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aaronmaurer · 4 years

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TV I Liked In 2019

Every year I reflect on the pop culture I enjoyed and put it in some sort of order.

The era of “peak TV” has never been more apparent to me than the past year. I am very aware of the many shows I have not seen (don’t have Amazon Prime, for example), and yet I expanded my list from a top 10 to top 15 and still had to leave out A LOT of stuff I really liked! These picks include my legitimate favorites, ranging from truly important looks at the criminal justice system to ensemble comedies that I couldn’t wait to return to. In another year I may have been able to include the latest seasons of Barry, Stranger Things, Queer Eye, Bojack Horseman, Glow, or the finale seasons of Legion, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Veep, Silicon Valley and The Deuce, all of which I’d still recommend. But these stood out even more.

14 (tie). Chernobyl (HBO) / The Hot Zone (National Geographic)

Two limited series focusing on real-life disasters in the 1980s: the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and an Ebola outbreak outside of Washington DC. Chernobyl is an incredibly harrowing account of humanity’s inability to believe things that don’t mesh with their interpretations of reality and the destructive power of lies and cover-ups. The Hot Zone adapts the non-fiction Richard Preston book, a revealing look at pandemics, the power of fear and human resolve. Taken together, they raise interesting questions about governmental gatekeeping, professional competence and personal sacrifice.

13. Mindhunter: Season 2 (Netflix)

Joe Penhall and David Fincher’s look at the early days of the FBI’s criminal profiling department goes broader and deeper in its second season. There are still chilling interviews with incarcerated serial killers and criminal minds (including Charles Manson this time out), but the season really revolves around the Atlanta child murders. This focus provides a compelling look at who the justice system helps and who it ignores, and the investigative – and bureaucratic – work it takes to put together a case.

10 (tie). A.P. Bio: Season 2 (NBC) / The Last O.G.: Season 2 (TBS) / Schitt’s Creek: Season 5 (Pop)

Three great hangout comedies that really came into their own in their most recent seasons. A.P. Bio transcended its first-season preoccupation with revenge and leaned into its fantastic supporting cast – one of the best comedic ensembles around – to become a show I loved spending time with each week. (Thank goodness it’s coming back via NBC’s upcoming “Peacock” service.) The Last O.G. has had a lot on its mind since it began, but its second season covers privilege and the opportunity gap among other issues, ending with a note-perfect homage to Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, making it an unexpectedly resonant comedy. Schitt’s Creek is obviously having a moment right now, and Season 5 (the first season I watched as it aired) was perhaps its best yet. While the whole cast is great, as a big fan of Best In Show and A Mighty Wind, I love seeing Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara share the screen again.

9. Crashing: Season 3 (HBO)

The first two seasons of Pete Holmes’ show made my list in previous years so I’d be remiss not to include the final one, which may be its finest. Pete spends the season making a lot of mistakes – saying yes to things (gigs, relationships) that he probably shouldn’t – and although they provide growth, he doesn’t come across as the “good guy” in how he deals with all of them. This adds additional nuance to the show, questioning its straight white male protagonist’s actions rather than merely rewarding him for following his passions, while still leading to an uplifting and fitting finale.

8. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4 (Netflix)

Netflix split the final season of Kimmy Schmidt into two parts, so technically only the final six episodes premiered in 2019. Those alone warrant a spot on the list, as the show concluded by following its idiosyncratic bliss to the end. The final group of episodes includes a (pre-movie) takedown of Cats, a Sliding Doors homage and an unexpectedly moving series finale. If this one fell off your radar a few years ago, it’s worth revisiting and seeing through.

7. What We Do In The Shadows: Season 1 (FX)

Based on the horror-comedy film of the same name, this series follows a different crew of vampires who live together on Staten Island. I was initially skeptical because I love the movie and couldn’t see how a television version could do anything but dilute its charms. On the contrary, the show broadens the universe in hilarious ways by introducing characters like “energy vampire” Colin Robinson and the incredible Vampiric Council (with so many incredible cameos!). The core actors are all wonderful, but the MVP has to be Matt Berry’s louche and libidinous Laszlo whose line readings are simply hysterical.

6. Les Misérables (BBC/PBS)

Although it aired in the UK in 2018, the BBC/PBS production of Victor Hugo’s epic didn’t grace American screens until early 2019 so I’m including it here. I am a big fan of the musical adaptation and find it quite successful at cramming so much story into a three-hour runtime, though it obviously has limits to how much of the source material it can explore. This (non-musical) adaptation’s six episodes allow for more of Hugo’s tale of forgiveness versus retribution to live and breathe. The terrific cast includes Dominic West as Jean Valjean and David Oyelowo as Inspector Javert, as well as Lily Collins as Fantine whose backstory is more fully realized here than the format of the stage show allows.

