The Come Up

Viewers expecting to see a gritty look at the lives of starving artists will likely be disappointed, as the cast's stories -- at least as presented here -- are low on struggle, and high on hustle. It's not that every show about creative types needs to be a story of deep strife, but it's maybe a bit silly that The Come Up presents mainly the dreamy, pie-in-the-sky positive aspects of being a thriving young artist while simultaneously circumventing any discussion or acknowledgment of the very obvious privilege enjoyed by the many of its cast members. Frankly, it's hard to get too invested in the career climb of a model when he's already at a point in his career where Kate Moss is serving as the ring bearer at his (fake) wedding -- and the fact that he's the child of a mega-successful modeling agency magnate and brother to a rock star is glossed over completely.

Some have more complex stories, though, like fashion designer Taofeek Abijako, who went from the ghettos (his word) of Nigeria to dressing Hollywood actresses for the Met Gala at age 24. And younger viewers may recognize the anxiety and pressure felt by photographer Sophia, whose busy freelance career doesn't seem to matter to her mom, who is determined to convince her daughter to return to NYU and finish up her degree. That said, those who criticize the series as a fluffy soap about the selfie-obsessed Instagram generation aren't completely off base, but as long as you can tolerate watching these largely unjaded -- and often sweet -- kids bound ahead as if they're the first people to ever move to New York to make their mark while staying up late and dating around, you may find it kind of fun.