The Hollywood Beat

Netflix’s limited series The Residence flips the White House on its side—and its head—with a juicy comedic whodunnit set not in the Oval Office, but in the West Wing’s lesser-seen cousin: the Executive Residence. Forget policy briefings and press secretaries—this is a murder mystery among the maids, butlers, and florists, with just enough political spice to keep things bipartisan.

Tandy Culpepper adored it. “A deliciously wicked mashup of Knives Out, Veep, and Downton Abbey—if Downton had better lighting and a body bag,” Culpepper raved. The star of the show is Uzo Aduba as eccentric investigator Cordelia Cupp, a modern-day Poirot with a passion for watching birds as in "birding." . The murder of the chief usher sets off an increasingly absurd series of revelations among the White House’s permanent staff, and Culpepper praised the show’s tight pacing, whip-smart dialogue, and fearless satire. “It skewers D.C. culture with charm and chaos,” he said, “and I laughed out loud more times than I’ll ever admit publicly.”

Lisa Johnson Mandell was less amused. “It tries too hard,” she said. “The tone swings from slapstick to self-important, and most of the time I wasn’t sure what it wanted to be.” While she acknowledged Aduba’s performance as a “bright spot,” Mandell felt the rest of the ensemble was underused or overwhelmed by the show’s need to juggle comedy, mystery, and political satire all at once. “It wants to be clever and campy, but it ends up messy and mannered,” she said. “I didn’t laugh—I winced.”

If you’re a fan of genre-bending, character-packed, high-concept comedy with a satirical bent, The Residence might be your perfect binge. Tandy Culpepper says go ahead and RSVP “Yes” to this twisted State Dinner. Lisa Johnson Mandell, on the other hand, suggests staying home with the lights off and the doors locked. Either way, it’s a series that’s bound to spark conversation—perhaps even across party lines.

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TV Review: And Just Like That...

And Just Like That... is back, and with it comes the continuing saga of Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda as they navigate life, love, and awkward brunches in a post-Big, post-COVID Manhattan. The Sex and the City sequel series still has stilettos, still has sex (sort of), and still has a love-hate relationship with its own legacy.

Both Tandy Culpepper and Lisa Johnson Mandell agree: And Just Like That... has its moments—but it also has its migraines.

Tandy Culpepper, a longtime fan of the original series, found himself equal parts charmed and frustrated. “There are still flashes of the wit and warmth that made Sex and the City iconic,” he said. “Carrie dropping a podcast mic for a quick espresso shot of nostalgia? I’m in. But then someone will say something like ‘Che is a mirror for my vulnerability,’ and I feel like I’ve been hit by a quote-of-the-day calendar being hurled out of a SoulCycle window.”

Lisa Johnson Mandell agreed. “Every time the show lets the characters just be, it works,” she said. “But then it remembers it has something to prove—about being relevant, diverse, sensitive, evolved—and it becomes a checklist instead of a story.” Mandell also noted that while the show is clearly trying to update its worldview, it often does so with the subtlety of a Times Square billboard.

When it remembers its roots—friendship, fashion, and fumbling through middle-aged messiness—And Just Like That... shines.Nixon’s Miranda stumbles through reinvention with both courage and cringe. Kristin Davis’s Charlotte still balances maternal overachievement with naïve optimism, while Cynthia 

Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie remains the gravitational center, though even she s

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The King of Diamonds chronicles the audacious jewel-theft spree that silenced Dallas’s elite from the late 1950s into the 1960s. The mastermind—nicknamed the “King of Diamonds”—slipped into lavish homes during social events or late-night hours, pocketing high-value jewels (an estimated $6 million in today’s dollars) while occupants slept or were Pederson conducted over 200 interviews with detectives, victims, neighbors—even strippers—crafting a rich mosaic of sources.
 
Beyond the crimes, the book paints 1960s Dallas atop its oil-fueled social hierarchy—complete with country clubs, debutante balls, and clandestine gambling ring connections.

