new and noteworthy tv: 8/14-8/27

I finished off the odd but super fun Search Party which I had started ages ago when it was on TBS. Glad Max saved it to go on its full run. I also went ahead and dove into Only Murders in the Building even though I now have to wait weekly for episodes. And tried Run the Burbs which isn’t amazing but for a summer comedy willing to see how the characters and all develop.

  • Killing It (Pea) Season Premiere, Thursday 8/17 – It looks like I still have access to S1 of this cute show so even though my free Peacock subscription was cut I might still be able to tune into this (but apparently no Asteroid City).
  • Harlan Coben’s Shelter (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 8/18 – I don’t love when we have to put names in titles but this did pull this otherwise generic title to the forefront, a new kid in town uncovers some secrets after another student dies.
  • Stand Up to Cancer (Various) Saturday 8/19, 8pm – I don’t watch this but on board with the no cancer.
  • The Winter King (MGM+) Series Premiere, Sunday 8/20 – I assume this network is yet another paid offering but they’re bringing in original series based on a Bernard Cornwell Warlord Chronicles books series that has a twist on Arthurian legends
  • Star Wars: Ahsoka (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 8/23 – I’m not going to pretend I’m keeping up with the Star Wars universe but this is apparently a Mandalorian spin-off centered on Rosario Dawson’s character.
  • Who is Erin Carter (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 8/24 – A British woman in Barcelona has her past exposed in this thriller.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 7/31-8/13

I did finish my Justified rewatch right before Justified: City Primeval started and have to say the first series is still a hoot and the new series does a pretty good job of picking up that Raylan vibe 15 years later. I sampled the first week of Son of a Critch, which I couldn’t do, and Children Ruin Everything which wasn’t great but at least the characters offer some possibilities.

  • Run the Burbs (CW) Series Premiere, Monday 7/31, 8:30pm – Another Canadian import, this one looking to bring the laughs about life in the suburbs.
  • Reservation Dogs (Fx/Hulu) Season Premiere, Wednesday 8/2 – Have enjoyed the run of these Indigenous teens in rural Oklahoma and will tune in for the final season.
  • Heartstopper (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 8/3 – This show was a sweet and well-reviewed high school romance putting the lens on LGBTQ+ characters.
  • The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 8/4 – A 9-year-old loses her parents and goes to live with her grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) on her flower farm.
  • Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) Season Premiere, Tuesday 8/8 – This has been a fave, and curious to see our trio focus on the latest murder.
  • Painkiller (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 8/10 – Another take on the origins of the opioid crisis, I never did see Dopesick.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 7/17-7/30

Not much time for other things with my Justified rewatch but did manage to catch the start of Family Law which is a show I find fun and think Moonshine might be a good light complement. I also started off with Miracle Workers which I’m not sure I would stick with unless it was the final season and What We Do In the Shadows which is still funny though I’m probably not as enamored as some of the critics I follow.

  • Surf Girls Hawai’i (Am) Series Premiere, Tuesday 7/18 – Reality spotlight on a docuseries about Hawaiian female surfers.
  • Justified: City Primeval (Fx) Series Premiere, Tuesday 7/18, 10 pm – Raylan heads to Detroit, sounds like it’s set to run as a miniseries or be picked up for more.
  • Almost Paradise (Free) Season Premiere, Friday 7/21 – I hadn’t thought this would be back after the first season in 2020 but our retired DEA agent played by low-key fave Christian Kane makes for entertaining enough summer hijinks as I recall.
  • Special Ops: Lioness (Para+) Series Premiere, Sunday 7/23 – An espionage thriller with Zoe Saldana in the lead.
  • Son of a Critch (CW) Series Premiere, Monday 7/24, 8/8:30pm – In this comedy a 6th grader is the protagonist based on the coming-of-age memoir.
  • Children Ruin Everything (CW) Series Premiere, Monday 7/24, 9/9:30pm – This looks like a repairing of a Canadian show that’s played on Roku, let the parenting hijinks commence.
  • Dark Winds (AMC) Season Premiere, Sunday 7/30, 9 pm – This ’70s Navajo police drama was a good one.
  • Harley Quinn (Max) Season Premiere, Sunday 7/30 – Harley’s back, this show is usually pretty fun.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 7/3-7/16

The Bear jumped to the head of the queue, though I did force myself to watch no more than two episodes a night. I loved the first season which always makes me cautious but so good, I actually teared up during the Forks episode. I also finished up the excellent series Happy Valley, those characters are ready for a break. And caught up on Syfy The Ark, and in general I dig the creating a new world and making up some of the rules as we go along tales. And the first season of PBS’s Marie Antoinette which was entertaining.

