The Hardy Boys

I don't want to rate this show yet because I want to see more. I read at the very least half of the book series when I was young including well into my teenage years and beyond. When you go to HULU and you read the description it says inspired or based off the book series............it's NOT. Even beginning from the very first episode it is NOT inspired or based off the book series. Being somebody who has read the books if I had to give this show a rating based off the few episodes I've been watching so far it would NOT be a good rating at all. I don't want to rate it yet unless I'm forced to because I want to finish watching the rest of the episodes of this first season first.

So far I am enjoying the show but there are a few issues with the 80's set dressing that needs to be corrected. The story takes place in the 80's but there are pieces of technology in the set design that break the illusion. In episode 1, the boys and their dad move to their aunts home in Bridgeport. The TV in her living room is an early 2000's Samsung Dynaflat CRT TV. In her attic there's a early 2000's VHS-C camcorder in the background of one of the shots. Also in the attic the boys use an RCA VR546, silver, center loading VCR from 2002 to watch some old home videos. All CRT TV's from that era have a very distinctive bump in the front and flat CRT's didn't arrive until the early 2000's. All VCR's from the 80's (if front loading and not top loading) always loaded from the left side of the VCR and not the center. A simple google search by whoever is doing the set dressing could help them avoid these mistakes. Overall if you can overlook these and some other errors the show is entertaining.

The TV series is based on some of the characters while it is not like the book series. It similar to the Nancy Drew tv series where they have taken the names of the book but done a whole new spin. The tv series does contain suspense and flow, but can be a bit disconnected here and there.

In the more edgy style of Riverdale, this newest remake of the classic adventure book gives more back story to why the boys become sleuths. Also cashing in on the early 80s craze of that genre"s music and clothes. Great attraction for those of us in our 50s! Thanks for make the women more than throw-away characters!

This rating is for season 1 only, as season 2 is just idiotic with a lot of scenes hammered into the screen, not making any sense. The plot is just stupid and even the actors that seemed ok in season 1, well, the ones that were not changed, now seem to be bad with the forced dialogues they have to say.

I just hope season 3 is as good as season 1, if there is going to be one after the complete failure of season 2.