watchable

Unto every generation, and fraction thereof, a sitcom is born, in which the young people of the moment state their case, self-mockingly. FX recently gave us a State of New York Youth in “Adults,” and here we are now, closer to home with “I Love L.A.,” premiering Sunday on HBO, the network of “Girls” (your guide to the 20-teens), still the most prestigious slot on linear television.

As a native of this fair city, who will never call downtown “DTLA” — let alone #DTLA — I miss the days when the rest of the country wanted nothing to do with us. (Real conversation from my life: Person: “Where are you from?” Me: “Los Angeles.” Person: “I’m sorry”). I can get a little cranky when it comes to the gentrihipsterfication of the city by succeeding hordes of newly minted Angelenos. (The place-name dropping in “I Love L.A.” includes Canyon Coffee, Courage Bagels, Jumbo’s Clown Room, Crossroads School and Erewhon.) I’m just putting my cards on the table here, as I approach characters whose generational concerns are distinct from mine, even as they belong to a venerable screen tradition, that of Making It in Hollywood, which runs back to the silent era. (The heroine of those pictures, stardom escaping her, would invariably return to the small-town boy who loved her. No more!)

Created by and starring Rachel Sennott (“Bottoms”), “I Love L.A.” takes its title from a Randy Newman song written well before Sennott or any of her co-stars were born. (To tell us where we are, as regards both HBO and the location, the series opens with a sex scene in an earthquake.) As in many such shows, there is a coterie of easily distinguishable friends at its center. Sennott plays Maia, turning 27 and in town for two years, working as an assistant to talent/brand manager Alyssa (the wonderful Leighton Meester, from “Gossip Girl,” that 2007 chronicle of youth manners) and hungry for promotion. Back into her life comes Tallulah (Odessa A’zion, the daughter of Pamela Adlon, whose throatiness she has inherited), a New York City It Girl — does any other city have It Girls in 2025? — whose It-ness has lately gone bust, as has Tallulah herself, now broke and rootless. She is one of those exhausting whirlwind personalities one might take to be on drugs, except that there are people who really do run at that speed, without speed — Holly Go-Heavily.

Also starring in the series are Jordan Firstman, left, True Whitaker and Odessa A’zion.

(Kenny Laubbacher / HBO)

Charlie (Jordan Firstman) is a stylist whose career depends on flattery and performative flamboyance. (“What’s the point of being nice,” he wonders, “if no one that can help me sees it?”) Alani (True Whitaker) is the daughter of a successful film director who has presumably paid for her very nice house, with its view of the Silver Lake Reservoir, and whatever she needs. (She has a title at his company even she admits is fake.) Since she wants for nothing, she’s the least stressful presence here, invested in spiritual folderol in a way that isn’t annoying. Attached to the quartet, but not really of it, is Maia’s supportive boyfriend, Dylan (Josh Hutcherson), a grade-school teacher and the only character I came close to identifying with. Do the kids still call them “normies”? Or did they ever, really?

That I find some of these people more trying than charming doesn’t prevent “I Love L.A.” from being a show I actually quite like. (The ratio of charm to annoyance may be flipped for some viewers, of course; different strokes, as we used to say back in the 1900s.) If anything, it’s a testament to Sennott and company having done their jobs well; the production is tight, the dialogue crisp, the photography rich — nothing here seems the least bit accidental. The cast is on point playing people who in real life they may not resemble at all. (My own, surely naive, much contradicted assumption is that all actors are nice.)

Desperation, in comedy, is pathetic but not tragic; indeed, it’s a pillar of the form. Maia, Tallulah and Charlie are to various degrees ruled by a need to be accepted by the successful and famous in the hope of becoming famous and successful themselves. (Alani is already set, and Dylan is almost a hippie, philosophically.) At the same time, the successful and famous come in for the harshest lampooning, including Elijah Wood, in an against-type scene reminiscent of Ricky Gervais’ “Extras.” On the other hand, Charlie’s unexpected friendship with a Christian singer he mistakes for gay is quite sweet; comedy being what it is, one half-expects the character to be taken down. Miraculously, it never happens. You can take that as a recommendation.

The series is available to watch on Channel 4’s streaming service and is based on Mary Wesley’s novel of the same name

Lovers of period drama are in for a real delight as a captivating Second World War series is now available to stream at no cost whatsoever.

Channel 4 is the proud broadcaster of this gem, which first graced television screens back in the early 90s and even snagged a BAFTA nomination for Best Drama Serial in 1993. The narrative unfolds within the picturesque confines of Helena Cuthbertson’s Cornish country abode, with the series’ name inspired by a scenic stretch of land between her house and the coastal cliffs where pivotal moments occur.

Cornwall’s reputation as a prime setting for exceptional period dramas remains unchallenged. The role of Helena Cuthbertson is portrayed by none other than Felicity Kendal of The Good Life fame, with Toby Stephens as Oliver Ansty, Jennifer Ehle as Calypso, and Tara Fitzgerald as Polly.

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Spanning from just before the outbreak of the Second World War to its aftermath in the mid-1980s, The Camomile Lawn has earned acclaim from enthusiasts as “ingenious”.

Mary Wesley’s novel kicks off with a family gathering in Cornwall during the tranquil summer preceding the global conflict, reports Cornwall Live.

When the family reconvenes for a funeral almost fifty years on, they come to terms with the profound effects the war had on their lives.

Wesley was spurred to pen The Camomile Lawn following the passing of her second husband, an event that left her in financial ruin.

Drawing from her own experiences, parts of the book reflect Wesley’s formative years, with the Cornish house mirroring Boskenna – the historic settlement – where she spent considerable time during her younger days.

Audiences expressed their views on the adaptation, with Antony Taylor declaring: “Simple and ingenious story, wonderful cast, perfect direction and a script full of sparkle. Watch it and love it.”

Drawing in over seven million viewers during its debut broadcast, The Camomile Lawn became Channel 4’s highest-rated drama of all time – a milestone it maintained as of 2022.

One admirer commented on IMDb: “The Camomile Lawn is one of my favourite British TV adaptations.”

Notmicro described it as “Compulsively watchable and great fun”, continuing: “I’d been curious for years to see this thing, both because of the very interesting actors, and the period setting.

“Now I’ve just watched the British DVD, and found that its absolutely brilliantly done, and compulsively watchable.

“It takes some time getting accustomed to the affected and presumably somewhat archaic upper-middle-class accents assumed by some of the actors.”

The Camomile Lawn is available to watch on Channel 4’s streaming service.