new and noteworthy tv: 7/6-7/19

Intelligence

I actually knocked a few things off I’d been streaming Grace & Frankie (cute), Queer Eye (fun enough), Orange is the New Black (very uneven but some great elements in early and final seasons), Bosch (will miss his detective capers), and Upload (fun sci-fi romance romp) as well as a Hot in Cleveland rewatch (fun and fluffy). Still plugging away at others and thinking of diving back into a few dvr saves like the final season of Mr Robot.

In this round’s new launches Peacock comes out on Wednesday July 15 – and is apparently free, but not sure that applied so everybody. A quick google got me to Peacock TV which seems to indicate you need an X1 (xfinity device?) or a Flex (internet with an option like a roku?) with a basic level of service. Whether this will also be available online or with other smart devices is unclear but would seem like a bad move if not. There’s also a paid version that gets you ‘more’ but what that means is also unclear. I have to say if I bothered to look into this and I’m not sure about it it’s really not a good sign, but likely more clarity as the launch date approaches/passes.

  • Stateless (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/8 – The paths of four diverse strangers intersect at an immigration detention center in the Australian outback with Cate Blanchett, Dominic West, Jai Courtney, and Yvonne Strahovski with some good early buzz.
  • Was It Love (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/8 – A single mother has four men come into her life in this South Korean drama.
  • Close Enough (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/9 – An adult animated comedy about a married couple live in a shared space with their kid and their two divorced friends.
  • Japan Sinks (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/9 – An ordinary family faces massive earthquakes in this Japanese animated comedy.
  • Breathe: Into the Shadows (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 7/10 – An Indian psychological thriller where a man and his wife delve into the case of their kidnapped daughter.
  • Little Voice (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 7/10 – A comedy about an aspiring singer trying to fulfill her dreams with music by Sara Bareilles.
  • The Twelve (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 7/10 – This drama from Belgium about twelve jurors deciding the case of a woman accused of killing her best friend and her own daughter.
  • P-Valley (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 7/12 – A dramatic look at the lives of strip club dancers.
  • The Nest (Acorn) Series Premiere, Monday 7/13 – A couple trying to have a baby meet a troubled 18-year-old surrogate.
  • Brave New World (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/15 – Based on the novel a Utopian society is threatened after a couple meets a man while on vacation in the Savage Lands.
  • The Capture (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/15 – A conspiracy thriller looking at truth of digital evidence in a crime.
  • Dark Desire (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/15 – A married woman’s weekend away sparks some passion, tragedy, and questions in this Spanish drama.
  • Cleopatra in Space (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/15 – An animated comedy based on a graphic novel where she is transported into the future and trains to take on bad guys and get back to her time.
  • Intelligence (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/15 – An American NSA agent, David Schwimmer, joins a UK Government Communications Headquarters in this comedy.
  • Psych2: Lassie Come Home (Pea) Special presentation, I not that long ago did a Psych binge including the first movie only to find that this one wasn’t out yet, and would like to cross it off.
  • United We Fall (ABC) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/15 – A new family comedy, with extended family.
  • The Secrets She Keeps (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/16 – Set in Sydney two pregnant women’s lives and secrets collide in this drama based on a novel.
  • Cursed (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 7/17 – Another re-imagining of the Arthur/Merlin dramatic tale.

Returning streaming: The Protector (Net, 7/9), Hello Ninja (Net, 7/10), Absentia (Am, 7/17).

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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 6/5-6/11

Not a ton new and noteworthy but there are some fun summer shows that I enjoy returning, while I’m still attending to Fargo and kicking through some streaming shows.

  • Ink Master (Spike) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – I’m still unresolved about my no longer getting Spike.
  • King of the Road (Vice) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – I thought the first season of this was a weird fun combination of skateboarding and stupid scavenger hunt hijinks.
  • Queen of the South (USA) Season Premiere, Thursday, 10pm – I enjoyed the first season of this drug dealing show with a good protagonist and lots of things going bad.
  • Orange is the New Black (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – Picking up where we left off with big trouble in Litchfield prison.
  • Wynonna Earp (Syfy) Season Premiere, Friday 10pm – This was a fun campy fighting the dead sort of show.
  • Orphan Black (BBCA) Season Premiere, Saturday, 10pm – The final season of what has been a great, though sometimes uneven show, excited to return to Sarah, her sisters and their friends and family.
  • Tony Awards (CBS) Sunday, 8pm – And the award goes to…
  • Claws (TNT) Series Premiere, Sunday, 9pm – Things are complicated in this Florida nail salon dramedy.
  • Steve Harvey’s Funderdome (ABC) Sunday, 9pm – Audience votes on one of two entrepreneurs.
  • French Open (NBC) Saturday/Sunday, 6am – Ready for some finals!

