Grosse Pointe Garden Society is the soapy new broadcast drama that everyone’s talking about.
Starring Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), AnnaSophia Robb (The Carrie Diaries), Aja Naomi King (How to Get Away with Murder), and Ben Rappaport (The Good Wife), the series follows the scandalous secrets of a wealthy suburban town.
If you can’t get enough of this series, here are three more shows you should check out now.
‘Good Girls’ (2018-2021)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Retta (Parks and Recreation) and Mae Whitman (Parenthood) lead this clever, subversive show about three suburban moms whose attempt to rob a grocery store gets them in bed with a charismatic gangster (Manny Montana, Graceland). The sexual tension between Hendricks and Montana is so intense, it practically melts your television screen, but that doesn’t make the danger he and his associates pose any less real. Retta and Whitman are both compelling in rare lead roles that allow them to show their dramatic chops.
Although Good Girls suffered an early cancellation because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s such a fun, wild ride that it’s worth dealing with the cliffhanger ending. It doesn’t hurt that Jenna Bans, creator of Grosse Pointe, also created Good Girls.
Watch Good Girls on Netflix.
‘Little Fires Everywhere’ (2020)
AnnaSophia Robb also does excellent work in this Hulu limited series based on the bestselling novel by Celeste Ng. She plays the younger version of Reese Witherspoon’s character Elena Richardson, a mother of four who is unsatisfied with her “picture-perfect” life and struggling to control her rebellious daughter Izzy (Megan Stott).
Playing opposite Witherspoon is Kerry Washington as Mia Warren, an artist with a mysterious past that she’s hiding from everyone, including her daughter Pearl (Lexi Underwood). When Izzy and Pearl become friends, Mia takes a job cleaning the Richardsons’ house to keep an eye on her daughter. Resentment between the two mothers simmers in this captivating drama, especially when Mia learns that her friend Bebe’s (Huang Lu) daughter is being adopted by Elena’s friend.
What makes someone a “good” mother? And how do race and class come into play? Little Fires Everywhere explores these questions with nuanced performances and dramatic storytelling.
Watch Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu.
‘Mad Men’ (2007-2015)
Jon Hamm became synonymous with smooth-talking ad executive Don Draper in this 1960s-set series, but on a rewatch, it’s the women of Mad Men who really stand out.
January Jones seethes with repressed emotion as the quintessential Kennedy-era housewife, Betty Draper. Elisabeth Moss’ rise to copywriting stardom as Peggy will have you cheering in front of your screen, as will Christina Hendricks’ arc from man-hungry secretary to self-assured businesswoman Joan.
Mad Men is a masterpiece in the way it depicts the cultural shift in women’s roles in society between the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s a must-watch for any lover of prestige drama, social commentary and fabulous costumes, just like those on Grosse Pointe.
Watch Mad Men on PhiloTV.
