Some interesting premieres this week - along with a few reboots and remakes - and then there’s whatever Dolly and J.Lo are doing. And with that - let’s get to it already:
Wednesday - February 21
Apple TV+ / Constellation, S1. Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) stars in this propulsive series about an astronaut who survives an accident in space (drawing comparisons to Gravity's inciting incident), only to return home to find that things are different. Reviews are cautiously optimistic: 'uneven but seductively spooky.' 3 of 8 episodes are available today. Trailer here.
Apple TV+ / Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend (docuseries). This 4 part series examines the career of Lionel Messi, including his numerous World Cup appearances and the tremendous pressure on him in the 2022 World Cup. Trailer here.
CBS/Paramount+ / Dolly Parton's Pet Gala (special). Dolly Parton (Steel Magnolias) hosts this special gala dedicated to dogs and that features dogs dressed up as Dolly and at least one person singing '(You Ain't Nothing But a) Hound Dog' to an actual hound dog. I don't understand it either but hey, at least we know one thing: of course Dolly is a dog person. 🐶 Jane Lynch (Best in Show) co-hosts. Trailer here.
Returning - Disney+, The Bad Batch (final season); Paramount+, The Family Stallone
Thursday - February 22
Netflix / Avatar: The Last Airbender, S1. This live-action adaptation of the beloved animated Nickelodeon series gets mixed-to-favorable reviews: 'an earnest and admirable attempt to reignite the original’s magic.' Trailer here.
Max / Rory Scovel: Religion, Sex and a Few Things in Between (special). Physical's Rory Scovel performs at the Goodale Theater in Minneapolis but the real news is that he somehow has the best trailer for a comedy show ever. (Don't take my word for it.)
Returning - Bravo, Summer House; Hulu, Death in the Dorms
Friday - February 23
Prime Video / The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy, S1 (animated). Already renewed for a second season, this futuristic space comedy stars Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Keke Palmer (Nope) as doctors whose pursuit of a cure for anxiety might destroy the galaxy. Or ruin their careers. One of those. Ensemble cast is fantastic: Bowen Yang (Fire Island), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids), Kieran Culkin (Succession), Greta Lee (Past Lives), Sam Smith (...And Just Like That), and Natasha Lyonne (So I'm a Cheerleader) - who also exec produces. Trailer here.
Disney+ / Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds (documentary). Kojima, the noted video game creator, shares his process (but little else) in this documentary that compares him to Willy Wonka, includes numerous interviews (including with director Guillermo del Toro) praising Kojima, and follows the development of 2019's Death Stranding. Trailer here.
Prime Video / Poacher, S1. Based on true events, this crime drama follows a team of forest agents and investigators determined to stop the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history, responsible for the brutal killing of elephants in Kerala. Trailer here.
Prime Video / Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional (special). The voice of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On emerges from her homey carapace to deliver jokes in this A24-produced comedy special. Trailer here. (This trailer is a solid B. Nowhere near as good as Rory Scovel's trailer. You're all playing for second, comedians!)
Prime Video / Married to the Game, S1 (reality). The wives and girlfriends of 5 Premier League footballers are the stars of this new reality series shot during the break and transfer window. Trailer here.
Netflix / Mea Culpa (movie). Tyler Perry wrote, produced, and directed this legal drama starring Kelly Rowland as an attorney defending an artist (Trevante Rhodes, Moonlight) accused of murder. Trailer here.
Returning - Netflix, Formula 1: Drive to Survive (trailer here) and Through My Window: Looking At You (sequel)
Sunday - February 25
AMC+ / The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, S1. Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira reprise their roles from the original series in this latest spinoff that focuses on these two beloved characters as they each, separated from the other, wrestle with how to move forward. Previous Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple created the well-reviewed series along with Gurira (and it's always a good time to remind TWD fans that Gurira is also a Tony-nominated playwright). Trailer here.
Monday - February 26
NBC / Deal or No Deal Island, S1 (competition). Joe Manganiello (True Blood) hosts this reboot of the long-running game show that incorporates Survivor-like challenges into the competition.
Returning - NBC, The Voice
Tuesday - February 27
Hulu (FX) / Shōgun, S1. Reviews are raves for this adaptation of Richard Clavell's sprawling 1975 novel set in 1600 Japan: 'a genuine masterpiece.' Stars Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion), Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), and Hiroyuki Sanada (Westworld). Trailer here.
Max / God Save Texas (movie trilogy). Inspired by Lawrence Wright's book of the same name, 3 Texas-born and -reared directors return to their hometowns, examining them through the lens of their own memories and expectations. Slackers' Richard Linklater heads back to Huntsville, now home to over a hundred prisons in his film, Hometown Prison. Alex Stapleton then takes us to Houston where she questions why certain groups never seem to reap the benefits of the region's oil industry in The Price of Oil. Finally, Iliana Sosa returns to El Paso to explore the impact of the tightened border on her hometown in La Frontera. Trailer here.
Prime Video / The Greatest Love Story Never Told (documentary). Following last week's release of Jennifer Lopez's feature-length visual 'album,' this documentary delves into the how, the how much, and -most importantly - the why of it all. Trailer here.
And that's it for the week! Please enjoy this sneak peek at Dolly Parton's Pet Gala. I think.
Moira