5. Our Planet (Netflix)

Essentially a sequel to the Planet Earth documentaries, with the same production team and David Attenborough narration, this Netflix series presents another stunning collection of nature footage that showcases the incredible diversity and beauty of animal life on Earth. Each episode includes a haunting reminder of man’s impact on the featured habitats and serves as a rallying cry in the fight against climate change.

4. The Good Place: Seasons 3-4 (NBC)

The Good Place has been high on my list since its first season and shows no signs of dropping in quality or esteem as it enters its final stretch of episodes. 2019 encompassed the end of Season 3 (including the hilariously imaginative visit to the Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes) and the beginning of Season 4 (with its crew of new characters and just as many reversals and rug-pulls as you’d expect). The final episode before its winter break was “The Answer,” a touching spotlight on William Matthew Harper’s Chidi, which might have been enough to make this list all on its own. (And given the surprise cameo/quasi-crossover in its first episode of 2020, I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up here again next year too.)

3. Unbelievable (Netflix)

The true story of a serial rape case adapted from journalism by ProPublica, The Marshall Project and This American Life, Unbelievable is one of the most simultaneously heartbreaking and satisfying procedurals I have ever seen. As crushing as it is to watch the initial investigation completely mishandled and devolve to gaslighting, it is powerful and inspiring to watch compassionate public servants and actual good detective work be carried out as the series progresses. Kaitlyn Dever, Merritt Wever and Toni Collette are uniformly excellent here (as they also were in their respective film roles in Booksmart, Marriage Story and Knives Out this year).

2. Watchmen (HBO)

Showrunner Damon Lindelof (LOST, The Leftovers) takes some incredibly bold swings in his limited-run sequel to the groundbreaking 80s graphic novel that deconstructed the ideas of vigilantism and superheroics. Picking up in the same alternate reality as that story but in present day, the main action is shifted to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the central theme is race relations. It could have gone way off the rails in a million different ways, but I found it to be incredibly successful. Each episode is a captivating work of art and it somehow seems to top itself with each subsequent installment. While I appreciate the book, I don’t love it; this series takes that source material seriously and, to me, completely transcends it.

1. When They See Us (Netflix)

As compelling as it is devastating, this miniseries from Ava DuVernay (who directed and co-wrote all 4 parts) dramatizes the lives of the wrongly convicted children the media dubbed “the Central Park Five.” Even with some familiarity of the story from watching Ken Burns’ documentary years ago, I was utterly gutted by the depiction of the injustices and systemic racism that stole these childhoods. Everyone in the cast shines, but Jharrel Jerome’s portrayal of Korey Wise (the only one of the group played by the same actor as a child and adult – and so convincingly) is truly phenomenal. Not a comfortable watch but an essential one.

Bonus! Musical Comedy Specials:

The Unauthorized Bash Bros. Experience (Netflix) – This “visual poem” from the Lonely Island presents “an album of raps” recorded by Jose Canseco (Andy Samberg) and Mark McGwire (Akiva Schaffer) at their steroid-fueled 80s peak with the Oakland A’s. Your likely enjoyment is probably about equal to your reaction to that description. The songs are great, catchy and hysterical on their own, but the videos take it to another level, parodying everything from 80s infomercials to Enya to Beyonce’s Lemonade. There is no 30 minutes of TV I rewatched more in 2019.

John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch (Netflix) – Debuting on Christmas Eve, this children’s television homage/parody snuck in just under the wire. The words of the day could be fear and mortality, as the group of kids Mulaney interacts with reveal their personal phobias and several skits revolve around existential angst. By the end of the first musical number I was sold, by the time David Byrne showed up I was committed, and by “Mr. Music’s” madcap finale I wished it could last forever.

