MINISERIES PREMIERE: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and Laura Dern star in this new HBO miniseries, based on the novel by Liane Moriarty. Each of the seven episodes is directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (Wild, The Dallas Buyers Club), and adapted by David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Boston Legal), so it has a uniform voice, tone, and look. I’ve seen all but the final hour, and while I recommend Big Little Lies, the central mystery – both the murderer and the victim remain unidentified until the final hour – is less compelling than some of the character studies. Both Witherspoon and Dern are flashily fierce, and the most stirring scenes come from Kidman and True Blood and Generation Kill veteran Alexander Skarsgard, who plays her sometimes passionate, sometimes brutal husband. For full reviews, refer to my report on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and, here on TVWW, reviews from David Hinckley’s All Along the Watchtower and Ed Bark’s Uncle Barky’s Bytes.

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