Claiming a show’s location is a character unto itself is, by itself, a cliché.
But appreciating how a fully realized city or setting can make or break a series sure isn’t.
While period tales and flashy action pieces garner specific analysis during awards season for their accuracy and ambition, far more “traditional” TV shows utilize sets, costumes, lighting, and more to enhance their story’s hospitality factor.
Television is an intimate medium, after all, and earning a repeat invitation is everyone’s job.
For as much (rightful) attention as “Mare of Easttown” gets for the verisimilitude evoked by its naturalistic Pennsylvania setting, “Only Murders in the Building” merits equal praise for its inventive, welcoming, and altogether immaculate design.
Without such critical touches, the comic murder-mystery could’ve easily fallen apart.After all, Hulu’s 10-episode limited series — created by John Hoffman and Steve Martin — tackles its various genres in unconventional fashion.
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