  • The Lincoln Lawyer (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 7/6 – I found the first season somewhat lackluster but pretty watchable.
  • Shaun White: The Last Run (Max) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/6 – Reality spotlight on a look at White’s life and career.
  • The Horror of Dolores Roach (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 7/7 – A horror dramedy series based on the podcast of a woman released from prison only to be driven to extremes.
  • Family Law (CW) Season Premiere, Friday 7/7, 8pm – I found this problematic family practicing family law entertaining.
  • Moonshine (CW) Series Premiere, Friday 7/7, 9pm – A woman returns home and as her life implodes she decides to stay.
  • VC Andrews’ Dawn (Life) Series Premiere, Saturday 7/8, 8pm – These movie series are typically pretty much trash, I couldn’t keep with the last one that I tried.
  • Miracle Workers: End Times (TBS) Season Premiere, Monday 7/10, 10pm – The cast visiting new scenarios each season has been amusing enough.
  • Full Circle (Max) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/13 – A botched kidnapping leads to uncovered secrets by Steven Soderbergh and including Timothy Olyphant among others.
  • Survival of the Thickest (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/13 – A fashion stylist starts over in life and love in this rom-com.
  • What We Do In The Shadows (FX) Season Premiere, Thursday 7/13, 10pm – The gang is back.
  • Wimbledon (ESPN/ABC) Saturday and Sunday 7/15 & 16 – Men’s and Women’s finals air 6am pacific and replay later on ABC.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 6/19-7/2

I plowed through And Just Like That… before the new season arrives this week. It was not good for sure but a little nostalgia made it very bingable. I also finished Big Little Lies, I thought the first season was fun in a kind of White Lotus way but the second season felt a little like an unneeded epilogue. Not adding anything new at the moment as I continue with Better Call Saul and my Justified rewatch. I’ll likely queue up the latest season of The Great next and of course The Bear return.

  • Secret Invasion (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 6/21 – Nick Fury leads a team in the latest MCU offering.
  • The Bear (FX/Hulu) Season Premiere, Thursday 6/22 – The first season was a fave of mine so looking forward to more tense and funny kitchen action.
  • And Just Like That… (Max) Season Premiere, Thursday 6/22 – This show isn’t good but the first season was still very bingable.
  • Clean Sweep (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/22 – I assumed from the title this was some reality show but apparently a doting mother and wife of a detective becomes a killer.
  • Glamorous (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/22 – An aspiring influencer gets his dream job with a makeup mogul with Kim Cattrall.
  • I’m a Virgo (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 6/23 – A 13-foot-tall young black man has grown up hidden away and now faces the world and his hero, early reviews are good.
  • Average Joe (BET+) Series Premiere, Monday 6/26 – This title also made me think it was a new/existing reality show but it’s a darkly comedic drama following a plumber whose dad left him some surprises when he dies.
  • Hijack (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 6/28 – Idris Elba is back in a thriller about a hijacked plane.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 6/5-6/18

More wrapups happening as we roll into summer. HBO series wrapping up. Series finale of Barry, while I loved the series, the final season was a little tough tonally for me, not that it wasn’t the right call but missing more of the levity. And Somebody Somewhere, I love these characters and am so excited it will return for another season. Also Equalizer, Dave, and Queer Eye. I also started Happy Valley which is still top-notch, and the questionable Barons and The Rising which might get one more look to see what they’re planning to do weekly.

  • Cruel Summer (Free) Season Premiere, Monday 6/5, 9pm – This is an anthology series so you can jump right in, I didn’t love the first one but the format of a story being told over multiple years based on summer activities was mildly interesting and the story pretty junky.
  • Somewhere Boy (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 6/7 – A kid has to deal with the reality after of growing up in solitude after his mom died and his dad locked him away from ‘monsters.’
  • Based on a True Story (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/8 – Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina star in this dark comic thriller where they try to showcase a crime for a podcast and get in over their heads
  • Never Have I Ever (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 6/8 – The final season of this cute coming-of-age series, the fact that I’m at least a season behind on this tells me it wasn’t pressing.
  • The Crowded Room (App) Series Premiere, Friday 6/9 – Amanda Seyfried, Emmy Rossum, and Tom Holland star in this series about a man arrested for his involvement in a shooting and the unfolding of his story.
  • French Open Finals (NBC) Saturday/Sunday 6 am – Who will take the clay title?
  • The Full Monty (FX/Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 6/14 – Based on the film and picking up 25 years after the events of their big show.
  • The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/15 – Another spinoff, this one taking two characters Maggie and Negan and sending them to NYC.
  • Project Runway (Bravo) Season Premiere, Thursday 6/15, 8pm – Looks like this will be a returning ‘favorites’ season.
  • Ridley (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 6/18, 8pm – Retired detective is called back to advise on a murder case.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 5/22-6/4

