"The Romanoffs" in NYC

I was huge fan of Mad Men, the great TV series about the world of advertising in 1960s NYC. I blogged about a lot over the years and it's one of my favorite shows ever. 

Now the creator of Mad Men, Matthew Weiner, has a new show on Amazon -- and it is weird. It's called The Romanoffs, a modern-day globe-spanning anthology series about various people who are (or believe they are) descended from the Romanov dynasty (the family that ruled the Russian Empire for three hundred years, from 1613-1918).

The individual plots for each episode are either boring or bizarre but the "Romanoff" factor gives it a certain je ne said quoi, another layer of psychological intrigue that makes this show wholly original -- and quite fascinating. Many of the reviews I've read either hate this show or don't know what to make of it -- which is usually proof of something groundbreaking.

There are (or will be) a total of 8 episodes, going from Paris, to Ohio, to a cruise ship, to Austria and, eventually, Mexico City (amongst other places). But the latest episode, called "Expectation", unfolds over one whole day here in NYC. So, obviously, this is one I can't wait to see. 

If you loved Mad Men, you'll like this show because it has the same cerebral storytelling and black humor. However, The Romanoffs is totally different and it dares to do something that few shows ever do -- it doesn't pander, it doesn't explain itself, it doesn't care if you like it, and leaves you thinking. It's just brilliant, unconventional storytelling. 

By the way, if you want to learn more about the fall of the Romanov dynasty, there are lots of great books about it -- or you could watch the 1971 movie Nicholas & Alexandra.