new and noteworthy tv: 1/30-2/12

Not Dead Yet

Cranking through a few streaming items with the latest season of Ramy which is still good and odd, Girl From Plainville which left me a little unsatisfied with its take on the real scenario, and the latest season of Leverage: Redemption which I find fun. I also started Poker Face on Peacock and my only complaint is the weekly spacing out of episodes.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll check out Not Dead Yet and of course the latest season of You, though I may delay a bit on that while I catch up with 2022 shows to do my Top Tv post.

  • The Watchful Eye (Free) Series Premiere, Monday 1/30, 9/10pm – Everyone has secrets including a new live-in nanny at an affluent NY family.
  • The Great British Baking Show: The Professionals (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/1 – I don’t particularly dig cooking shows, but I feel like people are into these ones.
  • Gunther’s Millions (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/1 – We follow the rich and famous in reality why not a wealthy dog?
  • The Ark (Syfy) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/1, 10pm – In the future when we’re trying to colonize other planets damage to a ship tests their mission.
  • Freeridge (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/2 – I didn’t stick with On My Block, but this is a spinoff in some way.
  • Dear Edward (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 2/3 – Based on the book a story of a kid who survives a plane crash that kills his family.
  • State of the Union (Various) Tuesday 2/7, 6pm pacific.
  • Not Dead Yet (ABC) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/8, 8:30/9:30pm – Gina Rodriguez stars as a broke and newly single obituary column writer.
  • You (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 2/9 – Our favorite obsessive gets a new chapter, let’s see what the body count looks like this time.
  • Superbowl (Fox) Sunday 2/12, 3:30pm pacific – Sportsball and related content.

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.

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HBO has landed!

HBO Max image from StreamingRant

I finally got HBO. Technically HBO Max. With this statement there seem to be two responses. 1) Really you didn’t have HBO? 2) It’s about $%^& time.

Clearly, my fine pchron readers know I’m a big fan of tv. So why didn’t I have HBO, the home to some of the greatest tv?

It was a little bit about money but it was mostly the principle of the thing. I pay for cable, not the premium channel version obviously but the version below that. And it is not cheap. And I pay for Netflix. And I pay for Hulu. And I pay for Amazon Prime.

Now I actually first threw down for Amazon Prime because they had a backlog of shows from HBO. The Wire, you bet! So I had done a basic pass over all the old greats. And I think I watched some things live with various friends and family.

But there was still so much TV to watch. I constantly have a backlog of tv. And so I didn’t need more shows. I didn’t want to get hooked on even more shows. I had already started dabbling with having a streaming option for a bit to watch shows and then cancel it. AppleTV and Paramount+ filled the gap on a few things. But I felt like if I got HBO it would be hard to cancel and just dip back in for a few things.

And to be honest I am planning to do some research into tv options. I think with everything I pay for it’s somewhat duplicative and probably too expensive. So maybe I’ll switch to Hulu Live or YouTube TV or whatever. And whenever I got around to that I was going to reevaluate everything.

Well, that ‘whenever’ has dragged on for a while.

And Saturday I sat down to watch a movie and really didn’t want to watch anything available. I’m trying to catch up on some of the ‘best of 2022.’ And I used to go to the movies a good amount. But since the pandemic, I’ve never quite gotten back to the in-person theater. I’m not saying I’m done for good but I definitely have moved to more streaming. And last year even paid for a few flicks.

So getting HBOMax doesn’t seem like that big of an investment. Done.

So I’m starting with the more current options. Saturday night I watched The Banshees of Inisherin (odd but good) and The Menu (a sweet and savory sendup). And have started in on The White Lotus and Barry. So far it’s worth the investment.

I’ll also get to catch additional seasons of a few shows that moved to HBO Max like The Other Two, Search Party, and Harley Quinn (this might have just been a tease on non-HBO).

What should I watch next?

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new and noteworthy tv: 1/16-1/29

Poker Face

When I was sick I gave myself permission to binge through the latest season of Emily in Paris which continues to be trash but entertaining trash. I also cranked through the sweet Heartstopper. I typically save half-hour streaming comedies for when I exercise with my in-apartment bike pedals. Once I got that back in action I wrapped up the final season of Derry Girls, which was definitely a fun series. And a few new things hitting the radar.

