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.

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.

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.

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.

Other than the return of Killing Eve, which I’m always excited about I’ll likely to check out The Endgame and Law & Order. I wrapped up Reservation Dogs which was a fun watch and am about ready to call it on as much tv as I can watch to put out my best of 2021 list.

• Severance (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 2/18 – Adam Scott plays a man whose company has surgically divided their work and personal memories, and you know there are implications, good early buzz.
• From (Epix) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/20 – The mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all who enter in this sci-fi horror series.
• All American: Homecoming (CW) Series Premiere, Monday 2/21 – A spinoff of All American, this one follows students at HBCU looking for sports excellence.
• The Endgame (NBC) Series Premiere, Monday 2/21 – Heist drama with Morena Baccarin, in!
• Take Note (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/24 – A fictional look at a reality singing competition.
• Law & Order (NBC) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/24, 8pm – The mothership returns for its 21st season, with some familiar faces.
• Vikings: Valhalla (Net)Series Premiere, Friday 2/25 – I have heard good things about Vikings but didn’t stick with it, this is a take about 100 years later.

More streaming

• Aftertaste (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 2/14 – Set in Australia, chef turned pariah tries to usher in his pastry chef niece’s glory.
• Devotion, A Story of Love and Desire (Net) Series Premiere, Monday 2/14 – Spouses tempted by other desires in this Italian romantic drama.
• Fishbowl Wives (Net) Series Premiere, Monday 2/14 – Six different women in a luxury apartment tower give infidelity a go, this Japanese romantic drama is based on a manga series.
• Thirty-Nine (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/16 – A trio of besties deal with all things in this Korean romantic drama.
• Conviction The Case of Stephen Lawrence (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 2/21 – The case of the racially motivated murder of an 18-year-old Black student in this three part miniseries.
• Back to 15 (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 2/25 – A very 13 going on 30 take in this Brazilian teen drama.
• The Fame Game (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 2/25 – India’s most famous actress goes missing and the truth of her life comes out.in this Hindi language mystery.
• Juvenile Justice (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 2/25 – A judge balances cases in the juvenile court in this Korean crime show.
• Merli Sapere Aude (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 225 – This Spanish teen show introduces a new philosophy student.

Returning Streaming: State of the Union (SundN, 2/14), Ridley Jones (Net, 2/15), Swap Shop (Net, 2/16), Trolls (Hulu, 2/17), Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs (HBOM, 2/17) Young Wallander (Net, 2/17), The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (Am, 2/18), Space Force (Net, 2/18), Killing Eve (AMC+, 2/20/BBCA, 2/27), Agatha Raisin (Acorn, 2/21), Reno 911! (Roku, 2/25), Van Go (Disc+, 2/25).

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.

Trying to get it together and focus on a few series that might be on people’s best of 2021 tv list that I get and still haven’t watched. I also have been wrapping up a few things. The latest season of Queer Eye which is a solid mindless distraction, Please Like Me which I turned to after being saddened that Everything’s Gonna Be Okay also with/by Josh Thomas was canceled. And if you like him it’s a sweet and oddly funny show. And wrapped what will apparently be the only season of Cowboy Bebop, I’m not familiar with the source material but it never quite hit its stride for me, if it’s kind of your jam maybe check out Killjoys. Oh and I guess the winter games are coming up, opening ceremony is February 4.

• Pam & Tommy (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/2 – I mean, this, centering around their sex tape, is so campy it’s worth at least a look right?
• Murderville (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/3 – I don’t normally bother with improv/sketch but the premise here has potential, Will Arnett stars in a weekly detective drama and one celebrity is dropped in as part of the cast without any info.
• Reacher (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 2/4 – I haven’t read these novels but have been told by people that Tom Cruise was terrible casting and that this new series totally misses the tone, whether it’s entertaining nonetheless is TBD.
• Suspicion (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 2/4 – Uma Thurman stars in this abduction mystery where people may or may not be what they seem.
• Power Book IV: Force (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/6 – A spinoff of the Power universe where the character Tommy Egan moves from New York to Chicago.
• Angela Black (Spectrum) Series Premiere, Monday 2/7 – This psychological thriller about a woman whose life appears idyllic but there are secrets that unfurl.
• The Girl Before (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/10 – In this limited series Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as a woman who moves into a house but must abide by the architect’s rules, played by David Oyelowo.
• Inventing Anna (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 2/11 – Julia Garner stars as Anna Delvey an heiress(?) who stole from the social elite.
• Bel-Air (Pea) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/13 – The dramatic version of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which I believe is just kind of All American.

