X
- 2021
- TV-PG
- PBS
- 2021
- TV-PG
- PBS
Summary Directors Yoni Brook and Ted Passon follow civil rights attorney Larry Krasner as he seeks to reform the criminal justice system as Philadelphia's new district attorney in the eight-part documentary that airs as part of PBS' Independent Lens series.
Created By: Yoni Brook, Ted Passon, Nicole Salazar
- 2021
- TV-PG
- PBS
- 2021
- TV-PG
- PBS
Philly D.A.
Season 1 Premiere: Apr 20, 2021
77
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
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Where to Watch
Summary Directors Yoni Brook and Ted Passon follow civil rights attorney Larry Krasner as he seeks to reform the criminal justice system as Philadelphia's new district attorney in the eight-part documentary that airs as part of PBS' Independent Lens series.
Created By: Yoni Brook, Ted Passon, Nicole Salazar
Where to Watch
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
77
70% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
77
70% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The only TV series I’ve seen that actually feels like watching another season of The Wire. ... The show should also be viewed as a model for an entire genre of documentary storytelling. So often, a docuseries has to navigate between the individuals it focuses on and a larger system it’s trying to depict. ... Philly D.A. is a beautiful, sprawling story that does justice to both the giant organizations and the many individuals caught inside them.
Transcending the directorial workmanship and production values, however, is the simple sight of unfashionable – which is to say good, ideologically informed but practically executed – work being done on behalf of the disfranchised, the powerless, the underserved. It is deeply thrilling to watch. An unfamiliar feeling stirs, and rises higher with each episode. The feeling is hope.
Essential, remarkably balanced vérité-style account of [Larry Krasner's] unlikely tenure as the city’s district attorney. ... Packed as it is with details that will surely be invaluable to policy makers, activists and academics, the series is bound to feel a bit long, at eight hours, to the casual viewer. Episodes tend to focus on single issues, and the most effective of them are structured around an individual person with a relevant story.
It is still unclear whether the docuseries can act as some sort of bridge to find common ground on divisive issues or if it will include decisions made by Krasner over the last three years that some say have led to the deaths of local police officers and residents. The first two episodes of “Philly D.A.” are compelling.
Admirably complex and captivating eight-part series.
It’s hard not to think that a feature-length film with a much more clear focus, and not a series juggling so many ingredients in an impersonal fashion, could have more powerfully shown the impact of one man in this important office on the people he serves.
Is never quite as immersive as promised, and at odds with a Krasner campaign pledge. ... At its best, “Philly DA” shows the myriad of moves problematic systems perform to insulate themselves from real improvement. It also charts the root of these ingrained problematic practices. ... Unfortunately, “Philly DA” is too hulking of a series to fully balance the competing tensions.
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Production Company:
- Department of Motion Pictures
- All Ages Productions
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
- ITVS International
- Nice Dissolve
Initial Release Date: Apr 20, 2021
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Rating: TV-PG
Genres:
Awards
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Gotham Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Peabody Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
