What are you watching? Readers recommend 'Big Little Lies,' 'The Americans'

Monitor TV and movie fans share what they've been watching lately. 

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?  Write and tell us at whatareyouwatching@csmonitor.com.

I just finished the first season of The Americans. It’s a compelling story with great acting, and I really like the music and early 1980s vibe. I can’t wait to start binge-watching Season 2!

– Pamela Brodie, Denver

I have recently been watching the HBO programs Big Little Lies and Divorce as well as the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle. “Big Little Lies” had a good cliffhanger with rather unanticipated twists. “Divorce” caught my attention because it doesn’t put the blame on either of the main characters but shows that they each have failings. And lastly, with “Mozart,” I was utterly charmed by the conductor, Rodrigo (Gael García Bernal); the music; and the setting.

– Jan Moller, Brodhead, Wis.

The Crown is extremely well written. The costumes and settings make you feel as if you are there. The acting is fantastic, especially the character of Queen Elizabeth II, who is portrayed by Claire Foy. The queen is a fascinating person, and this show brings forth her humanity, courage, strength, and humility. I am learning things about history that I did not know.

– Anne Hindmarsh Cooling, Mission Viejo, Calif.

I have been watching the Syfy show The Expanse. It has an amazing and believable fictional universe and amazing actors. It makes you think about humanity and questions like, What does it mean to be a good person?

– Filip Uhelak, Prague, Czech Republic

I’m really enjoying watching reruns of the NBC program Law and Order – the original series that started airing in the 1990s with Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) and Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) as the district attorneys, Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) as the lieutenant, and Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin), Lennie Brisco (Jerry Orbach), Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina), and Phil Cerreta (Paul Sorvino) as the police detectives. Sure, the story lines are similar, but there is often a twist. The show has sublime writing and often great acting. But that’s not surprising, since it’s one of the longest-running TV crime dramas, has spun off a number of related shows, and is in syndication. The opening monologue, “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important, groups...,” has become a classic TV line.  

– John Glen, Maui, Hawaii