The Girls on the Bus

I am not a fan of political dramas so I honestly didn't have high expectations. I started watching because of the cast. My rule is to watch at least 3 episodes because a new series almost always needs to get going.

I was pleasantly surprised. The cast is solid, the chemistry between them is good, the character depth is clear, it has humor, it is thankfully not overdramatized, there are no ego roles, it deals with substantive issues, the story is satisfying and the production is good.

For me it's a pleasant breeze of fresh air.

I hope there will be a second season.

.........................

It's been a while since MAX (formerly HBO Max) released an original show that I've actually liked.

That's finally changed though. The Girls on the Bus is incredibly enjoyable to watch. The talent and chemistry amongst the cast is magic. Melissa Benoist shines in every scene she's in.

MAX's marketing for the show is pretty much non-existent which makes me believe this is the only season we will get. I feel like if this was in any other streaming platform or network it would have gotten a press junket. I don't think MAX was the right distributor for this series but I hope this series leads to more future easy-to-watch content to their platform.

First, let's acknowledge that all of the actors on "Girls on the Bus" are incredibly talented. What has me hooked is the show is the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson. It's such a new twist in a political dramedy. The character gives context to the time frame and is a great vehicle into the mind of Sadie. It's also almost scary how the actor playing Hunter Thompson looks and acts like the real Hunter S. Thompson.

This show is definitely worth a watch. It's rare to find shows that have complexity with superb acting and a the ghost of a journalist who was himself a very complex person. I agree that it's not for everybody (what show is?). However, the 1 ratings don't even acknowledge the excellent talent or the ingenious Hunter S. Thompson character. Maybe some people don't know who he was or his defining contribution to journalism.

Political dramas can be very hit and miss. The West Wing and Scandal are the only two I have ever really enjoyed.

Seeing that this was starring and produced by Melissa Benoist I decided to give this series a shot.

The show is well acted and produced, with some interesting plot twists and a look into the flaws of candidates, bringing their more bright-eyed supporters back down to earth.

There are a few very obviously parallels to certain real life politicians, though thankfully there are no signs yet of a character like T**mp.

So far I have enjoyed the writing, but having just watched episode 2, there still seems to be something missing to really give it the kick it needs. Hopefully this will change in future episodes.

There once was a book - The Boys On The Bus by Timothy Crouse - about the wild road trip on the 1972 election. So now it's time for the girls to get on that bus, this one based on, Chasing Hillary by Amy Chozick, who also co-wrote and created the series.

This political satire (of some sort) gathers four women from diverse journalistic backgrounds for a bus tour on the democratic trail, where dirty silly games of getting that story at all costs will have one amused.

Don't fret, it takes a swipe at both sides of politics and journalism, with even the darlings of social media getting in the firing line. Enough to amuse one and all. It's no Aaron Sorkin or Julian Fellowes, but it has enough wit and snappy dialogue to carry the story along, revealing the true nature of political gaming and journalistic barbarism.

Most importantly, it has the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson who pops in for some words of wisdom, so it has my undivided attention!