I started up with The Sympathizer (Max) and it has a lot of the elements that worked well in the book but might need a couple more to get more cohesive (or hectic in a deeper way). I also enjoyed the tv take on Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime) and am excited to see a season two (though not sure it has officially been renewed). I also finished the PBS series Nolly (PBS) which wasn’t super compelling but somehow kept me in for three episodes and Monsieur Spade (AMC) which I liked the vibe of but kept forgetting who all the people were. And diving into some Disney+ with a Marvel review, I think I tried both Inhumans and Cloak & Dagger when they were on and deemed them too dumb to watch. There was only one season of Inhumans which made good mindless watching but it really was dumb. Will report back on Cloak & Dagger.

• Shogun (Fx/Hulu) Season Finale, Tuesday 4/23, 10pm – Folks have been raving about this show, I am a little behind but think it’s definitely a good one though not going to catch up before Tuesday.
• Dead Boy Detectives (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/25 – Two teen ghosts work with a clairvoyant to solve mysteries.
• The Veil (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 4/30 – Elisabeth Moss as a badass in an international spy thriller, yes please.
• Fiasco (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 4/30 – A mockumentary of a first-time director’s film going awry.
• Shardlake (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 5/1 – A 16th-century England monastery murder mystery.
• Hacks (Max) Season Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – This show has been a hoot and I’m looking forward to the next season.
• A Man in Full (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – An Atlanta real estate tycoon’s empire starts to crumble, has Jeff Danels and Diane Lane so could be worth a look
• Scrublands (SundN/AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – Based on the novel an Australian noir crime drama
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – Based on a true story about two prisoners who meet, fall in love, and try to stay alive.
• Welcome to Wrexham (FX) Season Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – A new season after being promoted, this series does a great job of telling multiple stories and covering things from touching to amusing.
• Maryland (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 5/5, 9pm – A tale of two sisters who find out secrets after their mother’s death, with Stockard Channing as a quirky friend.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

Some of the network tv is finishing up. Resident Alien (Syfy) has held up well, Extended Family (NBC) made a decent pairing with Night Court, and Wild Cards (CW) was a fun compliment to Family Law. Throw in some Children Ruin Everything (CW) and Ride and we can call it a day. I also caught the first Parish (AMC) and while it didn’t immediately grab me there were enough elements to tune back in as well as Sight Unseen (CW) which was ridiculous and the premise will get more ridiculous as they try to move it forward. This week I’m intrigued to see the reviews on The Sympathizer and Fallout, if only because Walton Goggins is in it and The Last of Us shows that shows based on video games can be good.

• Hapless (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/10 – A UK comedy series about an obsessive and gaffe-prone journalist, originally aired starting in 2020 in the UK.
• Fallout (Am) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/11 – Based on the video game franchise a woman surfaces from an underground bunker 200 years after an apocalypse to a hostile Los Angeles.
• Baby Reindeer (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/11 – A struggling comedian shows kindness to a woman who turns obsessive.
• Franklin (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/12 – Michael Douglas stars in this series based on a book about Benjamin Franklin.
• The Sympathizer (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/14, 9pm – This book was great, curious how well it translates as we look at a spy at the close of the Vietnam war.
• Under the Bridge (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/17 – Based on a true-crime book a girl goes to meet friends at a party and disappears.
• Dinner with the Parents (Free) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/18 – A comedy set at a weekly family dinner.
• Big Mood (Tubi) Series Premiere, Friday 4/19 – A comedy about female friendship tested by mental illness.
• The Spiderwick Chronicles (Roku) Series Premiere, Friday 4/19 – Based on the book series a family returns to an ancestral home to find fantastical secrets.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

I was so busy catching up on movies I had to limit my tv shows for a bit. Happy to now turn back to a few things I was wrapping up. Starting with Feud: Capote vs The Swans (FX/Hulu) which overall I was meh about, a little fun at first to revisit that era and peeps but not enough of the right notes and seemed to drag on.

• Dead Hot (Tubi) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/27 – I’m not really sure what to do about Tubi shows, it’s apparently a free network, do I start checking these out? This is a mystery/thriller about besties where something from their past comes back to haunt them.
• The Baxters (Am) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/18 – Roma Downey helms this ‘faith-based’ family journey, based on a book series, pass.
• We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/28 – Based on a novel inspired by the true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of WWII, I might need a break from the tragedies of war.
• A Gentleman in Moscow (Show) Series Premiere, Friday 3/291, 9pm – I loved Amor Towles’s Rules of Civility but hadn’t gotten to this one, Ewan McGregor stars a what one assumes is a gentleman holed up in a Russian hotel and not allowed to leave, I don’t get Showtime at the moment so maybe I try a quick book read first.
• Renegade Nell (Dis+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/29 – A young woman framed for murder becomes a notorious outlaw in 18th-century England, wouldn’t be my first Disney watch.
• Parish (AMC) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/31, 9pm – Giancarlo Esposito stars as a man whose life is destroyed and he goes back to his wheelman roots, Esposito is always good I’ll check this out.
• Sight Unseen (CW) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/3, 9pm – A cop who goes clinically blind keeps solving crimes with the help of an agoraphobic remote helper, I feel like the CW already had a blind person solving crimes show, I’ll watch at least one so I can feel good about my disdain.
• Ripley (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/4 – A grifter tries to build a life in the world of wealth and privilege after being sent to Italy to try and bring a rich guy’s son home, I do enjoy a grifter and it’s got Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning so pending reviews.
• Sugar (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/5 – Colin Farrell stars as a PI trying to get to the bottom of a disappearance, I’m currently without Apple so I’ll wait for the reviews.
• Mary & George (Starz) Series Premiere, Friday 4/5, 9pm – Mother and son one of whom seduces King James I, I’m not that into the historical stuff but with Julianne Moore, though Starz isn’t high on my list.
• Mr Bates vs the Post Office (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/7, 9pm – A David vs Goliath story of British postal managers accused of stealing when money started disappearing.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