More streaming:

• Finding Ola (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/3 – After a life-altering event, Ola goes on a journey of self-discovery in this Egyptian quirky drama.
• New Gold Mountain (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/3 – A look at the Australian gold rush from the perspective of Chinese miners.
• Until Life Do Us Part (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/10 – Three generations of a family juggle their own lives and their wedding planning biz in this Portuguese dramedy.
• Forecasting Love and Weather (Net) Series Premiere, Saturday 2/12 – Love at a national weather service in this South Korean romcom.
• Twenty Five Twenty One (Net) Series Premiere, Saturday 2/12 – Finding connection in times of adversity in this South Korean romcom.

Returning streaming: Gabby’s Dollhouse (Net, 2/1), Raising Dion (Net, 2/1), Dark Desire (Net, 2/2), Meateater (Net, 2/2), Double Cross (Allblk, 2/3), Dragons Rescue Riders (Pea, 2/3), Kid Cosmic (Net, 2/3), Raised by Wolves (HBOM, 2/3), Re(Motel) (Disc+, 2/4), Magnolia Table (Disc+, 2/4), Sweet Magnolias (Net, 2/4), Agatha Raisin (Acorn, 2/7), Social Society (Allblk, 2/7), Catching Killers (Net, 2/9), Disenchantment (Net, 2/9), Odo (HBOM, 2/10), Dollface (Hulu, 2/11), First Time Fixer (Disc+, 2/11), Love is Blind (Net, 2/11), Toy Boy (Net, 2/11).

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.

Wrapped up my latest ‘while biking show’ the latest season of Big Mouth. I mean that show has moments but I’m not sure I’m going to stick with it. Moving forward I’ll check out Single Drunk Female, various streaming, and I’ll be dabbling with the new seasons of Ozark and Resident Alien. I am a little behind on new shows though passing on both Good Sam and The Cleaning Lady after an episode, but will check out another Pivoting.

• How I Met Your Father (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/18 – So this is in the world of HIMYM which started out actually very fun before devolving, so far I’ve heard it’s just not funny.
• La Fortuna (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/20 – Stanley Tucci stars as an adventurer who crosses the world looting and a young diplomat trying to recover the treasure.
• Single Drunk Female (Free) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/20, 10/10:30pm – A public flame-out puts 20-something alcoholic into recovery and back at her mother’s.
• As We See It (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 1/21 – 20-something roomies on the autism spectrum.
• The Gilded Age (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 1/24, 9pm – Set in 1882, a woman moves to live with her aunts in NYC after her father dies.
• Promised Land (ABC) Series Premiere, Monday 1/24, 10pm – A generation spanning drama about two Latinx families in Sonoma Valley.
• Astrid & Lilly Save the World (Syfy) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 1/26, 10pm – High school outcasts accidentally crack open a portal and need to save their high school from creepy critters.
• The Afterparty (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 1/28 – Centering on a murder mystery at a high school reunion, each ep from a different character’s perspective.
• The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/28 – If you’re not lost by the long title check out Kristen Bell do a new take on seeing a murder, or did she.
• In From the Cold (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/28 – A shape-shifting spy mom juggle family life and battle against enemies.

More streaming:

• Juanpis Gonzalez (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 1/19 – A Colombian sitcom about a man trying to pass a test to inherit the family business.
• Summer Heat (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/21 – Brazilian teen drama about a group working at a resort.
• Chosen (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/27 – Chinese crime show about a twisted killing game.
• Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/27 – Italian crime comedy about two TV technicians who stumble upon a murder scene.
• All of Us Are Dead (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/28 – Korean drama about a zombie virus outbreak and trapped students.
• Feria (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/28 – A Spanish thriller about two sisters facing the consequences of their parent’s cult ritual.

Returning streaming: Dota (Net, 1/18), El Marginal (Net, 1/19), Too Hot to Handle (Net, 1/19), Total Control (SundN, 1/20), Servant (App+, 1/21), Ozark (Net, 1/21), Social Society (Allblk, 1/24), Ada Twist, Scientist (Net, 1/25), American Detective with Lt Joe Kenda (Disc+, 1/26), Gomorrah (HBOM, 1/27).

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, please check your local listings.

Well, we made it to another year. And another infinite number of tv shows still to see. I did wrap the cringeworthy Pen15, which did a surprisingly good job of placing these two adults into their teen lives. And the latest season of Emily in Paris which is just trash, but if it’s your kind of trash it’s kind of fun.

