Real life can be a whole lot stranger than fiction, as proven by this month's television releases. March TV includes a fictional series about the real-life drama of showbiz; an adaptation of a true crime story about an adopted little girl accused of being a grown woman; and a docuseries detailing the inane exploits of blond brothers Jake and Logan Paul.
'Everybody's Live with John Mulaney'
Hot on the heels of his brief Netflix talk show "Everybody's in L.A.," cool-guy John Mulaney is back on the streaming service for a steadier gig. This new late night live show promises to feature a "mix of celebrities, comedians, experts and academics," said the Los Angeles Times, and the first episode's guests include actor Michael Keaton, singer-songwriter Joan Baez and comedian Fred Armisen. The host welcomes the potential chaos of late night's on-the-spot nature: "It's a fun feeling to know that, hopefully, a lot of people are watching and it's live globally with no delay, and you could really damage your career," Mulaney said to "CBS Sunday Morning." Some people perform best under pressure. (March 12, Netflix)
'Adolescence'
Each episode of this four-part series consists of a single, uninterrupted camera shot, a technique that "contributes real-time immediacy to the story being told, as well as a certain astonishment at the methods, choreography and endurance of the cast," said The Wall Street Journal. "It must have been exhausting." The limited series' subject matter is similarly no walk in the park: It is about a seemingly normal 13-year-old British boy arrested for the murder of a girl at his school. The show is, "at the center of its broken heart, an examination of tormented youth," said the Journal. "The word 'devastating' gets tossed around like confetti these days, but 'Adolescence' qualifies as such." (March 13, Netflix)
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'Good American Family'
The latest harrowing true story adapted for television is that of Natalia Grace, a disabled Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism who was adopted by a U.S. couple when she was a child — or was she? The American couple, the Barnetts, accused the real-life Natalia of being an adult masquerading as a child, even claiming Natalia was trying to kill them.
The Hulu dramatization of the case, "Good American Family," stars Ellen Pompeo as the family's matriarch. Already a biological mother of three, Kristine Barnett grows increasingly suspicious of her new daughter. The show also marks Pompeo's first major role since "Grey's Anatomy" debuted in 2005. (March 19, Hulu)
'The Studio'
Making movies is a dirty business, a delicate balance between art and commerce — with commerce often winning. This reality is explored to a bitter extreme in the Hollywood satire "The Studio." Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, an idealistic film studio executive "whose earnest love of cinema is no match for the intense egos and personalities he deals with day to day," said TV Guide. "Matt has to balance his genuine desire to make great movies with the demands of a boss (Bryan Cranston) and a marketing guru (Kathryn Hahn) who would rather do licensing deals with Kool-Aid than bankroll masterpieces by Martin Scorsese," said The New York Times. (March 26, Apple TV+)
'Paul American'
The continued fame of the Paul brothers despite an arguable lack of talent is as mysterious as the Kardashians' staying power. But a new reality series attempts to bottle the appeal of their particularly American ethos. Logan Paul first made mainstream headlines in 2018 when he thoughtlessly filmed a dead body in Japan's "suicide forest" and posted it to his YouTube channel. Jake Paul was part of that channel too, and now has a lucrative professional boxing career; Logan hosts popular podcast "Impaulsive" and recently became a father. The influencer brothers even attended President Donald Trump's January inauguration. Clearly, they are here to (maybe) stay. "This is America. The currency isn't being liked. The currency is attention," Logan says in the series' trailer. (March 27, Max)
