tv

new and noteworthy tv: 5/7-5/13

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Not a lot new I feel compelled to sample, though will add Safe to my queue. While some shows are doing the May winding down I did a little more catching up, wrapping the underwhelming season of Orange Is The New Black. Also wrapped up This Is Us a show I’ve become a little less enamored with and sampled Rise that was immediately using all the dramatic tropes of what could be a quality show, I’m assuming someone will let me know if it gets good later. And doing some dipping back into some that I’ve just let slide like SHIELD, Gotham, The Royals, Legion, UnReal, and Queen Sugar. 

  • Safe (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday – Michael C Hall returns to tv as protagonist, based on Harlan Coben novel, where he digs up secrets after his daughter goes missing.
  • The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – I don’t normally highlight the kids stuff but couldn’t help but smile at the idea if not the execution of the moose and squirrel.
  • All Night (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday – An all-night lock in graduation party, let the comedy ensue.
  • Patrick Melrose (Show) Series Premiere, Saturday, 9pm – Benedict Cumberbatch hits the small screen as protagonist from Patrick Melrose semi-autobiographical novels.
  • Little Women (PBS) Miniseries Premiere, Sunday, 8pm – Will life turn out any differently for our young protagonists?

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

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new and noteworthy tv: 4/30-5/6

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Glad to see Elementary coming back, I tried to see if Instinct could fill the good procedural void for me but alas even with Alan Cumming it couldn’t. And I finally gave up on The Crossing which had some interesting elements and characters but felt a little too like a tv show trying to be an interesting tv show.

  • Take My Wife (Starz.com) Season Premiere, Tuesday – Have heard some good things about this show and looks like with the Seeso shutting down it’s now available on starz.com.
  • Being Serena (HBO) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – This docuseries gives a little insight into all things Serena personal and professional.
  • Dear White People (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I was engaged but not in love with this series that follows various college students point of views on race, based on the film, and intrigued to see where it goes this season.
  • The Rain (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Post apocalyptic drama, where a brother and sister emerge from shelter six years after the storm.
  • Diablo Guardian (Am) Series Premiere, Saturday – A girl runs away from Mexico to New York with a big bag of money and I think it doesn’t go well.
  • Sweetbitter/Vida (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday, 8/8:30pm – Two new dramas the first based on a book about a young woman who joins the staff at a hot restaurant then estranged sisters return to their East LA home after their mother dies to find some secrets.

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

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new and noteworthy tv: 4/23-4/29

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We’re still in a bit of a lull thankfully so I’m still working on a few of the things that have been stacking up including wrapping up The Tick which I enjoyed. And trying to make a little progress on Jessica Jones, Sneaky Pete, and caught the second Killing Eve which so far is keeping me in.

  • The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) Season Premiere, Wednesday – Lots of great buzz on this series but I’m still Hulu free so will need to keep this on the backlog.
  • 3 Percent (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I never did dabble on S1 of this post-apocalyptic thriller, anyone?

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

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new and noteworthy tv: 4/16-4/22

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Well it’s a light week for anything new or noteworthy. I’m still at a pretty good deficit, managed to catch and dismiss from my list In Contempt. The show that I did find intriguing was Killing Eve. Have yet to dismiss a few shows that I see a glimmer in but aren’t quite all that The Crossing, Living Biblically, and Instinct. I didn’t find the initial reboot of Roseanne all that funny and everyone felt a little stilted but my nostalgia won out enough to keep the show on and the last episode focusing more on Darlene and Becky actually started getting to the heart of what the show could be.

Still trying to keep up with some items in the queue but doing better on the lighter fare, it’s a bad sign when I’m too tired to follow Lethal Weapon, but ANTM, Ink Master, iZombie, The Royals, and UnReal all seem to hit the sweet spot. And of course you can’t go wrong with comedies like Big Bang, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mom, The Middle, New Girl, and Superstore. The less light stuff takes a bit more mind space than I have but managed to catch the first Legion to recall some of the threads I loved from season 1 and giving them enough credit to pay off the stuff that just seems weird for the sake of weird. Still need to get back to The Americans, Gotham, SHIELD, and even Atlanta. Has anyone watched Trust, I just keep recording it.

Have a little downtime coming up so hoping to get back on top of things as well as into some streaming. And I’m overdue for a matinee. And…

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new and noteworthy tv: 4/9-4/15

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Trying to knock out some of the random premiering shows sitting in my queue so I don’t have to keep recording them. Gone are Alex, Inc., Splitting Up Together, Siren, Krypton, The Last O.G., Deception, Champions, Life Sentence, McMafia, Shoot the Messenger, and finally dropped Good Girls which had some potential but not enough with a tough backlog. Finally wrapped The Punisher and hoping to quell my need for completion when I find something is just dragging, but let me get through the latest season of Orange is the New Black first while taking break for more enjoyable Mindhunter (which I also finally wrapped, good but didn’t enjoy it quite as much as some raves I heard), Jessica Jones, Sneaky Pete, and The Tick.

  • In Contempt (BET) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – Legal aid office, sure.
  • Bosch (Am) Season Premiere, Friday – Excited to see what trouble he’ll get into this season.
  • Lost in Space (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Danger, Will Robinson, with Parker Posey as Dr Smith I can’t help but hope this is a fun one.
  • Rellik (Cin) Series Premiere, Friday, 10pm – UK police detective tracking down a serial killer who has left him emotionally and physically scarred.

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

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procrastinator’s picks – must see movies of 2017

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I had a little lapse on my end of year lists but I can’t wrap the year without a list of movies. There are always more movies than one can see and although even a not great movie is enjoyable the top ten list is sometimes a challenge. With a little last minute binging and a few undone here’s where I’m netting out.

  1. Call Me By Your Name – This wasn’t an epic film but it captured the mood of the location and the moment and the emotions in a way that sweeps you away.
  2. The Shape of Water – More on the epic side this fantastical tale of a mute woman falling for a creature held captive at an institute she works at, though for fave films check out his previous Pan’s Labyrinth.
  3. Dunkirk – Multiple point of views and timelines may add to the confusion but also add to both the intensity of the individual stories and as well as the overarching battle, you know for a historical flick.
  4. The Big Sick – This shows that romantic comedies don’t need to follow the specific formula and glad that Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon were talented enough to turn their story into one that can entertain all.
  5. Ingrid Goes West – Aubrey Plaza can maybe do no wrong and her turn as an unhinged social media stalker really works that balance of comical, sympathetic, and topical making it my indie pick of the year.
  6. Get Out – I’ve never been one to think that a good genre movie can’t be a good movie and this break out shows that you can be suspenseful and topical and fun.
  7. Logan – This one reminded me of what a good comic can be, stands on its own with a good story and lots of action (pretty brutal action), and while it sits within the X-Men series it’s sufficiently standalone which is a rare treat for comic capers these days.
  8. Baby Driver – Not without its flaws but I love a good heist film and the chase scenes and musical accompaniment was a fun romantic escape.
  9. Atomic Blonde – Good classic spy fun and seeing Charlize Theron as the smart, tough, and sexy lead as she hits Berlin in the Cold War trying to lock down a list of agents.
  10. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – This offbeat little vignette of a movie has some odd turns but the performances of McDormand and Harrelson keep you engaged as this mother fights to find her daughter’s murderer.

What were your faves from last year?

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new and noteworthy tv: 4/2-4/8

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While excited for the return of Legion and trying to remember if I ended up hating or engaged with the bumblers in the Imposters but there are a few new shows to be on the lookout for.

  • The Crossing (ABC) Series Premiere, Monday, 10pm – 47 refugees was up in a small fishing town from 180 years in the future.
  • The Last O.G. (TBS) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10:30pm – Tracy Morgan returns to tv as an ex-con returning to an unfamiliar life after 15 years in prison and has enough star power and buzz invested to be worth a look.
  • National Treasure (Hulu) Season Premiere, Wednesday – A young black girl is abducted right before being adopted by a white family and suspense apparently continues to ensue.
  • Troy: Fall of a City (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – The Trojan War and the love affair between Paris and Helen.
  • Trading Spaces (TLC) Season Premiere, Saturday, 10pm – In the season of returning shows this one brings back some familiar faces to redo quickly and on a budget with a host of new traders.
  • Howard’s End (Starz) Season Premiere, Sunday, 8pm – Fans of this type of period drama might find this worth a look.
  • Killing Eve (BBCA) Series Premiere, Sunday, 8pm – Sandra Oh pursues a sociopathic assassin and it’s supposed to be worth a watch.
  • Unforgotten (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 9pm – A forty year old murder rears its ugly head.

