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- CNN
- Mar 6, 2014
- CNN
- Mar 6, 2014
Summary Narrated by Mark Konkol, the series takes a look at how policies and politics influence the people who live and work in the Windy City.
- CNN
- Mar 6, 2014
- CNN
- Mar 6, 2014
Summary Narrated by Mark Konkol, the series takes a look at how policies and politics influence the people who live and work in the Windy City.
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
61
29% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
71% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
61
29% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
71% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
There are few issues in Chicagoland that won't seem drearily familiar to Philadelphians--or the residents of any large American city--but the show, narrated by former Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mark Konkol, is remarkably engaging.
The patchwork narrative covers Chicago’s murder epidemic, gang violence, public schools crisis, sports stuff--all familiar stories. But they’re packaged in an engaging, informative way.
Chicagoland is a mosaic, as befits its many-cultured metropolitan setting--and for better or worse. The series moves fast to get it all in, muscling you with its Big Shoulders and too-present hip-hoppy soundtrack, giving you just enough of its characters--including kids and cops, a doctor, a rapper, a restaurateur--to make you feel you should be getting more of them.
Despite the unfortunate monotone narration of Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Konkol, whose script is full of hard-boiled cliches ("must be something in the water," when speaking of Chicago's gangland past) and odd phrasing ("school closings and budget cuts: the ultimate buzzkill"), and time spent with Emanuel that is occasionally charming, but often feels like fodder for a campaign ad, Chicagoland has more pluses than minuses.
This is pretty much how it goes on Chicagoland: Emmanuel against everyone else.
The new show about another troubled city and its leader looks more like an ad campaign than a documentary.
While the filmmakers conjure plenty of big-shouldered moments, Chicagoland--the name notwithstanding--doesn’t establish itself as much of a TV destination.
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