What to Watch / January 22, 2025
In which I announce a triumphant return (well, a return) after a much-needed hiatus
Back again - this time with a fairly full week (including lots of thrillers) so let's get to it already:
Wednesday - January 22
Apple TV+ / Prime Target, S1. When a young mathematician's work involving prime numbers leads to a formula that could pick every digital lock in the world, he's suddenly thrust into a global conspiracy where his life is at risk. Written by Sherlock's Steve Thompson (very possibly after dozing off while watching Good Will Hunting and then The Bourne Identity), this thriller's reviews swing widely between the positive-if-you-don't-think-too-hard category ('enjoyably ludicrous' and 'a show about smart people that still allows you to turn down your brain and have a good time' to the indisputably negative ('a dense and — as it goes on — increasingly dull show' and 'serves up basically competent if unmemorable action.') Personally, I was going to try to make an asymptote joke about the series just missing the mark but I never quite got there. Cast includes The White Lotus's Leo Woodall, Quintessa Swindell (Trinkets), Martha Plimpton (The Goonies), Matthew Goode (Imagine Me and You), and Sidse Babett Knudsen (Borgen). Trailer here.
Hulu / Whiskey on the Rocks, S1. Based very loosely off a real incident when a Soviet submarine, part of the so-called Whiskey class of subs, ran aground in Sweden in the 1980's, this enjoyable satire is 'a toast to diplomacy, rational thought and animal husbandry' which is a line I am definitely going to work into a performance review this year. Trailer here.
BritBox / Captivated, S1. Already aired on UK's Channel 5 last year under the title Too Good to Be True, this 4 part series follows a single mother working as a hotel cleaner who's approached by a mysterious bajillionaire to clean his enormous mansion and who promises that she can name her rate - with no strings attached. Why, yes, that does sound too good to be true, actually. Stars Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) and Kara Tointon (EastEnders).
PBS / What Are UFO's? (documentary). Part of PBS's excellent NOVA series, this doc features interviews with various scientists, skeptics, and military experts, along with footage from alleged sightings. Trailer here.
Netflix / W.A.G.S. to Riches, S1 (reality). This show will never be as good as this banger of a title.
Returning - Discovery, Expedition Bigfoot and Expedition X; History, Pawn Stars
Thursday - January 23
Notable Return: Netflix / The Night Agent, S2. After a nearly 2 year wait, the bingeable spy thriller starring Gabriel Basso (Hillbilly Elegy) returns, this time adding Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect) to the mix. Scant details about this season but the good news is that season 3 has already been picked up and has added new cast members Jennifer Morrison (House) and Stephen Moyer (True Blood). S1 recap and the first 8 minutes of S2:E1 available here.
Returning - Max, C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart; Prime Video, Harlem
Friday - January 24
Paramount+ / Star Trek: Section 31 (movie). Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) reprises her Star Trek: Discovery role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, this time joining Section 31, the secret organization within Starfleet, making this something of a spy thriller set in the Star Trek universe. Also stars Omari Hardwick (Power), Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), and Sam Richardson (Ted Lasso). Trailer here.
Prime Video / This Is the Tom Green Documentary (documentary). Drew Barrymore's ex-husband, proud Canadian, and the star of the absurdist comedy Freddy Got Fingered is the subject of this documentary, by him, in which he attempts to explain his trajectory from comedian, to talk show host, to star of what was considered upon its release as one of the worst movies of all time, to an affable farmer who also just made a documentary about his time in Hollywood. Trailer here.
Shudder / Grafted (movie). The Substance, but set it in high school (and make it a lot gorier). Trailer here.
Hulu / The Best Heart Attack of My Life [El mejor infarto de mi vida] (limited series). Starring Alan Sabbagh (The 10th Man) as a struggling ghostwriter, this charming limited series follows him as he travels to Uruguay to write - and then suffers a massive heart attack that forces him to rely on strangers for help. Trailer here.
Disney+ / Shared Custody [Custodia Repartida], S1. From Disney's Spanish studios, Disney+ España, comes this warm family comedy about a divorcing couple determined to remain amicable as they co-parent their young daughter. Tráiler aquí.
Returning - The CW, Fool Us
Saturday - January 25
AMC+ / Planet Earth: Asia (docuseries). Aired last year on BBC in the UK, this 8-part docuseries focusing on wildlife unique to Asia features narration by David Attenborough and wins raves for being 'a masterclass in television, in which every element is cooked to perfection: it is filmed beautifully, edited with wit, soundtracked with flair and narrated with warmth and authority.' Well, then. Trailer here.
CNN / Kobe: The Making of a Legend (docuseries). This 3 part series examines the life and career of Kobe Bryant.
Sunday - January 26
CBS, Paramount+ / Watson, S1. Morris Chestnut (The Best Man) stars in this medical procedural inspired by Sherlock Holmes' partner which also appears to be a simple retread of House but this time starring Morris Chestnut. Incidentally, if you're in the US and, like Taylor Swift, watching the AFC championship game, this will air immediately after that. Trailer here.
Monday - January 27
Peacock, NBC / Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music (special). Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson produced and curated this special that celebrates SNL's astonishing history of memorable musical performances (as well as non-musical performances by musicians within the show). No trailer but here's a fabulous interview with Questlove on - of all places - CBS Mornings.
Returning - ABC, The Bachelor; CBS, NCIS, NCIS: Origins, Poppa's House, and The Neighborhood
Tuesday - January 28
Hulu / Paradise, S1. This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman reunites with Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction) in this thriller that follows a secret service agent (Brown) assigned to the president - and who's quickly disclosed on some especially sensitive national secrets. When the president is murdered, the investigation turns to the agent, allegedly the last person to see him alive - and who must now work to figure out what really happened. Disney is showing enormous faith in this series, making it available on ABC and FX's non-streaming channels, as well as on Hulu and Disney+. The series also stars Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Eastown) and James Marsden (Jury Duty). No reviews (yet). Trailer here.
Prime Video / Tom Green: I Got A Mule! (comedy special). He's back. He's really back now. First that documentary, now this, and next thing you know, he'll be doing a thriller that's weirdly only available on MUBI. Anyway, trailer here.
Returning - CBS, FBI, FBI: International, and FBI: Most Wanted
And that's it for the week!
Moira