What to Watch / August 21, 2024
In which I couldn't even find a GIF to match such a short week
Happy Wednesday!
Slim pickings this week so let's not tarry:
Wednesday - August 21
Netflix / Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War (limited series). Narrated by Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding), this well-reviewed docudrama mixes dramatic re-enactments and interviews with historians to provide a compelling retelling of the feud between lawman Wyatt Earp and gang leader Ike Clanton that culminated famously in the shootout at the O.K. Corral and its role in a pivotal moment for the nascent nation. Stars Tim Fellingham (EastEnders ) and Edward Franklin (Vikings: Valhalla). Trailer here.
Netflix / Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE (docuseries). Over 120,000 young women audition to join the final 6 members of new girl group, KATSEYE, enduring grueling rounds of elimination at the hands of the same producers behind BTS. Trailer here.
Thursday - August 22
Prime Video / Classified, S1. When a rebellious teen (The Orville's Imani Pullum) gets into serious trouble, she's forced to move from her home in Oakland to live with her estranged father in South Africa - and to try to navigate a new world full of mansions, panic codes, and, in a twist, spy craft. Trailer here.
Netflix / Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie (movie). Sailor Moon battles Shadow Galactica in the popular anime's final chapter (until they make Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie The Sequel, anyway). Trailer here.
Netflix / Secret Lives of Orangutans (documentary). The latest from Sir David Attenborough focuses on a family of orangutans in the forests of Sumatra. Reviews suggest this isn't exactly a groundbreaking doc but it is nonetheless 'pleasant, undemanding and occasionally enlightening.' Trailer here.
Returning - Hulu, Reasonable Doubt (Morris Chestnut (Nurse Jackie) joins the cast); Netflix, That '90's Show; BritBox, Avoidance
Friday - August 23
Hulu / The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (movie). Based on Edward Kelsey Moore's debut novel of the same name, this feel good adaptation from Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball) and directed by Tina Mabry follows a trio of close friends through their youth into middle age. Reviews are positive, lauding in particular the work of the film's spectacular cast that includes Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard), Sanaa Lathan (Succession), Uzo Aduba (In Treatment), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Justified: City Primeval), Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile), and Russell Hornsby (Fences). Trailer here.
Apple TV+ / Pachinko, S2. Notable return. The gorgeously shot epic drama based on Min Jin Lee's novel returns, picking up where the first season left off, once again spanning timelines, languages, and countries, as it follows the fates of the Baek family members. Trailer here.
Netflix / Incoming (movie). It's Aways Sunny in Philadelphia writers Dave and John Chernin make their feature film debut with this raunchy high school comedy in the vein of Superbad and Booksmart starring Mason James (The Black Phone), Raphael Alejandro (Bunk'd), Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), and Kaitlin Olson (Hacks). Trailer here.
Peacock / The Killer (movie). Director John Woo directs this remake of his own 1989 classic of the same name, this time starring Sam Worthington (Avatar), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), and Omar Sy (Chocolat). Trailer here.
Sunday - August 25
ESPN / E60: No Place Like Nebraska (documentary). The latest installment of ESPN's excellent documentary series turns its focus to the 2023 Nebraska women's volleyball team as they compete for a national championship - and along the way set the record for the biggest crowd to watch a women's sporting event of any kind when 92,000 fans packed a stadium to watch the Cornhuskers take on Omaha. That is a lot of runzas, people.
Max / City of God: The Fight Rages On, S1. Set in the early 2000's, this Brazilian drama is a sequel of sorts to the 2002 movie, City of God. Trailer here.
Tuesday - August 27
Hulu / Only Murders in the Building, S4. Notable return. Our fearless trio of podcasters take the show on the road, heading to Los Angeles to investigate the murder of Sazz (Jane Lynch, Best in Show) - while also meeting the three actors cast in the movie adaptation of their podcast: Eugene Levy (Waiting for Guffman), Eva Longoria (Land of Women), and Zach Galifianakis (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)). Additional stars include Molly Shannon (The Other Two), Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Richard Kind (Documentary Now!), and Desmin Borges (You're the Worst), with Meryl Streep (The River's Edge) returning. Trailer here.
Netflix / Adam Sandler: Love You (comedy special). Sandler (Spanglish) returns to the stage after 6 years in this special that mixes standup with musical numbers. Notably, this is directed by Josh Safdie, who worked with Sandler on Uncut Gems.
And that's it for the week! See? Told you it was short! See you next week -
Moira