#8221; in the early 2010s.<\/p>\n<p>Then, in the 10 years years between 2011 and 2021, the number of scripted original series doubled. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/w63u2HOYVy\">pic.twitter.com\/w63u2HOYVy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DKThomp\/status\/1483193650381213699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 17, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>This glut of TV comes at a time of momentous change and needed reckoning. On one hand, billion-dollar media companies \u2014 including the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/04\/07\/warnermedia-staff-fear-layoffs-in-discovery-merger\/\">newly merged<\/a> Warner Bros. Discovery, which operates HBO Max \u2014 are in a heated contest for streaming subscribers. About a dozen major players <a href=\"https:\/\/entertainmentstrategyguy.com\/2022\/04\/13\/u-s-streaming-subscriber-estimates-for-q4-of-2021\/\">exist today<\/a>, but <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2022\/02\/paramount-streaming-plans-stock-plunge-wall-street-future-1234935496\/\">observers predict<\/a> only half as many will survive the next few years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Just as important, several top streamers have ticked off conservative parents with their blatant progressive advocacy. Disney has generated headlines after several of its <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/03\/30\/disney-executives-admit-of-course-were-grooming-your-children\/\">creative executives spoke<\/a> of a \u201cnot-at-all-secret gay agenda\u201d and \u201cadding queerness\u201d in children\u2019s programs. The entertainment company\u2019s next <a href=\"https:\/\/thewaltdisneycompany.com\/disneys-q2-fy22-earnings-results-webcast\/\">earnings call<\/a> may reveal whether Disney has seen declines.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, supposed family titles from competitors have been just as problematic, with Netflix\u2019s \u201cThe Baby-Sitters Club\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/07\/30\/netflixs-the-baby-sitters-club-writer-were-making-tween-trans-propaganda-on-purpose\/\">featuring<\/a> a biological boy (who identifies as transgender) in the girls\u2019 club; HBO Max\u2019s racy \u201cEuphoria\u201c <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/02\/25\/if-your-kids-are-secretly-watching-hbos-euphoria-you-should-be-worried\/\">targeted<\/a> at teens; and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pluggedin.com\/tv-reviews\/rugrats\/\">Rugrats<\/a>\u201d and \u201cBig Nate\u201d from Paramount Plus that take potty humor to new lows.<\/p>\n<p>So is there anything good on? Anyone who\u2019s started an overhyped reboot only to quickly bail knows the frustration of Hollywood adding unnecessary elements. And as the outdoors beckon, many people will ditch screens and jump into <em>actual streams<\/em> with flowing water. Still, during downtime, those seeking entertainment that also provides food for enlightening discussion may find these four recent TV entries fit the bill.<\/p>\n<h2>1. The Hardy Boys, Season 2 (family mystery, TV-PG, Hulu)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"35jFNeNU6aqx50cTZ6DgGEIptCU4w2IudAomSWPBTVzqFP1VDMLwQtha97OfhcSuYyJHmM2QlWYZnBlvArCGypeL0xf3sd7b1OkE\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Sleuthing brothers Frank and Joe Hardy are back in season two of the throwback mystery series \u201cThe Hardy Boys.\u201d While other nostalgia-heavy reboots (read: \u201cNancy Drew\u201d and \u201cRiverdale\u201d) have added explicit content, this tween-friendly TV adaptation feels ripped right from one of the Hardy brothers\u2019 300-plus grade-school novels as the boys stumble into another caper in small-town Maine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This time around, the brothers work with their detective father, Fenton, as a friend\u2019s disappearance leads them to a shadowy underground operation. Several elements <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/12\/11\/hulus-hardy-boys-reboot-is-classic-wholesome-mystery-solving\/\">from season one<\/a> reappear, including the mystery around their mother\u2019s death and an apparently supernatural object called the Eye. <\/p>\n<p>Stakes are raised, as action gets more explosive and their friends are shaken by losses. They must detect not only clues but personal betrayal to get to the truth in this show many families have enjoyed together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>2. Star Trek: Picard, Season 2 (science fiction, TV-MA, Paramount Plus)\u00a0<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"peurvRXCwStq4nJILY2UBAOPbl8sHZQVdiM9GyEDk61F7\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Renowned star of stage and screen Sir Patrick Stewart returns to his most iconic role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in this intriguing series that reunites characters from various past \u201cStar Trek\u201d incarnations. While it\u2019s purportedly advancing the story forward, in this case Picard and his crew venture into the \u201cpast\u201d (essentially our own present day) in a time-travel conceit that enables the show to comment on current issues and cultural trends.