new and noteworthy tv: 6/20-7/3

The Terminal List

I’ve continued some catchup. Wrapping Ridley Road on Masterpiece, eh. The Belgian Professor T, good quirky criming (for which I had to do a trial subscription of Masterpiece to binge the second season). Wrapped up Atlanta which I enjoyed but kind of missed our core crew with so many standalone anthology eps. Watched El Camino to finally close the chapter on Breaking Bad before turning to Better Call Saul. And the first part of Stranger Things season 4 (excited for those final two eps hitting). I also sampled Dark Winds on AMC and the first two eps of The Old Man both of which were intriguing.

I’m also tempted to rewatch the first season of Only Murders in the Building to prep for the return. I’m also excited for the return of other summer fares including Motherland: Fort Salem for what I believe is the final season and Umbrella Academy which I am mostly over by the end of the season but seem to keep tuning back in. And the final eps of Stranger Things season 4. I did also start a rewatch of The OC so trying to pace myself, I haven’t watched it since it was on originally, in a time when if you didn’t record an episode it was lost and I think I missed a couple, California here we come.

  • The Holiday (Spec) Series Premiere, Monday 6/20 – A family holiday is less than idyllic as dark secrets emerge.
  • The Bear (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/23 – This comedic take on a fine-dining chef returning home to run the family sandwich shop in Chicago.
  • Gordita Chronicles (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/23 – A coming-of-age series set in ’85 Miami follows a family’s move from the Dominican Republic.
  • Loot (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 6/24 – Starring and EP’d by Maya Rudolph and other pedigrees bring comedy where newly single and billionaire looks to be more involved in her charity foundation.
  • Man vs Bee (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 6/24 – I’m not sure how there’s an entire series on a man, Rowan Atkinson, trying to best a bee while house-sitting a fancy house but here you go.
  • The Terminal List (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 7/1 – Based on the book, Chris Pratt stars as a Navy SEAL returning home and trying to make sense of an ambush and dark forces at work.
  • Carl Weber’s The Black Hamptons (BET) Series Premiere, 7/1 – A four-part series set in Sag Harbor and looking at an elite family feud.

More streaming

  • Queen (Net, 6/23 – Indian drama)
  • MoneyHeist: Korea (Net, 6/24 – Korean drama, I never did get into the other MoneyHeist)
  • Cafe Minamdang (Net, 6/27 – Korean drama)
  • Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Net, 6/29 – Korean drama)

Returning streaming: Hidden (Acorn. 6/20), Love Island (Hulu, 6/21), Little Ellen (HBOM, 6/23), TRH Ultimate Girls Trip (Pea, 6/23), The Split (SundN, 6/23), Terror Lake Drive (AllBlk, 6/23), Corner Gas Animated (Free, 6/24), Only Murders in the Building (Hulu, 6/28), The Upshaws (Net, 6/29), Sharkdog (Net, 6/30), The Brokenwood Mysteries (Acorn, 7/1), Stranger Things (Net, 7/1), Top Gear America (Morot, 7/1).

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: 6/6-6/19

The Old Man

Cranking away on some tv I wrapped up Ozark and that was sure a journey, overall I enjoyed it, I’ll leave it at that. I also wrapped my rewatch of Cougar Town which was a fun comedy. I ended up watching the series Crossing Lines because though a little old it was marked a premiere and I hadn’t seen it, perfectly good for a ‘crimes across Europe’ escapade. And Tupac & Biggie which I started watching on USA ages ago but somehow got waylaid and finally caught up, curious about those incidents and time period but maybe lost some momentum in the series.

I’ll be tuning back into previously listed The Boys and Stranger Things and likely The Old Man as well as the returning Animal Kingdom.

  • Irma Vep (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 6/6, 9pm – Alicia Vikander takes on the role of disillusioned actress heading to France to film a remake, initial reviews are positive.
  • All Rise (OWN) Season Premiere, Tuesday 6/7, 8pm – Wanted to call this out because this show got picked up by OWN after getting the ax so if you were a watcher you might need to do a little dvr reset, I enjoyed this legal case of the week where everybody cares.
  • Ms. Marvel (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 6/8 – A new take on this superhero as Pakistani-American teen gets superpowers.
  • Queer as Folk (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/9 – For some reason I was thinking they had already remade this British series but either way here we go again.
  • First Kill (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 6/10 – Teen love between vampire and vampire hunter, based on a short story.
  • Dark Winds (AMC) Series Premiere, Sunday 6/13, 9pm – Based on a book series, Native Tribal Police investigate a double murder and uncover their own personal demons.
  • Spotlights (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 6/12, 7:30pm – An anthology series of short films from emerging filmmakers.
  • Becoming Elizabeth (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 6/12, 8pm – Lots of drama on the retelling of the rise of one of the more iconic queens following the death of Henry VIII.
  • God’s Favorite Idiot (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 6/15 – Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone take their comedy stylings to a new series about an unlikely man who God taps to fight evil.
  • The Old Man (Fx) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/16 – Based on the Thomas Perry novel and starring Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and Amy Brenneman about a retired CIA operative who has to come out of hiding.
  • Players (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/16 – A documentary-style look at competitive gaming from the peeps who did American Vandal.
  • You Don’t Know Me (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 6/17 – A British courtroom drama where a man on trial for murder recounts an affair.
  • The Lake (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 6/17 – Families get away to the lake but will they find more drama, in this Canadian comedy.
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 6/17 – A coming-of-age tale of a girl and two brothers.
  • Hotel Portofino (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 6/19, 8pm – Italian drama and mystery in the aftermath of WWI.

More

  • Baby Fever (Danish drama – Net, 6/8)
  • Boundless (Spanish drama – Am, 6/10)
  • Intimacy (Spanish drama – Net, 6/10)
  • Maldivas (Brazilian drama – Net, 6/15)

Returning streaming: Action Pack (Net, 6/6), London Kills (Acorn, 6/6), Summer Camp Island (HBOM, 6/9), Fairfax (Am, 6/10), For All Mankind (App+, 6/10), Odo (HBOM, 6/10), Evil (Para+, 6/3), Love and Anarchy (Net, 6/16), Rutherford Falls (Pea, 6/16), She (Net, 6/17), The War Next Door (Net, 6/17).

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: 5/23-6/5

This is Going to Hurt

There were a host of cancellations as new schedules are being put together. For me, a couple that weren’t already announced before the season were on my season pass. The 4400 was intriguing though not as engaging as the season wore on. Comedies B Positive, The United State of Al, Kenan, Mr. Mayor, and Pivoting all had potential but admittedly were maybe not rock solid. or ‘dramas’ I let go of the really fun The Big Leap (canceled a while, ago) and Queens (so I guess I’ll have to stick with the comedic version Girls5eva). Check out a full list to see what of yours is calling it.

I finished the fine Lincoln Lawyer. It’s no Bosch which I’ve been keeping up with and has the feel of the original Bosch, with mostly fewer characters (though fun to get the occasional guest appearance). I will look into the latest Stranger Things which usually has the feel of a cheesy ’80s summer matinee and The Boys who will continue to get into trouble.

  • French Open (Tennis/NBC) – I’ve been a little remiss in my tennis watching and just happened on day 1 today, but you can catch it over the next fortnight.
  • Shoresy (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 5/27 – Based on a Letterkenny character, this comedy follows Shoresy to join a senior AAA hockey team.
  • Obi-wan Kenobi (Dis+) Series Premiere, Friday 5/27 – I have stopped keeping up with this franchise but Ewan McGregor is back.
  • Pistol (FX/Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/31 – A limited series about Steve Jones, the guitarist of Sex Pistols.
  • Tom Swift (CW) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/31 – Introduced via Nancy Drew and inspired by the books, he’s a rich guy uncovering secrets…
  • This is Going to Hurt (SundN/AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 6/2 – A comedy-drama based on the memoir of a doctor finding his way through hospital life, early reviews are good.

More

  • Welcome to Wedding Hell (Korean romantic drama – Net, 5/23)
  • The Dreamers (Israeli crime comedy – SundN, 5/26)
  • Borgen (Danish drama – Net, 6/2)

Returning streaming: Ghost in the Shell (Net, 5/23), Social Society (Allblk, 5/23), Somebody Feed Phil (Net, 5/25), That Damn Michael Che (HBOM, 5/26), Tig n’ Seek (HBOM, 5/26), Carpool Karaoke (App+, 5/27), Helpsters (App+, 5/27), Stranger Things (Net, 5/27), The Croods (Julu, 6/2), The Orville (Hulu, 6/2), For the Love of Jason (Allblk, 6/2), The Boys (Am, 6/3), Physical (App+, 6/3), Floor is Lava (Net, 6/3), iCarly (Para+, 6/3).

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: 5/9-5/22

Lincoln Lawyer

Network stuff is starting to wind down so I’m looking at a little more time to stream. I buzzed through the fun Russian Doll, while I didn’t think the second season worked quite as well for me it was grander in scope and I can’t not enjoy Natasha Lyonne. I’m working on Ozark. And I might get back to doing my apartment bike which I save a handful of half-hour sitcoms for. I might dabble with Lincoln Lawyer when it comes out, seems like a nice pairing with Bosch: Legacy which I’m looking forward to diving into.

  • Candy (Hulu) Series Premiere, Monday 5/9 – Jessica Biel as an ’80s housewife who turns deadly when the pressure of conformity is too much, early reviews are mixed.
  • A La Carte (Allblk) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/12 – A dramedy about the Black millennial dating experience.
  • The Essex Serpent (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 5/13 – London widow played by Clare Danes moves to Essex in Victorian England to investigate reports of a mythical serpent, sure.
  • The Kids in the Hall (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 5/13 – It’s back with Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson doing their sketch comedy.
  • Children Ruin Everything (Roku) Series Premiere, Friday 5/13 – Continuing the comedy stylings of how to be regular people and parents in this Canadian series.
  • Lincoln Lawyer (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 5/13 – Based on the Connelly books we’re doing a new take on this lawyer practicing out of his car with Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, and Becki Newton among others.
  • Conversations with Friends (Hulu) Series Premiere, Sunday 5/15 – Another series based on a book by Sally Rooney following a college student navigating relationships.
  • Angelyne (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/19 – Emmy Rossum stars in this biopic look at the life of the woman from the billboard.
  • The Ipcress File (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/19 – A 6-part British espionage thriller based on the book, it promises lots of twists and turns, and early reviews are mostly positive.
  • Kingdom Business (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/19 – This drama explores the gospel music industry through family, faith, etc.
  • Night Sky (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 5/20 – Sissy Spacek and JK Simmons star as a couple who have a secret chamber leading to a secret planet that apparently holds more secrets than they realized.
  • Troppo (Freevee) Series Premiere, Friday 5/20 – An ex-cop running from a crime he didn’t commit gets caught up investigating a crime in Australia.
  • Now and Then (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 5/20 – A group of college besties reunited 20 years after one of their group died in this bilingual Miami mystery.

More streaming:

  • 42 Days of Darkness (Chilean drama – Net, 5/11)
  • Savage Beauty (South African drama – Net, 5/12)
  • The Life and Movies of Ersan Kuneri (Turkish comedy – Net, 5/13)
  • New Heights (Swiss drama – Net, 5/13)
  • Who Killed Sara? (Mexican mystery – Net, 5/18)

Returning streaming: The Village (Ova, 5/10), Workin’ Moms (Net, 5/10), Brotherhood (Net, 5/11), Hacks (HBOM, 5/12), Greatness Code (App+, 5/13), Bling Empire (Net, 5/13), Zoe Bakes (Disc+, 5/13), The Future Diary (Net, 5/17), Dragsin Rescue Riders (Pea, 5/19), Insiders (Net, 5/19), Legendary (HBOM, 5/19), Made for Love (HBOM, 5/19), LOL – Last One Laughing (Am, 5/20), Love, Death & Robots (Net, 5/20), My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (Net, 5/20), RuPauls’s Drag Race All Stars (Para, 5/20).

