new and noteworthy tv: 10/25-11/7

4400

I caught the first episode of Queens, which was very much a dramatic Girls5eva, but has potential. Also finished season one of Squid Games, brutal but quite good storytelling as well as season two of Never Have I Ever which is always a little endearing. Ic cranked through the second half of Leverage: Redemption which I find fun and the first half of Grace & Frankie which felt a little short (stupid pandemic).

I’m still managing to make my way through Breaking Bad with a chaser of Sex Education as well as Get Shorty which needs a chaser. I’ll get around to the new season of Big Mouth when I catch up on my exercise half-hour comedies and see what 4400 has to offer. Wondering if the second season of Love Life which was cute will also get around to repairing somewhere other than HBOMax. And The Harder They Fall will likely hit Saturday night movie for me.

  • 4400 (CW) Series Premiere, Monday 10/25, 9pm – I don’t remember watching this 2004 series but we revisit the theme of people reappearing who have disappeared over a the last one hundred years.
  • Horror Noire (Shud) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/28 – Dramatic anthology following the documentary looking at the history of black horror.
  • Fairfax (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 10/29 – An adult animated comedy following four middle school best friends looking for cout on Fairfax Ave.
  • Swagger (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 10/29 – A look at youth basketball inspired by Kevin Durant’s expereiences.
  • Colin in Black & White (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/29 – A look at Colin Kaepernic’s life from Kaepernic and Ava DuVernay.
  • Dalgliesh (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 11/1 – A detective story based on the P.D. James books, solving unusual murders through 1970s England in three two-part films.
  • The Harder they Fall (Net) Movie spotlight, Wednesday 11/3 – Idris Elba and Regina King in a revenge Western, yes please.
  • Head of the Class (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/4 – Based on a 1986 series, this comedy follows some overachievers who are confrtonted with a new teacher who wants them to experience more of life.
  • Lace (Allblk) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/4 – An attorney who blurs the lines between right and wrong to protect her powerful clients.
  • Vexed (Ova) Series Premiere, Thursday 11/4 – Mismatched police detectives work together in what looks like maybe a new airing of an old show.
  • Dexter: New Blood (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 11/7 – I can’t even…

More streaming:

  • An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/27 – A hearbroken single woman turns to the stars for her perfect match in this Italian romantic dramedy.
  • Paraiso (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/28 – Three teen girls disappear and when one of their brothers and his friends look into it they find something otherworldly in this show from Spain.
  • Call My Agent Bollywood (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/29 – A spinoff from Call My Agent, which I’ve heard good things about but haven’t seen.
  • Maradona (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 10/29 – Biopic following the life of the Argentine star.
  • The Time It Takes (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/29 – After a breakup Lina looks for a new life in this Spanish romantic drama.
  • Historias Para No Dormir (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 11/5 – Drama based on tv series four fantastic stories brought back to life in this Spanish show.
  • The Club (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 11/5 – 1950s Instabul where a mother works at a nightclub to connect with her daughter in this Turkish drama.
  • Gloria (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 11/5 – A young engineer is recruited as a KGB spy in this portuguese historical thriller.
  • The Unlikely Murderer (Net) Friday 11/5 – Based on the book, this Swedish drama follows a man claiming to be a witness to an assassination may be the killer, in this Swedish crime drama.

Returning streaming: Family Business (Acorn, 10/25), My Life is Murder (Acorn, 10/25), Sintonia (Net, 10/27), Hitmen (Pea, 10/28), Love Life (HBOM, 10/28), Selena + Chef (HBOM, 10/28), Takki (Net, 10/28), Homegrown (Disc+, 10/29), The Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Disc+, 10/29), Mythomaniac (Net, 10/29), Super Dad (Disc+, 10/29), From Scratch (Hist, 10/30), Temple (Spec, 11/1) Ridley Jones (Net, 11/2), Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu, 11/4), One Lane Bridge (SundN, 11/4), Animaniacs (Hulu, 11/5), Dickinson (App+, 11/5), Big Mouth (Net, 11/5), Narcos (Net, 11/5).

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: 10/11-10/24

Dopesick

I did a little more fall sampling and though La Brea started kind of entertaining it lost momentum in the second episode, I will give it one more to see if they can make the prehistoric drama sing. CSI: Vegas was what one might expect, I watched the original for a bit but was not tuned in enough to appreciate the carried-over characters and drama. Ghosts was a cute start and I’ll keep checking in to see how the living and dead characters continue. I’m also staying tuned to The Big Leap which is fun, and at least one more to The Wonder Years though I’m not super into it, but couldn’t keep up with Our Kind of People.

I also wrapped up the first season of Ginny & Georgia, which turned out to be better than a Gilmore Girls-lite. The Kominsky Method which brought it with the cast. And Goliath as each season found a way to be totally weird on top of a season-long case, also great casting.

And though nothing really grabs me on the new shows other than Dopesick I will check out Queens and the return of Twenties (BET, 10/13), Project Runway (Bravo, 10/14), B Positive (CBS, 10/14), and You (Net, 10/15).

  • Chucky (Syfy) Series Premiere, Tuesday 10/12 – Yep the psycho doll is back and people are dying, if you like this worth a shot.
  • Dopesick (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/13 – Enough early positive reviews to check out this look from the center of the opioid epidemic with a good cast including Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, and Rosario Dawson.
  • Just Beyond (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/13 – A dramatic anthology series based on graphic novel about reality ‘just beyond’ what we know focusing on the supernatural.
  • Covenant (AllBlk) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/14 – A dramatic retelling of bible stories in modern day.
  • Guilty Party (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/14 – Kate Beckinsale stars as a discredited journalist trying to redeem herself by following a new story that gets her in over her head.
  • I Know What You Did Last Summer (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 10/15 – Based on the movie (based on the novel) where a group of teens find themselves haunted by an accident.
  • Day of the Dead (Syfy) Series Premiere, Friday 10/15 – A horror comedy series inspired by the zombie films follows a group of people trying to survive a zombie invation.
  • Wakefield (Show) Series Premiere, Monday 10/18 – A pickup of the Australian drama where we look at what happens when the sanest person working in the psyche ward starts to slip.
  • Queens (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 10/19 – Four women in their early 40s reunite their ’90s girl group, with Brandy and Eve among others.
  • The Girl in the Woods (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/21 – A secret door in the woods that leads to a monster dimension.
  • Inside Job (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/22 – An adult animated show following a dysfunctional team managing conspiracy theories.

More streaming (foreign language):

  • The King’s Affection (Net) Series Premiere, Monday 10/11 – Korean romantic drama about a woman assuming the throne.
  • Reflection of You (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/13 – A Korean drama about a painter’s life unraveling when an old friend resurfaces.
  • Little Things (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/15 – An Indian romantic dramedy where a couple in their 20s navigate the ups and downs of their relationship.
  • My Name (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/15 – A Korean crime thriller where woman is following up on her father’s murder.
  • Life’s a Glitch with Julien Bam (Net, 10/21) – A German comedy about an infliencer and his sidekick in a parallel dimension.
  • More Than Blue (Net, 10/22) – A Taiwanese romantic musica drama a man with a terminal illness tries to find his beloved a long-term partner.

Returning streaming: The Baby-Sitters Club (Net, 10/11), Family Business (Acorn, 10/11), Peace of Mind With Taraji (Face, 10/11), Mighty Express (Net, 10/12), The Movies that Made Us (Net, 10/12), Liza On Demand (YT, 10/13), Another Life (Net, 10/14), Carl Weber’s The Family Business (BET+, 10/14), Garage Squad (Motor, 10/14), If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Am, 10/15), See (App+, 10/15), You (Net, 10/15), Manhunt (Acorn, 10/18), The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula (Shud, 10/19), Gabby’s Dollhouse (Net, 10/19), Bruh (BET+, 10/21), Couple Trouble (SundN, 10/21), Curious George (Pea, 10/21), Go! Go! Cory Carson (Net, 10/21), Locke & Key (Net, 10/22), The Lost Kitchen (Disc+, 10/22).

