This weekend I have … a half-hour, and I like oddball ensembles.
‘Good Grief’
When to watch: Now, on Sundance Now.
In Season 1 of this New Zealand comedy, the sisters Ellie (Eve Palmer) and Gwen (Grace Palmer) inherited a funeral home and its quirky employees, which the more uptight Ellie started to embrace but the more free spirited Gwen bristled at. In Season 2, Gwen has attempted to sow her wild oats as a D.J. in Bali, and she returns home with a fresh, if not always welcome, perspective.
“Grief” obviously has the makings of a sad show, but it is much more “look at all these lovable goofballs; life is short, but we have fun” than “behold the endless chasm of sadness, a darkness so dense no light can escape; death is coming.” Season 2 is streaming now and also airs weekly on IFC starting on Aug. 17.
… a half-hour, and I like food shows.
‘Recipe Lost and Found’
When to watch: Friday, on Discovery+.
There’s an episode of “Friends” in which Phoebe’s grandmother’s secret cookie recipe turns out, after much agonizing, to be the Nestlé Toll House recipe, printed on the bag of chocolate chips. “Recipe Lost and Found” is more or less that, in its most mild and well-meaning form. In each episode, the chef and food anthropologist Casey Corn meets with a family that is trying to reconstruct a beloved but lost recipe, and then Corn sets out to learn about the dish and its cultural influences before amazing everyone with her recreations. It’s a charming premise, even if the episodes made available for review all seem to hinge on obvious, eminently Googleable ingredients.
… several hours, and I like European shows.
‘State of Happiness’
When to watch: Now, on Amazon (Season 1 only) and Topic (Seasons 1 and 2).
This Norwegian drama (in Norwegian and English, with subtitles) starts in 1969, and its characters are connected to the emerging oil industry, as divers, as secretaries, as executives, as farmers in danger of exploitation. Anna (Anne Regine Ellingsaeter) is our Peggy Olsen, straddling class and culture divides to forge a way in the business world.
“State” lands right between “Call the Midwife” and “For All Mankind,” shows about drive and social change, with no real villains but many good costumes. There’s also a refreshing lack of twists or schtick; all the energy and urgency of the show come from relatable human behavior. Incredible! If you liked “Deutschland 83,” the newest season of “Borgen” or PBS shows in which young people hold lambs and fall in love on lush green landscapes, watch this.
