What to Watch - February 5-12(ish), 2025
Apologies for delay but I give you two - that's TWO - weeks of shows to watch (or to have watched). And with that - let's get to it already:
Wednesday - February 5
Apple TV+ / Love You to Death [A muerte], S1. When fairly staid forty-something Raúl (Joan Amargós) is diagnosed with heart cancer, his life is predictably shaken up - but when he meets a party girl named Marta (Verónica Echegui) at a funeral, he's immediately smitten. Oh, and did I mention that she's pregnant and tells her family that it's his? Reviews are positive, praising the series' dark humor, strong leads, and excellent supporting cast. Trailer here.
Netflix / Kinda Pregnant (movie). Amy Schumer (Trainwreck) co-wrote and stars in this dismal comedy about an English teacher who fakes being pregnant - complete with prosthetic baby bump - because she's jealous of the attention her pregnant best friend (Jillian Bell, Brittany Runs a Marathon) is getting. Later, this completely normal human being meets a Zamboni driver (Will Forte, Last Man on Earth) and falls hard for him, all while subjecting her fake baby to a litany of abuses. Reviews are not great: 'filled with dopey men and despairing women whose torments, parental or otherwise, make for a land mine of comedy duds.' Trailer here.
Netflix / Celebrity Bear Hunt, S1 (reality). 12 British celebs including Ted Lasso's Kola Bokinni (Isaac McAdoo) are dropped into a Costa Rican jungle and have to survive being 'hunted' by Bear Grylls who will then force them to drink their own urine (probably). Trailer here.
Thursday - February 6
Prime Video / Clean Slate, S1. Produced by the late Norman Lear, this charming comedy finds an old-school car wash owner in Alabama contending with his child's return after 20+ years, a child he thought was a son but who is in fact a gorgeous trans woman named Desiree. Reviews are mixed, lauding the series' warm, cozy humor and its strong cast that includes Alabama native Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black) and comedy legend George Wallace (Punchline), while troubled that the series is out of step with its time and place and critically lacks the friction and irascibility that girded so many of Lear's most successful comedies like All in the Family, Maude, and The Jeffersons. Notably, the series wrapped production in the summer of 2023, six months before Lears' passing, and was originally meant for Prime Video's now-defunct free streaming service option, Freevee, suggesting that a second season is unlikely. Trailer here.
Netflix / Apple Cider Vinegar (limited series). Based on the 2017 non-fiction book The Woman Who Fooled the World, this 6 part Australian series follows influencer Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick) who convinced her followers that she had cancer and if this sounds familiar, why, yes, we did just feature a Hulu docuseries called Scamanda about a woman who also faked cancer for her social media followers. Reviews are generally positive if narrowly so, suggesting that if watching shows about scammers is your thing, than this will scratch the itch. Trailer here.
Tubi / The Z-Suite, S1. Lauren Graham (Parenthood) returns to TV (or whatever a 'Tubi' is) in this comedy about an ad exec and her assistant (Superstore's delightful Nico Santos) who are fired when the firm's CEO opts to put the Gen Z employees in charge of their biggest client's upcoming campaign. Reviews are wildly mixed: is it 'a drably facile workplace sitcom' that 'strands several beloved television stars'? Or is it 'a skillful and bold comedy that skates along the line of satire and never tries to take itself too seriously'? If I ever see this Tubi fellow, I will let you know. Trailer here.
Returning - Prime Video, Invincible; Hulu, The Kardashians; Netflix, Sweet Magnolias
Friday - February 7
Disney+ / The Lion King at The Hollywood Bowl (special). This star-studded live performance of The Lion King marks the film's 30th anniversary and features talent from both versions of the film as well as the Broadway run, including Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jeremy Irons, and Lebo M, as well as guest (and EGOT winner) Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls). Trailer here.
Peacock / The Critics Choice Awards (special). Chelsea Handler hostsed.
Sunday - February 9
Fox / Super Bowl LIX (special). Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar performeds the Halftime Show of this matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Trailer here.
Monday - February 10
The Roku Channel / This Time Next Year (movie). This paint-by-numbers homage to various (and better) 90's era romantic comedies follows a hapless romantic with terrible luck who meets the baby, er, man, born one minute before her who stole her luck. Or something. Stars Sophie Cookson and Lucien Laviscount, though the real standout is apparently Charlie Oscar, 'who knocks it out of the park in a small role as a bakery assistant who somehow sits in the precise middle of a Venn diagram between Bubble from Absolutely Fabulous and the Emily Blunt character in The Devil Wears Prada.' Trailer here.
FOX / Extracted, S1 (reality). This is basically reality survival show staple Alone but where the families of the amateur survivalists watch in real time and are strategizing against the families of other contestants, with the option of extracting their loved one with a push of a comically oversized red button that says EXTRACT on it -- all with $250K on the line. Trailer here and full first episode here.