With numerous suspects drawn from high-society hangouts—escort services, interior decorators, hair stylists—the narrative occasionally feels cluttered. Still, many find this adds texture rather than confusion .

The King of Diamonds is a standout in true crime: meticulously researched, vividly written, and immersive in its setting. Even without a definitive culprit, Pederson’s investigative lens and narrative flair make it a gripping read for those fascinated by audacious crimes, mid‑century Southern intrigue, and the shadows behind society’s glittering façade.

In its review, The Wall Street Journal called it “...deeply researched and fluidly written.”Publishers Weekly said that it is “… a must‑read for any true‑crime buff.”

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In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Lisa and Tandy offer their takes on two dramatic limited series that push the envelope in that they used unconventional story-telling techniques.

The first, Adolescence, runs only four episodes, and—wait for it—each episode is shot in one take. Let that sink in. There are no edits, and it will blow your mind. The story is from an original series of scripts : A 13-year-old boy is accused of committing a violent murder. The British cast may not be familiar to American audiences.Reportedly, there have been discussions for another season.

The second limited series, Disclaimer, is adapted from Renee Knight’s 2015 novel by the same name. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron created, wrote, and directed it. This one has an all-star cast including Cate Banchett, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kevin Klein, and Leila George.What makes this series standout is its use of voiceover narration, the kind you might expect to find in a script. Also, flashbacks are used liberally which sometimes are confusing.

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In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Reba and Tandy tackle two films with actors who have demonstrated themselves to be durable stars both on the large and small screens. And both are led by strong women who not only starred in these films but also served as producers on their projects with the involvement of their individual production companies. 

You’re Cordially Invited is an over-the-top comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. The plot in a nutshell: Two families book a charming, but small, wedding venue for the same day. Hijinks ensue. 

Billed as a mystery thriller Holland stars  Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen – he of TV’s Succession fame, and Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal  – known for films such as The Motorcycle Diaries as well as the television series Mozart in the Jungle. The title refers to the location, Holland, Michigan. Tulips, wooden clogs, and funny white hats abound. Oh, yes, there’s a plot twist in the third act. This movie sets its sights on Hitchcock. Does it deliver?

If you’ve seen them, see how your opinion stacks up against Reba’s and Tandy’s. If you haven’t seen them but would like to do so, you can stream both of them on Amazon Prime. Video.

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What if someone told you that, in spite of never having been in a movie of any kind, you would be co-starring with acting heavyweights such as Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini in a film that would be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards?

That’s what happened to 54-year-old Carlos Diehz, a Mexican architect who turned to acting as a hobby after his last child flew the nest for college.

Diehz, who moved to Canada, first to Winnipeg before settling in Vancouver 12 years ago, got an acting coach who then paired him with an agent. According to Diehz, 60 auditions followed without success. But then lightning struck when the filmmakers behind Conclave put out a worldwide casting call: They needed to fill an important role in this picture that depicts what happens in the Catholic Church when the sitting pope dies or resigns.

Carlos talks to Tandy about his remarkable journey: From audition on day one to the Oscars as a cast member of a Best Picture nominee. 

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In this episode, Reba and Tandy review two Netflix films that both touch on matters of national security.

The first, Interceptor, was produced from an original screenplay by Australians Matthew Reilly and Stuart Beattie from an original story by Reilly. Reiily also directed the film, which had a budget of 15 million dollars.

Elsa Pataky stars as an American Army Captain who has a dream job in the nation’s capital. When she reports that she has been the victim of sexual harassment, her complaint is swept under the carpet, and she is transferred to a remote interceptor facility in the Pacific ocean. There she encounters a rogue turncoat intent on wreaking nuclear havoc on the US mainland with 16 stolen Russian ICBMs. Elsa is the nation’s last line of defense. Can she save the day?

The second film on Reba and Tandy’s list is Leave the World Behind adapted by writer-director Sam Esmail from the novel by the same name. The novel, by Rumaan Alam, was a finalist for the National Book Award. 

