Now that Peacock TV is here, and we've already picked out best Peacock shows and movies, it's time to look hard at its list of exclusive original shows. While many will subscribe to services to rewatch their favorites — and Peacock does have many of those, including The Office and Law and Order — is Brave New World the next Mandalorian?
So, I've gone through the lineup of Peacock Originals, to see what's enjoyable, bearable and downright not-good-at-all. And while I've found some winners, this service is definitely playing home to some things I'm not going to be recommending to anyone any time soon.
One note: I'm not going to rank animated series Curious George and Where's Waldo here, as these have questionable "Original"-ness. Parents and younger kids will recognize that these shows are extensions of previously existing programs, which have been around long enough to be established.
Here's how every Peacock original TV show and movie rank, in order of best to worst:
1. The Capture
The best Peacock Original by a country mile, The Capture is a good intriguing bit of espionage drama. The series starts off with two narrative tracks, with the recently freed-and-vindicated soldier Shaun (Callum Turner) getting into more trouble, while Detective Inspector Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) solves yet another case. But when Shaun finds himself in hot water again, it's Rachel who's trying to crack the mystery of his case. Turner and Grainger both have excellent charisma and make their characters feel alive and relatable.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Metacritic score: 71
2. Psych 2: Lassie Come Home
Reunion sequels can be great, or at least a bit of familiar fun. I maybe saw a few Psych episodes on USA, so I tuned into this movie with some familiarity, and found it to be a neat little extended-length edition of the comedy-mystery series. Dulé Hill and James Roday still have their excellent banter and chemistry as bumbling crime-solvers Gus and Shawn, so fans will likely find this movie exactly what they're looking for. Their latest mystery begins with a missing father, a severed hand found by a dog and a very creepy Joel McHale (Community). Existing fans have likely plowed through it already, but it'll be a nice treat at the end of the marathon for any watching the series for the first time on Peacock.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%
Metacritic score: 78
3. Lost Speedways with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I was never a racing fan, but Lost Speedways is an intriguing new series that I think might make new fans out of those willing to take a risk. It has tons of historical photos of classic cars and drivers in them, paired with gorgeous photography of courses, and it’s all helmed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has a certain charm to himself. The first episode gives Jr. a tour through his family's home tracks, and later episodes allow Lost Speedways to examine controversies tied to specific courses.
Rotten Tomatoes score: no score
Metacritic score: no score
4. Brave New World
At times, this adaptation/reimagination of Aldous Huxley's epic novel feels like a cleaner, more polished Westworld. While Westworld felt like it was always trying to find where it's going, early Brave New World episodes feel more focused. Also, its Savage Lands territory — basically a Burning Man festival for the rich of the future — seemed to have the sense of humor that Westworld does not. That being said, early reviews are mixed and the show might feel too diluted or made-for-mass-appeal for many. That includes fans of Huxley's original work, who might find the characters too tinkered with, and that's probably deserved.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%
Metacritic score: 55
5. Cleopatra in Space
What happens when you take a famous ruler, but travel further back in time to when they were just a child? That's the point of Cleopatra in Space, which doesn't start in mid-orbit. For a kids show, Cleopatra in space feels... solid. It all starts off relatable, with a friendship between "Cleo" and her friend Gozi, who talk about how frustrating it can be when your parents have everything planned out in advance. Our protagonist's big outer-space adventure starts less than half way into the first episode, though, when a mysterious tablet in a secret chamber sends her to an alien planet. There, she encounters wild robots before being saved and befriended by a pair of space kids, who she helps with some of the fighting skills she picked up back at home. While it's not exactly my cup of tea, it feels alive in ways that I bet will appeal to younger audiences.
Rotten Tomatoes score: no score
Metacritic score: no score
6. Dreams Live On: Countdown to Tokyo
An hour-long documentary about athletes pursuing their olympic dreams, only to have the ground pulled out from under themselves by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dreams Live On is going to be the closest thing that Olympic fans get to next year's event. Hosted by Mike Tirico, the documentary gives us a personal view of the athletes who have had their dreams put on pause. The U.S. Swimming Team starts off the special; Simone Manuel jumps off the screen with personality, and her scenes of combat training at a dojo felt utterly electric. Manuel is made even more human, though, as she and her team are then shown enjoying themselves at an arcade in Japan. Of course, the doc doesn't shy away from the brutal side of training, as we go into the training time for Aussie swimmer Ariarne Titmus, whose trainer is refusing to let her be any less than rival Katie Ledecky.
Rotten Tomatoes score: no score
Metacritic score: no score
7. Kamome
An uplifting and positive documentary short, Kamome shows what happens when a lost and ravaged boat from Japan winds up in Crescent City, in California. Beautifully shot, Kakoke (the name of said vessel) is a neat 23 minute escape outside of wherever you currently are. There's not a whole lot to say about it, but it's neutral and emotional enough that it's definitely not one of the worst Peacock Originals. Yes, that's a setup for how bad things are about to get.
Rotten Tomatoes score: no score
Metacritic score: no score
8. Intelligence
I don't know who asked for a Schwimmersance, other than the former Ross Gellar's agent. Intelligence, which at times feels like a show that Jack Donaghy would have pitched to Kabletown on 30 Rock, starts off rough. As Jerry Bernstein, a CIA agent sent to England to work at a government cyber security agency, Schwimmer bristles up front as an "ugly American" stereotype who is inappropriate in every way possible with his new colleagues. Whether he's flirting or being racist, or demanding the best treatment and food, he's trying to make being terrible funny, but the writing just isn't up to it. Part of that is that the staff he's working with has its own remarkable incompetence, seen in agent Joseph Harries (played by show creator Nick Mohammed). While the series got a little better in the episodes I watched, I'm not ready to recommend it to anyone.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%
Metacritic score: 54
9. In Deep with Ryan Lochte
My pick for the worst Peacock originals, the Ryan Lochte documentary's sole bright spot is the narration from Patton Oswalt... because at least he has some personality. Otherwise, the special is the wrong kind of personal redemption narrative in that they spend way too much time telling his story up front and boring you with exposition. And then when you get to the behind the scenes of Lochte's modern life, he's super boring. He challenges the media's narrative that he was handed everything on a platter by showing how hard he works out, but aside from that there's nothing there, really. While Intelligence was offensive at worst, In Deep is just bad because you'll want your time back.
Rotten Tomatoes score: no score
Metacritic score: 36
