A Man In Full, a six-part series based on Tom Wolfe’s 1998 novel, is the latest in a long list of must-see shows on Netflix in 2024. Like so many other Netflix productions, this one grabbed my attention so hard, I had to binge it all as quickly as possible.
Starring Jeff Daniels, this is about Charlie Broker, an egotistical mogul on the verge of bankruptcy. As investigators close in on his empire, his ex-wife (Diane Lane) strikes up a friendship with an over-eager pursuer, Raymond Peepgrass (Tom Pelphrey).
This is a limited series and there won’t be a sequel. That might be a relief for creator David E. Kelley, who could be involved in the planned second series of Nine Perfect Strangers and a third series of Big Little Lies.
A previous adaptation of a Wolfe novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, was a notorious box office flop amid criticism it didn’t go far enough. Its boundary-pushing director Brian De Palma could never have shown an erect penis on a cinema screen in 1990, but here we are today watching one in A Man In Full, and with only a MA15+ rating too.
A Man In Full is another fine example of how Netflix is on fire, as it joins other buzzworthy series and movies like Boy Swallows Universe, Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Scoop, The Gentlemen, and Fool Me Once.
Several of those shows were launched quietly, with barely any promotion. And yet series like Baby Reindeer quickly generated its own publicity through word of mouth that moved very quickly.
Netflix is a real powerhouse, even though many of its shows seem generic enough to have been created by an algorithm. Meanwhile, shows made by others arrive on Netflix and instantly get a whole new lease of life. This year, they have more than proven why it is the world’s most popular streamer.
TV Gold: New episode of Mediaweek’s weekly TV podcast
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Three major new series were reviewed this week including a Donald Trump satire, a Tudor murder mystery and a drama about a Black Panther leader.
The Big Cigar (AppleTV+) is a drama that chronicles the story of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton’s escape to Cuba.
Shardlake (Disney+) is a 16th-century murder mystery where Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell sends his lawyer to investigate a murder in a monastery.
A Man in Full (Netflix) stars Jeff Daniels and is a satire about a Trump-like character who owes a mountain of debt to his bankers. Could getting elected be a way out for him?
We also talk this week about Clarkson’s Farm (Prime) and its surprise sex scenes warning, The War on Disco (SBS On Demand) and Travel Guides (Nine).
Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.