What to Watch / July 24, 2024
In which I clear out the cobwebs because *it's been a minute*
Why, hello stranger! Long time no see What to Watch email - so bear with me as I clear off the cobwebs, remember how to use Substack, and get back into it. Did I choose the week of the Olympics because I knew there'd be scant original programming premiering? Yes. Yes, I did. And with that, let's get to it:
Wednesday - July 24
Apple TV+ / Time Bandits, S1. Based on the 1981 cult classic by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, this adaptation produced by (and starring) Jemaine Clement (Legion) and Taika Waititi (Free Guy) features Lisa Kudrow (Romy and Michele's High School Reunion) as the leader of a group of would-be heroes who hop across space and time with a history-obsessed 11 year old named Kevin. Reviews are fair to positive - it's a fun ride that picks up in its second half but no match for the dark, weird chaos of the original. Trailer here.
Max / Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose (docuseries). This 4-part series examines the career of baseball great Pete Rose - and the betting scandal that led to then MLB commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti (Paul's dad) banning him from baseball for life and blocking any chance of Rose making it to the Hall of Fame. Reviews are mixed to positive, mostly due to the overly long running time, but one thing's clear: Rose is, was, and always will be his own worst enemy. (But dear lord: how epic were his slides?) Trailer here.
Netflix / Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam (docuseries). This well-reviewed docuseries follows conman/entrepreneur Lou Pearlman who was behind the creation of boy bands Backstreet Boys, 'NSYNC, and O Town -- and who also ran one of the longest-running Ponzi schemes in US criminal history. Having stolen some $300m from his victims, Pearlman died in custody serving a 25 year sentence. While the doc pulls no punches on Pearlman's despicable deeds, it nonetheless provides a deep dive into some serious 90's nostalgia as old photos and videos from that era are unearthed, featuring stars when they were just starting out. Notably, the docuseries makes use of AI to deepfake Pearlman, using his own words from his autobiography Bands, Brands and Billions, with filmmakers consulting with MIT's Open Documentary Lab in order to use AI as ethically as possible, ultimately moving ahead after concluding that the mendacious Pearlman was essentially a deepfake anyway. Alrighty then. Trailer here.
Thursday - July 25
Netflix / The Decameron, S1. If you watch only one show based on a 14th century book set during the Black Death, make it this one. For those who weren't Classics majors (or don't have Wikipedia), The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio is a collection of short stories, framed around a group of 10 nobles who fled plague-ridden Florence to a villa in the country. While half of Europe drops dead, they each come up with 10 stories in order to amuse themselves. Showrunner Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters) got the idea for this (very loose) adaptation during the early part of the COVID shutdown when she witnessed 'tone deafness in celebrity culture' at a time when people were dying from the virus. (Is this publicist-speak for 'I saw that Gal Gadot-singing-Imagine video too'?) No reviews as yet but the series does feature a compelling cast that includes a nearly unrecognizable Tony Hale (Veep), Zosia Mamet (Dickinson), and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls). Trailer here.
Prime Video / Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net (documentary). This riveting documentary follows the renowned circus as it contends with its most nerve-wracking act: coming back from the pandemic-induced bankruptcy. Trailer here.
Returning - Prime Video, Troppo
Friday - July 26
NBC/Peacock / The 2024 Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony (live at 9am PT). Finally, it's here. The Games' opening ceremony is already notable, being the first to take place on a river - the Seine, of course (which is absolutely, seriously, definitely clean enough to swim in) - and doubtless will feature several shots of a certain tower in the background. Expected highlights of the ceremony include a newly confirmed performance of La Vie en Rose by Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) and Céline Dion (Muppets Most Wanted) as well as an appearance by Snoop Dogg (Training Day) carrying the Olympic torch on its final leg before he hands it off to the yet-to-be-announced final torch-bearer whose duty it will be to light the Olympic cauldron. (Snoop has also joined the NBC team as a special correspondent doubtless thanks to previous commentary like this. However, to be absolutely, incontrovertibly clear, the best Olympics coverage of all time is obviously Mary Carillo, filling time and launching into an epic rant about badminton.) US coverage will be co-hosted by Peyton Manning (Modern Family) and Kelly Clarkson (Trolls World Tour). Full schedule of coverage here.
Returning - Netflix, Elite
Monday - July 29
ESPN / 30 for 30: American Son (documentary). ESPN's excellent documentary series focuses on tennis prodigy Michael Chang who took the sport by storm by winning the 1989 French Open (though the notable match was his epic 4th round battle against the heavily favored Ivan Lendl). Chang was just shy of his 18th birthday, making him (still) the youngest man to win a singles major championship. Trailer here.
Returning - Hulu, Futurama; Acorn TV, Signora Volpe
And that's it for the week! It's hot out there so stay cool.
Moira