new and noteworthy tv: 8/26-9/8

Carnival Row

Was sad to see the series finale of Baskets but glad it got a good run and after a dream that Veronica Mars and I were being followed I decided to dial back the intensity of that rewatch.

  • US Open (ESPNs) – Play starts Monday.
  • The A List (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/30 – Remote island sleep away camp filled with supernatural mystery.
  • Carnival Row (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 8/30 – Mixed reviews on this fantasy drama where Orlando Bloom reconnects with a faerie played by Cara Delevingne and investigate murders.
  • The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/30 – A prequel to the 1982 movie that I barely recall but remember fondly this follows Gerlflings setting out to save the world.
  • The Good Bandit (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/30 – Near death experience causes as drug lord to leave his life of crime in this Latin American comedic crime story.
  • When Hope Calls (HMN) Series Premiere, Friday 8/30 – 1900s sisters open an orphanage.
  • Maigret (Ova) Series Premiere, Saturday 8/31, 7pm – Rowan Atkinson plays a detective based on the novels.
  • Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 9/4 – Based on the story of the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan.
  • The Spy (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/6 – Sacha Baron Cohen plays a 60s Mossad agent based on a true story.

Returning streaming: Workin’ Moms (Net, Thursday 8/29), Keeping the Faith (Acorn, Friday 8/30), Mighty Little Bheem (Net, Friday 8/30), True & the Rainbow Kingdom (Net, Friday 8/30), Elite (Net, Friday 9/6).

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new and noteworthy tv: 6/10-6/16

Excited for the return of Ink Master, Queen Sugar, Baskets, Younger, and Jessica Jones. Was pondering about picking up Pose which returns though I dropped it midway last season I hear so many good things.

  • Too Old to Die Young (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – Mixed reviews for this crime drama set in the under belly of LA.
  • Jett (Cin) Series Premiere, Friday, 10pm – Carla Gugino plays a fresh out of prison, trying to retire, professional thief.
  • Los Espookys (HBO) Series Premiere, Friday, 11pm – A Spanish language comedy from Fred Armisen about a group of friends turn their love of horror into a business.
  • City on a Hill (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday, 9pm – 90s Boston crime with Kevin Bacon as FBI agent helping to investigate armed robbery that leads to more drama.
  • Euphoria (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 10pm – Some early good buzz for this coming of age centering on a girl played by Zendaya recently coming out of rehab.

Other streaming releases:

  • Jinn (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday – Two Jinns, one good and one evil, enter the human realm, in high school.
  • Leila (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Dystopian future woman looks for child taken from her.
  • Trinkets (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Three girls connect in Shoplifters Anonymous.
  • Unit 42 (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Widowed cop teams up with former hacker to combat cyber crimers.

Returning streaming: Kakegurui (Net, Thursday), Strange Angel (CBSAA, Thursday), Absentia (Am, Friday), Aggretsuko (Net, Friday), Black Spot (Net, Friday), Jessica Jones (Net, Friday)

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

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new and noteworthy tv: 1/22-1/28

I’m getting ready to do my best tv of 2017 and knowing that I can’t watch everything people love wondering what I’m missing and could cram in. And the new stuff keeps coming…

  • Mosaic (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday, 8pm – This drama is first shown via the Mosaic app as a sort of choose your own adventure then hits as a six-part linear miniseries about a disappearance of a woman, Sharon Stone, and two men in her life.
  • The Alienist (TNT) Series Premiere, Monday, 9pm – Based on the book a look at late 1800s murder investigation with Dakota Fanning, I’m already over these previews.
  • Baskets (Fx) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – This charming, kooky show returns.
  • Bellevue (WGN) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – Anna Paquin stars as a detective looking into a disappearance that may be linked to a murder 20 years ago.
  • Prison Playbook (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday – This Korean show had an about to be major league baseball player landing in prison and navigating that world.
  • Let’s Get Physical (POP) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 8:30pm – In this comedy a man inherits the family gym and must compete against another gym.
  • Waco (Para) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – This six-part series looks at the events leading up to the standoff.
  • Breathe (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – This Indian psychological drama follows a Mumbai cop tracking seemingly unrelated deaths.
  • Britannia (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – 43AD the Roman Imperial Army heads to conquer Britannia.
  • One Day at a Time (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – This revisit to the series actually worked well for a fun and thoughtful comedy.
  • Australian Open (ESPN) Saturday/Sunday, 12:30am – Who will take the first major of the year?
  • Grammy Awards (CBS) Sunday, 7:30pm – A little song, a little award.

