I am – Hercules!!
If your idea of a good time is watching a cross-dressing teen boy watching an overweight middle-aged woman masturbate, we have found the summer series for you. “Meadowlands” is an 8-episode British drama, from writer Robert Murphy (“Murder City”), about an entire community seemingly made up of individuals in a witness-relocation program. I watched the first two episodes and I can say it adds up to a very poorly conceived non-sci-fi version of “The Prisoner” crossed with a very poorly conceived non-supernatural version of “Twin Peaks” and a not-funny non-musical version of “Hairspray.” It’s badly paced, flaccid in its logic, and a big step down from the likes of “Brotherhood” and “Weeds." Does an entire town made up of people in a witness protection program make any sense? Why is the relocated wife surprised that she can’t leave her new town – long after the authorities blindfolded her and her family for the trip in? Why is the wife so quick to abandon her out-of-town shopping trip? Why are so many so enamored of the unpleasant, morbidly obese neighbor girl? This is one of those not-too-entertaining entertainments that cause viewers to repeatedly ask, “Why would someone do that?” And if there are answers, the series doesn't provide them quickly enough for my taste. But what matters Herc’s opinion? Variety says:

… Even after four episodes, the show's broader objectives remain fuzzy … As strange as "Meadowlands" is, a few elements feel overly familiar and predictable, from the gauzy flashbacks that hint obliquely at Danny's past to deviant sexual encounters that at times feel forced. Yes, it's nice to be tantalized, but without greater understanding of these characters' history, the behavior is so consistently arch it begins to seem slightly gratuitous. That said, [David] Morrissey and [Lucy] Cohu -- veterans of the classy BBC America productions "Viva Blackpool" and "The Queen's Sister," respectively -- are extremely compelling performers, the kind you'd happily watch read the morning paper. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… the whole is less than the sum of the parts. Murphy is adept at creating clever mind games between his characters, but moments of true suspense or fright are few and far between. …

The New York Times says:

… Complacency makes for dull television. “Meadowlands” is David Lynch without his silent laugh track. Nothing seems to bring it to life — not its obsession with voyeurism, its forays into cross-dressing, its objectification of the obese. Nor that we witness a haggard middle-aged woman sleeping with a teenage boy. …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… there's no sense that creators Robert Murphy ("Murder City") and Matthew Arlidge ("Monarch of the Glen") are actually interested in what a community of criminal refugees, and of refugees from criminals, might actually look like. … Whether or not they add up to much, the scenes play well, and there are enough heavy-breathing soap-operatics, random acts of violence and unanswered questions to keep one idly watching. …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… an intermittently interesting summer potboiler … there’s enough here (certainly from Morrissey, Cohu and Ralph Brown as a creepy cop named Wintersgill) to keep this thriller-soap going. "Meadowlands” occasionally suffers from pacing problems and an addiction to sometimes pretentious, showy melodrama …

The San Franciso Chronicle says:

… Not only does "Meadowlands" fail to reach the level of any number of shows on HBO, Showtime or FX, but it proves that complicated slices of mainstream fare like "Lost" and "Heroes" are wonderful creations that need a lot more respect than they're getting. "Meadowlands" has dreams of darkness and intrigue as it explores hidden identities and suburban chaos, but its ambition far outstrips its ability to deliver the message. … Now, in the right hands, maybe half of these quirks (eerie, silly or otherwise) could be wrangled into something approaching clever. … But to pull off something like that, you can't just have strange behavior for the sake of strange behavior. You need great writing, not just great dance moves. …

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says:

… it's not gloomy, it's just dark. It also has the potential to be Showtime's most addictive summer series. One could never call this thing weighty or original, though … Relentlessly odd as "Meadowlands" can be, don't be surprised if it seduces you. …

The Boston Globe says:

… Despite all the promise of its premise about the changeability of self, "Meadowlands" never quite rises to excellence. … instead of keeping this kind of culty material in play, the writers dive into a conventional murder plot that emerges in episode 2 and the potential for humor fades. As the uneasy and distinctive social comedy gives way to torturous interrogation scenes and plot illogic, "Meadowlands" loses important points on the specialness meter. Alas, it becomes another cable also-ran.

The Pittburgh Post-Gazette says:

… It's a creepy show, but the slow pace and a brutal torture scene in a future episode made my interest wane. The first season runs just eight episodes and concludes with a big revelation about Meadowlands, but I have to wonder if many viewers will stick with it that long. …

10 p.m. Sunday. Showtime.

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