Moving through my Peacock subscription (acquired temporarily for Holdovers and Oppenheimer) I finished Mrs. Davis which was very odd and I appreciate the big swing. I also caught the first of Elsbeth (CBS) and will stay tuned there, one doesn’t need to have watched the previous shows but you’ll appreciate things like a Cary Agos namedrop. I’m also trying to grab a few more flicks before I finally do my best pic list.

• Boat Story (Free) Series Premiere, Tuesday 3/12 – This thriller follows two strangers who find a boatload of coke and decide it’s going to get them a new life, but the police, gangsters, and hitmen might have something to say about it.
• Apples Never Fall (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/14 – Annette Bening and Sam Neill play a picture-perfect couple but their family faces a twist when a wounded woman knocks on their door.
• The Girls on the Bus (Max) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/14 – Four female journalists on the campaign trail to the White House.
• Girls5eva (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 3/14 – This cute show moves from Peacock to Netflix for season 3, one assumes more hijinks to ensue.
• Manhunt (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/15 – A portrayal of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Lincoln.
• Nolly (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/17, 9pm – Helena Bonham Carter stars as one of British TV’s most famous faces and her firing.
• Alice & Jack (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/17, 10pm – A love story that will undoubtedly face some challenges.
• Palm Royale (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/20 – Kristen Wiig leads an all-star cast as a woman trying to make it into Palm Beach high society in 1969.
• 3 Body Problem (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/21 – 5 friends deal with the laws of science unraveling across continents.
• Diarra from Detroit (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/21 – A woman can’t believe she’s been ghosted but her investigation into his whereabouts turns into a dive into Detroit underworld.
• The Long Shadow (SundN/AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/21 – A true crime drama about the Yorkshire Ripper.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

I finally kicked out my top tv of 2023 last week. One of the things that was holding me up was that I was trying to finish Succession(HBO) because it was on so many people’s lists. I started it after it ended so that was a chunk of episodes and it’s not a light bingy show. Overall I thought it was good and the performances were great but I don’t love a show where people are all idiots and assholes. I also dabbled with at least starting as many of the one-off shows on various lists. I’m currently rocking a Peacock subscription for a few various items.

• County Rescue (GAF) Series Premiere, Monday 2/26, 8pm – Great American Family is a network I’m not tracking but apparently this is its first original series, an action-adventure medical drama.
• Shogun (FX/Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 2/27, 10pm – Based on the novel, 1600 Japan and Civil War, early reviews look good.
• Perimeter (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/29 – Interconnected stories set in 90’s Atlanta.
• Elsbeth (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/29, 10pm – I loved Carrie Preston as this character in The Good Wife and The Good Fight, two great series so of course I’m tuning in.
• Dead Hot (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 3/1 – This UK comedy thriller set in Liverpool shows two friends bonded after the trauma of losing someone and new people bringing new drama.
• The Regime (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/3, 9pm – The story of a year in the walls of the European palace with Kate Winslet trying to hold it together.
• Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Fox) Season Premiere, Tuesday 3/5, 9pm – I’m pretty sure this series wasn’t good when it first came out but maybe it was a slow time, I’ll catch one but although I like a certain amount of procedurals in my repertoire I really would like to stop watching shows that I’m not that into, too much backlog.
• Animal Control (Fox) Season Premiere, Wednesday 3/6, 9pm – This was another show that I think I wanted to be funnier than it was because it has a good cast, we will see where they start.
• The Gentlemen (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/7 – Guy Ritchie brings us a series about an English aristocrat who inherits an estate to find it is a cannabis empire, set in this world of the movie of the same name.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

I watched a couple of the Feud (Fx/Hulu) and while it’s not great there is something appealing about the inside look at society. I cranked through the latest season of Queer Eye (Net) which also isn’t great but is always a nice palette cleanser. Also, the latest Reacher (Prime) which wasn’t as good as the first but still fun enough. The latest season of Lupin (Net) which I still quite enjoy, I am a sucker for a good caper. I delved into the first season of One Piece (Net) because it had gotten some buzz and found myself kind of pulled into the pirate adventure. I also did a little catch-up on Bob’s Burgers (Fox/Hulu) the one animated show that I find endearing. And enjoying the return of regular network tv.