More shows I watch are winding down including returning fare Single Drunk Female, 911 Lonestar, and Ghosts. And also some first-season runs I stuck with Will Trent and So Help Me Todd which were faves and a few others with potential, Animal Control, Lucky Hank, and Night Court. The Company You Keep along with the previously mentioned Alaska Daily unfortunately won’t be back for a second season but still worth enjoying the first.

  • Happy Valley (BBCA/Acorn) Season Premiere, Monday 5/22, 10pm – I think I watched the first two seasons of this on Netflix but they’re not there anymore, but the last round came out in the US around 2016 so it’s been a minute.
  • The Clearing (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 5/24 – A psychological thriller based on the book inspired by real-life cults in Australia.
  • Platonic (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 5/24 – Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen are friends who reconnect after a long rift, and hilarity ensues.
  • FUBAR (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/25 – A CIA guy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, does one last job before retirement.
  • Judge Me Not (Allblk) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/25 – A young judge is appointed and let’s just say she’s got some baggage.
  • The Rising (CW) Series Premiere, Monday 5/29, 8pm – In this drama, our heroine is trying to figure out her own murder and uncovers even more secrets, sure.
  • Barons (CW) Series Premiere. Monday 5/29, 9pm – Two besties create rival surf brands, I mean this is probably dumb but I’m down to try some surf drama.
  • Deadloch (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 6/2 – A comedy spin on crime genres in this sleepy seaside Tasmanian hamlet has to deal with a dead body.
  • The Lazarus Project (TNT) Series Premiere, Sunday 6/4, 9pm – A secret organization can turn back time to prevent the earth’s extinction.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 5/8-5/21

We’re starting to wind down some of the regular season. I enjoyed the recently wrapped Abbott Elementary, The Conners, and Grand Crew. Also the new series The Exhibit, Not Dead Yet, and Alaska Daily. And still catching up on some old streaming before I add anything new though The Great is calling my name and Queer Eye is a pretty good filler show.

  • Class of ’09 (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 5/10 – A thriller following a class of FBI agents from multiple time periods.
  • City on Fire (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 5/12 – An NYU student is shot and there are no witnesses, and the victim might be the key to a series of fires.
  • The Great (Hulu) Season Premiere, Friday 5/12 – Yay to a third season, it’s been fun watching Catherine and the court’s evolution.
  • Queer Eye (Net) Season Premiere, Friday 5/12 – Entertaining enough in a feel good way.
  • High Desert (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 5/17 – Dark comedy with Patricia Arquette, Matt Dillon, and more with Arquette playing and on again off again addict who decides to change her life and become a PI
  • Sisters (IFC/SundN) Series Premiere, Wednesday 5/17, 11pm – Two women discover they are half-sisters and embark on a road trip to find their alcoholic father.
  • Primo (Free) Series Premiere, Friday 5/19 – Coming of age never goes smoothly, comedy about a teen being raised by his mother and five uncles.
  • Ghosts of Beirut (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 5/21, 10pm – Based on the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, a Lebanese terrorist on the run for over two decades

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 4/24-5/7

After focusing on all my best lists, I felt ready to do a little catch-up on something junky. So You did what was expected. Intrigued to see what will happen in the final season. Other than that there is always something new on the horizon.

