Philly D.A. is a 2021 American documentary series revolving around progressive Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, district attorney Larry Krasner. It consists of 8-episodes and premiered on PBS through Independent Lens on April 20, 2021.
Synopsis
The eight episode docuseries series follows Larry Krasner, a progressive district attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, through his election and first term.
Episodes
Release
The series had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on February 2, 2021, with the first two episodes of the series. It also screened at the Berlin International Film Festival on March 2, 2021. PBS began airing the series on April 20, 2021, on Independent Lens. Topic released the series on July 1, 2021.
Reception
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series is “certified fresh” and holds an approval rating of 92% based on 21 reviews
Kathryn VanArendok of Vulture said that "Philly D.A. is the second coming of The Wire, in docuseries form… It’s compelling… it’s gripping… engrossing, and heartbreaking… The show should be viewed as a model for an entire genre of documentary storytelling. I’m totally mesmerized by this series, I could not stop watching it." Matt Brennan of the Los Angeles Times said Philly D.A. is "the best TV show I've seen all year" while Ben Travers of Indiewire said "I’m relatively sure it’s the best documentary series of 2021. It’s certainly the most illuminating, enthralling, and impressive..." Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred called it "easily the best docuseries of 2021… cameras are present for some riveting moments, as if this were a masterfully scripted HBO drama… a rare and exceptional documentary reality series." Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily wrote, "Riveting...a must see."
Time magazine, Los Angeles Times, and Vulture included Philly D.A. on their lists of the "Best TV Shows of 2021".