What to Watch - September 15, 2021
In which I'm *concerned* about HBO putting an all-audio show on a visual medium
Surprisingly full week, with lots of returning shows including, notably, both Apple TV+’s The Morning Show and Netflix’s Sex Education on Friday. But enough with the teasers and let’s get to it already:
Wednesday - September 15
Peacock / My Son (movie). Claire Foy (The Crown) and James McAvoy (Split) star in this remake of the 2017 French thriller (Mon Garçon)that McAvoy clearly had never seen, since the film's conceit is that the actor playing the father of a missing boy has no idea what the plot is so that McAvoy was forced to react in real time during filming, the idea being that he'll uncover the mystery around his son's disappearance along with the rest of us. Trailer here.
Netflix / Nightbooks (movie). A young boy obsessed with scary stories encounters an evil witch (Krysten Ritter, Jessica Jones) who traps him in her magical apartment along with another prisoner. Together they plot their escape, while fending off the witch by telling her a story a night. (Scheherazade, anyone?) Trailer here.
Netflix / Schumacher (documentary). Formula One icon Michael Schumacher is the subject of this documentary which is the only one about him made with the full support of his family who are featured extensively in interviews discussing the seven-time world champion. (Schumacher himself was severely injured in a skiing accident in 2013 and has largely been out of the public eye.) Trailer here.
Netflix / Too Hot to Handle: Latino, S1 (reality). Shot in Mexico. (And in Spanish, claro.)
HBO Max / A La Calle (documentary). Scant info but this appears to be about Venezuelan protests against Nicolás Maduro's regime. Trailer here.
Returning - Netflix, Nailed It!; Facebook Watch, Red Table Talk
Thursday - September 16
Peacock / Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, S1. Roy Kent and other fans of The Da Vinci Code will be delighted at this prequel series that focuses on a young Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks in both The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons) who is hired by the CIA to stop a global conspiracy. Stars Ashley Zukerman (Designated Survivor) as Tom Hanks and Eddie Izzard (Hannibal) as Langdon's mentor. Trailer here.
Hulu / The Premise, S1. The Office's B.J. Novak is behind this experimental anthology series that sounds like Black Mirror-lite: five half-hour episodes that address 'timeless moral questions in unprecedented times.' Which, okay. Reviews suggest that the episodes feel gimmicky, like 'half-drunk conversations you have at parties, trying to prove a point between friends with loopy hypotheticals.' That said, with a cast that includes Lucas Hedges, Kaitlyn Dever, Jon Bernthal, Ben Platt, Tracee Ellis Ross, Daniel Dae Kim, and the late Ed Asner, you might be tempted to give it a shot. The best reviewed episode is the one co-written by essayist Jia Tolentino and starring Mozart in the Jungle's Lola Kirke as an influencer obsessed with one of her trolls. Trailer here.
Paramount+ / The Harper House, S1 (animated). A stellar voice cast stars in this animated comedy about a struggling Arkansas family who move into a fixer-upper: Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), and Jason Lee (Raising Hope).
Netflix / He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, S1 (animated). Didn't we just do this? Not to be confused with Kevin Smith's Masters of the Universe: Revelationthat premiered this summer, this reboot is aimed at a younger audience. So, totally different.
Netflix / My Heroes Were Cowboys (documentary). Scant info on this but it appears to be about a man who finds solace in training horses. (The trailer has strong The Horse Whisperer vibes.)
Returning - HBO Max, Tig n' Seek; MTV, Floribama Shore; truTV, Tacoma FD
Friday - September 17
Apple TV+ / The Morning Show, S2. Notable return. This pandemic-delayed second season of Apple's highest-profile original series finally hits the streamer, boasting new castmembers Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Will Arnett (BoJack Horseman), Greta Lee (Russian Doll), and Hasan Minhaj (The Spy Who Dumped Me). Trailer here.
Prime Video / Everybody's Talking About Jamie (movie). Based on a hit London stage musical (in turn based on a true story), Jamie follows an aspiring drag queen played by newcomer Max Harwood. Also stars Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe), and the always excellent Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley). This was originally expected to have a theatrical release way back in 2020 and was eventually acquired by Prime Video. Trailer here.
Prime Video / Black Power, Subnormal: A British Scandal, and Uprising (documentary). Following up on his acclaimed Small Axe anthology of movies about Black life in the UK, director Steve McQueen slipped into the role of producer for these three documentaries - all released today - that examine many of Small Axe's topics and themes, beginning with Black Power which traces the rise of UK's Black Power movement in the 1960's, then Subnormal which examines London's public school segregation policies, and Uprising which covers three seminal events all taking place in 1981: the New Cross house fire, the Brixton riot, and the National Black People's Day of Action. All three documentaries were released on BBC earlier this year.
