Hulu’s series shines, while ‘Snowpiercer,’ ‘Betty’ intrigue

In this week’s Five Picks, we travel to a cheeky portrait of late-1700s Russia, to a New York City skatepark, to a frozen future, to a small Southern town and back inside a mysterious, people-reprogramming company.

· “The Great” (Hulu) — Through the first three episodes, this satirical comic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great is, well, just as the title suggests.

An outsider, Catherine (Elle Fanning) — who will go on to become the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia’s history — arrives as a young woman to wed young Emperor Peter (Nicholas Hoult). To call Peter impetuous would be an understatement. He’s depraved and narcissistic to the nth degree. I mean, seriously. This guy.

While Catherine wants Russia to follow European nations with a more-enlightened way of governing, Peter couldn’t be less interested. Although he does want his new bride to be happy, he’s not willing to do any of the heavy lifting.

This is a nice showcase for Hoult (“The Favourite,” “Tolkien”), who’s so funny as this lout he somehow manages to make him likeable at times. Still, we probably shouldn’t get too attached to Peter.

In a supporting role, lady of court-turned-servant Marial, Phoebe Fox stands out in each of her scenes. Marial is intelligent and sarcastic — wonderful character traits in a show with this tone.

All that said, “The Great” ultimately is a showcase for the terrific talents of Fanning (“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” “20th Century Women”). She is glorious in the role, finding the heart in the character in even the most absurd moments.

Hulu released all 10 episodes of this wonderfully ridiculous, vaguely historical show on May 15.

· “Snowpiercer” (TNT) — Originally set to debut at month’s end, this TV-series adaptation of the 2013 film by “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho was moved up to May 17.

Like the movie, the show is set aboard a train circling the world a few years after the planet has become a frozen wasteland. And, as did the film, the series will explore class-division, social injustice and other themes.

In the not-as-engrossing-as-you’d-hope first episode, former homicide detective Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs of Broadway’s “Hamilton”) is recruited from the lower-class tail of the train to help solve a murder that happened many cars ahead in the wealthier section.

Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”) costars as Melanie Cavill, an influential first-class passenger who makes the daily announcements via the train’s public-address system and who works to recruit Andre on the behalf of the mysterious man in charge, Mr. Wilford.

The 10-episode season continues with new installments on Sunday nights.

· “Sweet Magnolias” (Netflix) — The inclusion of this new Netflix series, an adaptation of the book series by romance novelist Sherryl Woods, reflects a desire on my part to include more content that isn’t necessarily of interest to me personally. And when I saw this on my Netflix splash screen, I thought, “Wow, that doesn’t interest me in the least!”

I can confirm after watching the first of 10 hourlong first-season episodes that I will not spend any more time with “Sweet Magnolias.” BUT I do think those for whom it is intended may enjoy it.

The series stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher (“The Astronaut Wives Club”) — the wife of former Cleveland Indians player Nick Swisher — along with Brooke Elliott (“Drop Dead Diva”) and Heather Headley (“Chicago Med”) as three likeable friends juggling family, work and romance in a small South Carolina town. They will go into running a spa together.

This is no-frills (I’m not sure I heard any background music in the first hour) comfort food with just a dash of Southern seasoning.

· “Betty” (HBO) — As with the previous show, I don’t think this new halfhour series is aimed at my particular demographic, but I found the first two installments of the six-episode series pretty engaging.

Based on Crystal Moselle’s well-reviewed 2018 feature film “Skate Kitchen,” “Betty” follows a group of young female skateboarders in New York City. It’s easy to get swept up into the social media-influenced, skatepark-centric world shared by the opinionated and loyal Janay (Dede Lovelace), the quietand-artful Honeybear (Moonbear), the tough-anddetermined Kirt (Nina Moran) and the rest. New episodes debut Friday nights through June 5.

· “Homecoming” (Prime Video) — The first season of this slightly odd thriller about a shady facility operated by a mysterious company drugging and reprogramming soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder to get them battleready again was based on a Gimlet podcast. It featured voice work by Catherine Keener, David Schwimmer and Oscar Isaac. In their respective places in the Amazon Studios show were Julia Roberts, Bobby Canavale and Stephen James.

Only James, as one of the soldiers with PTSD, is listed as returning during the just-debuted seven-episode second season. He’s nowhere to be found in the first two installments, although his character’s name, Walter Cruz, is uttered at the end of the second.

Front and center this time is Janelle Mon·e (“Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures”), as a woman fighting to regain her memories. We meet her in the season’s opening moments awakening in a small boat in the water, hearing the voice of a woman from a phone that soon falls into the drink. The character follows a trail that leads her to a facility owned by the aforementioned mysterious company, Geist, and the newly powerful executive Audrey Temple (the returning Hong Chau).

There, we also are introduced to the company’s namesake, Leonard Geist (Chris Cooper, “Little Women”), who’s enraged at the prospect of losing control of the entity to a new power. Each episode of the first season was directed, unevenly, by brilliant “Mr. Robot” mastermind Sam Esmail. In his place Volume Two is Kyle Patrick Alvarez (“13 Reasons Why”), who brings a more-grounded but still-artful aesthetic to the intriguing affair.

There is no word yet on a third season.