  • Night Court (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/17, 8/8:30pm – The early version of this show had charm and sounds like this might need a beat but has potential.
  • That ’90s Show (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/19 – Continuing the reboot trend, That ’70s Show characters return this time with Kitty and Red dealing with their grandkid and supposedly everyone (not currently facing rape charges) is reprising their role as guest appearances, again the original had some charm so we’ll see.
  • Accused (Fox) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/22, 9pm – This anthology series brings a different crime told from the defendant’s POV.
  • Extraordinary (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 1/25 – If everyone develops a superpower when they turn 18, what happens if yours doesn’t show, a look at a world with and without powers.
  • Poker Face (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/26 – Natasha Lyonne going from place to place solving crimes, yes please.
  • Wolf Pack (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/26 – Sarah Michelle Geller in a werewolf tv show, sure I’ll check it out.
  • Shrinking (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 1/27 – Jason Segel plays a grieving therapist who actually starts telling his patients what he thinks.
  • Lockwood & Co (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/27 – A small ghost-hunting agency in London made up of some gifted teens.

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.

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midseason fun

Night Court

While I think we’ve all become accustomed to less official tv seasons, the networks do still have a slate of offerings that roll out in the new year. Here are a few things to keep your eye out for. Along with a few returning shows including a couple I watch, 911: Lone Star (Fox, 1/17) which is super random but somehow I got hooked, and American Auto (NBC, 1/24) which had some potential last year but hadn’t quite found its footing yet.

  • Will Trent (ABC) Tuesday 1/3, 10pm – Based on Karin Slaughter’s book series we follow a Georgia Special Agent who brings his own upbringing baggage for good and for bad, I caught the first one of these and thought the cast had promise.
  • Alert (Fox) Sunday 1/8, 8pm – This focuses on a missing person’s unit with a woman whose son is missing and early buzz is not good but we’ll see.
  • Night Court (NBC) Tuesday 1/17, 8pm – If you remember the old Night Court, it’s back, and John Larroquette reprises his role alongside Melissa Rauch who will play judge Harry Stone’s daughter.
  • Accused (Fox) Sunday 1/22, 9pm – A look at defendants in criminal trials as an anthology series, based on the British series.
  • Not Dead Yet (ABC) Wednesday 2/8, 8:30/9:30 – Gina Rodriguez plays an obituary writer trying to restart her life and I think talking to the dead.
  • Animal Control (Fox) Thursday 2/16, 9pm – Joel McHale heads up a cast focusing on the people, and animals, that animal control has to deal with.
  • Found (NBC) Sunday 2/19, 10pm – I guess this is like Alert in its focus on missing persons, this one features a person who was once missing. (Update: This is apparently being held until fall)
  • The Company You Keep (ABC) Sunday 2/19, 10pm – Can a con man and undercover office find love?
  • True Lies (CBS) Thursday 2/23, 9pm – A series adaptation of the film where a suburban wife finds out her hubs is a spy and she gets in on the game.

There are also some new reality/gameshow options: The Parent Test (ABC, 12/15), America’s Got Talent: All Stars (NBC, 1/2), Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (Fox, 1/4), Lingo (CBS, 1/11).

Stay tuned to New & Noteworthy posts for biweekly updates and check your local listings.

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new and noteworthy tv: 1/2-1/15

Will Trent

I have been playing catchup and was on the brink of wrapping up a few series… This Fool on Hulu (mildly amusing but not my thing), Killing It on Peacock (dumb but pretty funny), HighSchool on Freevee (I liked the idea of the twins’ story more than I felt compelled by the execution though would come back), and Evil (still too creepy but good) and The Good Fight (sad to say goodbye to these peeps) on Paramount+. I’m poking around for a minute on Paramount+ before canceling that subscription. I’m also adding a few other shows from best of 2022 lists before switching to movies. And of course, midseason is officially kicking off.

  • Will Trent (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/3, 10pm – Based on a book series this agent in the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (huh?) uses his unique POV to clear cases.
  • Ginny & Georgia (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 1/5 – I was surprisingly engaged with the first season of this family looking for new beginnings that find more than a few complications, it’s sweet and a little edgy.
  • The Rig (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 1/6 – A supernatural mist comes to an oil rig.
  • Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches (AMC & others) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/8, 9pm – Based on the books, a woman discovers she’s part of a witch fam and of course, there’s some drama.
  • Alert (Fox) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/8, 9pm – A new missing person drama set in Philly.
  • Velma (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/12 – Mindy Kaling voices the key member of the Scooby gang in this adult animated comedy.
  • The Last of Us (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/15, 9pm – A futuristic look at a man and girl trying to survive after the collapse of modern civilization.
  • The Way Home (Hall) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/15, 9pm – I don’t follow any of Hallmark’s series but assuming they’re relatively formulaic, this is a multigenerational family drama.