HBO Max / Cry Macho (movie). Prolific director Clint Eastwood returns with this adaptation of the N. Richard Nash novel about an unlikely trio on a road trip from Mexico to Texas - a fighting rooster, his owner (Eduardo Minett), and their chaperone (Eastwood). According to reviews, at best it's Eastwood's latest meditation on masculinity or at worst it's a creaky tale that demonstrates too well why this role was meant for a man two decades Eastwood's junior. Trailer here.
Netflix / Chicago Party Aunt, S1 (animated). Superstore's Lauren Ash voices the titular character in this series based on a Twitter account about, yes, a Chicago party aunt. Trailer here.
Netflix / Squid Game, S1. This Korean thriller follows contestants playing a deadly series of children's games for a chance to win millions. Trailer here.
Returning - Netflix, Sex Education
Saturday - September 18
HBO Max / Batman: The Audio Adventures, S1. Listen, I will tune into this just to see what they're putting on the screen for this AUDIO-ONLY take on Batman. Stars (the voices of) Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian), John Leguizamo (To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar), and Alan Tudyk (Frozen).
FXX / The 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards (special). This year the Television Academy split the Creative Arts Emmy Awards into three events. The first two events occurred September 11 and 12 - full list of those winners here - with tonight's event as the only televised segment. As you might suspect, it includes the bigger categories including best guest actor and actress, TV movie, music, and so forth.
Sunday - September 19
CBS / The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. Which seems apt.
Muhammad Ali (docuseries). The latest Ken Burns docuseries - with collaborators Sarah Burns and David McMahon - focuses on the life of the larger-than-life boxer.
Epix / Fiasco (docuseries). Based on the podcast of the same name, this six-part docuseries does a deep dive into the Iran-Contra affair.
Returning - Showtime, The Circus
Monday - September 20
NBC / Ordinary Joe, S1. Zoo's James Wolk stars in this Sliding Doors riff that does Gwyneth one better and imagines not two but three variations on a life where the eponymous Joe is a rock star, a nurse, and a police officer. Trailer here.
Fox / The Big Leap, S1. Scott Foley (Felicity) and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) star in this dramedy about the workings of a reality show where amateur dancers attempt to put on a live production of Swan Lake. Trailer here.
Returning - CBS, NCIS (along with newcomer NCIS: Hawai'i), The Neighborhood, and Bob Hearts Abishola; NBC, The Voice (with new coach Ariana Grande); ABC, Dancing with the Stars; Fox, 9-1-1
Tuesday - September 21
Fox / Our Kind of People, S1. If you've watched any football lately, you've doubtless seen ads for the latest Lee Daniels primetime soap that features exterior shots of Martha's Vineyard along with interior shots of passion, intrigue, and - hey, is that Morris Chestnut? Also stars the delightfully named Yaya DaCosta (Lee Daniels' The Butler), Debbi Morgan (All My Children), Nadine Ellis (Hairspray), and Joe Morton (Terminator 2: Judgment Day). No reviews available at this time. Notably, this series is based on a non-fiction book - Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class - by Lawrence Otis Graham based on six years of research and interviews with some of the wealthiest Black families in America.
Returning - Netflix, Love on the Spectrum; NBC, New Amersterdam; Fox, The Resident; CBS, FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and joined by its newest sibling, FBI: International
In Other News...
Ted Lasso's winning streak continues: it was awarded program of the year, best new program, and achievement in comedy at the 37th annual Television Critics Association's awards. Star Jason Sudeikis lost out to Hacks' Jean Smart for individual achievement in comedy, while Smart's other show Mare of Easttown won for limited series. Full list of winners here. || ViacomCBS formally launched BET Studios, a venture for Black creatives to create works for various outlets both inside or out of the ViacomCBS ecosystem while maintaining an equity stake in the business. Principal partners include Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca) and Kenya Barris (black-ish). Notably, Barris left a nine-figure Netflix deal for a stake in BET Studios. || A Wall Street Journal reporter convinced his bosses to let him watch Apple TV+ shows. || In renewal and cancellation news: HBO Max canceled Generation; The CW bid adieu to The Outpost; Hulu renewed its low-stakes murder mystery series Only Murders in the Building for a second season; Peacock ordered a second season of The Amber Ruffin Show; and Netflix announced that Narcos: Mexico's third season will be its last. || Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? Fox News Media has picked up Cops and will reboot it for its streamer, Fox Nation. || Is it magnets? || And finally, Norm Macdonald passed away this week and while Twitter/Reddit/etc. were abuzz sharing his best clips from SNL and various stints as a late show guest - all of which you should click on - this might be the best summation of why Macdonald’s comedy was peerless. RIP.
Have a great rest of the week!
Moira