A new week of TV Recommendations: from Rock n Roll to Lonely Flowers…if you find discovering quality TV is a Real Pain never no worries: #SetTheVCR is Back in Action.
Monday, January 13
Slingshot (Anytime / Paramount+)
An astronaut struggles to maintain his grip on reality aboard a possibly fatally compromised mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan. It’s Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne in space. It Is What It Is.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: ATOMIC REACTION (ANYTIME / CBC GEM)
Most Canadians do not know the full extent of their country’s role in the Manhattan Project. Atomic Reaction is a feature length documentary film about Canada’s significant role in the Manhattan Project and the fallout seventy-five years later.
~~~
Did you see Oppenheimer? “In 1943, Churchill, Roosevelt and King met in Quebec City to sign an agreement that set in motion a top secret plan to build the world’s first nuclear weapon. Two years later, the world officially entered the atomic age, when the first atomic bomb was detonated in the New Mexican desert. Canada was a major player in that historical event but shockingly, seventy-five years later, a small town in Canada is still dealing with the fallout of that very first Atomic Reaction.” Huh…is that true? History is wild. I don’t think anybody even said the word Canada in Oppenheimer. And that’s my Atomic Reaction to this here Atomic Reaction.
Tuesday, January 14
The Pitt: Season 1 (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)
Series Premiere: The Pitt is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each episode follows an hour of Dr. Robby’s (Noah Wyle) 15-hour shift as the chief attendant in Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital’s emergency room. It sounds like a medical 24? This is a 15 episode season, too. Enjoy that.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: 2024 ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY: SPECIAL PREMIERE (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+)
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates the sound of youth culture and honors the artists whose music connects us all. We share stories of the people, events, and songs that shape our world through digital content, innovative exhibits, live music, engaging programs, and our annual Induction Ceremony. The highly anticipated Induction Ceremony was held on October 19, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
~~~
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony honored inductees are: Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called Quest, along with Alexis Korner, John Mayall, and Big Mama Thornton for Musical Influence, and Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick, and Norman Whitfield for Musical Excellence, as well as Suzanne De Passe for the Ahmet Ertegun Award. If you failed to catch the 39th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, recently broadcast on New Year’s Day on ABC, here it is on streaming. Turn It Up!
Wednesday, January 15
Red Rooms (Anytime / Shudder & AMC+)
Kelly-Anne is obsessed with the high-profile case of a serial killer, and reality blurs with her morbid fantasies. She goes down a dark path to get the missing video of the murder of a young girl, to whom Kelly-Anne bears a disturbing resemblance. Welcome to the crazy world of serial killer groupies.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: BEHIND THE BUCKET: A GARRISON STORY (ANYTIME / HOOPLA & YOUTUBE MOVIES)
Members of the 501st Legion show how they are much more than adults playing dress-up. They are compassionate, charitable, and down to earth people doing what’s right for those in need.
~~~
If you’ve attend to any comic book convention recently, you’ve probably encountered members of your local 501st Legion. Here in Toronto, at most comic book conventions we have a Community Zone. In that area nerds who celebrate Doctor Who, Ghostbusters and Star Wars raise money for charities and various causes. The Community Zone is a highlight every convention. You can see 501st members mostly dressed as stormtrooper uniforms from Star Wars. Though sometimes you’ll see a Darth Vader and other characters from the classic ’80s movies. The Bucket – A Garrison Story offers viewers a peek under the helmets at the members of the 501st Legion’s Midwest Garrison (so Chicago and Wisconsin). As passionate as they are about Star Wars, these inspired stormtroopers pose and appear at charitable events. They roam the hallways of children hospitals to cheer up the sick kids. (Nice to see they haven’t embraced the dark side.) Obviously, this is a story about fandom. Star Wars’ natural ability to create Rainmakers is impressive. How many people have made or continue to make a living off a blockbuster released in 1977? This truly is A New Hope.
Thursday, January 16
Unstoppable (Anytime / Prime Video)
Born with one leg, Anthony Robles defies expectations to become a champion wrestler in college, competing against the very school that rejected him. Sounds like Rudy; just with different challenges. Jennifer Lopez’s latest is about The Boy Next Door with only 1 leg. Like most sports stories this is about Hustlers. A wrestler who overcame odds by challenging his foes…Shall We Dance? No matter how many U-Turns life threw at him, he never said Enough or had a Backup Plan.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: SNL50: BEYOND SATURDAY NIGHT (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)
Featuring more than 60 contributors, including SNL alumni, and covering decades of SNL history, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most iconic hallmarks of the American late night comedy institution.
