Albert Einstein wildin’ out on Nat Geo
The National Geographic Channel wants to allay any concern that its first scripted series will be all boring and science-y, so “Genius” opens with Albert Einstein with his pants around his ankles as he has his way with his mistress against a blackboard.
“Genius” is a fully engaging, entertaining and informative look at the life of Einstein, whose family leaves him behind in Germany to finish school while they relocate to Milan.
Einstein (Johnny Flynn) goes to study in Switzerland, where he bunks with the more liberal Winteler family and falls in love with their daughter, Marie (Shannon Tarbet).
The series, whose first episode is directed by Ron Howard, has a kind of shuttlecock structure, zipping back and forth between young Einstein (Flynn) and the revered professor Einstein (Geoffrey Rush), who at first sees no reason to flee Germany as Hitler amasses power but soon acquiesces to his wife’s (Emily Watson) wishes to head to the United States.
While the series’ structure mirrors Einstein’s notion that time is relative and flexible, Einstein wasn’t a film director.
Samantha Colley is a standout as Mileva Maric, a young woman who demands a place in university classes only meant for men and who becomes an important part of Einstein’s life.
The first two episodes do confirm that Nat Geo is heading in the right direction with scripted material.
David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle.