Review: 'Palm Royale' is a brilliant, star-studded and stylish comedy led by Kristen Wiig

I have not read Juliet McDaniel's 2018 novel "Mr. and Mrs. American Pie," which is nominally the basis of a new miniseries, "Palm Royale," but it's clear from the publisher's synopsis that it's a completely different story — though one that someone decided could be rebuilt into diverting, even brilliant television. As indeed it has been.

Set in 1969 in the painfully upscale, excruciatingly exclusive community of Palm Beach, Florida, the series, which premiered Wednesday on Apple TV+, has been given the star treatment, in terms of production and talent. Created by Abe Sylvia ("George & Tammy"), with its first four episodes directed by Tate Taylor ("The Help"), it stars Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern (who originally developed the property), Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Leslie Bibb and Carol Burnett, with a supporting cast that also includes Julia Duffy