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: 4/25-5/8

Bosch: Legacy

Well, I’ve been doing a bit of catch-up and have wrapped up Maid (Net) which was good but a tough show to watch. Also, Bridgerton (Net) which honestly isn’t totally my jam but is entertaining enough in that very formulaic romance. And on regular tv, I caught the series finale of Killing Eve which will never recapture the magic of the first season but those actors and characters are still good fun. The long-overdue for me second and final season of David Makes Man (OWN), and while I thought the first season worked better than the second it was still a beautiful show. And wrapping up some of the seasons for things like fun new comedy intros Abbott Elementary and Ghosts.

Also if you haven’t been catching Better Things you’re missing out, the series finale airs this week on Fx and you can catch up on Hulu. Grace and Frankie is also dropping its final episodes as is Ozark which is perfect timing because I’m just starting part 1 of season 4 so no waiting in between for part 2. Also intrigued by another season of odd but captivating Undone and fun Girls5eva. For new shows, I guess kind of new, I’m most looking forward to the new Bosch.

  • We Own This City (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 4/25, 9pm – Based on a non-fiction book this drama follows the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force, getting good early reviews.
  • Under the Banner of Heaven (Fx/H) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/29 – Based on the Krakauer book, a detective played by Andrew Garfield looks into the murder of a woman and her daughter.
  • The Offer (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/28 – A look at the making of The Godfather, is this where I reluctantly admit I’ve never seen the film, good cast, mixed early reviews.
  • Shining Girls (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/29 – A thriller based on the novel about a woman played by Elisabeth Moss investigating a murder because it mirrors a traumatic assault she suffered.
  • Ten Percent (SundN) Series Premiere, Friday 4/29 – Based on the French series Call My Agent! this follows a small London talent agency, I’ve heard good things about the original which is available on Netflix.
  • I Love That For You (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 5/1, 8:30pm – Vanessa Bayer stars as a woman trying to turn from “that cancer girl” to a home shopping host also starring Molly Shannon.
  • Ridley Road (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 5/1, 9pm – A woman moves to London in 1962 to find her ex and gets more than she bargained for in this limited spy series, mixed early reviews.
  • Signora Volupe (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 5/2 – A disillusioned British spy turned detective starts a new life in Italy but trouble is still to be found.
  • The Pentaverate (Net) Series Premiere, 5/5 – A comedy series starring Mike Myers in seven roles with a look at a secret society.
  • The Porter (BET+) Series Premiere, 5/5 – Focusing on 1920s railway workers fighting for liberation in this civil rights drama.
  • The Staircase (HBOM) Series Premiere, 5/5 – Based on a true story, the life of a man and his wife’s suspicious death with Colin Firth and Toni Collette.
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Para+) Series Premiere, 5/5 – Following Captain Pike from Discovery in the years before Kirk took over the Enterprise.
  • Bosch: Legacy (Free) Series Premiere, 5/6 – This is the anticipated Bosch spinoff that’s heading to formerly known as IMDB and available via Amazon.

More

  • Bang Bang Baby (Italian drama – Am, 4/28)
  • The 7 Lives of Lea (French drama – Net, 4/28)
  • Blood Sisters (Nigerian drama – Net, 5/4)
  • Clark (Swedish drama – Net, 5/5)
  • Welcome to Eden (Spanish drama – Net, 5/6)

Returning streaming: Balthazar (Acorn, 4/25), Komi Can’t Communicate (Net, 4/27), Made for Love (HBOM, 4/28), Smother (Pea, 4/28), Grace & Frankie (Net, 4/29), Ozark (Net, 4/29), Octonauts (Net, 5/2), The Circle (Net, 5/4), El Marginal (Net, 5/4), Summertime (Net, 5/4), Girls5eva (Pea, 4/23), Tehran (App+, 5/6), The Wilds (Am, 5/6).

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: 4/11-4/24

A Very British Scandal

I’ve been culling through the backlog and ticked through Around the World in 80 Days from PBS which was a fun endeavor, Queer Eye Germany to catch a different Fab 5 do their thing, and Queens which was kind of a mess but still fun enough. I’ve still got some more random things on the dvr but excited for Russian Doll on Netflix. Though I still have Ozark in the queue is that too much or just right as a rock block?

  • Hard Cell (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 4/12 – A British prison mockumentary set in a fictional female prison, early reviews not amazing.
  • The Family Law (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/13 – Dysfunctional and supposedly heart-warming Chinese-Australian family.
  • Fairwood (Crack) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/14 – The exploits of small town entertainers in this comedy.
  • Killing It (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/14 – Comedy about one man’s quest to achieve the American dram through hunting snakes starring Craig Robinson.
  • Outer Range (Am, 4/15) Series Premiere, Friday 4/15 – A rancher fighting for his land finds a mystery with Josh Brolin.
  • Roar (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/15 – Female driven comedic stories in this anthology series.
  • Anatomy of a Scandal (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 4/15 – The privileged life of a wife of a powerful politician unravels.
  • Swimming with the Sharks (Roku) Series Premiere, Friday 4/15 – The darks side of the Hollywood studio system via a assistant turning the tables on a boss
  • The First Lady (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/17 – Anthology with Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford.
  • A Very British Scandal (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 4/22 – The story of the divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll with Claire Foy and Paul Bettany, A Very English Scandal was pretty well done.
  • Gaslit (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/24 – A modern take on Watergate with Julia Roberts and Sean Penn as the couple in the center of the Nixon takedown.
  • Billy the Kid (Epix) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/24 – A drama about how William H. Bonney became an outlaw.
  • The Man Who Fell to Earth (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/24 – Inspired by the novel and Bowie film we foolow an alien looking for help for his species.
  • The Baby (HBO) Series Premiere 4/24 – A woman who didn’t want a baby finds herself with one in this horror comedy, I’m not really sure what that means.

More streaming

  • Smother-In-Law (Brazilian comedy – Net, 4/13)
  • Heirs to the Land (Spanish drama – Net, 4/15)
  • Mai: A Mother’s Rage (Hindi mystery – Net, 4/15)
  • Hidden Assets (Irish drama – Acorn, 4/18)
  • The Marked Heart (Columbian thriller – Net, 4/20)
  • Yakamoz S-245 (Turkish sci-fi – Net, 4/20)
  • He’s Expecting (Japanese drama – Net, 4/21)
  • Les Norton (Australian crime dramedy – Crack, 4/21)
  • Heartstopper (British comedy – Net, 4/22)
  • Hold Tight (Polish mystery – Net, 4/22)

Returning streaming: Balthazar (Acorn, 4/11), Almost Happy (Net, 4/13), The Great Pottery Throw Down (HBO, 4/14), Ultraman (Net, 4/14), Como Sobrevivir Soltero (Am, 4/15), The Real World Homecoming (Para+, 4/20), Russian Doll (Net, 4/20), The Flight Attendant (HBOM, 4/21), Pretty Hard Cases (IMDB, 4/22), Selling Sunset (Net, 4/22).

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: 3/28-4/10

The Girl From Plainville

I finished up my 2021 movies binge to get my best of list out. Still more movies to see but you gotta draw the line somewhere. I am back to catching up on saved tv shows, Better Things, Killing Eve, Astrid & Lilly, Resident Alien, before I dig back into streaming.

I have also tried a couple new items. Welcome to Flatch which feels like it wants to be funny, not sure if it just needs more time. The Boys Presents the animated bit which didn’t do much in adding to The Boys universe for me. The Thing About Pam which I couldn’t bring myself to give a second episode. I have been hanging in for Law & Order though not with much enthusiasm.

  • The Girl from Plainville (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 3/29 – Based on the true story of the girl convicted of basically driving her boyfriend to suicide, with Elle Fanning in the title role always worth a look.
  • Moon Knight (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/30 – Another Marvel, this one about about a dude sharing a body with a mercenary.
  • Julia (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/31 – Comedy series based on the life of Julia Child.
  • How We Roll (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/31 – A comedy based on the life of professional bowler Tom Smallwood a man turns to a career in bowling when he gets laid off from an assembly line.
  • Love Me (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 4/1 – When a woman passes away on her 40th birthday she leaves her husband and kids at a crossroads.
  • The Outlaws (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 4/1 – A comedic thriller about lawbreakers thrown together for community service and a bag of cash.
  • Slow Horses (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/1 – Based on the novel(s), this espionage series follows a team of British intelligence agents headed up by Gary Oldman.
  • Fallen Angels Murder Club (Life) Series Premiere, Saturday 4/2 – An anthology movie series with Toni Braxton as an ex-con turned amateur sleuth.
  • Harry Wild (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 4/4 – This Irish mystery thriller stars Jane Seymour as a retired professor who gets involved in her detective son’s case.
  • Long Slow Exhale (Spec) Series Premiere, Monday 4/4 – A drama about a women’s college basketball team where a coach gets caught up in a sexual abuse scandal.
  • 61st Street (AMC) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/10, 10pm – Chicago criminal justice system investigates a deadly drug bust in this thriller.

More streaming:

  • Wild Abandon (Turkish drama – Net, 3/30)
  • The Informant (Hungarian spy drama – HBOM, 4/1)
  • The Thaw (Polish thriller – HBOM, 4/1)
  • Tomorrow (Korean fantasy drama – Net, 4/1)
  • Green Mother’s Club (Korean drama – Net, 4/6)
  • The Marked Heart (Colombian thriller – Net, 4/6)
  • Tokyo Vice (Japanese drama – HBOM, 4/7)
  • Dirty Lines (Dutch offbeat drama – Net, 4/8)
  • My Liberation Notes (Korean drama – Net, 4/9)
  • Our Blues (Korean drama – Net, 4/9)

Returning streaming: First Day (Hulu, 3/31), Wisting (SundN, 3/31), Young Justice (HBOM, 3/31), Boarding School (Net, 4/1), Doug Unplugs (App+, 4/1), The Croods (Hulu, 4/5), The Hardy Boys (Hulu, 4/6), Close Enough (HBOM, 4/7), Woke (Hulu, 4/8), Elite (Net, 4/8).

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: 3/14-3/27

Pachinko

After finally wrapping the fun Get Shorty I did a quick spin through Reacher and the new season of Upload which were also pretty enjoyable. This week in addition to maybe Life & Beth, will tune back in to the second season of Mr. Mayor which had potential. And will tune back in for another frothy romp with Bridgerton and long awaited return of Atlanta.

  • DMZ (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/17 – A limited series based on the comic series stars Rosario Dawson searching for her son in Manhattan after a future civil way.
  • Minx (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/17 – Some early positive buzz for this look at the first erotic magazine for women.
  • Welcome to Flatch (Fox) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/17 – Based on a BBC series this mockumentary look at a small-town has enough pedigree to maybe be funny.
  • Life & Beth (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 3/18 – Amy Schumer heads up this series as a ‘successful’ woman forced to look back at her life.
  • WeCrashed (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/18 – Based on the podcast, Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway star in this story of the rise and fall of WeWork.
  • Human Resources (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 3/18 – A spin-off of Big Mouth, which has its moments, this follows the creatures like the Hormone Monsters worlds.
  • The Newsreader (Roku) Series Premiere, Friday 3/18 – A six part Australian drama following 1986 reporters.
  • Halo (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/24 – Based on the video game, if that’s interesting to you.
  • Pachinko (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/25 – I really enjoyed this book, hopeful that the series does justice to the story that spans Korea, Japan, and America following generations of a family, early word looks good.
  • The Pact (Roku) Series Premiere, Saturday 3/26 – A drama follows a family in a post-apocalyptic world looking for answers about a fog that drives victims insane.
  • Academy Awards (ABC) Sunday 3/27, 5pm – I’m aiming to put my best movies list out next weekend and have sort of decided to prioritize seeing some of this best pic nominees and calling it a day, our Oscar pool fell by the wayside so I may or may not tune in.

International

  • Pedal to the Metal (Mexican drama – Net, 3/16)
  • Soil (Belgian dramedy – Net, 3/17)
  • Cracow Monsters (Polish horror/fantasy – Net, 3/18)
  • Eternally Confused and Eager for Love (Indian Romcom – Net, 3/18
  • Lust (Swedish comedy – HBOM, 3/18)
  • Standing Up (French dramedy – Net, 3/18)
  • Before We Die (Swedish detective – PBS 3/20)
  • Parallels (French drama – Dis+, 3/23)

Returning streaming: The Bay (Brit, 3/15), Curious George (Pea, 3/17), Jellystone (HBOM, 3/17), Millennials (AllBlk, 3/17), Stillwater (App+, 3/18), Light the Night (Net, 3/18), Top Boy (Net, 3/18), The Good Karma Hospital (Acorn, 3/21), Bloods (Hulu, 3/23), Starstruck (HBOM, 3/24), Bridgerton (Net, 3/25).

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: 2/28-3/13

Queer Eye Germany

Well I finally kicked out my Top TV list so now back to the riff raff. I am excited for the return of Better Things on Monday for its final season. The returning Canadian show Transplant is still on my season pass. And the fun Upload is returning to Amazon.

  • The Dropout (Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/3 – The latest limited series focuses on Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes a tale of ambition gone wrong.
  • Joe vs. Carole (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/3/ – More nonsense about these big cat shenanigan, with Kate McKinnon as Carole curious the tone they’ll go for.
  • Our Flag Means Death (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/3 – This original comedy series is loosely based on the 18th century pirate Stede Bonnet and their hijinks.
  • The Tourist (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/3 – A man loses his memory after an epic cat and mouse car chase and the pursuit is not over.
  • The Boys Presents (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 3/4 – I normally pay limited attention to animation but this is set in The Boys universe which is a show I enjoy so maybe a look.
  • Pieces of Her (Net) Series Premiere, – Toni Collette stars as a mother with a dark past whose daughter starts to question after an attack.
  • Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/6 – A dramatic retelling about the Lakers in the ’80s.
  • Shining Vale (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/6 – A couple whose marriage is at its breaking point move with their kids from Brooklyn to Connecticut buying an old house in this Ghosts-esque comedy, except the ghost might be a murderer trying to possess the wife.
  • The Chelsea Detective (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 3/7 – A detective investigates murders with the usual suspects in supporting roles.
  • The Thing About Pam (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 3/8 – Drama based on a real life murder and the involvement of Pam, the main think I know is that Renee Zellweger stars but people are not happy she’s in a fat suit to do it.
  • Queer Eye Germany (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/9 – In a foreign/reality highlight a local Fab 5 gives this show a go.
  • Bust Down (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/10 – Four casino employees making a mess out of their lives in this comedy.
  • That Dirty Black Bag (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/10 – A spaghetti western of a series covers bounty hunters, bandits, vendettas and more.
  • The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/11 – Limited series with Samuel L. Jackson among others as an old man with dementia is assigned to the care of a teenager they find a treatment to restore memories.

More streaming (foreign/foreign language) – The global streaming situation is out of control so I’m going to stop trying to detail all of these. For now will list them in case you want them on your radar. Usually if there’s a hidden gem it’ll start to get buzz with some of the critics I follow and I can highlight it at a later date.

