new and noteworthy tv: 6/12-6/18

A busy week and tennis finals has gotten a little in my way this week so probably good that nothing new strikes my fancy.

  • The Putin Interviews (Show) Miniseries Premiere, Monday, 9pm – Oliver Stone and the Russian
  • Blood Drive (Syfy) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – Dystopian future and a race car fueled by blood, literally in this grindhouse style series.
  • The Tunnel (PBS) Season Premiere, Thursday, 9pm – I enjoyed the Bridge version of this but never got engaged with this latest version of this series.
  • The Ranch (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I never quite cottoned to this ranch running with Danny Masterson, Ashton Kutcher, and Sam Elliott.
  • My Mother and Other Strangers (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 8pm – Rural Ireland in WWII a family comes into close contact with the military.

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: 6/5-6/11

Not a ton new and noteworthy but there are some fun summer shows that I enjoy returning, while I’m still attending to Fargo and kicking through some streaming shows.

  • Ink Master (Spike) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – I’m still unresolved about my no longer getting Spike.
  • King of the Road (Vice) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – I thought the first season of this was a weird fun combination of skateboarding and stupid scavenger hunt hijinks.
  • Queen of the South (USA) Season Premiere, Thursday, 10pm – I enjoyed the first season of this drug dealing show with a good protagonist and lots of things going bad.
  • Orange is the New Black (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – Picking up where we left off with big trouble in Litchfield prison.
  • Wynonna Earp (Syfy) Season Premiere, Friday 10pm – This was a fun campy fighting the dead sort of show.
  • Orphan Black (BBCA) Season Premiere, Saturday, 10pm – The final season of what has been a great, though sometimes uneven show, excited to return to Sarah, her sisters and their friends and family.
  • Tony Awards (CBS) Sunday, 8pm – And the award goes to…
  • Claws (TNT) Series Premiere, Sunday, 9pm – Things are complicated in this Florida nail salon dramedy.
  • Steve Harvey’s Funderdome (ABC) Sunday, 9pm – Audience votes on one of two entrepreneurs.
  • French Open (NBC) Saturday/Sunday, 6am – Ready for some finals!

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: 5/29-6/4

I’m finally caught up on The Americans, next Fargo… assuming I don’t get caught up in French Open.

  • Still Star-Crossed (ABC) Series Premiere, Monday, 10pm – Based on the book and coming from Shondaland, this period drama picks up following the story of Romeo and Juliet, so far the buzz isn’t promising.
  • F is for Family (Net) Season Premiere, Tuesday – I never quite got into this animated series.
  • House of Cards (Net) Season Premiere, Tuesday – Super fun first season but I finally gave up on this mid last season.
  • Animal Kingdom (TNT) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 9pm – While not amazing this screwed up family of criminals was certainly compelling, I’m intrigued to see what messes and infighting they get into next.
  • World of Dance (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – The latest dance competition with JLo.
  • The Carmichael Show (NBC) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – I enjoyed this half hour sitcom of a family dealing with a pretty topical issue a week, though baseball seems to be getting in the way I think we can pick it up on alt NBC station.
  • The F Word with Gordon Ramsey (Fox) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – Gordon’s latest brings competition coming live and other food related segments
  • Flaked (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – This wasn’t a great show, maybe not even a good show, but I somehow zipped through a the first season of this half hour show following Will Arnett as a Venice beach ambassador.
  • I’m Dying Up Here (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – Based on a nonfiction book of comedians in the 70s this series brings comedians and their comedy club owner/mentor, probably worth a look.

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: 5/22-5/28

As things keep wrapping up I’m starting to make a little dent in the backlog.

  • The Bachelorette (ABC) Season Premiere, Monday, 9pm – Rachel Lindsay is your new lady looking for love.
  • Princess Diana/The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke (CBS) Monday, 8/10pm – A look at Diana and then songs in cars.
  • Casual (Hulu) Season Premiere, Tuesday – I’ve heard some good things about dysfunctional family show.
  • Dirty Dancing (ABC) Wednesday, 8pm – Another redo.
  • Beat Shazam /Love Connection (Fox) Series Premiere, Thursday, 8/9pm – Jamie Foxx hosts this name that tune plus technology show, then a return of the tries 3 dates and reports back.
  • Red Nose Day (NBC) Thursday, 10pm – Entertainers fund raise for kids in need.
  • Bloodline (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I gave up on this after season one since I ended up not caring that much about any of the characters.
  • French Open (NBC) Sunday, 9am – First round play begins.

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: 5/15-5/21

I have some backlog of quality shows aka shows that are hard to watch while I’m tired: Underground, Fargo, The Americans, Humans, and Feud. And am still trying to catch an ep of The Wire every now and again. And still my streaming list keeps increasing…

  • Downward Dog (ABC) Wednesday, 8pm – From the web series, you get the dog’s perspective on his human’s tumultuous life.
  • The Keepers (Net) Friday – A seven-part docuseries on the unsolved mystery of a nun.
  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Net) Season Premiere – I enjoy Kimmy and her clan’s quirky funny hijinks.
  • Twin Peaks: The Return (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday, 9pm – I bailed after a season or so of the original, appreciate the vision, and am dubious about a reboot, plus I don’t get Showtime.

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: 5/8-5/14

A few streaming options are hitting in this otherwise light week.

  • Anne with an E (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Anne of Green Gables anyone?
  • I Love Dick (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – Lots of great talk about this satirical take following Kathryn Hahn as filmmaker who becomes obsessed with Kevin Bacon as Dick.
  • Master of None (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – The first season of this Aziz Ansari really grew on me as he looked for love.

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: 5/1-5/7

Not a lot of new to keep our eye on this week. I’ve still got some backlog but started the latest Marvel on Netflix The Iron Fist against critical recommendation, so far agreed it’s not good, and Sneaky Pete and Dear White People which one ep in on each is intriguing.

  • Sense8 (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I still haven’t given this a shot but this new season is at least reminding me about it.
  • The Last 100 Days of Diana (ABC) – I’m not much of anglophile but for those of you who need more of this.

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: 4/24-4/31

Well I got a little behind, mostly because I took a break from my regularly scheduled programming to binge season 1 of 13 Reasons Why, the Netflix show about the high school girl who leaves tapes behind after her suicide, and although the structure caused some flaws overall I found it compelling. And there’s always more to watch…

  • Bates Motel (A&E) Series Finale, Monday, 10pm – This was one of those shows that I liked a lot of the elements and though I decided to cut the cord I hear it got better with time.
  • Great News (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 9pm – Newsroom workplace comedy introducing the producer’s mom to the office, starring that cute blonde girl who has done a bunch of stuff that you’re not sure what she’s from (Briga Heelan) with Nicole Richie, hmm.
  • Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday – Much anticipated adaptation of the book with Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, and Yvonne Strahovski among others, too bad Hulu is one of the lines I still have drawn.
  • Catastrophe (Am) Season Premiere, Friday – This is one of my fave gym shows and it’s back now that I’ve fallen off the gym bandwagon.
  • Dear White People (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Based on the film a biracial student at a predominantly white college stirs up some controversy, it’s gotten some good buzz.
  • Las Chicas del Cable (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – This unheard of (to me) show looks to be an import from Spain which between that and the title makes me think this tale of four women in 1920s Madrid is in Spanish.
  • Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) Saturday, 10pm – A special Not the White House Correspondents Dinner.

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: 4/17-4/23

]The backlog continues to pile up but I’m still looking forward to Fargo and Bosch.

  • Famous in Love (Free) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 9pm – A new drama where we follow a college student who gets a role in a Hollywood blockbuster and deals with her new worlds, and of course some romance, and I have to say the preview alone made me want to hate it.
  • Problematic with Moshe Kasher (Com) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – A comedic talk show that deals with new topics each week ripped from the interwebs.
  • Fargo (Fx) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – This season brings Ewan McGregor to two key roles to the new drama which promises crime and murder.
  • Bill Nye Saves the World (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Bill does science to tell it like it is.
  • Bosch (Am) Season Premiere, Friday – Bosch is back but now that I’m into The Wire I may need to take a pause on this because watching them at the same time seems to confuse me.
  • Girlboss (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Based on the story of the founder of Nasty Gal brand of online clothing sales they’re going for a comedic re-imagining and might have some moments.
  • Mary Kills People (Life) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – As much as I expect camp from Lifetime this series is actually about a doctor who helps people in need end their lives.

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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