#SetTheVCR: October 13-19, 2025

Monday, October 13

DMV: Season 1 (8:30 p.m. / CBS)

DMV is a single-camera comedy set in the place everyone dreads going most – the Department of Motor Vehicles – where employees are making minimum wage dealing with customers who are annoyed before they even walk in the door. Tim Meadows, fresh off Peacemaker where he was outstanding. Programming Note: Episodes will stream on Paramount+ as well.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: TV WE LOVE (8:00 P.M. / THE CW)

The nostalgic series celebrates eight of America’s most iconic television shows and the indelible mark they left on popular culture. Kicking off with a deep dive into I Love Lucy – widely regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time – TV We Love revisits a lineup of beloved classics including The Brady Bunch, The Love Boat, The Honeymooners, Happy Days, Dynasty, Cheers, and Touched by An Angel.
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The docuseries will focus on eight iconic TV shows in this order: I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, The Love Boat, The Honeymooners, Happy Days, Dynasty, Cheers and Touched by An Angel. “The series will begin with an episode devoted to I Love Lucy. Every episode will include cast members, creators, scholars and television insiders, detailing some of the moments and insights behind why those shows remain iconic to this day.” The talking heads list includes Bob Costas, who has also made a lot of compelling TV. I’m often wary of nostalgia however for shows like Lucy and Cheers and even Happy Days (where we get “Jump The Shark” from) I do recognize there is value in acknowledging these contributions. TV has been good to us.

Tuesday, October 14

Obituary: Season 2 (Anytime / Hulu)

The new season sees Elvira struggling with the death of her beloved father. Again, she seeks relief in killing, but is beaten to the act by a mysterious new murderer in town. A local cop, Detective Rose, suspects Elvira of the crime, which in this case she hasn’t committed. Elvira becomes determined to solve the murder herself and meet a potential kindred spirit. An eccentric newspaper editor pits Elvira against boyfriend Emerson in the newsroom.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE (9 P.M. / PBS)

Marlee Matlin becomes the first deaf actor to win an Academy Award for her performance in Children of a Lesser God. Catapulted into the spotlight, she challenges an industry that’s unprepared for her immense talent, emerging as a trailblazing actress, author and activist.
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I always wrestle with these type of docs. Marlee Matlin was great in West Wing, she got to be fully herself…deaf and act, thanks to some fine writing. But fine writing is rare. So while I acknowledge we’re a crowded culture of misunderstanding and blind spots—especially with most disabilities—I’m far from convinced Hollywood is the Golden Ticket for accessibility and inclusivity. (In a commencement speech, Marlee Matlin says: “The handicap of deafness does not lie in the ear, but in the mind of those who wish to handicap me.” Of course, she’s right.) Every actor (every is a strong word) wants to do good work, the obvious problem is there isn’t that much good work. A West Wing doesn’t come along that often. This is a hard life. And just because you make something doesn’t mean there is an audience and a market for it. (In Canada, for example, we’ve dedicated a lot of time and resources to Indigenous programming…another clear Golden Ticket, right? Yet how many Canadians consume any of that? It’s a long haul.) I appreciate the documentary is called Not Alone Anymore, as we’ve gotten to know Marlee. I wanna know what it means for her and for her life and for her imagination and for her work. I want to understand her legacy as an actress, artist and trailblazer. And yes, because it’s part of her core identity, who she is as a deaf person and what that all means. (West Wing is amazing…still one of the best written TV shows of all time. Is it just streaming in the U.S. on HBO Max? Kinda rude…)

Wednesday, October 15

Loot: Season 3 (Anytime / Apple TV+)

In Loot, Molly Wells embarks on a journey of self-discovery after getting an $87 billion divorce settlement from her wealthy tech billionaire husband of 20 years, John Novak, and we find her thriving in her role as the head of her philanthropic organization, the Wells Foundation. Molly has landed the jet for season three, with viewers left on the edge of their seats following the season two finale that saw Wells and her trusted assistant, Nicholas, board Molly’s private jet with her orders to take her as far away as possible after blowback from her fellow billionaires about stepping up philanthropy and her awkward exchange with her will-they, won’t-they colleague, Arthur. Programming Note: Debuts with the first two episodes of a 10-epispde season, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through December 10.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SCARED SHITLESS (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-CANADA)

