Watch to Watch - July 28, 2021
In which one is glad for Olympics coverage because this week is…*something*
Super light week dominated by reality shows and a lot of reboots (likely thanks to the Olympics being on) so let's get to it already:
Wednesday - July 28
Disney+ / Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life, S1 (animated). These 'anthropomorphic chipmunk brothers' adjust to life in the big city where they feed the pigeons. Sometimes they feed the sparrows too (it gives them a sense of enormous well-being). And then they're happy for the rest of the day, safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit of their heart devoted to it. Parklife! Trailer here.
Netflix / Tattoo Redo, S1 (reality). This show is devoted to those whose tattoos are so bad that they're willing to get them fixed on a TV show - with a catch: their friend gets to suggest what the replacement tattoo will be. (It's gonna be a giant red N, isn't it?) Trailer here.
Disney+ / Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts, S1 (reality). Roberts gets her own interview series (and an extremely comfy-looking set) with guests Debbie Allen, Billie Jean King, Jamie Lee Curtis, Melissa Etheridge, Josie Totah, and Tig Notaro among others. Trailer here.
Netflix / Love Is Blind: After the Altar, S1 (reality). This is apparently an inadvertent Love Is Blind/Too Hot to Handle crossover. I have no idea what this means, for you, for me, for humanity… Trailer here.
Returning - Disney+, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse
Thursday - July 29
Netflix / Resort to Love (movie). This Alicia Keys-produced rom-com stars Christina Milian as a singer who finds herself at a resort and forced to sing at her ex-fiance's wedding. This and Friday's The Last Mercenary are the only narrative/non-reality offerings this week not based on previously existing IP. Is this a fun fact? I can't tell anymore. Trailer here.
HBO Max / FBOY Island, S1 (reality). Nikki Glaser (Trainwreck) hosts this dating series where three women must figure out who's an "FBOY" and who's a Nice Guy among a group of very oiled up men on a tropical island. The Nice Guys are looking for a relationship while the FBOYs are competing for $100K. I would have called this 'No Class Atoll.' Trailer here.
Paramount+ / Behind the Music, S1 (reality). This reboot of VH1's series includes new episodes along with remastered versions of the originals. Featured artists include Duran Duran, Huey Lewis and the News, LL Cool J, and Ricky Martin. Trailer here.
Peacock / Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story (docuseries). This four-parter explores the deadly career of notorious neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch who maimed or killed 33 patients - and who's now the subject of Peacock's miniseries, Dr. Death. Trailer here.
HBO Max / The Prince, S1 (animated). HBO just announced that all 12 episodes of its royal family animated comedy based on creator Gary Janetti's Instagram feed (wha-?) will drop at midnight. The series features a strong voice cast including Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings), Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!), Iwan Rheon (Vicious), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), and Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast). The series was meant to air earlier but was postponed due to the April 9 death of, well, the Prince.
HBO Max / L'Immortale (movie). This Italian mobster flick is a spinoff from crime drama series Gomorrah (which is, incidentally, what I tell myself when I'm having a hard day). Trailer here. (In Italian.)
Returning - Sundance Now, The Wine Show (earlier seasons previously aired on Acorn TV); Netflix, Transformers: War for Cybertron
Friday - July 30
Prime Video / The Pursuit of Love (miniseries). Produced by the BBC, this three-part series, an adaptation of the Nancy Mitford novel about a pair of cousins and close friends navigating their love lives in the period between the World Wars, is directed and written by Emily Mortimer. Already aired in the UK, it's gotten raves ('absolutely glorious'). Stars Lily James (Darkest Hour), Dominic West (The Affair), Andrew Scott (Fleabag), and Mortimer herself (The Newsroom). Trailer here.
Apple TV+ / Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, S1 (reality). This series explores DJ, composer, and producer Mark Ronson's decade-spanning (and award-winning) career, featuring extensive interviews with hitmakers including Paul McCartney, Questlove, Dave Grohl, Lady Gaga, and many others as they discuss the intersection of technology, musical innovation - and the sounds you can't get out of your head. Trailer here.
Disney+ / Jungle Cruise (movie). Available in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access, this is Disney's latest adaptation of a theme park attraction into a movie, this one focusing on a jungle cruise on the Amazon. Is there a plot? Who cares! Stars Dwayne Johnson (San Andreas), Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Édgar Ramírez (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story), Jesse Plemons (Game Night), and Paul Giamatti (American Splendor). Trailer here.
HBO / Back on the Record with Bob Costas, S1. Costas returns to TV in this limited interview series slated to air a scant four episodes per year, but promising in-depth discussions around the biggest issues in sports.
Netflix / The Last Mercenary (movie). This French action-comedy stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as a mercenary who is forced to return to France when his son is framed by a terrorist organization. Trailer here.
Returning - Netflix, Outer Banks; The CW, Burden of Truth
Monday - August 2
HBO / Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump (docuseries). This light-hearted six-part documentary follows a tiny independent news station based in Pahrump, Nevada. Not going to lie: I'm watching this. Trailer here.
Tuesday - August 3
HBO / Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (docuseries). This three-part documentary explores the life and career of a former community organizer. Trailer here.
And that's it for the week!
In Other News...
Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk collapsed on the show's set this morning and is stable following a 'heart-related incident.' || Arthur was canceled after 25 seasons and a thousand meme-generators wept. || This might be the most perfect casting ever: Delroy Lindo as Mr. Nancy in Prime Video's upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. || The New Yorker argues that HBO's The White Lotusis officially one of the year's best shows (and I don't disagree). || Legendary TV creator Norman Lear turned 99 and as a present he learned that another one of his shows is being rebooted. This time it's the cult classic (and deeply weird) Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman - which will air on TBS and star Schitt's Creek's Emily Hampshire. || Showtime released the first trailer for its Dexter sequel, New Blood. || And finally, a think piece about the trend in TV from ironic detachment to sincerity and why yes, this is your weekly Ted Lasso news item. || Have a great rest of the week and I don't know about you, but I'm really enjoying the Olympics:
Moira