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  TELEVISION TV DRAMAS BY AKOS PETERBENCZE   FEB. 20, 2025 2:15 PM EST HBO Since the late '90s and early 2000s, fictional stories about organized crime have been some of the most popular, intriguing, and enticing programs on television. Ever since David Chase reinvented the genre with "The Sopranos," there's been no shortage of savvy and merciless gangsters to choose from on the small screen. Why is that? Well, without getting into an elaborate study and thorough analysis of the human psyche, let's just say there's an inherent appeal and thrill in watching extended stories about dangerous, unpredictable, and violent figures who never stand down when it comes to achieving their goals. Mafia-type crime syndicates have rules, structures, and a hierarchy unlike anything else, so they naturally pique the interest of the common person. We fear mobsters just as much as we're captivated by them because they follow a delicate and often arbitrary moral code that all...

December 13, 2024 9:45 AM ET Heard on  Fresh Air David Bianculli Listen · 6:05 6-Minute Listen Playlist Transcript Toggle more options Inspired by the real-life theft of $18 million worth of government-stored maple syrup, Amazon Prime's six-episode series is loaded with wonderful characters, performances, music and surprises. DAVID BIANCULLI, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. I'm TV critic David Bianculli. "The Sticky" is a new TV series starring Margo Martindale, inspired by the biggest crime in Canadian history - the theft of a massive amount of government-stored maple syrup. This new six-part Prime Video miniseries, all of which is streaming now, tells that story but more whimsically than faithfully. Don't think of "The Sticky" as a fact-based Canadian crime story. Think of it more like the movie "Fargo," where half the fun is enjoying the snow-covered scenery and the somewhat cartoonish characters. And though the series creators of "The Sticky,...