I also completed an almost insurmountable task… I finished Breaking Bad! I really only watched about an episode a week, other than the last couple of weeks, so 62 episodes take a little while. And it was admittedly a great show, though not one of my absolute faves. It was dark for sure, but more than that I think some of the negative protagonists in other shows have a motivation that you can sort of get behind. While there were times I was on Walt’s side he was just so selfish and created more problems than he needed it was hard to watch. I am taking a break to catch up on some other things before watching El Camino and digging into Better Call Saul.

TV is also coming back including some more midseason stuff like The Cleaning Lady, Good Sam, Pivoting, The Kings of Napa, and Naomi. And returning 9-1-1: Lone Star and Call Me Kat which I somehow got into, and some of the shows that gave us a little preview last year like Kenan, American Auto, Grand Crew, and Abbott Elementary.

• The Cleaning Lady (Fox) Series Premiere, Monday 1/3, 9pm – A Cambodian doctor comes to the US for a lifesaving procedure for her son and end up ‘cleaning’ for the mob, anything for family.
• Judge Steve Harvey (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/4, 8pm – A reality showcase for those of you who like a little Steve Harvey sass, he’s rendering judgement on conflicts.
• Good Sam (CBS) Series Premiere, Wednesday 1/5, 10pm – Sophia Bush and Jason Isaacs as a father daughter doctor team who stir up a little personal drama while saving patients.
• Women of the Movement/Let the World See (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/6, 8/10pm – This 6 ep series based on the true story of a mother who ignites the Civil Rights movement looking for justice after the brutal death of her son followed by a docuseries on the subject.
• Pivoting (Fox) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/9, 8:30pm – This comedy brings 3 childhood friends together to cope with the death of a fourth member of their group they kick off some life pivots that might not involve the best decision making with Eliza Coupe, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Maggie Q.
• The Kings of Napa (Own) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/11, 8pm – Set in a Napa Valley vineyard owned by the Kings family, the three children stuggle for the reins when the patriarch exists.
• Naomi (CW) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/11, 9pm – Based on DC characters we follow a teen following her hidden destiny when there’s a shakeup in her small hometown.
• Peacemaker (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/13 – A new DC series exploring the origins of one of the Suicide Squad characters who believes in peace at any cost with John Cena.
• Wolf Like Me (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/13 – Isla Fisher and Josh Gad star in this comedic look at two people with baggage coming together.
• Archive 81 (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/14 – An archivist finds mystery around the disappearance of the director and a deminic cult in this mystery.
• Somebody Somewhere (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/16, 10:30pm – A Kansas singer finds her community by finding her voice.

More streaming:

• Rebelde (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 1/5 – A secret society at an elite hihg school threatens the hopes of new students in this Mexican teen musical drama.
• The Journalist (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 1/13 – A dedicated journalist pursues the truth about government scandal in this Japanese thriller.
• Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 1/14 – A powerful politician’s daughter pursues a man in this Indian crime show.

Returning streaming: The Club (Net, 1/6), Johny Test (Net, 1/7), A Discovery of Witches (SundN, 1/8), Queens of Mystery (Acorn, 1/10), Undercover (Net, 1/10), Cheer (Net, 1/12), Madagascar (Hulu/Pea, 1/13), A House Divided (Allblk, 1/13), Next Influencer (Para+, 1/13), After Life (Net, 1/14), The Cabin Chronicles (Disc+, 1/14),

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.

I guess we’re wrapping up the year. You probably won’t see my best of 2021 lists coming out for a little while. Too much catching up to do. TV gets a little quiet this time of year so that might help.

I wrapped Dear White People and while I overall enjoyed the series, I just didn’t love the future/musical show of the final season. I also tried out some of the comedy previews Abbott Elementary, American Auto, and Grand Crew and they all had some good ingredients so I’ll check back in the new year when they’re really out. I’ll also likely be tuning into the return of fluffy Emily in Paris and Queer Eye.

• Vigil (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/23 – A detective must investigate a death on top secret British nuclear sub while it continues its route in this limited series.
• The Book of Boba Fett (Dis+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 12/29 – The latest Star Wars follows Boba Fett and Fennec Shand.
• Stay Close (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/31 – Harlen Coben’s latest series bring three people with dark secrets in this British mystery.
• Around the World in 80 Days (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 1/2 – David Tennant stars in the latest adaptation of the Jules Verne novel.

