What to Watch - September 29, 2021
In which we welcome back one of my favorite talk show hosts to TV
Shortish week but a bit of news so let's get to it (and unfortunately kicking things off is a bit of a bummer of a doc):
Wednesday - September 29
Netflix / Britney vs Spears (documentary). This poorly-reviewed and deeply exploitative documentary emerges to take advantage of recent developments in Spears' conservatorship status. 'Nothing about this feels right.' 'Does Netflix think we should Free Britney? Sure. But only if we can Use Britney first.' Reviews also suggest that if you're in the mood for an overview of Spears' status right now, watch the far more balanced and less sensational Controlling Britney Spears on Hulu. (FYI, this doc actually dropped yesterday but wasn't included in premiere schedules until a few days ago.) Trailer here.
Netflix / No One Gets Out Alive (movie). This horror flick about an immigrant in the US dealing with an evil spirit gets wildly mixed reviews with The New York Times describing it as 'circling the drain on Netflix, where few will watch it intentionally and those who never find it won’t be missing much' while Variety found it a solid start to Halloween fare and praised its 'handsome aesthetics, not to mention a notably grotesque creature design.' Trailer here.
Netflix / Sounds Like Love (movie). This Spanish rom-com focuses on a professionally ambitious young woman whose ex-boyfriend returns out of nowhere. Trailer here.
Thursday - September 30
Apple TV+ / The Problem with Jon Stewart, S1 (talk show). Jon Stewart returns to TV with this new current affairs show with each episode (mostly) focused on a single issue explored in depth via conversations with people affected. The series will have a companion podcast as well.
HBO Max / The Way Down (docuseries). No reviews yet but fans of Hulu's LuLaRich might enjoy this five-parter about Gwen Shamblin, the woman behind a religion-based weight-loss regimen (and whose untimely death likely complicated the making of this docuseries). Trailer here.
Sundance Now / Good Grief, S1. A pair of sisters inherit their grandfather’s funeral home in this quirky New Zealand comedy that never buries the lede. (Sigh, I know.)
HBO Max / Ten-Year-Old Tom, S1 (animated). This sometimes raunchy animated series about a precocious boy is decidedly not for kids but may appeal to fans of Big Mouth and PEN15. Trailer here.
Peacock / Unidentified with Demi Lovato (miniseries). Demi Lovato discusses her experience with UFO’s. Wait, what? Trailer here.
Returning - ABC, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, and Big Sky; FXX, Cake
Friday - October 1
HBO Max / The Many Saints of Newark (movie). This 1960's-era prequel movie to HBO's long-running hit series The Sopranos stars Michael Gandolfini in the role his father, the late James Gandolfini, inhabited. The rest of the cast is a knockout: Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience), Jon Bernthal (Ford v Ferrari), Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Corey Stoll (Ant-Man), and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton) This will be available on HBO Max for one month and available in theaters starting today. Reviews are mixed, suggesting that the prequel can't live up to its source material but that it's ultimately on the watch list for any Sopranos fan despite its shortcomings. Trailer here.
Prime Video / My Name Is Pauli Murray (documentary). Pauli Murray was a groundbreaking queer and gender nonconforming activist, poet, priest, and civil rights lawyer and this documentary from the team behind RBG seeks to remedy why you perhaps have never heard of Murray and their astonishing accomplishments. Reviews are generally positive: 'makes a case for a refreshing of our collective memory regarding whom we remember most vividly when we think of such social and cultural milestones' though lamenting that the doc too often fails to capture Murray's limitless passion. Trailer here.
Apple TV+ / Blush (animated short). This short is centered on an astronaut who encounters an ethereal being. Trailer here.
Netflix / Maid (limited series). John Wells (Shameless) and Margo Robbie (I, Tonya) produced this 10 episode adaptation of Stephanie Land's memoir about leaving an abusive relationship only to find herself a homeless and penniless single mother. Stars Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers) along with Andie MacDowell as her mom (and who is her mom in real life - I know!). Reviews are very strong, praising Qualley's performance along with the series' unflinching look at what it takes simply to earn subsistence wages. Trailer here.
