Not even bad in a good way

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Blistering performances.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Not being the biggest fan of documentary films, I really didn't have any expectations when I grudgingly decided to watch this series that kept popping up on my Amazon prime account. I can now honestly say that I owe Amazon a solid for pushing this series as I was completely blown away by how much I enjoyed it. Each 30min episode consists of a mixed bag of videos on no set topic (although there is a food themed one), all beautifully shot and produced. The diverse range of 10-15min documentaries pack so much into such little time, the short films with their wry sense of humor and unexpected heart are very enjoyable, the time lapse cartoon videos, and even the short vignettes showcasing the hidden little nooks and crannies of New York, there isn't a single part of an episode that isn't beautifully done. I don't know what the people who rated this low here were watching, but it couldn't have been this series. I hope Amazon keeps this going for a long time.

There is nothing else like this series. It has all the panache of the magazine condensed into a visually stunning television program. The production values are particularly astonishing. Alex Gibney, as the producer, has found a beautiful marriage with The New Yorker. Even the opening credits are a delight. All the various elements of the hard copy are there at some point - though in each episode they are fewer and more concise - and one hopes that ultimately it will entice viewers to go deeper with a subscription. The New Yorker Magazine is a true treasure that must survive and the TV and radio versions should help to introduce the content to a wider audience. Bravo!

One of the great sadness for me is the difficulty I am have getting print copies of the New Yorker - there is something wonderful about the dead tree version of the New Yorker over the digital version, and this is better than the digital New Yorker too. It feels like all that I love that is static in the New Yorker made real. The closest I can relate this too is the LWT South Bank Show and BBC arts. Truly amazing television. Just as in the print edition, we see a series of vignettes, in this case a wonderful piece of comedic fiction of the man in the swimming trunks and helmet - and why he is wearing these things, followed by the construction of a great cartoon, an arts piece that made me ache to be in New York and have access to Moma, more interludes, an article about science looking at the effect of pesticides and the the effects on the discoverer, a poem spoken as if at a poetry slam. I just hope I get to see more in due course