AVERAGE

In 1979, Indian immigrant Steve Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani) gets help from a violent club promoter (Dan Stevens) and an Emmy-winning choreographer (Murray Bartlett) to create a sensationally successful male striptease empire. The rise of Chippendales was a remarkably blood-stained story, perfect fodder for the current true-crime trend. This miniseries is frequently entertaining, taking us back to a glitzy disco era, but its characters remain somewhat cardboard, preventing us from harboring deeper feelings for them. Still, Nanjiani is fine as the entrepreneur whose jealousy and greed makes him blind.

2022-U.S. 286 min. Color. Created by Robert Siegel. Book: K. Scot Macdonald, Patrick MontesDeOca (”Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders”). Cast: Kumail Nanjiani (Somen ”Steve” Banerjee), Murray Bartlett (Nick De Noia), Annaleigh Ashford (Irene), Juliette Lewis, Andrew Rannells, Robin de Jesús… Dan Stevens.

Trivia: Originally shown in eight episodes. Ramin Bahrani was considered for directing duties.