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: 9/27-10/10

La Brea

I dabbled with some of the new series over the last week. Will give The Big Leap, Our Kind of People, and The Wonder Years another view. I’m likely not going to continue with NCIS; Hawai’i, FBI: International, or Ordinary Joe. I also wrapped up sweet and odd The Detectorists (Am), brutal but still touching Mr. Inbetween (FX/Hulu), and the inaugural (will there be more?) season of The Ultimate Surfer (ABC) which was fun.

In addition to checking out some new shows like La Brea, CSI: Vegas, and Ghosts I’ll be checking out the return of United States of Al (CBS, 10/7), The Equalizer (CBS, 10/10), and the second half of the first season of Leverage: Redemption.

  • La Brea (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 9/28 – No word on this yet but fingers crossed this tale of a sinkhole leading to a primeval world has some fun and intrigue.
  • Good Grief (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/30 – Two sisters inherit their father’s funeral home in New Zealand
  • Ten-Year-Old Tom (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/30 – An animated comedy from Steve Dildarian, no word but he did The Life and Times of Tim which I remember as having some moments, so maybe like that.
  • Maid (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/1 – I’ve head some good things on this story of a woman fall into poverty and cleanig.
  • CSI: Vegas (CBS) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/6 – If you liked the original then sure, this return of some of the originals and introduction of new peeps and stories will likely be up your alley.
  • One of Us Is Lying (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/7 – Based on a novel, five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out.
  • Ghosts (CBS), Series Premiere, Thursday 10/7 – A couple inherit property and are turning it into a B&B when they find that it’s haunted, it’s based on a BBC series that is supposed to be pretty funny and I like Rose McIver (iZombie).
  • Mr And Mrs Murder (Ova) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/7 – I’ve been picking up random older series rerunning on Ovation and kind of enjoying them, this one looks like it’s a light hearted crime show where a couple are crime scene cleaners who get involved in solving the crimes.
  • Acapulco (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 10/8 – This compedy is in both Spanish and English as we see the life of a cabana boy in 1984 at the hottest resort in Acapulco.
  • Pretty Smart (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 10/8 – Emily Osment plays a book-smart girl who moves in with her ‘bubbly’ sister and her roommates.
  • Baking Impossible (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/6/Baker’s Dozen (Hulu) Thursday 10/7 – I had a request for cooking shows and while I don’t watch them here’s two coming.

More streaming:

  • The Chestnut Man (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 9/29 – Danish crime show where detectives hunt a killer linked ot a politician’s missing child.
  • Luna Park (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/30 – Italian drama about a family circus in 1960s Rome.
  • Nina Furia (HBOM) Series Premiere, Monday 10/4 – A drama about everyday lives of Nicaraguan students in Costa Rica.
  • The Five Juanas (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 10/6 – A Mexican drama about five women with the same birthmark unraveling lies.
  • The Billion Dollar Code (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 10/7 – A German courtroom drama based on a true story.

Returning streaming: Midsommer Murders (Acorn, 9/27), Bitchin’ Rides (MT, 9/28), The Circle (Net, 9/29), Meateater (Net, 9/29), Love 101 (Net, 9/30), More than an Athlete (ESPN+, 9/30), The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (HBOM, 9/30), Red Table Talk (FB, 9/30), Welcome to the Blumhouse (Am, 10/1), Cops (FoxN, 10/1), Extraordinary Stories Behind Everyday Things (Disc+, 10/1), Seven Deadly Sins (Net, 10/1), Scissor Seven (Net, 10/3), On My Block (Net, 10/4), One Lane Bridge (SundN, 10/7), Sexy Beasts (Net, 10/7), The Way of the Househusband (Net, 10/7), Leverage: Redemption (IMDB, 10/8), Family Business (Net, 10/8), First Time Fixer (Disc+, 10/8), Fear the Walking Dead (AMC+, 10/10)

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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intriguing new fall tv

The Big Leap

Well, last year the pandemic put most new tv out of commission. But things have been happening and networks are back to their old tricks. Network tv is of course only a small sliver of new tv but streamers and cable don’t have quite the same fall feel to me. I called a bunch of these out in New and Noteworthy last week but still felt like this deserved its own post. Note I don’t have any insight as to whether anything is actually supposed to be any good.