  • Saint X (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/26 – Girl-gone-missing told from multiple POVs.
  • Sam – A Saxon (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/26 – Based on the true story of the first black policeman in East Germany, is he the face of the future or Public Enemy #1?
  • The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/27 – Reality highlight, this bestselling book was the talk of the town for a while, and now they’re coming to America to look at our relationship with mortality and our stuff.
  • Love & Death (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/27 – Two small-town Texas couples, an affair, and an axe (basically Candy from Hulu), by David E Kelly and Elizabeth Olsen is supposed to carry it.
  • The Nurse (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/27 – A Danish medical drama based on a true story of a nurse caught up in a patient’s death.
  • Citadel (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 4/28 – Spies had their memories wiped after an agency fell and now are being reactivated, Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Stanley Tucci.
  • Fatal Attraction (Para+) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/30 – A series based on the ’80s film, not sure how they’re going to draw it out but we’ll see, with Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson.
  • Casa Grande (Free) Series Premiere, Monday 5/1 – A dramatic look at California’s migrant workforce and the wealthy landowners that hire them.
  • A Small Light (Dis+/NGC/Life) Series Premiere, Monday 5/1 , 9pm – Focusing on the real-life story of Miep Gies who played a critical role in hiding Anne Frank and her family.
  • White House Plumbers (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 5/1, 9pm – Behind the scenes of the Watergate scandal with Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux.
  • Bupkis (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/4 – A fictionalized version of Pete Davidson’s life with Pete, Edie Falco, and Joe Pesci.
  • The Other Two (HBOM) Season Premiere, Thursday 5/4 – I watched the first season of this and found it funny before they moved it to HBOM which I now get so probably catch up.
  • Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/4 – I found the first season of Bridgerton fun enough but the second season wore on me, not sure I’m up for a spinoff prequel.
  • Silo (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 5/5 – The story of the last ten thousand people on earth, but there are many mysteries in their underground escape.

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.

Continue Reading

funny you should ask…

Like many of us, my dad likes to rewatch comedies. He’s gone through Seinfeld more times than I can count and he’s currently taking another tour through The Big Bang Theory. Once he gets hooked he’s hooked but not everything hits. So I’m always sort of thinking about what the next recco could be. The top picks I had for him were 30 Rock (newish to him) and Mom (rewatch). And the latest I’ve been thinking about personally are Bojack or Schitts Creek both of which I knew I wanted to rewatch the moment I finished them but have given it some time.

I figured I’d share my brainstorming with the masses, however massed they may be. Following is a decent but not an all-encompassing list.

The Classics

  • Cheers/Frasier (Hulu & Para+/Pea & Para+) – I did Cheers a bit ago and found it fun, I started with the spinoff Frasier but admittedly got distracted along the way.
  • The Golden Girls (Hulu) – I find this will be something I pause on when I just need something to distract me for like 15 minutes, dated but the ladies still got it.
  • MASH (Hulu) – I haven’t rewatched from start to finish but occasionally catch an episode and it really still holds up.
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Hulu & Prime) – Aso haven’t done a rewatch here but it holds a special place in my comedy memories.

Dysfunctional Families

  • Arrested Development (Hulu & Net) – The beginning of this was a gem though the later renewals didn’t quite capture the magic.
  • Km’s Convenience (Net) – I wrapped this not long ago and it was really fun seeing this Korean-Canadian family navigate the store and each other.
  • Mom (Hulu) – A funny and at times very touching tale of friends and family in recovery, it’s a few different shows over its run but very funny.
  • Schitts Creek (Hulu & Prime) – Fish out-of-water family really grows throughout the seasons.

Friend Hangs

  • The Big Bang Theory (HBOM) – Also in the classic jokey shows, the characters grew over the years.
  • Bored to Death (HBOM) – I haven’t rewatched this but it was a super fun faux detective show.
  • Cougar Town (Hulu) – This starts rocky but finds its groove with the quirky friend hang comedy.
  • Friends (HBOM) – How can you talk friend hangs without this one?
  • Happy Endings (Hulu) – I just really enjoyed the characters and found much to laugh at.
  • The League (Hulu) – I care not about fantasy football or football, but this was a gem.
  • Will & Grace (Hulu & Prime) – At its best embracing the silly.

Workplace

  • 30 Rock (Hulu & Pea) – Behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show Tina Fey created some great characters and moments.
  • Better Off Ted (Hulu) – Office issues taken to the next level in this R&D department.
  • Bojack Horseman (Net) – This animated series for adults make the best of its weird animal-human hybrid world with our washed-up protagonist, it’s a good mess.
  • The Office (Pea) – It’s funny I think of some of this comedy so cringy I tend not to go back but occasionally catch moments and recall how funny it could be.
  • Parks & Recreation (Pea) – Another took a minute to find its groove, here’s to Leslie Knope making te best of government and its cast of characters.

Not Just for the Ladies

  • Girlfriends (Net) – Tracy Ellis Ross leads the cast of friends living their lives, jobs, and relationships with and despite each other.
  • Sex and the City (HBOM) – I did a rewatch and found Carrie much more annoying but still quite fun overall.
  • The Mindy Project (Net & Hulu) – Also a workplace comedy but at its heart it’s a romcom, Mindy and her cohorts are all quite amusing.

Non-dad people, I would love to hear your picks for rewatching and what I am missing (for this only shows complete)?

Continue Reading