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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 12/19-1/1

Kaleidoscope

Trying to do a little damage to my list of shows on other people’s top tv lists and should continue over the holidays when new selections are low. There’s plenty of holiday fare and some specials. I wrapped up Dead to Me which was an odd and interesting journey about these two unlikely friends. The Patient might have been good but the subject matter (serial killer holding his therapist hostage) ended up a bit too dark for me. And Reboot with a cute enough premise and cast to make it work. The procrastinator wishes you lots of celebration and connection and lots of good things to watch.

  • Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Am) Season Premiere, Wednesday 12/21 – Is anyone watching this show, seems like it might be entertaining in a formulaic sort of way but I haven’t tried it?
  • Emily in Paris (Net) Season Premiere, Wednesday 12/21 – I don’t like this series but it’s one of the few series I find myself doing a quick binge on.
  • The Snap (Allblk) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/22 – Not to be confused with “The Slap,” a ‘god’ challenges peeps to see situations in a new light, it’s a comedy?
  • Pinata Masters! (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/23 – Reality spotlight, there is no area we can’t make a competition out of, will the kids like them?
  • The Witcher: Blood Origin (Net) Series Premiere, Sunday 12/25 – If you’ve always wondered about the story behind the Witcher.
  • Treason (Net) Series Premiere, Monday 12/26 – The past catches up with an MI6 agent, will secrets be exposed?
  • Kaleidoscope (Net) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/1 – Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega among others are part of a crew looking to pull off a big ass heist.
  • Paul T. Goldman (Pea) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/1 – A mix of real life and dramatized scenes in the style of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 12/5-12/18

1923

Nothing much to see here. Which is allowing me to play some catchup. Wrapped up the oddly compelling Yellowjackets (Show), not sure how those girls are dealing with things and all the secrets from the past but I’m in. Welcome to Wrexham (FX/Hulu) which was like a real-life Ted Lasso for those of us who don’t follow football aka soccer, they did a good job weaving the stories of the players, the town, and the big purchase by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. Grace & Frankie (Net) which felt like kind of a throwback sitcom but you can’t go wrong with hijinks with this cast headed by Jane Fond and Lily Tomlin. Reservation Dogs (Hulu) continued to bring it in season 2 with engaging and offbeat stories of four indigenous teens in Oklahoma. And Mind Your Manners one of the latest reality fare from Netflix, I try to limit my reality but the combo of learning new things and heartwarming stories sometimes slips through, this was fine enough.

And I start to look at all the series folks are starting to say are the best of the year. While I used to be able to do my top tv of the year posts at year close, now I always try to do a little catchup. Target Feb (because then I need to move on to movies). Until then I’ve got a busy slate. Still working through The Good Fight and Better Call Saul. Just started High School on Freevee and This Fool on Hulu, and while both had moments they didn’t immediately grab me.

But we can’t get away without anything new:

  • Kindred (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 12/13 – Adapted from the novel, a woman relocating her family to LA starts being pulled through time.
  • The Recruit (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/16 – New to the FBI and into big secrets.
  • 1923 (Para+) Series Premiere, Sunday 12/18 – If you haven’t gotten enough of Yellowstone here’s Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in a pre-prequel?

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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 11/21-12/4

Wednesday

I’ve been looking to knock out a couple of my streaming shows before I add much more. Better Call Saul, Evil, The Good Fight, and Lucifer are at the forefront. Fortunately, things dial back over the holidays so perhaps a little time to catch up.

  • Welcome to Chippendales (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 11/22 – This drama tells the tale of the Indian immigrant, played by Kumail Nanjiani, who founded the stripping empire.
  • Echo 3 (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 11/23 – Set in South America (in English and Spanish) this thriller when a brilliant young scientist goes missing.
  • Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 11/23 – Adam Devine’s character spins off with a trip to Berlin where one of his songs became a hit, these movies were charming (though I don’t really remember them or him) so hopefully, the series is as well.
  • Wednesday (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 11/23 – Wednesday Addams, of the Addams Family, takes center stage as she heads to Nevermore Academy from Tim Burton, worth a look.
  • Criminal Minds: Evolution (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/24 – In the latest reboot, picking up with the Behavioral Analysis Unit profiling and pursuing the worst of the worst, the first episodes getting a tease on CBS.
  • Irreverent (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 11/30 – A criminal mediator flees his Chicago life to somehow impersonate a Reverand in New Zealand.
  • Willow (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 11/20 – Based on the film this fantasy adventure gets the series treatment.
  • Riches (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 12/2 – Another look at the exploits of the rich and famous, a family vies for control after the patriarch passes.
  • Three Pines (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 12/2 – Based on the Chief Inspector Gamache series, Alfred Molina takes the title role investigating the cases in this Quebec village.
  • George & Tammy (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 12/4 – A dramatic look at country music power couple Tammy Wynette and George Jones.