Wednesday - February 12
Returning - Bravo (and Peacock), Summer House; Fox, The Masked Singer
Thursday - February 13
Peacock / Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (movie). Just in time for Galentine's Day comes the latest and last chapter in the saga of our Miss Jones. With Mr. Darcy now sadly quite literally laid to rest, Bridget finds herself besotted with a much younger man (Leo Woodall, The White Lotus) - and perhaps also with someone a bit more appropriate (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots) . Reviews are positive: features 'an idiosyncratic charm that’s undeniable.' Fans of the series will be relieved that Colin Firth (Mamma Mia!), Hugh Grant (Paddington 2), Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge), Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter), James Callis (Battlestar Galactica), and Gemma Jones (Gentleman Jack) all return for one final plunge down the fireman's pole. Trailer here.
Hulu / SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) (movie). From Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson and Joseph Patel - the team behind the Oscar-winning Summer of Soul - comes this well-reviewed deep-dive into the life and career of Sly Stone, from his meteoric rise as the leader of Sly and the Family Stone to his descent into drug use and eventually prison, exploring how someone so gifted could rise so fast and fall so far - and whether this trajectory marked by self-sabotage is part of a larger pattern befalling gifted Black artists in particular and if so, why. Transcript of Fresh Air interview with Questlove here and trailer for film here.
Netflix / La Dolce Villa (movie). Scott Foley (Felicity) stars as a dad who comes to Italy to check in on his daughter who wants to buy (and fix up) a villa - and who questions his life choices when he meets the town's captivating mayor. Yes, this is basically Under the Tuscan Sun. Trailer here.
Prime Video / Broken Rage (movie). Japanese auteur Takeshi Kitano gets silly in this gleeful parody of yakuza crime thrillers that gets in and out in an economical 62 minutes.
Returning - Netflix, Cobra Kai (final 5 episodes)
Friday - February 14
Apple TV+ / The Gorge (movie). Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu), Miles Teller (Whiplash), and Sigourney Weaver (Working Girl) star in this thriller about a mysterious gorge and the two elite agents stationed at opposite ends of it. Trailer here.
Paramount+ (and Showtime) / Yellowjackets, S3. Notable return. Finally returning for a third season, the delightfully unhinged series about a high school soccer team stranded in remote wilderness after their plane crashes adds Hilary Swank (The Core) and Joel McHale (The Bear) to its cast. Since it's been a minute, here's a recap of seasons 1 and 2 to get you ready. Trailer here.
Peacock / SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (special). Streaming live on Peacock (and apparently also in select IMAX theaters) at 5pm Pacific direct from Radio City Music Hall, this musical tribute to SNL hosted by Jimmy Fallon (Taxi) features performances by over 20 artists who have performed on SNL in the past, including Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, Robyn, Devo, Miley Cyrus, Bad Bunny, and others.
Returning - Netflix, Love Is Blind
Sunday - February 16
Max / The White Lotus, S3. Notable return. This time set at a luxury resort in Thailand, this mystery anthology from creator Mike White (Chuck & Buck) returns. Except for lone returning cast member Natasha Rothwell, this season features a new cast including Parker Posey (Clockwatchers), Jason Isaacs (Friends with Money), Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible), Leslie Bibb (American Housewife), Scott Glenn (The Right Stuff), and Patrick Schwarzenegger (The Staircase). Trailer here.
Peacock / Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special (special). Yes, we're nearly there - airing live on the (US) east coast at 8pm, this rounds out the series of various documentaries and specials celebrating SNL's 50 years on the air. This is preceded by a one-hour red carpet special hosted by former SNL cast member Leslie Jones (Top Five). More info here, including who is expected to appear.
Returning - HBO, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; CBS, Tracker and The Equalizer; Fox, Family Guy, Grimsburg, The Great North, and Krapopolis
Monday - February 17
Acorn TV / Best Interests (limited series). Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe) and Michael Sheen (Twilight) star in this BAFTA-nominated series (originally aired on the BBC in 2023) about a couple whose daughter has a life-threatening condition and whose doctors argue that it would be in her best interests if she were allowed to die. Trailer here.
Netflix / American Murder: Gabby Petito (docuseries). This series explores the circumstances surrounding Brian Laundrie's murder of his fiancée Gabby Petito, featuring excerpts from their extensive social media posts about #vanlife as well as news coverage. Trailer here.
Max / We Beat the Dream Team (documentary). Before the 1992 US Men's Olympic Basketball Team - a/k/a The Dream Team - went on the dominate the Games, they played a scrimmage against a bunch of college players - and got whooped. Trailer here.
And that's it for the week!
Moira