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Themes of memory, trauma, and time\u2019s passage are at the forefront of the season-long story. Yet viewers have to navigate aspects of progressive ideology, such as a slanted portrayal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as purely nefarious and romantic same-sex relationships among some secondary characters. (While Whoopi Goldberg reprises her \u201cStar Trek: The Next Generation\u201d role, it\u2019s not linked to her outspoken liberalism on \u201cThe View.\u201d)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For those willing to sidestep some content issues \u2014 not nearly as pronounced as <a href=\"https:\/\/julietteo.substack.com\/p\/observations-on-star-treks-new-and\">other recent Trek shows<\/a> \u2014 \u201cStar Trek: Picard\u201d has enough story and actual ideas to chew on.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (docuseries, TV-14, Discovery Plus)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"iKS3yBOYlsdFIXchwqtaN\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In the wake of several high-profile scandals \u2014 from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/breaking\/ct-met-willow-creek-church-bill-hybels-report-20190228-story.html\">Willow Creek<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/ct\/podcasts\/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill\/\">Mark Driscoll\u2019s megachurches<\/a> and beyond \u2014 many Christians have been rethinking how certain models of doing church require better accountability. Premiered only days before Hillsong\u2019s Brian Houston <a href=\"https:\/\/julieroys.com\/brian-houston-resigns-after-misconduct-investigation\/\">resigned<\/a> as their global senior pastor, \u201cHillsong: A Megachurch Exposed\u201d gives an overview of the troubling scandals that have embroiled the Pentecostal-evangelical powerhouse.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With a focus on the misdeeds of Hillsong New York City pastor <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/tag\/carl-lentz\/\">Carl Lentz<\/a>, who reportedly had multiple affairs and misused church funds, it gets into sordid details at times. Overall, the narrative relies on religion journalists, firsthand interviews with alleged victims, and several leading evangelical voices for insights into how ambition, money, and image became driving factors for church leadership. Perhaps Hillsong offers a case study for the broader church to examine.<\/p>\n<h2>4. The Dropout (true-crime drama, TV-MA, Hulu)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"UrRjcxDBu6JwA01OZIEoSNHGVQP8bf4n2ky9tiYeTmWpas5ChKFlLdgvXqM7z\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Audiences today can\u2019t get enough of true crime dramas, particularly an emerging sub-genre of high-stakes scam thrillers, with current examples \u201cWeCrashed\u201d (the fall of WeWork) and upcoming \u201cThe Big Conn\u201d (about Eric Conn\u2019s half-a-billion in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/03\/29\/how-a-country-lawyer-pulled-off-the-biggest-social-security-fraud-ever-and-why-it-could-happen-again.html\">Social Security fraud<\/a>). Yet it\u2019s \u201cThe Dropout\u201d examining medical tech company Theranos that may be the current crop\u2019s best, despite some coarse language and a few easy-to-skip (and unneeded) steamy scenes.<\/p>\n<p>As ambitious as its protagonist, Elizabeth Holmes, who styled herself a female Steve Jobs out to revolutionize medical technology, the series features Amanda Seyfried (\u201cFirst Reformed\u201c) in a role that\u2019s part earnestness, part sleight-of-hand, and mostly unadulterated narcissism. Holmes\u2019 self-confidence <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-10366623\/Meet-Theranos-investors-defrauded-millions.html\">fooled<\/a> Larry Ellison, Henry Kissinger, Jim Mattis, and dozens of other power players.<\/p>\n<p>While this series should\u2019ve been limited to more like six episodes, cutting superfluous scenes of Holmes\u2019 morning routine, it\u2019s likely to win several Emmys for good reason.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Josh Shepherd covers culture, faith, and public policy for several media outlets including The Stream. His articles have appeared in Christianity Today, Religion &#038; Politics, Faithfully Magazine, Religion News Service, and Providence Magazine. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he previously worked on staff at The Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family. Josh and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area with their two children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A decade ago, entertainment coverage began to use the term \u201cpeak TV\u201d and, since then, the number of shows hoping to find an audience has doubled. Hollywood is currently producing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":626,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1442977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/626"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1442977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1442977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1442977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1442977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}