  • The Big Leap (Fox, 9/20) Mondays at 9pm – A scripted drama where Scott Foley works on a reality dance show where dancers get a second chance, I like Scott Foley and this hodge podge of people looks both fun and heartwarming.
  • NCIS: Hawaii (CBS, 9/20) Mondays at 10pm – They’re taking the formula and hanging it on Vanessa Lachey, I don’t watch these.
  • Ordinary Joe (NBC, 9/20) Mondays at 10pm – James Wolk plays three versions of himself in a sort of sliding doors fashion, I mean he’s due a hit right, but while this looks like a good showcase for him I’m dubious?
  • Our Kind of People (Fox, 9/21) Tuesdays at 9pm – This looks like it could be good bad or just bad soapy show showing an unwelcome entry into the area of Black elite on Martha’s Vineyard.
  • The Wonder Years (ABC, 9/22) Wednesdays at 8:30pm – This reenvisioning from the previous white family in the late 19060s to a Black family in Alabama at the same time. looks like a good version of revisiting.
  • FBI International (CBS, 9/21) Tuesdays at 9pm – Adding to a full night of FBI action, I also don’t watch these but assuming similar.
  • La Brea (NBC, 9/28) Tuesdays at 9pm – Natalie Zea among others get sent into a primeval world through a sinkhole in LA, looks ridiculous, so you know maybe.
  • CSI: Vegas (CBS, 10/6) Wednesdays at 10pm – At least some of the originals are back in this reboot, were we missing CSI? I watched this for a bit but dropped and didn’t keep up with the spinoffs.
  • Ghosts (CBS, 10/7) Thursdays at 9pm – Rose McIver stars as a woman who can see the ghosts in the property purchased in hopes of turning it into a B&B, based on the British version which I haven’t seen.
  • Queens (ABC, 10/19) Tuesdays at 10pm – A musical drama version of Girls 5eva with Brandy?
  • 4400 (CW, 10/25) Mondays at 9pm – A reboot of the 2004 series which I don’t remember, but vanished people return, with no memories.

Premiere dates are subject to change so stay tuned for “next week”s and check your local listings.

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new and noteworthy tv: 9/13-9/26

The Wonder Years

I wrapped a few shows this week, the big one was my Buffy/Angel rewatch which is now complete. Buffy is like a cozy blanket I have returned to a few times and in the pandemic, it really hit the spot. Both of those shows really started out fun and became something impressive. I wrapped up the fun Kim’s Convenience, glad to have spent time with that family. As well as the quick first season of The Chair which I enjoyed, though they tried to tackle more things than I think they had time for I’m curious to see where they’ll go. I also grabbed the special animated episode of Pen15 a show I sometimes find more cringy than funny.

Over the next couple weeks I’m looking forward to dabbling with some new shows and the return of Sex Education, Dear White People, and Goliath.

