Dear Edward

I haven’t heard a lot of other people talking about Dear Edward, a new series on Apple TV+ based on the book of the same name by Ann Napolitano. I myself probably wouldn’t have watched it until I learned that the creator of the TV series is Jason Katims. Jason Katims was an executive producer and writer on one of my favorite shows ever, Friday Night Lights, and I knew that if anyone could navigate a story about loss and grief and how they affect relationships, it would be Jason Katims.

A fun fact about Friday Night Lights: I almost produced the TV title sequence for the show. In another life, I was a motion graphics producer, which included commercials, network graphics, and, yes, TV titles. The year FNL premiered, I was already producing about six or seven titles and had no interest in adding this football show to my already heavy workload, but the company I worked for was pitching on the design. Before the pitch, I had to stay late one night to watch the pilot episode. To my surprise, I was glued to my computer screen for the entire episode. Even though it’s all about football, it’s not really about football, but about families and relationships and how hard it is to grow up. It blew me away with how well it was written and acted, and I became a lifelong fan. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen every episode. We did not, however, win the design pitch, and though I did meet Jason Katims, I didn’t get to produce those titles.

But back to Dear Edward . . . The only review I’ve really read about it said that it was hard to watch because every episode is sad. Well, it is about a boy who is the lone survivor of a plane crash, and the story follows not only him in the aftermath but also other characters who lost family members in the crash. So, yeah, it’s pretty sad, but I feel it’s also written with empathy and humor and nuance. Writing about grief, especially writing fiction about grief, is no easy task. The storytelling can become overly sentimental and sappy, or forget about humor or the daily aggravations that must still be dealt with while you’re grieving. Dear Edward manages to navigate all of it.

I haven’t read the book it’s based on, so I don’t know how much it follows the book’s storyline, but based on the TV show, it’s probably also a compelling read.

I understand watching a show about grief isn’t everyone’s idea of entertainment, but I would recommend this show (but I don’t recommend bingeing it as that might get overwhelming). Of course, if you’ve never seen Friday Night Lights, I’d recommend bingeing that show first.

So, if you’re already a fan of Friday Night Lights or are just looking for a new show to watch and aren’t afraid of the sadness, give it a try and, as always . . .

Stay Curious.

A couple disclaimers: I am not a critic. I recommend what I like and talk about it. Also, I do not currently participate in any affiliate programs or get paid to recommend something on Featured Fridays. These are simply things that I enjoy and hope others will enjoy as well. Thanks for reading!