Notwithstanding the epidemic of sitcoms today that try to balance the drama of crime and family, Legend emerges as an incredibly fresh yet genuinely touching experience. I knew nothing about the show and almost as much about Irish television (Radio Telefís Éireann), yet this program stands shoulder to shoulder with the giant enterprises of American cable. The writing, the acting, the cinematography and the music are brilliantly combined, creating an artistic and relevant atmosphere easily equal to some of my favorites like Showtime's Brotherhood or Weeds or HBO's The Sopranos. Yet the show lacks all of the dramatic pretension that has become a prerequisite for American primetime.
"Legend" even surpasses other television shows with its gritty yet beautiful realism. The premise of a middle-class young father losing his loving wife, falling into financial difficulties with some less than reputable characters and having to care for his children, could so easily fizzle into a myriad of clichés. However, within this deflated modern Irish suburbia, every character is developed into beautiful contextual nexus of what it means to be young and struggling with life and death today. I was really blown away with the series and I hope the generic title of the show will not bury this gem in obscurity.
