Mr. Corman (2021)
Rating: ★★★½ Found out about this show when Sam Esmail ( Mr. Robot creator) named it on his list of top 10 TV shows of 2021 on The Watch podcast with Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald. Was further intrigued to watch when I saw it was a lighthearted dramedy with 30-minute episodes (because this was just the form I was in the mood for). And decided to definitely watch when I saw Joseph Gordon-Levitt was behind this as writer, producer and lead actor. Mr. Corman follows the life of fifth grade teacher Josh Corman (Gordon-Levitt) as he struggles with anxiety, loneliness, relationship issues and partially Covid pandemic-driven existential and climate angst. Nothing procedural here, as the episodes come off more experimental with a focus on the "life in a day" experience. Along the way we get to meet Josh's UPS driver roommate, Josh's mother, sister and estranged father, to name a few. Mr. Corman is at its best when the focus is on one-on-one relationships as then the shar...