Our critic recommends an offbeat Australian comedy, an endearing art show and the essential lawyer show “L.A. Law,” which is now streaming.
By Margaret Lyons
This weekend I have … a half-hour, and I want a wry comedy.
‘Fisk’
When to watch: Now, on Netflix.
Kitty Flanagan cocreated and stars in this Australian comedy about a lawyer whose life collapses, so she finds herself working in a dinky suburban law firm. “Fisk” has a fun and offbeat style, not quite as strange as “Stath Lets Flats” but set in a similarly askew world populated by enchanting oddballs. It’s also the rare comedy to operate largely as a procedural, with new clients each episode. If you wish you could mash up “Boston Legal” and “The Office,” with an emphasis on Dwight and Angela, try this. Two seasons have aired in Australia, but so far only the first six-episode season is available in the United States.
… a few hours, and my walls are a little bare.
‘Home Is Where the Art Is’
When to watch: Now, on Pluto and the Roku Channel.
In each episode of this chill, endearing British series, three artists compete to create custom work for grateful buyers. The artists scope out a couple’s home, trying to determine their tastes and interests, and then each creates a pitch; two artists move ahead and make pieces, and then one is declared the winner. “Home” covers a wide range of artistic disciplines, and because the stakes are pretty low — most pieces cost around $350 — the vibe is congenial, not cutthroat. If you like “Portrait Artist of the Year” or “The Great Pottery Throw Down,” try this.
… many, many hours, and I like a banging gavel.
‘L.A. Law’
When to watch: Now, on Amazon.
Journey back in time to an era when television looked as if it were filmed on an electronic potato, when episodes of network dramas were 49 minutes long and seasons usually 22 episodes, when saxophones were king and David E. Kelley was an unknown. “L.A. Law” premiered in 1986, ushering in a new kind of prime-time lawyer show and defining the early careers of many of its stars. While the show’s age is often apparent, many of the issues its characters argue about — racist policing, shabby outcomes for victims of sexual assault, gender equity — are still plenty timely.
Completists, take note: Not every single episode is available yet, though Amazon says they are coming. But if you can tolerate a little bit of swiss-cheesing for the time being, this is an essential show.
Margaret Lyons is a television critic for The Times. She previously spent five years as a writer and TV columnist for Vulture.com. She helped launch Time Out Chicago and later wrote for Entertainment Weekly, among other publications. More about Margaret Lyons
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