Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mild but talky series will appeal most to Woody Allen fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Crisis in Six Scenes
What's the Story?
CRISIS IN SIX SCENES revolves around Sidney (Woody Allen) and Kay Munsinger (Elaine May), whose genteel and serene suburban 1960s existence is shaken up when Lennie Dale (Miley Cyrus) appears by way of climbing in one of their windows. She's on the run from the cops, having bombed a draft board hoping to disrupt the Vietnam War. Now Sidney and Kay are concealing her presence, delivering strange suitcases to strange men, and otherwise stepping out of their uneventful domestic life.
Is It Any Good?
This talky series has its charms but ultimately doesn't really go anywhere. Its fan base will probably be those who are already converted to Woody Allen fandom, as this show is an Allen creation top to bottom. One saving grace: Given Allen's penchant for casting much younger women as the love interests for increasingly older men, many viewers will be relieved that age-appropriate Elaine May is Sidney's wife in Crisis in Six Scenes. Miley Cyrus, on the other hand, is here to epitomize the generation gap and provide the catalyst for a lot of anxious conversation and coffee-making, as the Munsingers digest just what a problem has suddenly dropped into their suburb-of-New-York living room.
Not that the conversation's not occasional witty fun. A scene in which May and a bunch of her friends pick apart a classic book is a scream, and a running joke in which Allen tries for a James Dean haircut is cute, too. It's just that this series meanders aimlessly; the characters follow each other from living room to bedroom to foyer nattering on about Greek islands cruises and people they know from art galleries. It's pleasant enough, but unless you're already a fan of Allen's style, this probably won't convert you.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the 1960s are a popular setting for TV dramas such as Crisis in Six Scenes. What was it about this era of American history that makes it interesting? What dramatic possibilities does it hold? How does this show communicate that it's set in an earlier time period?
Is the audience supposed to think Lennie Dale is a good character or a bad character? How do dramas communicate which characters to view sympathetically and which to find unsympathetic?
Have you seen any of Woody Allen's movies? How is this show like or unlike his movies?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 30, 2016
- Cast : Woody Allen , Miley Cyrus , Elaine May , Joy Behar
- Network : Prime Video
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 28, 2020
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