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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netflix originals

There’s nothing new or noteworthy this week, except of course some fireworks tonight, so I thought I’d do a little roundup of some of the original programming on Netflix that could bide your time. The notes in parens are how many seasons I’ve seen of available and an underline notes a recommendation.

  • House of Cards (3 of 4, renewed) – The first season of this was totally riveting and while the following seasons haven’t captured that magic it’s still pretty engaging.
  • Hemlock Grove (3 of 3, ended) – This show is so bad I couldn’t turn away, it’s a wackadoodle town with a bad werewolf on the loose and that’s not the only supernatural occurrence afoot, and then it got worse.
  • Arrested Development (1 of 1, renewed) – Definitely didn’t capture the magic of the original show but if you enjoyed the series this is worth catching (and if you haven’t watched the original series give it a look), curious to see what comes next.
  • Orange is the New Black (3 of 4, renewed) – The main character is basically annoying, but fortunately they do a nice job of making each episode focus not only on the ongoing story but on lots of the quite interesting other individual characters.
  • BoJack Horseman (2 of 2, renewed) – This turns out to be one of my favorite shows, and it did have to grow on me, as we get a look at washed up former star and his pretty depressing life, did I mention it’s an animated world of animal type people and people?
  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2 of 2, renewed) – I enjoyed and cranked right through this comedy about a woman returning from bunker captivity, the format allows for our protagonist to merry whimsical childlike qualities with some depressing adult subject matter, with a handful of irregular sidekicks.
  • Bloodline (1 of 2) – I was intrigued by this and stuck through the first season based on cast and some good buzz alone but was underwhelmed by the unfolding of the season and am skipping season two.
  • Marvel’s Daredevil (2 of 2) – This grew on me over the first season but come second season the combination of lackluster characters and muddled story made me weary, though I’m sticking with it for the Marvel universe tie-ins with other Netflix shows.
  • Grace and Frankie (2 of 2, renewed) – This show isn’t revolutionary but Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin still make a great team and with their extended family of former spouses and kids makes a nice ensemble.
  • Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (1 of 1, renewed) – I enjoyed the original movie enough and really appreciated what they were trying to do by picking up those threads in this series but it’s really only for a die-hard fan.
  • Narcos (1 of 1, renewed) – This was another one of those shows that was probably quite well done but I just never did enjoy the histori-drama enough to tune back in to next season of Colombian drug lords and the cops who are tasked with thwarting them.
  • Longmire (Season 4, renewed) – I really enjoyed this series when it was on A&E and wasn’t disappointed in the season that came after its transplant, with our sheriff, some odd crimes, and beautiful country.
  • Marvel’s Jessica Jones (1 of 1, renewed) – I thought this latest Marvel was quite engaging, as it felt more noir detective than superhero and our clearly flawed protagonist fought inner and outer demons, excited for the return and the also introduced Luke Cage.
  • Master of None (1 of 1, renewed) – Aziz Ansari most known from Parks & Recreation creates a somewhat autobiographical comedic look which grows into a decent season arc.
  • Love / Flaked (1 of 1, renewed) – A couple of ‘comedy’ shows about unlikable characters and the messes that are their lives, and I didn’t love either one but something compelled me to crank through each.

I tried but couldn’t:

  • Marco Polo (1 season, renewed) – A look at the early years with Kublai Khan and the Mongolian Empire didn’t keep my attention.
  • F is for Family (1 season, renewed) – I heard good buzz about this animated sitcom but alas to me not so much funny.
  • The Ranch (1 season, renewed) – Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Debra Winger and Sam Elliott make a nice lineup of a family with prodigal son returned but for me no real laughs.
  • Lady Dynamite (1 season, renewed) – I wasn’t won over by the odd comedian’s take but a friend just gave me a pitch to give it another go so I will.

Are they or aren’t they on the to do list?

  • The Killing (Season 4, ended) – Negative, I gave up on this show after season 2.
  • Sense8 (1 season, renewed) – This is one of those ones that everyone seems to say gets good about mid-way through so perhaps.
  • Club de Cuervos (1 season, renewed) – I think I missed this Spanish language debut, and no buzz makes me dubious.
  • Marseille (1 season, renewed) – Pass, I haven’t heard much good about this one.
  • W/Bob & David (1 season) – I’m not a huge sketch comedy fan.
  • Fuller House (1 season, renewed) – Not a watcher of the original so missing the nostalgia desire to tune back in.
  • Netflix Presents: The Characters (1 of 1, ended) – As noted not a huge sketch comedy viewer.
  • Hibana (1 season) – Remotely interested in taking a look at this Japanese novel adaptation if the queue weren’t so full.

Not including exclusive international distribution with examples like: The Fall (BBC) 2 of 2 seasons, River (BBC) 1 of 1, and most recent Marcella (ITV) 1 season.

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