SERIES PREMIERE: Ryan Murphy and Evan Romansky co-created this new Netflix series, a prequel of sorts to the Ken Kesey novel, and subsequent movie,
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. But instead of giving us earlier insights into the character of R. P. McMurphy, the young rebellious protagonist played in the 1975 film by Jack Nicholson,
Ratched hones in on the story’s antagonist instead. That would be Nurse Ratched, played in the film by Louise Fletcher – who, like Nicholson and the film and its director, Milos Forman, won an Oscar. In this TV series,
Ratched is played by Murphy rep-company favorite Sarah Paulson, who’s been in every season of his
American Horror Story, and played O. J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark in his
American Crime Story. And her steely, determined portrayal is just right, in a series that makes room for one scene-stealing supporting player after another: Vincent D’Onofrio, Amanda Plummer, Sharon Stone, Judy Davis, Corey Stoll, and more. For my full review on
NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, visit the Fresh Air website. And for a full review here, see
David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.