  • Y: Tha Last Man (FX/Hulu) Series Premiere, Monday 9/13 – There’s some buzz though mixed reviews around this post apocalyptic comic adaptation with one surviving man, I’m intrigued enough to check it out.
  • Finding Alice (Acorn ) Series Premiere, Monday 9/13 – This UK dark dramedy reveals secrets after Alice’s husband dies, early reviews meh.
  • The Premise (FX/Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/16 – BJ Novak’s comedy anthology series that’s has a great cast but early reviews though mixed don’t sound great.
  • Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/16 – Based on the book follows the adventures of a ‘symbologist’ who must solve puzzles to save his mentor and stop a conspiracy, no early word, but let me just say I don’t know why but I’m always irked when the creator’s name is in the title.
  • The Harper House (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/16 – An animated tale of a matriarcha and her family struggling to make it in a fixer upper in Arkansas.
  • Chicago Party Aunt (Net, 9/17) Series Premiere, Friday 9/17 – Another animated offering where an aunt takes in her nephew in his gap year, no word but it’s based on a twitter account which doesn’t bode well.
  • Muhammad Ali (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 9/19 – Reality highlight for this Ken Burns four-part documentary, I feel like watching Ken Burns becomes a part time job that might be well worth it but I just haven’t signed on.
  • The Big Leap (Fox) Series Premiere, Monday 9/20, 9pm – I haven’t heard anything about this but based on the premise of a dramedy about a dance reality show of second chances I’m kind of intrigued.
  • NCIS: Hawai’i (CBS) Series Premiere, Monday 9/20, 10pm – I mean if you are looking for another NCIS, this one has Vanessa Lachey in what’s likely a pretty place.
  • Ordinary Joe (NBC) Series Premiere, Monday 9/20, 10pm – James Wolk stars as a man who shows us what three different versions of his life would be like, he’s due for a hit but somehow I’m not sure this is it.
  • Our Kind of People (Fox) Series Premiere, Tuesday 9/21, 9pm – I’m usually game for the start of these kind of soapy endeavors, this one has a single mother move to a Black upper class Martha’s Vineyard neighborhood, and there’s secrets.
  • FBI: International (CBS) Series Premiere, Tuesday 9/21, 10pm – I mean best wishes FBI fans for another version and a trifecta FBI night lineup.
  • The Wonder Years (ABC) Series Premiere, Wednesday 9/22, 8:30pm – This is actually the new fall show I have the most hope for as the premise translated to a black family in 1960s Alabama has promise, plus some good peeps.
  • Foundation (App+, 9/24) Series Premiere, Friday 9/24 – Sci-fi series based on Isaac Asimov novel, it does sport Jared Harris which gives it some cred.
  • Midnight Mass (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/24 – Mysterieous miracles anyone?
  • BMF (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 9/26, 8pm – Stands for Black Mafia Family, set in 1980s Detroit based on a true story.

More streaming

  • Cheyenne & Lola (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/16 – French language drama about two women tied together by a murder.
  • Squid Game (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/17 – Korean thriller brings a group of gamers together for high stakes.
  • Jaguar (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 9/22 – Spanish drama follows a Holocaust surviver seekign justice.
  • Bangkok Breaking (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/23 – A Thai crime drama follows a man in emergency rescue who must unravel a conspiracy.
  • Ganglands (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/24 – French thriller follows a skilled thief whose team is pulled into a deadly turf war.

Returning streaming: 90 Day: Bares All (Disc+, 9/12), Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father (Net, 9/14), The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals (Net, 9/14), Nailed It (Net, 9/15), Slasher (Shud, 9/16), TigN’Seek (HBOM, 9/16), Doug Unplugs (App+, 9/17), The Morning Show (App+, 9/17), Sex Education (Net, 9/17), Love on the Spectrum (Net, 9/21), Dear White People (Net, 9/22), Code 404 (Pea, 9/23), Creepshow (Shud, 9/23), Doom Patrol (HBOM, 9/23), Seven Deadly Sins (Net, 9/23), Goliath (Am, 9/24), Blood & Water (Net, 9/24), Kota Factory (Net, 9/24), Point of View (Disc+, 9/24), Eli Roth’s History of Horror (AMC+, 9/25), The Walking Dead: The World Beyond (AMC+, 9/26).

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.

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returning fall favorites

This fall post used to take me a while to survey all of the returning network shows I used to watch. Turns out I’m only hanging on to a few.

  • The Conners (ABC, 9/22) Wednesdays at 9pm – I enjoyed the new groove this show found.
  • Home Economics (ABC, 9/22) Wednesdays at 9:30pm – This show following three siblings had enough amusing happening that I kept tuning in.
  • United States of Al (CBS, 10/7) Thursdays at 8:30pm – Didn’t hit it out of the park but enough interesting elements and apparently they’re writing now to address the latest Afghanistan issues, this could be tricky.
  • The Equalizer (CBS, 10/10) Sundays at 8pm – This Queen Latifa show was a fun one as they reimagined this vigilante premise.
  • B Positive (CBS, 10/14) Thursdays at 9:30 – The premise here of kidney doner is apparently getting an evolution and focusing on the assisted living facility, again some elements were working on this but not all so intrigued.