  • Business Proposal (Korean – Net, 2/28)
  • Savage Rhythm (Colombian – Net, 3/2)
  • Echos (German – SundN, 3/3)
  • Midnight at Pera Palace (Turkish – Net, 3/3)
  • Lies and Deceit (Spanish – Net, 3/4)
  • Love, Life & Everything in Between (Saudi – Net, 3/10)
  • Once Upon a Time… Happily Never After (Spanish – Net, 3/11)

Returning streaming: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Net, 3/3), A House Divided (Allblk, 3/3), Little Ellen (HBOM, 3/3), The Parisian Agency (Net, 3/3), Power Rangers Dino Fury (Net, 3/3), Star Trek: Picard (Para+, 3/3), Central Park (App+, 3/4) , Dear… (App+, 3/4), An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts (Net, 3/8), Chip and Potato (Net, 3/8), The Last Kingdom (Net, 3/9), Karma’s World (Net, 3/10), Ruthless (BET+, 3/10), The Snoopy Show (App+, 3/11), Upload (Am, 3/11).

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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procrastinator’s top tv of 2021

Only Murders in the Building

For those who have lost track I am dealing with basic+ cable plus Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. So I am mostly limited from the HBOs and whatnots as well as some other streamers. I did have a free apple+ subscription that I held onto (aka paid for) long enough to finish the second season of Ted Lasso but specifically kept myself from getting into any of their dramas. I am also plotting a quick subscription to Paramount+ to catch up on Evil and The Good Fight since I’ve enjoyed earlier seasons of those (doing some math on just buying various seasons). Oh and I watched Breaking Bad, so you know that took up some time.

So yes I could watch TV for much longer to see all the shows that people proclaim were the best of 2021 but here’s where I ended up. For critic’s picks check out metacritic.

  1. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – This was just the perfect tone and content for where I was at when I got to this, great star power with Steven Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, and it both poked fun at and told a conveying murder tale with fun twists, can’t wait for another season.
  2. The Great (Hulu) – The occasionally true retelling of Catherine the Great did a fun job of taking us into the second season, lots of hilarity and hijinks here and love/hate people and relationships.
  3. Ted Lasso (App+) – Although I heard some of the rumblings I thought overall they really took the show in a direction that worked as it evolved, will revisit App+ when we get around to another.
  4. Mythic Quest (App+) – The other show I let myself enjoy while I had the subscription, they really mastered the ongoing odd work environment and characters with killer standalone episodes, don’t be put off by the setting of a video game company.
  5. Resident Alien (Syfy) – Alan Tudyk is really such a winner in this role but the whole cast has great charm as we watch this alien become more human and it might even stop him from destroying the world.
  6. Ghosts (CBS) – I’ve appreciated Rose McIver since iZombie and she’s got herself a fun new role in seeing ghosts and translating to her husband, the ghosts themselves do a great job of bringing good characters from different time periods and living pretty full lives.
  7. Big Leap (Fox) – While this isn’t a show for everyone the behind the scenes of a reality dance competition was for me a great balance of looking at the machinations of stirring up reality drama with a sweet side both in front of and behind the cameras, hoping for another season.
  8. Squid Game (Net) – Whatever you want to say about this it sure was compelling, brutal, but compelling, and I’m very curious as to what they’re going to do in a second season.
  9. Sex Education (Net) – I still enjoy my time with these students and their families dealing with sex and relationships.
  10. Lupin (Net) – A good caper can’t be beat and I was happy to take another jaunt in this somewhat ridiculous next chapter.

Honorable: Bo Burnham: Inside (Net), Bridgerton (Net), Everything’s Going to Be Okay (Free), Girls5eva (Pea), Kim’s Convenience (CBC/Net), Leverage: Redemption (IMDB), Reservation Dogs (Fx/Hulu), The Underground Railroad (Prime), What We Do In the Shadows (Fx), We Are Lady Parts (Pea), You (Net).

What were your faves last year?

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