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

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when weird works

I mentioned when hearing about the cancelation of Man Seeking Woman that it wasn’t one of the weird shows that worked for me. But I do appreciate that in the age of peak tv while there isn’t room or an appetite for everything, there’s more room for things that might not resonate with everyone but are strong for a few. Some of the shows that I know I watch that are a little off:

  • Atlanta (Fx) – Weird factor minor. Not the weirdest of the crop but Donald Glover’s narrative style used unusual formats from episode to episode and takes some specific weird turns with random magical realism like having Justin Beiber cast as a black actor when he shows up for a celebrity basketball game, but mostly it’s about a guy trying to make it in Atlanta.
  • Baskets (Fx) – Weird factor medium. I remember reading a review of this right as it was coming out that said something like this isn’t for everyone but if you like it this is great, and it turns out I would stop shy of saying that the show is great but I haven’t been able to stop watching, I’d also almost characterize this as only a minor weird factor, as the format is more traditional, but the people and situations are so off as it follows French trained clown Chip Baskets, with a developed focus on more of the Baskets clan (including Louie Anderson in a sincere performance as his mom) and friends.
  • Bojack Horseman (Net) – Weird factor medium. Following a washed up actor through various despondent relationships and situations sounds minorly weird but once you make it animated, him a horse man, and make half of the rest of the world other animal people, it opens up a whole world of weird in a way that plays very tongue and cheek with how it sets up this parallel reality and brings up amazing options e.g. the underwater episode.
  • Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBCA) – Weird factor major. Genre pushed to the extreme this one is adapted from Douglas Adams novels, this sort of absurdist paranormal detective show is one that you just need to go with, I’m very curious how the series progresses in another season (starring Elijah Wood getting another weird nod after Wilfred).
  • Legion (Fx) – Weird factor major. More on the genre lines, I generally enjoy the Marvels but was getting a little down on most of the latest entries in the Netflix world, and was thrilled to see this totally different take, almost more about the layers of mental illness real and power driven with a storytelling style that almost worked best for me the less clear it was on what was going on, beautifully weird acting and production.
  • People of Earth (TBS) – Weird factor medium. This sitcom of a lighter nature with kind of sincere characters introduces sort of a workplace comedy around alien abductions, complete with various aliens’s POV and it ends up being fun and often sweet.

What else in the world of weird is on your radar?

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new and noteworthy tv: 1/16-1/22

Hmm I’m not sure I have time in my busy schedule for tennis but I’ll have to check in to see how Federer is doing on his return after injury time away.

  • Australian Open (ESPN2) – Play continues throughout the week.
  • Howie Mandel All-Star Comedy Gala (CW) Monday, 8pm – A stand-up comedy showcase.
  • Throwing Shade (TVL) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10:30pm – Comedian hosts talk politics and pop culture.
  • People’s Choice Awards (CBS) Wednesday, 9pm – Joel McHale hosts.
  • Six (Hist) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – The only review I read of this new dramatic Navy SEALs series was bad.
  • Baskets (FX) Season Premiere, Thursday, 10pm – For those of you who fell for this very odd dark and yet funny show.
  • Frontier (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Jason Momoa stars in this Canadian fur trapping drama which reportedly isn’t so compelling.
  • Hunted (CBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 7pm – Ordinary people try to evade investigators tracking them.

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

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