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

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new and noteworthy tv: 3/26-4/1

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Better late than never, here’s our lineup for the week.

  • The Terror (AMC) Series Premiere, Monday, 9pm – Inspired by a true story we join the Royal Navy in a perilous voyage.
  • Roseanne (ABC) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 8pm – The Conners are back and bringing their blue collar humor to present day, worth a look.
  • Ink Master: Angels (Para) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 9pm – Before we’ve even wrapped the current season of Ink Master the angels are back test more candidates.
  • Splitting Up Together (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 9:30pm – Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson pair up in a show about a couple who try to separate while still living in the same house, seems like it’s got potential but not all that realized.
  • Alex, Inc (ABC) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 8:30pm – Zach Braff returns to tv as a family dude doing a podcast startup.
  • Siren (Free) Series Premiere, Thursday, 8pm – Ok I read the promo for this show and can’t even do it justice, there’s mermaids (and mermen) wreaking havoc on a town.
  • The Dangerous Book for Boys (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – Bryan Cranston co-creates this show about three brothers coming to terms with the death of their father through a book he left them, it’s a comedy.
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – This streaming series, an adaptation of the book with fave Neil Patrick Harris, isn’t in my queue but I hear it’s supposed to be enjoyable.

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

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new and noteworthy tv: 3/19-3/25

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The Netflix stuff just keeps stacking up, I’m making my way through Jessica Jones and think I just have one more episode of Mindhunter. Though technically still need to decide if I’m going to go back and finish up Punisher and Orange is the New Black.

  • Krypton (Syfy) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – Superman’s grandpa has the fate of Krypton in his hands and I’m not sure anyone will care.
  • Innocent (SundNow) Series Premiere, Thursday – A limited series thriller follows a man who returns home after a judgment for killing his wife is overturned on a technicality
  • Station 19 (ABC) Series Premiere, Thursday, 9pm – Grey’s fire department spinoff, can I assume soapy drama and lots of accidents and deaths.
  • The Mechanism (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – A fictional drama around allegations of corruption in Brazil.
  • Requiem (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – A six part British supernatural thriller shows a woman’s life put in question following the death of her mother.
  • Santa Clarity Diet (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I found this first season of matriarch gone zombie in the burbs a lot of fun.
  • Trust (FX) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – The first season focuses on the Getty kidnapping, as with all things FX probably worth checking out but not sure if it’ll make the difficult cut.
  • Barry (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10:30pm – Bill Hader stars in this dark comedy about a low-rent hit man who tries to bridge into acting, supposed to be worth a watch.

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

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new and noteworthy tv: 3/12-3/18

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I felt like I’d been doing so much catch up that this week I decided to allow myself to start the latest seasons of Sneaky Pete, Jessica Jones, and The Tick.

  • For the People (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – Six young lawyers on opposite sides of the law enter in the new Shondaland series likely to be formulaic if you’re looking for this kind of filler.
  • Rise (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – A high school musical, brought to you by what sounds like from all reviews an unbearable Josh Radnor.
  • The Tattoo Shop (Facebook) Series Premiere, Thursday – So I’m not sure if airing on Facebook means there’s just a Facebook page where the video is posted but while I don’t normally watch shows other than competition style I might need to figure it out to be open to at least what the new channel is.
  • Edha (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – New Argentine thriller series set in the world of fashion.
  • On My Block (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Coming of age in South Central LA from the maker that brought very white coming of age in the cute show Awkward.
  • Instinct (CBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 8pm – I’ll try anything with Alan Cumming and in this he plays CIA operative turned professor turned police consultant in this based on James Patterson book.

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

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