5 minute read

New and returning series, History of the World, Part II, more

Stars of David

Editor’s Note: Persons in bold are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish for the purpose of this column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in, or identify with, a faith other than Judaism. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish.

In chronological order, here are premieres this month that have a “Jewish connection.”

“Daisy Jones & The Six”

On March 3, “Daisy Jones & The Six” premieres on Amazon Prime. The “official” description says it follows “a rock band in the 1970s from their rise in the LA music scene to becoming one of the most legendary bands in the world and explores the reason behind their split at the height of their success.” Riley Keough, Elvis’ granddaughter, plays the title character.

“Daisy” is based on a novel. The series was created by Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber, and they wrote the pilot episode. They have long been writing partners (“500 Days of Summer,” many more). The duo also produces the series, along with Laura Neustader , Scott’s wife.

“Perry Mason”

In 2020, HBO released “Perry Mason,” a reboot of the famous TV series. But, unlike the original, which was set in the ’50s and ’60s, the new series was set during the Great Depression in 1932. Mason is a broke private investigator until (spoiler) he solves a big case and, as the first season ended, he opted to go to law school with the aim of being a defense attorney.

In the first season, Mason and Hamilton Burger, an assistant district attorney, are very friendly. Justin Kirk, 53, played Burger in the first season and will return as Burger, a main cast character, in the second season. It begins on March 6 (HB0).

Kirk is the secular son of a Jewish mother and non-Jewish father. He’s best known for playing Andy Botwin, a (star) Jewish character on the long-running Showtime series “Weeds.”

Michael Begler and Jack Amiel , both 54, took over as the main producers of the show in the second season. They also wrote most of the second season scripts.

“History of the World, Part II”

Also on March 6, there’s the premiere of the highly anticipated series “History of the World, Part II.” Every Mel Brooks fan knows that “Part I” was a hilarious 1981 film directed and written by Brooks. Scenes included Moses (played by Brooks) bringing down the 10 Commandments from Mt. Sinai.

The 1981 film hinted that there would be a Part II. But Brooks always said that was a joke. Well, the 95-year-old Brooks was coaxed to co-write a sequel, which will air on Hulu in the form of eight half-hour episodes. On March 6, two episodes will be released, with two more episodes released each following day (March 7-9).

As I write this, a complete cast list is unavailable. I know that Pamela Adlon, 56, and Evan Shafran, 40, will appear. It’s likely that comedic actors Ike Barinholtz, 45, and Nick Kroll, 44, who are listed as producers of the series, will also act in the series. (FYI: Barinholtz won the Celebrity Jeopardy final last month. A million bucks went to his favorite charity).

David Stassen (not Jewish) co-wrote “Part II” and he acts in at least two episodes. His frequent writing partner is Barinholtz, who he met when they were 7 years old. In a Stassen interview, I learned that Barinholtz went to a Chicago Jewish day school before transferring to the same (secular) high school as Stassen.

“Extrapolations”

A six-part Apple+ series, “Extrapolations” premieres March 17. Here is part of the official description: “‘Extrapolations” is a bracing drama that introduces a near future where the chaotic effects of climate change have become embedded into our everyday lives. Eight interwoven stories about love, work, faith and family from across the globe will explore the intimate, life-altering choices that must be made when the planet is changing faster than the population.”

Th e Jewish cast members are Judd Hirsch , 87, Daveed Diggs , 41, Peter Riegert, 75, and David Schwimmer, 56. Riegert and Schwimmer’s characters have “Jewish names.” They are, respectively, Ben Zucker and Harris Goldblatt. I presume they are Jewish characters.

Here’s some of the big-name (not Jewish) actors in the series: Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker (best actor Oscar), Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”), Edward Norton and Tobey McGuire.

Einstein royalties benefit university

Finally, a note about the many Verizon ads featuring an actor (Paul Giamatti) playing Albert Einstein

Were you annoyed that Einstein was being used to sell Verizon stuff?

Well, there’s a silver lining. Einstein left his estate to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. To use Einstein’s image, companies have to get permission. If permission is granted, they have to pay royalties.

To date, the Hebrew University has received “Einstein image” royalties totaling $250 million. About $12M in “Einstein image” royalties flow annually to the university.

This article is from: