While binging on Amazon Prime with my free trial, I happened upon Outer Range and this show, Night Sky (and The Peripheral of course, but that's another story). What a difference a good casting director makes! Night Sky is really good!
With Outer Range, a dark and sad show, I could NOT make a connection with any of the characters (other than the bull-riding son and his girlfriend). Lost my interest almost immediately, due to casting errors (I'm not a Brolin or Gish fan) and a confusing script.
Night Sky, on the other hand, had characters who were so accessible as to be a friend, a neighbor, or even myself and my spouse. Spacek and Simmons (both wonderful and heartbreaking) truly embodied a long-married couple, and the young man who played Jude was just about perfect. The rest of the actors, even the sad or annoying ones, were just right for their parts. A good casting director and a great scriptwriter can make all the difference. Well done.