‘Citadel’ Is a Business Plan in Search of a Show: TV Review
variety.comAlison Herman TV Critic If “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” was Amazon’s attempt to supply its streaming service Prime Video with a homegrown version of “Game of Thrones,” the new spy series “Citadel” is its attempt at a “Squid Game,” “Money Heist” or “Love Is Blind”: a show with the global appeal to match the reach of its platform, and a potential franchise that could support international spinoffs.
The idea originated not with a writer, director or producer, but with Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke, who approached AGBO, the production company of Anthony and Joe Russo, with a business plan in search of a creative concept.
As with the underwhelming “Rings of Power,” that cart-before-the-horse approach can’t help showing in the final product. Also evident is a reportedly chaotic production that included extensive reshoots, a showrunner switch and a shortened episode order.
There are traces of that turmoil in the credits; the pilot’s teleplay is attributed to no fewer than five screenwriters. But even if you aren’t the type to close-read an IMDb page, the origins of “Citadel” are obvious enough in the execution: a choppy, generic blockbuster-by-numbers with a nine-figure budget you’d never detect from the chintzy CGI.
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