Friends - 10 seasons of unconditional friendship (1994-2004)

Blog Rating: 8.95 out of 10

The Friends series, which began in 1994, features the adventures -mostly funny and sometimes emotional- of six friends from New York. Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross and Joey, six strong characters, sources of jokes and misunderstandings.

Joey is the charming and not always the brightest Italian who, for most of the series, performs as an actor in the smallest roles in the world. Chandler, unlike Joey, has less luck with girls and is more fortunate in a permanent job. Rachel is the fashion conscious woman who was about to get married. The big love story of the series is between her and Ross, who is Monica's nerdy older brother. Phoebe is the eccentric woman who usually has an alternate perspective on everyday phenomena.

A comedy that long stood at the top of the audience, it drew dozens of guest stars who sometimes participated for the simple pleasure of performing three lines of dialogue.

There is no doubt that the best seasons are the first ones. The longer you get into the show, the more it begins to deal with family, kids, careers, and other issues of everyday life.

No matter what this group of friends come up with, be it problems at work, on a date, in the family, or with the neighbor, friendship is there to support each other.

During the 10-season series, there are a group of notable guest star appearances including Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Sean Penn, Winona Ryder, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin, and others.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Blog Rating: 9.00 out of 10

Starting in 1959, a new series aired, which ran for 159 episodes, almost cult status among fans of the fantastic. Each episode was hosted by the "father of the series" Rod Serling in a nutshell, and then in about 25 minutes, a much better story was told, like a two-hour movie from today. For many guest actors, who later became world famous stars, it was also a stepping stone to the top.

The series was a collection of various short stories ranging from the tragic to the comic. They can be scary or just cause reflection. Most of the episodes have unexpected endings and a moral lesson. But, no matter what, they are "a journey to a wonderful land, whose limits are those of the imagination."

Rod Serling, creator and host of the series, won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing (1960 and 1961) and the 1962 Golden Globe for Best Television Director / Producer.

The typical introductory phrase of the program was:

"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call...the Twilight Zone.

Bloodline - They are not bad people, but they did something bad (2015-2017)

Blog Rating: 9.05 out of 10

The group's black sheep returns home to his family, who aren't exactly happy to see him.

Bloodline is a critically acclaimed Netflix series that has received rave reviews. In the lead roles are actors Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Norbert Leo Butz and Sissy Spacek.

Kyle Chandler as John Rayburn

The story is centered on a family that is doing well, they run their own business in an idyllic setting and several of them have good jobs. But one day the eldest son appears, who has not seen them for a long time.

Danny, who is the black sheep in the family, has a plan, which reflects his past hatred against his perfect family; a very well accomplished character.

Ben Mendelsohn as Danny Rayburn

By gradually revealing the existence of a drama that has marked the Rayburn clan, the series gains intensity and quickly becomes riveting. Aided by the very accurate portrayals of the main cast members, the plot grows throughout the episodes.

Bloodline gets addictive in just a few episodes and once the marathon is on, it will be hard to give up. The threads of Rayburn's story are seamlessly woven, offering each character an interesting role, judiciously incorporating jealousy, resentment, and competition induced by blood ties.

Danny's return causes the family facade to begin to crumble and all the dark secrets threaten to be revealed...

Billions - Power is the ultimate goal (2016-)

Blog Rating: 9.15 out of 10

"Billions" is a story of attack and defense between the powerful United States Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and the billionaire Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis). Chuck is pursuing a federal case against Axelrod and his fund, Ax Capital, driven by any direct evidence of wrongdoing rather than his unacknowledged envy: Chuck's wife, Wendy (Maggie Siff), is an employee of Ax Capital and one of the Axelrod's closest confidants.

Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades

On the Ax side, bottomless pockets are used to reward friends, clear up problems, and resolve old grudges.

While the common man is preoccupied with paying his mortgage, billionaire Bobby Axelrod throws USD 63 million on the table for his new dream home.