• The New Look (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/14 – Inspired by true events this series focuses on Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, and other contemporaries as they launch modern fashion coming out of WWII.
• Resident Alien (Syfy) Season Premiere, Wednesday 2/14, 10pm – I think this show is a hoot, and Alan Tudyk as an alien passing himself off as a small-town doctor deserves an Emmy.
• Churchy (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/15 – A son is bypassed for leadership of his father’s megachurch and strikes out on his own with comic results.
• Far North (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/15 – A drug smuggling dramedy about a New Zealand meth deal gone awry.
• The Vince Staples Show (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/15 – A rapper and actor navigates everyday life in this comedy.
• Ghosts/So Help Me Todd (CBS) Season Premieres, Thursday 2/15, 8:30/9 – A fun lineup returns, I’m curious to see what awaits us in the new seasons.
• The Equalizer (CBS) Season Premiere, Sunday 2/18, 8pm – After watching the latest Denzel flick I’m even more appreciative that they did this Queen Latifa version, I can’t remember what sort of dire straights we left things in.
• Will Trent (ABC) Season Premiere, Tuesday 2/20, 8pm – I enjoyed this random Louisana ‘cop,’ his surrounding peeps, and his tiny dog.
• Constellation (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/21 – An astronaut returns to Earth only to find pieces of her life missing.
• Avatar: The Last Airbender (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/2 – So I guess more of this.
• The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (AMC) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/25, 9pm – A spinoff focusing on Rick and Michonne, I stopped watching this ages ago but clearly it still has legs.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

Finished up Party Down before I canceled my Starz subscription, and I thought they did a good job picking up years later with the characters. I also rewatched the earlier seasons which held up pretty well. I managed to get a look at Wild Cards on CW, which is cute enough since I always like a heist/con show. And Ride on CW which is apparently a previously cancelled Hallmark show, not surprised.

I had intended to do my 2023 book list last week but what are you gonna do? I was also disappointed to find that I can no longer find Metacritic’s great consolidated tv critics’ best of lists. I can only assume they’re not doing that anymore, bummer. Will poke around but not sure I can find something comparable (let me know if you’ve got the magic list).

• The Claremont Murders (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 1/29 – A 2-part Australian crime drama based on real-life missing women.
• Feud: Capote vs The Swans (Fx/Hulu) Season Premiere, Wednesday 1/31, 10pm – This Ryan Murphy anthology series picks up with Truman Capote and the society women he befriended and then betrayed by writing about their secrets, a start-studded cast,
• Mr and Mrs. Smith (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 2/2 – Based loosely on the movie, in this Donald Glover and Maya Erksine’s characters are matched up as spouses via a spy agency as they go on capers, intrigued.
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Season Premiere, Sunday 2/4, 10pm – The 12th and I understand final season returns with I’m sure more cringe.
• The Conners/Not Dead Yet/Abbott Elementary (ABC) Season Premieres, Wednesday 2/7, 8/8:30/9pm – This amusing lineup is back.
• One Day (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/8 – Based on a David Nicholls’ novel two peeps spend grad night together and although they go their separate ways they remain connected.
• Tracker (CBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/11 – The coveted Superbowl spot goes to this Justin Hartley show where the lone wolf/survivalist helps solve crimes, I don’t know what time this will actually air.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

I caught the good Minx on my temporary Showtime subscription, pity it was canceled. I have also been rewatching the old Party Down before getting to the current season. I didn’t realize Shining Vale was being pulled after it was canceled but the first couple of episodes were much better than I had initially anticipated. On Netflix, I wrapped up The Diplomat which I thought was great, super compelling characters and situations, and Lockwood & Co which I wanted to like but just couldn’t get into. I also somehow started watching Bookie on Max which was entertaining enough but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

• Death and Other Details (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/16 – This is kind of being touted as if you liked Murders in the Building (I’m dubious but willing to give it a shot), a murder on an ocean liner with Mandy Patinkin as the detective.
• Wild Cards (CW) Series Premiere, Wednesday 1/17, 8pm – A new crime-solving opposites attract with a by-the-book cop and con woman, paired with the return of Family Law which I’ve been enjoying.
• Hazbin Hotel (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 1/19 – Animated comedy musical about the princess of Hell trying to rehab demons.
• The Woman in the Wall (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/21, 9pm – Ruth Wilson stars as a woman who wakes up to find a dead body in this miniseries.
• Queer Eye (Net) Season Premiere, Wednesday 1/24 – Another season of makeovers in New Orleans and I believe this is Bobby Berk’s last season before they head to Vegas.
• Griselda (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/25 – Sofia Vergara steps in as the cartel creator.
• Sexy Beast (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/25 – A prequel looking at the start of Gal and Don’s descent into London’s criminal world.
• Masters of the Air (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 1/26 – A WWII drama based on a real American bomber group, EP’d by Spielberg, Hands, and Goetzman has a pedigree.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.