Netflix / The Guilty (movie). Released in theaters on September 24, this thriller stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) as a police officer demoted to 911 dispatcher - and who suddenly gets a call from a woman who claims she's been kidnapped. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and penned by True Detective's Nic Pizzolatto, the film's reviews are lukewarm due to hammy performances and lapses in logic but then again, it's a Friday, you're tired, and it's Jake Gyllenhaal.
Disney+ / LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales (limited series). Poe Dameron and BB-8 find themselves in Darth Vader's haunted mansion in this seasonal adventure featuring the voices of Christian Slater (Heathers) and Tony Hale (Veep).
Prime Video / All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs (reality). Prime Video's well-regarded sports series continues, this time focusing on hockey which is like soccer but on ice. So nice.
Netflix / Diana: The Musical (movie). This filmed version of a pandemic-curtailed Broadway musical about the late Princess Diana will do one of two things: create demand for the show when it returns to Broadway in December or kill it altogether. While I couldn't find any reviews of this filmed version, much (virtual) ink was spilled when the trailer (here) was released. Reactions generally were not positive: 'the worst thing I've ever seen.' That said, much criticism was leveled not at the production itself but the timing of its release given the barrage of Diana-related titles of late, from The Crown to the upcoming Spencer starring Kristen Stewart.
Prime Video / Welcome to the Blumhouse (movies). In what I'm sure is the start of a month of Halloween programming, Prime Video is releasing a pair of Blumhouse horrors, Black as Night and Bingo Hell. Seriously, Blumhouse could save some scratch and just show an hour of that Kars 4 Kids commercial because there's nothing more terrifying. I mean, they're not even pretending to play their instruments!
Returning - CBS, SWAT, Magnum, P.I., and Blue Bloods; The CW, Penn & Teller: Fool Us
Saturday - October 2
Returning - NBC, Saturday Night Live (this will stream on Peacock live as well for the first time)
Sunday - October 3
Returning - AMC, The Walking Dead: World Beyond; PBS, Call the Midwife and Grantchester; HBO, Axios
Monday - October 4
Returning - Netflix, On My Block (final season)
Tuesday - October 5
BET / 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards (special). Live event, 6pm Pacific.
Netflix / Escape the Undertaker (interactive). The New Day attempts to survive the night at The Undertaker's spooky mansion in this WWE-themed interactive adventure.
And that's it for the week!
In Other News...
We need to talk about Squid Game: Netflix's high-concept Korean thriller is on track to become the streamer's biggest hit of all time - potentially outdoing Bridgerton - a development that caught Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos admittedly by surprise when he discussed Netflix's viewership numbers during the recent Vox Media's Code Conference. (Entire article is worth a read as it includes breakdowns of shows/movies most sampled versus those with highest actual viewing time.) || Dr. Who fans likely already know that Russell T. Davies (It's a Sin) is returning to helm the series but turns out he might not be the only one returning to the T.A.R.D.I.S.: Billie Piper suggested recently she'd consider reprising her role as Rose, one of the Doctor's most beloved companions. || In reboot, renewal, and cancellation news: NBC is reviving the series that begat a major franchise - Law & Order will return for a 21st season (though it's unclear if it'll be ready for this season or the '22-23 season); there's a Babylon 5 reboot in development at The CW; Netflix confirmed renewals of both Sex Education and Tiger King; Paramount+ renewed Real World: Homecoming for second and third seasons; Netflix ordered a spinoff of On My Block; FXX renewed Archer for a 13th season; and Disney+ wants more Mysterious Benedict Society. || Amazon's hit The Boys is getting a spinoff with showrunners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, to be set at a college exclusively for superheroes. The Boys creator Eric Kripke said that the untitled series would be the Mork & Mindy to The Boys' Happy Days, reminding us all that yes - Mork & Mindy spun off from Happy Days. (Take that, Joanie Loves Chachi.) || Per ZDNet, the average consumer spends a whopping $273 per month on streaming services. That does it: I'm canceling Quibi. || Apparently not canceled is Lori Laughlin who will reprise her When Calls the Heart role in its spinoff When Hope Calls. The series' second season will premiere on new network, GAC Family, formerly Great American Country. Loughlin, currently on probation, was granted leave to travel to Canada to film by a federal judge in Boston. || And finally, The New York Times has a lovely profile of Foundation star Jared Harris discussing his pursuit of acting - and emerging from his father's long shadow.
Have a great rest of the week and enjoy the start of fall!
Moira