Ranking Every HBO Drama Series From Worst To Best
37. Vinyl
Vinyl’s greatest strength was also its ultimate downfall. Here was a glossy drama about the New York rock scene in the ‘70s, produced by two men who’d actually been there: director and aficionado Martin Scorsese, and actual Rolling Stone Mick Jagger. With their expertise, hopes were high.
On the other hand, these guys were 70 years old, and with rose tinted glasses firmly affixed to their heads. Vinyl was the ultimate boomer fantasy, so indebted to the good old days, and frequently featuring cameos from the stars of yesteryear - actors playing the likes of Plant, Lennon, Reed, Bowie - in an attempt to gain cool credentials 40 years after the fact.
Between all that was the bones of a decent show. Bobby Cannavale starred as the record exec trying desperately to keep up with the changing times, and it’s a nuanced, quality performance amongst the overwhelming surface level sheen that makes up most of Vinyl.
HBO quickly commissioned a second season days after Vinyl’s premiere, but changed their mind shortly after the finale. There was something decent in here for sure, but it turned into an incredibly expensive episode of I Love The ‘70s.