#SetTheVCR: August 05-11, 2024

Monday, August 05

Unstable: Season 2 (Anytime / Netflix)

Eight more episodes of the comedy series starring Rob Lowe and his son, John Owen Lowe. The duo will face more challenges as the Dragon Empire continues to look threatened. Ellis pushes his reluctant son toward the spotlight at Dragon Industries as the biotech company’s success means new blood and fresh rivalries.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: ELIZABETH TAYLOR: THE LOST TAPES (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)

Featuring newly unearthed interviews, Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, reveals the complex inner life and vulnerability of the Hollywood legend.
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You know what happened to my Egyptian people…and my Egyptian culture when Elizabeth Taylor was casting in 1963’s Cleopatra? Nothing! Duh. Of course, nothing. I don’t buy screen representation for that type of nonsense. More importantly the studio made the correct casting choice: she killed in the role. But who was she? “In 1964, at the height of her fame, Elizabeth Taylor sat down with journalist Richard Meryman for a candid, extensive interview. Drawing from 40 hours of the newly unearthed audio interviews and extraordinary access to personal photos, home movies, archival interviews, and news footage, illustrated with clips from the iconic roles that mirror her real-life challenges and triumphs. Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes allows Elizabeth Taylor’s own voice to narrate her story, inviting audiences to rediscover not just a megastar of Hollywood’s Golden Age but a complex woman who navigated lifelong fame, personal identity, and public scrutiny on a global stage from early childhood.” That works for me…I’m ready to finally meet, for the first time Elizabeth Taylor.

Tuesday, August 06

Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Chicago Bears (9:00 p.m. / HBO Max)

The Chicago Bears will make their first appearance on HBO’s Hard Knocks throughout training camp. The Bears have never been featured on Hard Knocks, which has followed NFL teams during training camp since 2001. But having No. 1 draft choice and USC man Caleb Williams at quarterback makes for a compelling storyline. The Bears will be the first team to report to training camp in late July to prepare for the the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio they played on Aug. 1. Da Bears!
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BEACON 23: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO-CANADA & MGM+)

In Season Two, Beacon 23 is now little more than a prison with Aleph onboard, and The Artifact provides more questions than answers. Without a clear path forward, the inhabitants of Beacon 23 must rely on each other, but their conflicting agendas may get in the way.
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And now a science-fiction mystery thriller. That’s my jam. Plus an Artificial Intelligence humanoid? Oh Yes. Indeed every Beacon is run by one highly trained human and a specialized Artificial Intelligence. Aster is a government agent while Halan is ex-military and the lonely Beacon-keeper. Got it. But how exactly did Aster end up here? Halan is starting to doubt her and question her agenda…paranoia in space is so deadly. Is Aster is friend or foe? I didn’t read the Hugh Howey novel this is all adapted from; have you? So, I dunno what to expect except shifting alliances and lots of tension because space comes with so much pressure. That’s a recap of Season 1’s strangeness. “In Season Two, Beacon 23 is now little more than a prison with Aleph onboard, and The Artifact provides more questions than answers. Without a clear path forward, the inhabitants of Beacon 23 must rely on each other, but their conflicting agendas may get in the way.” I found Season 1 slooooow and unfocused. I’ll be back for Season 2 but I hope the writing is faster and tighter. May this be a remarkable contribution to the flourishing in space no one can hear you scream genre. Programming Note: This comes to Canada now. Season 2 for Americans streamed from April 7, 2024 to May 26, 2024.

Wednesday, August 07

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

A YA mystery drama about a schoolgirl murdered by her boyfriend, or at least, that’s what the police think. Suspicious of this, Pip Fitz-Amobi hunts down more clues as to what really happened. Five years after the murder of a 17-year-old girl in a sleepy English town, one student is determined to uncover the truth and find the real killer.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DOWNTOWN OWL (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-US)

Based on the novel by Chuck Klosterman, Downtown Owl is a sparkle dark Reagan Era comedy set in the fictional town of Owl, North Dakota in the leading days up to the region’s blizzard in Minnesota’s century.
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Downtown Owl: A Novel is a novel written by Chuck Klosterman, first published in 2008. It Chuck’s first all-fictional publication. I have not read it, though I’m a big Klosterman non-fiction fan. Downtown Owl is a 2023 comedy drama film directed by Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater, in their directorial debuts. (Linklater even wrote the screenplay.) The novel (and the movie) are set in 1983 so it’d be interesting, knowing Chuck Klosterman to compare how the novel and movie tackle 1980s culture…especially music. And sorry…I know it’s August and it’s wonderfully hot and it’s Summer time and you’re still going to BBQs but this movie is also about a blizzard and snow and ice and good gravy I’m gonna cry when I see all the white stuff. It better have a killer ’80s soundtrack to make up for all that.