Damian Lewis as Bobby Axelrod

Prosecutor Chuck Rhoades will have to take down a big shot, because the media increasingly suggests that justice does not dare to confront the big financial companies. So there will be a fight between the two men. A battle in which many people will be dragged.

It's very rare to find a show with such a diverse cast that they come together so well. Each character is perfectly cast. You don't know which side you are on; all you know is that they are all "right" in their convictions in some way.

Maggie Siff as Wendy

Is the judicial system at the height of this type of heavy weights? Can the legal system misuse its power to fight these kinds of giants? These are questions that can be applied not only in the US but also in any other country where these relationships exist.

A good drama to know details of the intimacy of these little worlds ...

Ray Donovan - The fixer (2013-2020)

Blog Rating: 9.15 out of 10

Ray Donovan is a professional "problem solver". His job is to sort things out when they get tough for the rich and famous in Los Angeles.

Jon Voight

But when his father Mickey Donovan (Golden Globe winner Jon Voight), an Irish gangster, is released from jail, Ray himself has a problem. Mickey not only wants revenge but he also wants his family back.

Eddie Marsan

The glow of the bright world of Los Angeles is deceptive, because while Ray solves other people's problems, his family has more than enough of his own.

Dash Mihok

Starting with his brother Terry (Eddie Marsan), who suffers from some form of Parkinson's, his second brother Bunchy (Dash Mihok), who still suffers from childhood sexual abuse, and his wife, Abby (Paula Malcomson), who is sick of her husband's secrets. All with very diverse roles but with a brilliant and solid performance.

Paula Malcomson

Liev Schrieber is fantastic in the title role, a dark, violent man under constant stress who protects and cares for those he loves, while at the same time projects an aura of violence and danger to those who cross his path.

In short a very good action drama.

Liev Schreiber

Prison Break - A very well crafted story (2005-2017)

Blog Rating: 9.20 out of 10

This suspenseful action series takes place after Lincoln Burrows is wrongly accused of murder and sent to prison. This will cause Michael Scofield to provoke his arrest by committing an armed robbery to come to the aid of his brother Lincoln.

Dominic Purcell  (Lincoln Burrows)

Burrows is convicted of a murder he did not commit, and is now awaiting execution at Fox River Prison. Michael, his only brother, will do anything to free him.

Michael Scofield is an extremely intelligent, extremely motivated and exceptionally resourceful man. He has stealthily hidden the blueprints and other useful information in his body as a series of elaborate tattoos that reveal his true meaning only to Michael himself.

Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield)

Once inside, Michael, a structural engineer, begins to execute an elaborate plan to get Lincoln out and prove he is innocent.

As Scofield's plan is put into motion, he must deal with a wide range of inmates, guards, and other characters, all of whom have their own motives and roles to play in the escape.

Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara Tancredi)

In prison, Michael befriends Dr. Sara Tancredi when he pretends to suffer from type 1 diabetes so that he can access the prison infirmary on a daily basis.

Dr. Tancredi begins to fall in love with Scofield, both romantically and because of his lies and deceptions as to why he should visit the infirmary regularly.

Prison Break - Instagram


Each character is extremely well written and acted. Rarely has a show been put together as perfectly as this. A highly recommended series.

Borgen (2010 - 2013)

 Blog Rating: 8.5 out of 10

This political drama begins by recounting the negotiations that the moderate party candidate Birgitte Nyborg must carry out in the Danish parliamentary elections.

As the episodes unfold, it is possible to appreciate the skills that this politician of strong moral convictions demonstrates and that manages to enchant the voters.

Sidse Babett Knudsen as Birgitte Nyborg

Birgitte must exercise her position relying only on a fragile coalition and at the same time, live her family life.

As she advances in her political career, she will have to deal not only with her adversaries but also with her partners and advisers.

Birgitte Hjort Sorensen as Katrine Fonsmark

The various government projects will consume her to the point that she will end up passing the bill on her personal life as well.