~~~
In his 2022 standup special Why Am I Like This? Chris Redd said: “People think I’m living my dream right now because I’m on SNL.” The crowd applauds his success before Redd shuts them down. They’ve got it all wrong. “I’m living white people’s dreams.” He adds: “White people love SNL to the point where if there was a flag to put on your house, you would have it, with the years you actually watched the show.” And there it is: Saturday Night Live is an odd cultural institution. It’s like University. You know how you go to University for 4 years and it’s all intense as you’re figuring out who you are and what you’re gonna do for the rest of your life? And over the 4 years you meet all kinds of people; you go to all kinds of parties: it’s all happening? That’s what SNL is like. You get a generation…a cast that’s yours with bonds as strong as the people you partied at University with. The four-part series from executive producer Morgan Neville streams ahead of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary primetime special (Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music directed by Questlove) on February 16th. For this docuseries: “Each episode will highlight a different element to the show including a showcase of the SNL audition process, with never-before-seen audition footage and firsthand accounts from some of the show’s most iconic names, a look at the SNL writing process from script to screen, a deep dive into the More Cowbell sketch and an exploration into SNL’s 11th season, examining the pivotal year that reset the show’s direction and cemented its enduring DNA with Lorne Michaels at the helm.” Lorne Michaels is 80 years old. Do you think this is it for him? 50 seasons of SNL…time to retire? What a stunning cultural contribution for a kid from Toronto. Programming Note: Saturday Night—the 2024 movie chronicling the behind the scenes chaos of SNL’s first episode—streams on Crave on January 25. It’s a Sony movie so it should show up on American Netflix…like soon?
Friday, January 17
Severance: Season 2 (Anytime / Apple TV+)
In Severance, Mark Scout leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself. In season two, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: BACK IN ACTION (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
15 years after giving up life as CIA spies to start a family, Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) find themselves dragged back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown.
~~~
Married former CIA agents played by Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz get dragged back into the spy game. Sigh. I can’t tell if that’s corny…yeah it is. Didn’t Marky Mark do this, too? The Family Plan from 2023: a suburban car salesman goes on the run with his unsuspecting family when his secret past as a government assassin is exposed. Gasp! There’s also Nobody from 2021: Bob Odenkirk plays a mild-mannered family man who returns to his former life of an assassin. Gasp! True Lies of course. And over the Christmas break I watched Black Doves also on Netflix. It did that whole Mr. Mom meets James Bond deal just like The Americans etc. The Spy Who Went Out In The Cold…to get milk. Domesticity is stupid: it fails to create tension. It’s a generic Syd Field friction. Now, if it can create comedy…that might be worth it to see tired parents Back In Action.
Saturday, January 18
Harley Quinn: Season 5 (Anytime / HBO Max)
Saturday Morning Cartoons: The fifth season of Harley Quinn finds Harley and Ivy in a new location: Metropolis! – the home of all things Superman, Lois Lane, and the Daily Planet. Harley and Ivy discover that something sinister is at play and all is not what it seems. Looming threats include Lex Luthor and his sister, Lena Luthor, plus fan-favorite Brainiac. But of course, Harley’s crew of misfits and allies will join her on this irreverent journey that takes no prisoners in having fun in the DC sandbox.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: ROY WOOD JR.: LONELY FLOWERS (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)
In this stand-up special, Roy Wood Jr explores how lack of connection has sent society spiraling into a culture full of guns, protests, rude employees, and self-checkout lanes, and why some of us would rather be alone than be connected.
~~~
Imperfect Messenger is Roy Wood Jr.’s third comedy special and it is freshtastic. That Opening! Yo. One of the best stand up openings since Jerrod Carmichael’s 8. Dude’s got the soul of a southern preacher with Chris Rock’s surgical sense of humour. That was 2021. He’s been busy; you can see him host Have I Got News For You on CNN. Which has strong moments. (It’s not at all what you expect from CNN. See for yourself when Season 2 kicks off on Saturday, February 15 at 9 pm.) I’ve talked to Roy Wood Jr. twice. The first time he and I had a discussion about chicken nuggets here in Toronto. We’re both big fans and there was much love and much agreement. The second time I talked to Roy Wood Jr. I asked what sneakers he wore for Imperfect Messenger. I always check out a stand up comic’s sneakers soon as he comes out. (On MSL, one of the consistent questions I ask stand up comic guests is do you have a sneaker-comedy philosophy. Especially for specials because dope kicks make a special truly special. There should be a blog for comedy and kicks.) For Imperfect Messenger Roy Wood Jr. told me: “the kicks are 1985 Nike Dunk High Acid Wash.” Excellent choice. Lonely Flowers is a treat…he is one of my favourite stand up comics. I look forward to his jokes. And to seeing what sneakers he is wearing for this special. Shall we get the chicken nuggets ready?
Sunday, January 19
The Couple Next Door: Season 1 (Anytime / Starz)
Series Premiere (for North Americans): Evie and Pete move to suburbia with the dream of starting a family. But it’s not long before Evie’s dreams start to take a different shape – that of her hot new neighbor, Danny. When Evie and Pete move into the upscale neighborhood with the dream of starting a family, they soon find friendship in the shape of the couple next door, alpha traffic cop Danny and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka. As time goes on, these two couples get increasingly close to each other and, one fateful night, become sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever. Programming Note: On November 12, 2024 The Couple Next Door was renewed for Season 2 By Channel 4 in the UK.
~~
SAMMY SUGGESTION: A REAL PAIN (ANYTIME / HULU)
Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
~~~
Already, it sounds like Before Sunrise but with cousins who are close enough to brothers. David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) have booked a trip to Poland to learn about how the Holocaust impacted the region through the lens of visiting their grandmother’s hometown. Nothing like a little drama on the way to visit a lot of trauma, right? Well…no pain, no gain, right?
-28-
Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