Thursday, August 08

Cowboy Cartel (Anytime / Apple TV+)

The four-part documentary series features the extraordinary story of the rookie FBI agent who cracked the case of one of Mexico’s most ruthless cartels, Los Zetas, and the multimillion-dollar money laundering operation they ran through the heart of the American Quarter Horse racing industry.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: SEASON 4 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Six years after the reset, the powerless Hargreeves clan faces a secret society and learns that the greatest threat to the universe… may be themselves.
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And here it is, the end of The Umbrella Academy. The TV series debuted in February 2019, with the most recent season dropping in June 2022. All based on the Dark Horse comics of the same name by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. So, that’s a Smell Ya Later. It’s been a whole ride, through space and time, too. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is expected to be released in 2025. It’s all endings these days. For now? “Last season ended with a major twist: There’s a new timeline dictated by the family patriarch, Reginald, and the siblings no longer have their powers. That’s not the only oddity in this timeline, where the stakes are higher than ever before — there are new enemies who want to see them wiped from existence, but how do they face their enemies without their powers? And will the siblings ever get them back?” The final episode is entitled: End of the Beginning. And there it is.

Friday, August 09

Mr. Throwback Mockumentary (Anytime / Peacock)

The series follows a down-on-his-luck memorabilia dealer who looks for redemption by reuniting with his sixth-grade teammate, NBA legend Stephen Curry. I dunno what this is or what it’s supposed to be…
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE INSTIGATORS (ANYTIME / APPLE TV+)

Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician’s ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses.
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It’s Damon and Affleck! (Okay fine…Casey Affleck but still!). And directed by Doug Liman. Here’s what we got: “Rory (Damon) and Cobby (Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician’s ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by the police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses.” Sounds like Affleck and Damon paint The Town red. Terrible.

Saturday, August 10

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 1 (Anytime / Paramount+)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: The latest TMNT series is a spinoff from last year’s surprisingly good feature Mutant Mayhem, featuring the same voice cast plus new guests like Pete Davidson. Everyone’s favorite pizza-loving heroes face new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple. All 12 episodes are streaming.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: KENNEDY, SINATRA, AND THE MAFIA (ANYTIME / SUNDANCE NOW)

This revealing two-part documentary tells the extraordinary story of the friendship between two of the 20th century’s greatest icons: how they met, the women and secrets they shared, and how it all went so horribly wrong.
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“With his links to the mob and access to entertainment industry star power, Frank Sinatra helped John F. Kennedy into the White House in 1960. However, the Chicago Outfit crime syndicate was soon targeted by the Kennedy administration and The President abruptly cut all links with the mafia, including Sinatra.” Seriously? This documentary about the relationships between Frank Sinatra, JFK and the mafia aired in the UK on Channel 4 back in 2023. It comes to America today. “Sinatra basked in Kennedy’s glory and used his associations with the glamorous president to promote himself in the eyes of his friends and the American public, but, in March 1962, Sinatra was unexpectedly and abruptly ejected from JFK’s gang.” Huh, okay then. Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia…I like those 3 things. So I’m In!

Sunday, August 11

Hollywood Black (Anytime / MGM+)

Justin Simien directs a four-part look at the history of the Black experience in Hollywood. By unearthing personal stories from actors, writers, directors, and producers who fought for their place on the page, behind the camera and on the screen, the series provides a critical reexamination of a quintessentially American story – in brilliant color. Programming Note: Expect an episode every Sunday, Part 2 on August 18, Part 3 on August 25 and finally Part 4 on September 1.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: AMERICAN GODFATHERS: THE FIVE FAMILIES (8 P.M. / HISTORY)

This six-hour docuseries explores the inception, rise, and fall of New York City’s five Mafia families who over a fifty-plus-year period had a hand in every facet of organized crime in America from bootlegging and drug trafficking to extortion and gambling.
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This line from History Channel’s press release stood out: “Over time, the uniquely American values of greed and celebrity, coupled with the relentless pursuit by federal law enforcement, proved too great a match.” And there ya have it…this is a classic American story of some Goodfellas. “Based upon Selwyn Raab’s New York Times best-seller Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires, American Godfathers: The Five Families traces the extensive history of the Mafia beginning with its early ties to Sicily. In 1931, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, a Sicilian-born gangster, created The Commission which acted as the governing body for the American Mafia and appointed the original “New York Five” – the Bonanno, Gagliano, Luciano, Mangano, and Profaci families. They lived by an honor code or set of rules; the most important was omertá meaning “silence.” For a generation, omertá, the key to the Mafia’s success, kept the families safe from law enforcement and public view as they made millions through wartime, depression, and changes in legislation to seamlessly move from one racket to the next.” We blame the internet for ruining so much and I kinda wanna blame the internet for ruining the mafia. These days every fool with a Twitter account think he’s a wise guy. Programming Note: This’ll air on three consecutive nights, starting on Sunday, August 11 so #SetTheVCR accordingly.

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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.