New Apple TV Plus show The Crowded Room has caused quite the conversation of late, because nobody seems to be able to agree on whether it's really very good indeed, or terrible.
Starring Tom Holland of Spider-Man and Uncharted fame, The Crowded Room is based on the non-fiction book The Minds of Billy Milligan, which itself told the story of Danny Sullivan, a man arrested over a shooting in 1979. It's a fascinating story and one that could lend itself to being a great show.
The Crowded Room is that show, and it is indeed great, according to viewers who have shared their ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. But critics universally hated it, with a combined score of just 33%. So what gives?
Too long?
The Independent thinks that it might have the answer. According to the newspaper, Critics were given the 10-episode season to watch and their reviews were based on that full season. Is that the problem here? When discussing the disparity between viewer and critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes, it believes so.
"However, it’s worth noting that critics were given access to all 10 episodes, and agreed that the show would have been much better had it contained fewer instalments," the report says. Whether an opinion that there are too many episodes is enough to pan a show in the way critics seem to have done is a matter for debate.
The show certainly sounds like it's worth checking out no matter what the critics say.
"Starring and executive produced by Tom Holland, 'The Crowded Room' is a gripping, 10-episode limited series that stars Holland as Danny Sullivan, a man who is arrested following his involvement in a shooting in New York City in 1979," Apple TV Plus' description begins. "A captivating thriller told through a series of interviews with curious interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried), Danny’s life story unfolds, revealing elements of the mysterious past that shaped him, and the twists and turns that will lead him to a life-altering revelation."
You can watch Apple TV Plus on just about anything, and there are plenty of Apple TV 4K alternatives if you'd like to save some money as well.