I’ll continue to point out new shows in New and Noteworthy posts but here are a few streaming options I have my eye on: Sex Education (Net, 9/17), Dear White People (Net, 9/22), Goliath (Am, 9/24), You (Net, 10/15), The Great (Hulu, 11/19).

As always please check your local listings for final dates and times. Any fall favorites you’re looking forward to?

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new and noteworthy tv: 8/30-9/12

Only Murders in the Building

OMG how is it September? I wrapped up a few shows including the second season of Dave (Fx/Hulu) which kept up with a weird take on the fictionalized version of the man behind Lil Dickey. The Fall (Amazon Prime), utterly brutal but very well done, I do love Gillian Anderson. Bosch (Amazon Prime) which I’ll consider a break until they reboot with a spinoff as he moves to a new series. As well as catching up on Younger (Pea/TVL/Hulu), overall a very fun series, though this last season wasn’t its finest. And a rewatch of Girlfriends (Net) for plenty of seasons of fun drama for those ‘heifers’.

I’m not quite ready for fall tv yet but here’s what’s coming over the next couple of weeks. I’m excited for Only Murders and might dabble with some reality, I am in a bit of a decluttering phase so Sparking Joy might be the right vibe. There are also some returns I follow like What We Do In The Shadows (Fx, 9/2), Queen Sugar (Own, 9/7), and American Crime Story (Fx, 9/7), this season is the Clinton Impeachment.

  • Laetitia (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 8/30 – This six-part French drama looks at the disappearance of one twin and the repurcussions that follow, based on true events.
  • Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 8/31 – A comedic murder mystery follows three strangers played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, I’m in.
  • Sparking Joy (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 8/31 – A reality show highlight where Marie Kondo returns and is apparently tidying up a town.
  • Q-Force (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/2 – Animated series brings the voices of Sean Hayes as a gay exiled interlligence officer and Wanda Sykes among others to deal with West Hollywood cases.
  • Dive Club (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/3 – This Australian drama follows a group of teen divers whose investigation turns to one of their own who has gone missing.
  • Guilt (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 9/5 – The latest Masterpiece drama is a tale of two brothers hiding their hit-and-run.
  • On the Verge (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 9/7 – This offbeat show follows four women’s dramas as they deal with mid life crisis.
  • Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 9/8 – There’s a new Doogie in town and she’s no Howser as we follow this Hawaiian take.
  • All the Queen’s Men (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/9 – More power in the nightclub industry brings new problems but are they Madam’s downfall?
  • Dead Places (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/9 – A bestselling author of books on the paranormal returns to South Africa and deals with the childhood murder of his sister.
  • Kin (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/9 – A family tries to take on an Irish drug kingpin when a member of their family is killed.
  • Pretty Hard Cases (IMDB) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/9 – Two women cops put aside their differences to work together to take down their target in this Canadian series.
  • Metal Shop Masters (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/10 – In this reality highlight metal artists compete, could scratch that reality competition itch.
  • Scenes from a Marriage (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 9/12 – This five-part series revisits the Ingmar Bergman classic look at a marriage with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac.
  • American Rust (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 9/12 – Jeff Daniels plays a police detective when the the son of a woman he loves played by Maura Tierney is charged with murder.

Returning streaming: Hot Rod Garage (MT, 8/30), My Life is Murder (Acorn, 8/30), Trolls (Hulu, 9/2), AP Bio (Pea, 9/2), Craig Ross Jr’s Monogomy (AllBlk, 9/2), Money Heist (Net, 9/3), Kid Cosmic (Net, 9/7/), Wu-Tang (Hulu, 9/8), The Circle (Net, 9/8), Into the Night (Net, 9/8), American Ninja Warrior Jr (Pea, 9/9), Pokemon Journeys (Net, 9/10), 90 Day (Disc+, 9/12).

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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 8/16-8/29

Nine Perfect Strangers

I wrapped Lupin and Leverage: Revenge and both were very fun capery shows. The Canadian shows are returning Coroner kicks back in (CW, 8/19) and catching up on Burden of Truth (wondering about the status of Nurses and Transplant). Also up to the final season of Kim’s Convenience Store. Maybe it’s time for a Schitt$ Creek rewatch.

  • Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 8/18 – A good cast as Nicole Kidman heads a 10-day wellness retreat also including Bobby Cannavale, and Melissa McCarthy among others, the early buzz is mixed.
  • The Chair (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/20 – Sandra Oh stars in this dramedy where she takes over as chair of an English department, shows promise.
  • Stand Up To Cancer (Various) Saturday 8/21 – A star studded special to rise money.
  • Chapelwaite (Epix) Series Premiere, Sunday 8/22 – Based on the Stephen King short story Jerusalem’s Lot and starring Adrien Brody, set in the 1850s the series follows Brody who relocates his family to his ancestral home, and you know there’s some mysteries and darkness.
  • The Ultimate Surfer (ABC) Series Premiere, Monday 8/23 – In this reality highlight men and women compete at Kelly Slater’s human-made wave technology Surf Ranch.
  • Clickbait (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 8/25 – A gruesome crime fueled by social media is revealed through different points of view as a man disappears and reappears in an online video.

More streaming

  • The Defeated (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 8/18 – In 1946 Berlin an American cop searches for his missing brother.
  • Everything Will Be Fine (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/20 – A separated couple live together for thier child’s sake in this Mexican dramedy.
  • Open Your Eyes (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 8/25 – After an accident an amnesiac teen visits un unconventiional memory disorder center in this Polish suspense show.
  • Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 8/25 – A ‘dead’ woman awakes with a craving for blood in this Scandinavian thriller.
  • D.P. (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/27 – A private’s assignment to capture army deserters in this Korean drama.
  • Hometown Cha-cha-cha (Net) Series Premiere, Saturday 8/28 – A big-city dentist moves to a seaside village and meets someone who is her opposite in this Korean romantic comedy.
  • The Ingenuity of the Househusband (Net) Series Premiere, Sunday 8/29 – A tough guy with a knack for housework tackles household tasks in this Japanese comedy.

Returning streaming: Go! Go! Cory Carson (Net, 8/17), Diary of a Future President (Dis+, 8/18), Five Bedrooms (Pea, 8/19), Truth be Told (App+, 8/20), Family Reunion (Net, 8/26), The Other Two (HBOM, 8/26), Fernando (Am, 8/27), Pen15 – Special Ep (Hulu, 8/27), See (App+, 8/27).

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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 8/2-8/15

Mr Corman

Are you enjoying the Olympics? Are you watching the Olympics? I am doing some dabbling as planned. And still managing to get some other watching in. I wrapped LA’s Finest (Net) which I thought was fun. And Girls5eva (Peacock) which was cute.

As the Olympics run out we’ll likely start to see some things returning again. Until then I’ve also got some decent summer fare with reality Making It (NBC) and Making the Cut (Prime). I’m also doing the dramatic with the final season of Animal Kingdom (TNT), Motherland: Fort Salem (Free), Professor T (PBS), and recording but not yet watching David Makes Man (OWN). And of course a little comedy with the return of a new spin on Miracle Workers (TBS), odd but enjoyable Dave (FXX), and the final season of Younger (TVL). And looking forward to the return of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC) for its final season

  • Mr. Corman (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 8/6 – A dramedy bring Joseph Gordon-Levitt back to tv as a fifth grade teacher struggling.
  • Reservation Dogs (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Monday 8/9 – A half hour comedy following four Indigenous teens in Olkahoma trying to save money to get to California.
  • Fantasy Island (Fox) Series Premiere, Tuesday 8/10, 9pm – A new version of the ’70s tv show at a lux resort where fantasies are fulfilled but never turn out as expected, I was the wrong age to really watch this first one but will give it a spin to check out the vibe.
  • The Ms. Pat Show (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 8/12 – A former convicted felon turned suburban mom
  • Brand New Cherry Flavor (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/13 – An aspiring film director embarks on supernatural revenge.
  • Heels (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 8/15 – Chasing dreams in the world of small town pro wrestling two brothers must play the good guy and the nemesis while chasing after their father’s legacy.

