(CNN) As quirky and eccentric as its title character, "The Young Pope" is an odd duck, starring Jude Law as the first American pontiff. If the goal is to join the ranks of prestige HBO dramas, this 10-part show hasn't got a prayer. But the truth is the series (HBO will air new episodes each Sunday and Monday) isn't compelling enough to warrant much of a fuss. Italian director Paolo Sorrentino wrote and directed the project, which begins with Law's Lenny Belardo, now Pope Pius XIII, having just recently been installed. While some Cardinals think he might be useful as a "telegenic puppet," the stodgier precincts of the Vatican hierarchy fear -- rightly, as it turns out -- that this American pope is too erratic and idiosyncratic to control.

Source: CNN January 13, 2017 16:41 UTC