More streaming

• The Silent Sea (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/24 – A dangerour moon mission in this drama in this Korean sci-fi mystery.
• Anxious People (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 12/29 – A bank robber holds visitors to an open house hostage in this Swedish feel-good mystery.
• Kitz (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/30 – Teen drama in this German show.

Returning streaming: Emily in Paris (Net, 12/22), Beforeigners (HBOM, 12/23), Cardinal (Hulu, 12/24), Daughter from Another Mother (Net, 12/24), Letterkenny (Hulu, 12/26), The Standups (Net, 12/29), Light the Night (Net, 12/30), Shadow Lines (SundN, 12/30), Cobra Kai (Net, 12/31), Dishmantled (Roku, 12/31), Queer Eye (Net, 12/31), The Hook Up Plan (Net, 1/1).

In addition to a bunch of stuff I don’t get and a few things I don’t care about, Claws is back (TNT, 12/19) and that’s a good fun yet ridiculous show. And I’ll check back in on the return of Kenan and Mr. Mayor (NBC, 12/15) both of which showed potential in their first seasons. I also wrapped Sex Education and You and can move onto The Great.

• Under the Vines (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 12/6 – Romantic drama where two ‘city slickers’ who don’t get along inherit a failing vineyard in rural New Zealand.
• Landscapers (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 12/6, 9pm – Bodies are found in the back garden of a seemingly ordinary couple, with Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in this four-part series inspired by a true story.
• Live in Front of A Studio Audience (ABC) Tuesday 12/7, 8pm – This time this special is bringing episodes of The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes.
• Abbott Elementary (ABC) Series Premiere, Tursday 12/7, 9pm – A comedic look at a Philadelphia public school
• And Just Like That… (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/9 – The much buzzed about return of some of our Sex and the City series pals, I don’t get HBOMax but am curious about the reincarnation after a timely first series and the inability to capture that magic in the follow up movies.
• Ann Boleyn (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/9 – The final months of her life in this three-part phsychological thriller.
• The Larkins (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 12/13 – An adaption of the novel The Darling Buds of May follows a family with six kids through their village life in Kent.
• American Auto (NBC) Series Premiere, Monday 12/13, 10/10:30pm – I’m game to check out a new workplace comedy from the creators of Superstore, a new CEO played by Ana Gasteyer starts at a Detroit motor company.
• Grand Crew (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday 12/14, 8/8:30pm – This comedy is from some of the creators on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and follows a group of friends in LA.
• Close to Me (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/16 – A woman has it all until a fall erases a year from her memory and she tries to piece it together but bumps up against secrets.
• Firebite (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/16 – A group of vampires shipped to Australia sent to eradicate indigenous peoples hide out in mines and ready for battle.
• MacGruber (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/16 – Will Forte returns to his comedic role for some reason.
• Station Eleven (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 12/16 – Based on the book that I thought was great, will see how well this post pandemic world translates post pandemic.
• With Love (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 12/17 – Romantic comedy following the Diaz siblings looing for love and purpose in this romantic comedy.
• 1883 (Para+) Series Premiere, Sunday 12/19 – A family journies west seeking a better future in this Yellowstone prequel, with Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill.

More streaming:

• Our Beloved Summer (Net) Series Premiere, Monday 12/6 – Two ex-lovers get pulled back in front of a camera years after filming a high school viral documentary in this Korean romantic comedy.
• Aranyak (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/10 – Two mismatched cops investigate a local murder in a Himalayan town in this Hindi crime drama.
• Decoupled (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 12/17 – A Delhi couple announce their divorce with a party in this Indan comedy.
• Bulgasal (Net) Series Premiere, Saturday 12/18 – A revenge-driven immortal sets our to reclaim his soul in this Korean fantasy thriller.
• The Girl from Oslo (Net) Series Premiere, Sunday 12/19 – A Norwegian diplomat travels to the Middle East when her daughter is abducted.

Returning streaming: Centaurworld (Net, 12/7), Go Dog Go (Net, 12/7), Trolls (Hulu, 12/9), Shaman King (Net, 12/9), Summer Camp Island (HBOM, 12/9), Crossing Swords (Hulu, 12/10), The Expanse (Am, 12/10), LOL: Last One Laughing (Am, 12/10), Family Dinner (Disc+, 12/10), Engine Masters (Motor, 12/10), How to Ruin Christmas (Net, 12/10), Bonus Family (Net, 12/14), Masha and the Bear (Net, 12/15), Aggretsuko (Net, 12/16), The Fungies! (HBOM, 12/16), Top Class (IMDB, 12/17), The Witcher (Net, 12/17), Home Town (Disc+, 12/19).