More streaming

  • SOZ Soldiers or Zombies (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 8/6 – This Mexican thriller where a drug lord battles for survival when an experiment goes wrong.
  • Hit & Run (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/6 – A man searches for the truth behind his wife’s death.
  • Navarasa (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/6 – The nine human emotions of Indian aesthetic theory are explored in this anthology series
  • Alrawabi School for Girls (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 8/12 – Bullied outcasts plot revenge in this Jordanian teen drama.
  • The Hunt for a Killer (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 8/12 – Based on the true story of Swedish detectives on the hunt for a killer of an 10-year-old.
  • Gone for Good (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/13 – Based on Harlan Coben’s novel this French crime series where a man’s girlfriend disappears ten years after he lost two other loved ones.
  • The Kingdom (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 8/13 – A televangelist becomes Argentina’s presidential candidate

Returning streaming: Car Masters (Net, 8/4), Control Z (Net, 8/4), Short Circuit Experimental Films (Dis+, 8/4), Departure (Pea, 8/5), Madagascar (Hulu, 8/6), Heartbreak Island (Disc+, 8/7), Gabby’s Dollhouse (Net, 8/10), Slasher (Shud, 8/12), Star Trek: Lower Decks (Para+, 8/12), Titans (HBOM, 8/12), Modern Love (Am, 8/13), Valeria (Net, 8/13).

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.

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procrastinator’s olympics

Olympic Rings

‘Tis the season. A year later than originally planned and don’t ask me how elite athletes can plan for that. And still riddled with Covid between no spectators at events and athletes actually testing positive for Covid and being unable to participate. And um bears?! There’s a lot to worry about beyond the actual competitions.

The logistics: Opening Ceremonies are Friday, though technically some of the team pool play has begun. It runs from 7/23-8/8 and will be shown on various NBC Universal channels. NBC, NBC Sports Network, USA, CNBC, NBC Olympics Channel, the Golf Channel, and Telemundo. Streaming is available on NBCOlympics.com, NBCSports.com, and new Peacock which will have their designated coverage available to stream for free (other than US Men’s Basketball coverage, Peacock is normally a combo of free and paid).

So let’s get into the spirit. First I’m always intrigued to see what new events are: baseball/softball (previous recent appearance in 2008), karate (seems odd that this wasn’t included), skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing.

Opening Ceremonies – 4-8am Pacific (ouch) – Not entirely sure how the parade of teams is going to work with Covid protocol. While I do like to see all the different outfits I’ll likely record to catch the showmanship of the event part of this.

I don’t have all the time in the world, despite what I tell myself. So these are the ones I’ll be making a point to check out. Maybe because they remind me of my So Cal upbringing:

  • Skateboarding – Men’s/Women’s street final, NBC, Saturday/Sunday (respectively) 7/24-25, 8:30-9pm, 12-2am
  • Surfing – Finals, USA, Wednesday 7/28, 2am-12pm
  • Beach Volleyball – Women’s/Men’s Finals, NBC, Thursday & Saturday (respectively) 8/5-7, 12-5pm, 1:30-6pm
  • Tennis – Women’s/Men’s finals, Olympic Channel, Friday/Saturday (respectively) 7/30-31, 7am-3pm and 11pm-2am

And then I tend to do a little dabbling in the classics, they tend to run these on NBC primetime coverage so that’s good for pop ins:

  • Gymnastics – Watching the team competition is fun though I tend to fade by the time individual competitions hit – It runs the whole time from Saturday 7/24 to Sunday 8/8, Men’s/Women’s Team final NBC Monday/Tuesday (respectively) 7/26-27, 8pm
  • Swimming/Diving – There are a bunch of events here so will likely dabble by checking in between Saturday 7/24 and Saturday 8/7
  • Track and Field – Friday 7/30-Sunday 8/8

And I personally like to get in a few rogue sports by just popping through the channels, Dressage anyone? (NBCSN, Wednesday 7/28, 1:30-8pm) It’s the one with the dancing horses.

For sure check your local listings and a number of these events will replay on various networks/times. But don’t stress too much about catching everything or anything specific. Just turn it on and get invested. For a full listing of events here’s a couple of links that might be helpful Deadline and TV Insider.

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