(CNN) Including his masterpiece "The Wire," David Simon's HBO series have garnered critical acclaim while appealing to a small if discriminating slice of viewers. If ever the latter deserved to change, it's "The Plot Against America," a brilliant, sobering alternate-history miniseries about an America that elected Charles Lindbergh president, retreated behind "America First" nationalism and didn't enter World War II. Opening in June 1940, the initial temptation is to dismiss Lindbergh as a joke, reasoning that the country won't fall for his "It is between Lindbergh, and war!" Gradually, however, antisemitism begins to become more overt, and Lindbergh's heroism and celebrity prove to be powerful motivators. Herman's nephew (Anthony Boyle), on the other hand, is a hotheaded sort, one not above picking fights with the Nazi sympathizers increasingly comfortable about showing their faces in public.

Source: CNN March 15, 2020 16:07 UTC