Don, a blue-collar plumber and Sonny, his germaphobic son, are forced to take care of one another after the death of Sonny’s mom. To help Sonny overcome his germaphobia, Don drags him out on a routine house-call where they encounter a plumber’s worst nightmare… a vicious killer creature that’s swimming through the pipes, killing the building’s tenants in an increasingly grisly fashion.
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Happy Halloween!! A plumber must team up with his germaphobic son to battle a genetically engineered bloodthirsty monster that is loose in the plumbing system of an apartment building. If it sounds funny that’s because  a) Scared Shitless offers goofy goodness and 2) Vivieno has directed comedy notably Baroness von Sketch Show and This Hour Has 22 Minutes on CBC. As you’ll hear: I asked him about that in our MSL conversation…how horror and comedy are on the same coin; fortunately Scared Shitless offers viewers both. As for Scared Shitless the creature & special effects for the movie were done by Steven Kostanski who directed the fantastic Psycho Goreman. Also horror and sci-fi and comedy. I’m not surprised these 2 filmmakers are good friends; if you’ve seen Psycho Goreman you’ll dig Scared Shitless.

Thursday, October 16

Starting 5: Season 2 (Anytime / Netflix)

The new season follows Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton and James Harden throughout the 2024-25 NBA season. It was incredibly inspiring when Kevin Durant went to the Warriors. That was literally a “Golden” State for the NBA. Since then? I’ve no clue what he wants or how he views his legacy. I’ll watch for Durant to understand Kevin.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BAD SHABBOS (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-US)

An interfaith engaged couple plans a Shabbat dinner for their parents’ first meeting. An unexpected death interrupts their plans.
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Shabbos is the Yiddish term for the Jewish Sabbath…a day of rest and celebration, observed from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. However…in Daniel Robbins’ film it’s clearly…a Bad Shabbos. Indeed things go oy vey. (Hah, last one…that’s the extent of my Yiddish.) David (Jon Bass) and his fiancée Meg (Meghan Leathers) are about to have their parents meet for the first time over a Shabbat dinner on New York’s Upper West Side when an accidental death (or murder?) gets in the way. Dead bodies ruin so many dinner plans. With Meg’s Catholic parents due any moment, this family dinner soon spirals into a hilarious disaster. Think of Bad Shabbos as a Jewish Meet The Parents. This time the boy is Jewish and the girl is Catholic but open to converting to Judaism. Just add brisket and a dead body. The Jewish parents are played by David Paymer and Kyra Sedgwick. They live in the Upper West in a posh building which explains how Cliff “Method Man” Smith gets involved. Meth is a doorman. Turns out he’s capable of dealing with a dead body. (And impersonating a Jew! As you’ll hear Daniel Robbins reveals: “Halfway into the shoot Kyra Sedgwick turned to me. She’s like, you know, Method Man’s stealing the movie. And I was like: no, everyone’s amazing. Turns out the reaction to him has been through the roof.” Wu-Tang!) Bad Shabbos also stars Milana Vayntrub, Theo Taplitz, Catherine Curtin and John Bedford Lloyd. Religious traditions! Cultural collisions! And Method Man who at one point impersonates a Jew. You can always mine culture for comedy because so much of what we do as culture is…weird. Bad Shabbos is a great example of why culture is funny as much as it’s sacred. Programming Note: Here’s the My Summer Lair conversation with Daniel Robbins the director and co-writer. Ya gotta stay tuned, towards the end because I ask him about working and improvising with Method Man.

