The presence of Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey was the drawcard for me with this epic love story and political thriller. The story chronicles the volatile romance of two very different men, who meet in the shadow of McCarthy-era Washington. Matt Bomer is excellent as the charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who avoids emotional entanglements, that is until he meets Tim Laughlin (Bailey), a young man brimming with idealism and religious faith. They begin a romance just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants,” initiating one of the darkest periods in 20th-century American history. Over the course of four decades, Hawk and Tim cross paths while facing obstacles in the world and in themselves. A wonderful drama with a talented ensemble cast attached, set in unsettling times, where no one could be trusted.

I’m a late-starter with this excellent series, which began in 2010. There are 13 seasons to binge of this multi-generational family of cops in New York City, a city I’m very fond of. It’s definitely the star of the show and adds to the dramatic effect. The story follows the lives of the NYPD’s First Family of Law Enforcement, the Irish-American Reagans. Frank, the Police Commissioner and son of former PC Henry Reagan, must balance his duties of running the largest police force in the world and being his kids’ boss. His daughter Erin is an Assistant District Attorney, son Danny is a senior detective and fellow Marine Veteran, and new Harvard Law grad turned cop, Jamie all swirl through this family drama and passionately defend their city from harm. The scenarios played out are not just about policing. Topics covered include injustice, inequality and poverty, but the predominant theme is family, love and loyalty. The superb ensemble cast is led by Tom Selleck, with lots of favourite actors popping up.

Staying with the law enforcement theme, this Western drama follows the life of a real lawman from the late 1800s. The story tells of the legendary Bass Reeves, one of the greatest frontier heroes and one of the first Black deputy US marshals west of the Mississippi River. Reeves had been born a slave but escaped West during the Civil War where he lived in what was then known as Indian Territory. There are some accounts of Reeves being the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. I’m not quite sure whether this is purely based on myth or is true, there appears to be some conjecture over this claim. Thoroughly enjoyed this series. It has a great ensemble cast lead by David Oyelowo, which includes two of my favourites, Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland.

This drama series follows a lawman in a different sphere, that of game warden Joe Pickett, and his family, during a changing political and socioeconomic climate in a rural Saddlestring WY, a charming little town filled with corruption, which is a constant battle for Joe. I’ve seen it described as a “neo-Western crime drama.” It is based on characters created by novelist C.J. Box. The stunning locations are around Calgary, in the Cochrane area, although the novels are set in Wyoming. Starring Michael Dorman, this is an interesting story, which is more complex than it first appears to be. The Newton Bros. provide the excellent soundtrack.

After watching the first two seasons of Yellowstone, I decided to go back to the beginning before proceeding any further. The presence of Sam Elliott was also a good reason to watch this frontier drama. He is always a joy to watch. The post-Civil war generation of the Dutton family flees poverty in Texas and joins a wagon train undertaking the arduous journey west to Oregon, before settling in Montana to establish what would eventually become the Yellowstone Ranch. This is an excellent story of the hardships of early settlers and how some were unprepared for what lay ahead. The treatment of both African-Americans and native Americans is confronting, especially as there is still inequality existing to the present day.

Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are a joy to watch as Jacob and Cara Dutton, in this next instalment of the Yellowstone origin story. We are introduced to a new generation of the Dutton family which explores the early 20th century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition, and the Great Depression, which began in 1918 in Montana, all plague the Mountain West, and the Duttons who call it home. I’m not sure I liked seeing Harrison in a role where he could be quite cruel, but I guess one has to diversify. One of the most confronting aspects of this story is the horrors Native American children were subjected to in order to assimilate them into white society. It brought me to tears that the Catholic Church presided over such cruelty and were never held accountable. I must say Taylor Sheridan has done a magnificent job in bringing these early times to the screen.

Now to some comedy, of sorts. I knew this was going to be a mistake, after being such a huge fan of the original series. I do love Nicholas Lyndhurst, but not here. He stars as Frasier’s colleague Alan Cornwall. I only worked my way through 4 episodes before deciding it wasn’t for me. But with the introduction of Bebe Neuwirth in later episodes, I just may give it another go. Here Frasier is off to a different city with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge, and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. He is living across the hall from his son Freddy, which creates all sorts of difficulties in their relationship. He has his nephew David Crane with him and for me this is my favourite character as he has all his father Niles’ foibles and phobias. I’ve read some positive reviews from fans, but others have described it as cringeworthy. I must say I lean towards the latter. But don’t let me deter you from making your own decision on this one.