Stream Amazon Prime’s Greatest Original Comedy Series Of All Time
Despite a number of issues in the streaming market today, we really are blessed to be in an era of prestige television, with some outlets delivering the finest projects of all time to audiences around the globe. In the case of Amazon Prime Video, nothing is topping their critically acclaimed and widely decorated comedy The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, which just concluded its illustrious 5-season run in May of 2023.
The show is a period piece that masterfully blends massive set-pieces, impeccable comedic timing, and mind-blowing character-building in each episode.
An Amazon Original Hit
My first exposure to The Marvelous Mrs Maisel was frustrating, as I had never seen any advertising for the series before, yet it was constantly sweeping Emmys and other awards from under the feet of my favorite shows. As a result, I presumed that the series was some boring, award-baiting auteur cinema that appeals to members of the Hollywood Academy and offers little value to the general public.
For the first and last time in my entire life, I was dead wrong, as I begrudgingly agreed to watch the show off a friend’s recommendation and instantly fell in love.
An Era Of Comedy Often Ignored
The pilot episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel shows an affluent Jewish woman named Midge Maisel living an ideal life in the upper West side of Manhattan. As a happy homemaker, she caters to her husband and two children. However, Midge’s life is turned completely inside out when her husband, who enjoys performing stand-up comedy at open mic venues as a lark, bombs on stage and has a meltdown due to his internal embarrassment.
A Wild Romp Through Every Level Of Stand-Up
In a fit, Midge’s husband reveals that he has been carrying out an affair with his secretary and explains that he intends to get a divorce before storming out in the middle of the night. In a flabbergasted drunken stupor, Midge pops up at an open mic herself and delivers a killer monologue, revealing that she was secretly the comedic talent of the family all along.
The final moments of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel‘s pilot see the young woman thrown in jail for using obscene language and exposing herself to the crowd, where she meets legendary real-life comedian Lenny Bruce.
Fantastic Supporting Cast
I won’t spoil any more of the show now, but suffice is to say, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel follows Midge as she attempts to turn her one-off stage success into a bonafide career in comedy. Along the way, she is assisted by her scrappy manager and devalued by her overtly misogynist family, who believe that her only role in life is to remain polite and submissive to a man.
The series was created and developed for television by Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and stars Rachel Brosnahan, Michael Zegen, Tony Shalhoub, Family Guy‘s Alex Borstein, and a number of other comedy heavy-hitters.
Stream Only On Amazon Prime
REVIEW SCORE
Today, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel can be viewed in full on Amazon Prime Video. In this instance, feel free to give in to the hype, as the show is handily one of the funniest and most awe-inspiring projects to be put to the small screen. The series has pleased critics and audiences far and wide, resulting in a whopping 90 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
