“Bosch” is a pretty good cop show, but it’s emblematic of the potential and limitations of Amazon Prime as it gears up to become an even bigger player in the television game.
I wrote recently about the plight of the pretty good show, and though the subject of that piece, “12 Monkeys,” is in a very different genre, the same question applies: Who has the time for “pretty good” when there are so many outstanding, fine or excellent programs around?
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Most of those shows simply don’t work or don’t exhibit a ton of appeal, but there are exceptions. Though it’s far too broad and generic at times, I have a soft spot for the classical-music comedy “Mozart in the Jungle,” which — see what I’m getting at here? — is set in a world one doesn’t see much on TV. Like the great Canadian series “Slings and Arrows,” it satirizes the excesses of creative types even as it pays tribute to the effort required to hone and express an artistic imperative. “Mozart” is goofy and silly and not consistently good, but it features a tremendous lead performance from Gael García Bernal, who, like Welliver, absolutely deserves a turn in the spotlight.
But whatever its ups and downs, it’s fascinating to watch the creative evolution of Amazon, and to wonder if it will live up to its potential as a purveyor of original content. With all its money and resources, it could create the most incredible Wish List of all time, one that is driven more by creative concerns than by monetary considerations. If any other entity had commissioned “Transparent,” I’m convinced it would have squeezed out or sanded off all the unruly edges that make the show so fantastic. If nothing else, “Transparent” won Amazon a lot of awards. Will it follow the trail-blazing path of its most successful and buzzed-about program? Or will it continue to do a lot of business as usual?
