[Spoilers ahead.] I distinctly remember marathoning season 1 of Red Oaks and being disappointed that it wasn’t more Jersey*. Sure, the fictional town and country club were NYC adjacent, but little beyond that would give away its setting. Where were the diners and the Pork Roll? (I know, I know, it’s Taylor Ham up North.)
During the holiday season, when TV went on a brief hiatus, I took up Amazon on their offer for a free month of Amazon Prime and binged watched The Man in the High Castle, Transparent season two, and one of their newer original comedy series Red Oaks.
In the last five years networks and streaming platforms alike have frequently turned to the past for present day entertainment. Here’s a look at the various versions of history we’ve been telling since 2010.