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yahoonews7 · 4 years

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There is no way to describe Royal Caribbean Cruises's (NYSE:RCL) year without including the words "devastatingly poor." The coronavirus has brought RCL stock to its knees. In the first quarter of this year, the shares delivered a total return of -75%, more than double the loss of the U.S. stock markets as a whole. Source: Laszlo Halasi / Shutterstock.com InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsLooking back at the cruise line's financial situation before and after the Great Recession will give investors some perspective on what to do during the current crisis. A detached look at the past shows that Royal Caribbean can overcome the current obstacles it faces. It might provide you with the information you need to determine if its shares are a good value play or a value trap. Where to Begin?Royal Caribbean's stock hit a low of $5.40 on Mar. 3, 2009. On Mar. 9, the S&P 500 bottomed, starting the longest bull market in U.S. history. A year later, Royal Caribbean was trading at almost $25. A year after that it had almost doubled. In two short years, Royal Caribbean's stock had increased by 789%. I'm not suggesting trying to time the bottom of RCL stock. I'm merely pointing out that the financial firestorm that was the financial crisis didn't put the company in the ground. It battled back. * 7 Telecom Stocks That Are Worth a Close Look While it seems impossible to think that Americans will return to cruise ships after what many have been through in various ports around the world, people are creatures of habit. They like what they like. The cruise sector might not return to normal for 12 months or even 24 months, but it will eventually bounce back. InvestorPlace columnist Brad Moon recently pointed out that few people remember the 2014 norovirus outbreak on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas. The virus made 700 of the ship's passengers sick. The words "this time is different" come to mind. This phrase was first uttered by legendary investor John Templeton way back in 1933, describing the tendency of investors to conveniently forget that history repeats itself. Sure, every situation brings new wrinkles to the table, but generally, we've pretty much seen this story before. Those with the courage to go against the grain will profit greatly. I just don't see people giving up cruising. Maybe I'll be proven dead wrong, but I doubt it. Royal Caribbean's Financial Situation Then and NowInterestingly, while Royal Caribbean's stock cratered during the Great Recession, its business didn't. In the years 2010, 2009, and 2008, it had annual revenue of $6.75 billion, $5.89 billion, and $6.5 billion, respectively. Considering the economy had fallen into the toilet during those three years, the cruise sector barely lost a step. In an October 2008 interview, CEO Richard Fain was exceptionally optimistic about the future. "They [customers] look at the value of a cruise versus a land holiday, and the more they look, the better off we are," Fain stated at the time. "Discounting will affect our business, but we have the ability to do more and offer more to our guests and that will serve us well in the long term."While I'm not a fan of cruises -- despite getting married on one -- I can see the allure. Multi-generational families can take a trip together without having to worry about the logistics of visiting three or four different places on the trip. And even though cruises have gotten more expensive as ships have become more amenity-filled, they are still a great way for large groups to enjoy a trip together. On Mar.. 23, Royal Caribbean announced that it had obtained a $2.2 billion, 364-day secured term loan facility that can be extended by an additional year, if needed. It has drawn down the entire amount to handle the downturn in its business. Between the cash on its balance sheet and its existing revolving credit facility, it has $3.6 billion of liquidity to help it cope with the downturn. "This is a period of unprecedented disruption for the cruise industry," said Jason T. Liberty, the company's executive vice president and CFO. "We continue to take decisive actions to protect the company's financial and liquidity positions as they enable us to keep focused on our guests, our crew and our long-term plans." Royal Caribbean currently pays out a 78-cent quarterly dividend that is yielding 10.7%. In 2019, it paid out $602.7 million of dividends and made $100 million of share repurchases. I think it's safe to assume that if travel bans and at-home restrictions remain in place past the end of April (which is very likely), the company won''t return any money to shareholders for the remainder of 2020 and possibly into 2021.Investors absolutely can't count on the dividend at this point. Cruise ships cannot be maintained on a shoestring budget, but all the major cruise operators have enough access to loans to get them through the current crisis. "There is meaningful cash burn as the ships are idle. But I do think these companies all have strong support from their banking groups," Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Woronka told Barron's recently. "You would prefer to have some operation during the peak summer period, but it's unknown exactly what that's going to look like. You're going to scale back into profitability. It's not a switch where you go from zero to normal. It's going to be a process to build back to profitability, but it starts with getting some sailings going again."If you go back to 2009, when the company had its lowest net income in the past decade, it still made $162 million on $5.89 billion of revenue. A decade later, Royal Caribbean had $1.9 billion of net income from $11 billion in sales. Its net margin went from 2.8% in 2009 to 17.3% in 2019. Let's assume that Royal Caribbean's revenues will drop by 40% and its net margins will fall back to 2009 levels. That would mean $6.6 billion of sales and net income of just $185 million. While its free cash flow would go from positive to negative, the company would still be making money. The Bottom Line on RCL StockRichard Fain has been the CEO of Royal Caribbean for 32 years. Back in 1988, when he took the helm, the company had annual revenue of just $520 million. In 2019, its profits were almost four timesits 1988 sales. He's seen the company through the Great Recession, 9/11, the Dot.com bubble, and many other more minor incidents. I believe if anyone can get Royal Caribbean through the crisis, it's Richard Fain. That's why I called Royal Caribbean one of seven stocks to buy on coronavirus weakness. This year is not going to be pretty for Royal Caribbean's shareholders. But history shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Will Ashworth has written about investments full-time since 2008. Publications where he's appeared include InvestorPlace, The Motley Fool Canada, Investopedia, Kiplinger, and several others in both the U.S. and Canada. He particularly enjoys creating model portfolios that stand the test of time. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the time of this writing Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 25 Stocks You Should Sell Immediately * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * This Stock Picker's Latest Video Just Went Viral * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post The Great Recession Provides the Owners of Royal Caribbean Stock With Perspective appeared first on InvestorPlace.

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