Friday, October 17

Andrew Young: The Dirty Work (9:00 p.m. / MSNBC)

This gripping documentary reveals the untold story of Andrew Young — a behind-the-scenes force of the Civil Rights Movement and a quiet giant of international diplomacy. A master negotiator, strategist, and bridge-builder, Young was the man who did the essential, often thankless “dirty work” that changed history, operating in the shadows while others stood in the spotlight.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MR. SCORSESE (ANYTIME / APPLE TV+)

The five-part Mr. Scorsese examines how Scorsese’s colorful life experiences informed his artistic vision, as each film he made stunned the world with originality. Starting with his earliest experiences (New York University student films) through to the present day, this documentary explores the themes that have fascinated Scorsese, including the place of good and evil in the fundamental nature of humankind.
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This is more than just talking heads in a documentary, this is a legacy: “With exclusive, unrestricted access to Scorsese’s private archives, the documentary series is anchored by extensive conversations with the filmmaker himself and never-before-seen interviews with friends, family and creative collaborators including Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Paul Schrader, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Jay Cocks and Rodrigo Prieto, along with his children, wife Helen Morris, and close childhood friends.” When Scorsese worked with De Niro he created classics. With DiCraprio he’s just shilling entertainment. Thankfully, Scorsese’s non-fiction work is fantastic; much stronger than his recent features these last few years. (Speaking of non-fiction work: Scorsese has vaguely confirmed he’s done interviews with the SCTV cast. However, Harold Ramis, John Candy and now Flaherty are dead. And it’s not like Scorsese is a youth. We’re running outta time. Dude’s been working on An Afternoon with SCTV since 2018! Like, yo. Sigh.) Anyways, Scorsese’s incredibly articulate at breaking down the past and infusing it with dynamic vibrancy. (Especially foreign flicks.) Dude’s work in impressive but the ability to curate culture is a super power. For now…how much longer do you think Martin Scorsese can keep going?! You gotta figure after long days on the set now he’s icing those knees. His back probably creaks like a door in a horror movie…I hope he keeps going while I also recognize the end is near. Scorsese is 82; Francis Ford Coppola is 86. Treasure these talented dudes as long as we got em. Nobody coming up is gonna be this Good: save this proclamation. I promise you. Nobody. Programming Note: This is a binge release, all five-parts debut on on October 17.

Saturday, October 18

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (Anytime / Netflix)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: In the shadowy world of espionage, Sam Fisher is a rumor and a legend. Pulled back into action, he must help a new recruit unravel a global conspiracy. Does Tom Clancy work as animation? This is Derek Kolstad, too. I’d check this out, still kinda weird, though.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MATCH (ANYTIME / TUBI)

After Paola is matched with a handsome online suitor, she arrives for a first date to discover a house full of dark and terrifying secrets.
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Happy Halloween!! Director Danishka Esterhazy offers a fantastic horror staple: the terrified girl who lights a “match” to see what dim horrors surround her. The screamer is Humberly González and she swiped right on a…I dunno. A serial killer? A Psycho? Tubi is a B-Movie graveyard during Halloween, though this is a Tubi original. If the match she lights is blown out by an unseen entity, oh yes I’ll match with this movie.

Sunday, October 19

Tracker: Season 3 (8:00 p.m. / CBS)

As Colter grapples with the shocking truth surrounding his father’s death, Russell (Jensen Ackles) joins forces with his brother to help track down the missing wife and daughter of one of Reenie’s clients. Their reunion finds them mixed up in a chain of events involving a sinister underground operation known as The Process.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DOWNEY WROTE THAT (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)

The hourlong film explores the sketches, contributions and enduring influence of one of the most impactful comedy writers in the history of Saturday Night Live.
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Conan’s comedy writing contributions are mostly recognized. However, we suck at enshrining John Swartzwelder & Robert Smigel. Those dudes are #GOATs. Downey Wrote That as a documentary is a strong start. But he’s not the only joke writer who has earned a Last Dance. Be impressed by this list of talking heads: Fred Armisen, Andy Breckman, Dana Carvey, Greg Daniels, Will Forte, Al Franken, Bill Hader, Darrell Hammond, David Letterman, Jon Lovitz, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Garrett Morris, John Mulaney, Laraine Newman, Conan O’Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Lawrence O’Donnell, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Martin Short, Robert Smigel, David Spade, Emily Spivey, Ben Stiller and Kenan Thompson.

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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.