A mystery thriller with dystopian elements, it was published during the Covid pandemic. Former President Barack Obama included it in his summer list. Netflix won the rights in a bidding war. It was produced under the auspices of Michelle and Barack Obama’s Netflix production company, Higher Ground, as well as Julia Roberts’s company, Red Om.

Roberts stars in the film joined Hollywood A-Listers Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, Mahershala Ali, and up-and-coming sensation Myha’la of TV’s Succession.

What trouble is afoot in Leave the World Behind? Is the country the object of a massive cyberattack? Who can you trust. The movie audience and the film’s characters all encounter unfolding events at the same time. 

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When it comes to capturing the attention of television audiences — whether they’re bingeing corseted costume dramas or corporate legal sizzlers — the actress Christine Baranski is the veritable gift that keeps on giving.

The indomitable Baranski, 72, enjoys a well-wrought reputation for her work on the New York stage, but it is the small screen that has given the versatile performer the most recognition by consumers of American television programming. 

Baranski portrayed the same character on two TV dramas. Her character  Diane Lockhart appeared first on the CBS nighttime legal drama The Good Wife. After that show ended its seven-year run, Baranski starred in the spinoff series, The Good Fight, which followed the exploits of Diane Lockhart for another six years.

More recently Baranski traded corporate law for bustles and buggies in Julian Fellowes’s period New York drama, The Gilded Age.

Lisa and Tandy review both programs in this latest episode of The Hollywood Beat.  

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Starting with this episode of The Hollywood Beat, I’m beginning an ongoing series of book reviews interspersed with author interviews along with Dallas, Texas, librarian Pamela Skjolsvik.

Pamela and I met some years back in the MFA Creative Nonfiction program at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. 

This first installment includes a discussion of what each of us has read of late capped off with our review of the 2024 National Book Award winner for fiction, novelist Percival Everett’s most recent novel, James.

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Westerns. The public has an insatiable appetite for them, and the television industry has served up a plethora of them.

These are but a few: The Lone Ranger. Wagon Train. Bonanza. Gunsmoke. The Rifleman. Have Gun, Will Travel and Rawhide. Bonanza ran for 14 years, but the longest running series of all is Gunsmoke which aired for 20 years. My personal favorite was The Wild Wild West. I had a big crush on Robert Conrad back then.

Oh, and let’s not forget the weirdly fascinating WestWorld.

But if you look up the word prolific in the Merriam Webster dictionary and you’ll find three definitions. The third may strike you as particularly noteworthy: “marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity”

And that definition doesn’t apply to every Western TV series , but it fits the Taylor Sheridan’s work. Not all the shows he’s created are Westerns, but we think his Westerns are the best. The modern cowboy drama Yellowstone, which ran for five seasons, and the oil rig drama Landman, which recently has been renewed for a second season, are our favorites.

Sheridan’s output seems to expand with each passing year. Add to Sheridan’s roster non-Westerns like Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King and Lioness,  and it’s an almost inconceivable amount of content for one man to produce. We don’t see how he does it.

The Texas denizen, 54, spent his formative years in Ft.Worth and began his career as an actor, but circumstances left him feeling dissatisfied, so he – pun very much intended – took the bull by the horns and turned his attention to writing for the big and small screens. As it turns out, Sheridan is very good at both.

In the latest The Hollywood Beat TV podcast, we review Sheridan’s small screen empire — including a prominent character or two. If you’ve seen Yellowstone and Landman, see what you think of our assessments. If you haven’t seen them, what are you waiting for? Saddle up!

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In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Reba and Tandy discuss two films that both are sequels: Dune Part Two and Gladiator II. But of these two films, only one – Dune Part Two – has been the recipient of critical praise.

Dune Part Two was nominated for Best Picture as well as four more at the 2025 Academy Awards, while Gladiator II was nominated in only one, that of best costumes.

Reba and Tandy offer their thoughts on both films – including why moviegoers who haven’t seen the films might want to consider doing so. 

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