Magic City: The Complete First Season

A Sumptuous Starz Series Looks Terrific, Has Enormous Potential, But Still Needs To Find Its Own Unique Voice
On the surface, the Starz original drama "Magic City" would seem to have everything. It's not hard to imagine the pitch when creating this adult oriented mob drama: Let's combine the period detail that works so well in "Mad Men" with the gritty gangster vibe that made "The Sopranos" such a success. I'd like to say that I made up these comparisons, but both were used in the aggressive advertising campaign that Starz used to launch the show (so clearly it's a side-by-side that they are comfortable with). But that's part of the problem. Instead of crafting a unique product to wow the audience, "Magic City" is covering some pretty familiar territory with its central themes. The primary plot points are so similar to dozens of other mob related stories that it's almost impossible not to make comparisons. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great elements within "Magic City" and I think it has the potential (should it return) to develop into something quite grand. As of Season One,...

Love, Love, Love
I'm slightly obsessed with this era anyway, so add great storylines and JDM and I'm sold! One of the things I love most is how they've added in historical figures without actually showing them. It gives the show more mystique. If you tried to show them, the Kennedys for instance, it would be very hard to pull off so it speaks to the show's credit that they involve these characters the way they do. An amazing show and my new favorite!

A Sumptuous Starz Series Looks Terrific, Has Enormous Potential, But Still Needs To Find Its Own Unique Voice
On the surface, the Starz original drama "Magic City" would seem to have everything. It's not hard to imagine the pitch when creating this adult oriented mob drama: Let's combine the period detail that works so well in "Mad Men" with the gritty gangster vibe that made "The Sopranos" such a success. I'd like to say that I made up these comparisons, but both were used in the aggressive advertising campaign that Starz used to launch the show (so clearly it's a side-by-side that they are comfortable with). But that's part of the problem. Instead of crafting a unique product to wow the audience, "Magic City" is covering some pretty familiar territory with its central themes. The primary plot points are so similar to dozens of other mob related stories that it's almost impossible not to make comparisons. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great elements within "Magic City" and I think it has the potential (should it return) to develop into something quite grand. As of Season One, though,...

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