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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 11/7-11/20

The English

Well other than the election coverage on Tuesday we’re just clicking along. I took a break from my Better Call Saul viewing to try Yellowjackets in case I let my Paramount+ subscription go sooner rather than later. I enjoyed the season of InkMaster and have some work to do on The Good Fight (which is wrapping up) and Evil. Let’s see if we get any traction on Tulsa King and want to consider that. I’ve also slacked on my in-apartment exercise bike so my streaming comedies have dwindled but I’ll want to dive into Dead to Me, good exercise motivation.

  • The Crown (Net) Season Premiere, Wednesday 11/9 – I dropped off on this earlier (not with a specific decision to do so) but folks are more attentive now to the more recent timeline and with the passing of the crown.
  • The Calling (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/10 – An NYPD detective ‘questions his own humanity.’
  • The Good Fight (Para+) Series Finale, Thursday 11/10 – I’m still on the previous season but clicking on this very fun and well-done series.
  • Reasonable Doubt (ABC) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/10, 10 pm – A broadcast premiere of a Hulu show to give you a look-see, if you couldn’t tell from the title it’s a legal show.
  • The English (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 11/11 – I just did a quick scan yesterday trying to find out when this was coming available after some folks shared an excellent review of this Emily Blunt Western.
  • Tulsa King (Para+) Series Premiere, Sunday 11/13 – Sylvester Stallone as a mafia guy out of prison and ending up in Tulsa, I think two episodes at the premiere and then weekly.
  • Rogue Heroes (Epix) Series Premiere, Sunday 11/13, 9 pm – Does anyone get Epix? If so you can tune in to this dramatized account of ‘the world’s greatest Special Forces unit.’
  • Leverage: Redemption (Free) Season Premiere, Wednesday 11/16 – I find this con-job-an-episode to be pretty entertaining.
  • Mind Your Manners (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 11/16 – Reality spotlight: I’m kind of intrigued to see what this etiquette teacher works with her clients on.
  • Fleishman is in Trouble (FX/Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/17 – I didn’t love this book, some protagonists are just annoying, but a little intrigued as to what they’ll do with the series with Jesse Eisenberg and Clair Danes among others.
  • Dead to Me (Net) Series Finale. Thursday 11/17 – We’re ready for the final season of this fun series with Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate as unexpected friends, and thinking healthy thoughts for Applegate who managed to complete this while battling MS.

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.

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my schedule

Alaska Daily

Turns out I’ve sort of stopped doing this since with the ebb and flow of television there’s not one fixed time that I have a set fall schedule. But I have dabbled in almost all of the broadcast fall tv so I thought I’d let you know where I netted out. Lopez vs Lopez still hasn’t started but I feel like we’re good and if it’s awesome I’ll let you know.

Monday

  • Quantum Leap (NBC, 10pm) – This is a fun enough pickup from the original with a nice combo of random scenario of the week and overarching stuff and the characters are generally likable.

Wednesday

  • The Conners/Abbott Elementary/Home Economics (ABC, 8/9/9:30pm) – No real change here, I’m game for more funny with Abbott being the standout.

Thursday

  • Ghosts/So Help Me Todd (CBS, 8:30/9pm) – Ghosts is the other comedy standout and Todd isn’t revolutionary but Skylar Astin and Marcia Gay Harden sell it as mother/son kind of working (Attorney/PI) odd couple.
  • Alaska Daily (ABC, 10pm) – So far this has felt really quality with Hilary Swank as a fish out of water journalist trying to get to the bottom of ignored indigenous crimes and ruffling feathers along the way for good and for bad.
  • Call Me Kat (Fox, 9:30) – This show is almost funny, but I am crushed to have lost Leslie Jordan who was the bright spot here, not sure it will be worth it without him but we’ll see what they do.
  • Law & Order (NBC, 8pm) – I feel like it’s lost its edge with the topical ‘ripped from the headlines’ but there’s a nostalgia factor here.

Sunday

  • Family Law/Coroner (CW, 8/9pm) – The Canadians should not be underestimated, and I am adding this reluctant to be working together family of attorneys (and other related professions) with a can’t help but like her protagonist to the already enjoyed death investigation of the week.
  • The Equalizer (CBS, 8pm) – I mean Queen Latifa can solve it when you have nowhere else to turn, sure.

I have also been enjoying Welcome to Wrexham (which just wrapped but I’m behind, Fx/Hulu), Atlanta which is not done yet but I’m also behind on (Thursday at 10, Fx/Hulu), and Reginald the Vampire (Wednesday at 10, Syfy) which is very charming.

Do you still watch broadcast tv? Any winners?

*As always check your local listings.

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