It is also possible to appreciate a strong relationship between the government and the press, who use each other to communicate or manipulate reality according to their own interests.

Pilou Asbaek as Kasper Juul 

"Borgen" accomplishes the amazing feat of turning politics into exciting television entertainment.

The mixture of politics, media circus and family drama is staged and transmitted in a very good way.

A captivating series, well produced, with good actors and stimulating for neurons.

In Danish "Borgen" means "The Castle", which is the informal name of Christiansborg Palace
 where all three branches of Danish government reside: the Parliament, the Prime Minister's
Office, and the Supreme Court, and is often used as a figure of speech for the Danish 
government.

Enola Holmes (2020)

 Blog Rating: 7.35 out of 10

This film that is based on the book series "The Enola Holmes Mysteries" by Nancy Springer, is an entertaining adventure narrative set at the end of the 19th century. Where its protagonist (Millie Bobby Brown) shows all her talent and charisma, in a charming character who also happens to be the younger sister of the famous private investigator Sherlock Holmes.

Louis Partridge as Tewkesbury

In order to discover the reason for the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Enola, the youngest of the Holmes brothers, travels to London, where she is also investigating the dangerous conspiracy against a young marquis.

Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes

Enola Holmes mixes the mystery genre with comedy. The photography is excellent, in addition to highlighting the costumes and sets. The feminist side is exploited but in a subtle way that does not bother and serves to highlight the heroic spirit of the young protagonist.

Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes

In conclusion, Enola Holmes has the potential to generate a new successful saga or television series, suitable for a young audience, seeking action, comedy and suspense.

Genre: Adventure, mystery

Country: United Kingdom

Director: Harry Bradbeer

Script: Jack Thorne

Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter, Fiona Shaw, Adeel Akhtar, Louis Partridge, Susan Wokoma, Burn Gorman, Jay Simpson

Duration: 123 minutes

When Calls the Heart (2014-)

Blog Rating: 9.25 out of 10

Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) a young woman from a wealthy family in the city moves to a small mining town -Coal Valley- to practice for the first time as a teacher.

For her part, Abigail Stanton (Lori Loughlin), the widow of the foreman who died along with a dozen other workers in an explosion at the coal mine where they worked, will become her best friend and advisor in the hardest moments.

Lory Loughlin as Abigail Stanton

Together with the other women of Coal Valley who have just been widowed, they will have to overcome many difficulties in this town that has lost many mining husbands and children.

Pascale Hutton (as Rosemary) & Kavan Smith (as Leland Coulter)

Elizabeth enchants just about everyone in the community except Mounted Trooper Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing), who believes Thatcher's rich dad has used his influence to favor his daughter. Over time this relationship will change and enchant the entire town.

Carter Ryan Evancic as Cody Stanton

Living in a 19th century coal city, Elizabeth will have to learn to live in a rural town without the comfort of the big city.

"When Calls the Heart" is a sentimental drama, with some cliches but very entertaining and light. It's a break from so much grim and all-too-real show. It's like a continuation of "The Little House on the Prairie" or "Anne with an E".

Andrea Brooks (as Faith Carter) and Paul Greene (as Dr Carson Shepherd)

Most of the characters are very human and caring. Whenever there is a problem, it is faced by the community until a solution is found.

Bill Avery, Abigail Stanton, Elizabeth Thatcher & Jack Thornton

The series is inspired by Janette Oke's best-selling book collection on the Canadian West, and reunites her with executive producer and director, Michael Landon Jr.

"When Calls the Heart" is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Janette Oke (born 1935). Oke, now 85, is the mother of evangelical romance novels.

Janette Oke accompanied by the cast of the series

Her first novel, "Love Comes Softly", sold an average of 500,000 copies per year for 20 years after its publication in 1979.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Country: United States

Filmed in: Vancouver, Langley and British Columbia (Canada)

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