#SetTheVCR: November 17-23, 2025

I bet if you are a Good Boy you’ll enjoy these TV Recommendations. Funny You Should Say That as it is #SetTheVCR.

Monday, November 17

The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship – Special Edition of 20/20 (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+)

The special chronicles the making of The Golden Girls, from its early inception and pilot episode to becoming one of the most treasured shows in television history. And you can see the entire Golden Girls series on Crave.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SWIPE. BET. REPEAT. (ANYTIME / CBC GEM)

The line between spectator and sports better is thinner than ever, and the thrill of the bet is just one tap away. SWIPE. BET. REPEAT. explores a world where a tap of the thumb can turn a hunch into a wager and watching a game into “sweating a bet.” Once tucked away in casinos and back rooms, sports gambling has exploded onto every phone. Now, for millions, placing a bet is as common as checking the score.
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Gambling is like AI; we’re not going back to what it was like before. (Easily more than half the bland online diatribes about gambling/AI are sparked by a fool’s inability to embrace the future.) Gambling/AI require that we adapt. Which is fine. However, now focusing on gambling…the integrity of the game is a legit concern. How do leagues address that? The media is deeply lazy so the worst gambling experiences will be amplified (just like AI) for cheap clickbait. And morons will step forward to say “See?!” as if those flawed headlines are valid compelling evidence. When an airplane crashes we enhance safety and crucially…more importantly, we keep flying. Recently, as the NBA gambling fiasco unfolded I sought a credible voice. Cue Joey Maloney, the senior vice president of strategic communications at the American Gaming Association. He spoke plainly, with context and compared what the NFL is doing to the NBA.I don’t want any gambling hot takes, especially from NBA writers who are only qualified to cover games. Though, sports is only one half of the equation. What is the impact of gambling on the spectators? What harms does gambling do to them? I bet you, this is will be a fascinating documentary.

Tuesday, November 18

Thoughts & Prayers (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)

Equal parts absurd and unsettlingly real, the film traces the $3 billion active-shooter preparedness industry and its effects on students and educators, raising important questions about the unintended consequences of these intense preparations. In the absence of meaningful prevention efforts and gun reform, how far will Americans go to prepare for active shooters?
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: KILLER RENTAL (ANYTIME / SCREAMBOX)

A group of friends rent a vacation home in Joshua Tree, unaware of hidden cameras recording their every move.
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You think vacation houses are solely for sun-soaked Instagram bikini posts? In Killer Rental, a group of friends rent an isolated desert house in Joshua Tree. Sounds fun…only it’s in the desert but it’s not deserted. “Two couples arrive one night and find a mysterious video tape of the last group of friends who vacationed here…a diverse bunch looking to party under the desert sun and stars. But secrets soon emerge and relationships fracture, all under the watch of hidden cameras recording their every move.” Hidden cameras. A vanishing guest. And a maniac known only as The Carpenter. If Blockbuster was still a thing this horror movie would be a…Killer Rental.

Wednesday, November 19

ER: Seasons 1-10 (Anytime / Crave)

Created by Michael Crichton and set in Chicago, this medical drama deals with the personal and professional crises of the doctors in the emergency room at County General Hospital. From the exciting to the mundane, a day in the frantic hospital serves up many interesting dilemmas as well as heartrending choices for everyone on staff.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: GERRY DEE: FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

With dry wit, Canadian comic Gerry Dee explores his perilous years as a schoolteacher, the pitfalls of open marriages and the truth about Santa.
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Gerry Dee is back teaching, this time with a Netflix mic. Funny You Should Say That, is a comedy special that started school as his bestselling biography before graduating to the global stage. Filmed during Just for Laughs in Montreal, Dee mines classic teacher misadventures, suburban absurdities (including parenting pitfalls) and painfully honest Canadian observations that pair well with Tim Hortons. It’s the same “parents’ signature” dry and sarcastic jokes that made Mr. D a TV hit for 8 seasons on the CBC. It’s dry, sharp, and deeply Gerry Dee: an A+ special from a comedian who still knows how to school an audience.

Thursday, November 20

A Man on the Inside: Season 2 (Anytime / Netflix)

Eager to take on another big undercover case, Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson) gets his chance when a mysterious blackmailer targets Wheeler College president Jack Berenger, who enlists Charles to go undercover as a professor. Who’s making these threats? Does it have something to do with the iconoclastic billionaire Brad Vinick, a Wheeler graduate, and his proposed donation to the school? Charles finds no shortage of possible suspects, but his attention gets diverted by free-spirited music teacher Mona, whose zest for life awakens feelings he thought he’d buried after the passing of his wife. Is he ready to open his heart again at this stage in his life? And more importantly, has he fallen for the very criminal he’s been sent to unmask?
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE ROSES (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+)

A tinderbox of competition and resentments underneath the façade of a picture-perfect couple is ignited when the husband’s professional dreams come crashing down.
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Sigh. Normally…I rail against this. The Roses is based on the 1981 novel The War of the Roses by Warren Adler. Which is fine but it’s also a reimagining of the 1989 movie. Bah! However the talent makes this worth checking out on streaming. Jay Roach the director of the Austin Power movies directs Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney and Kate McKinnon. That cast has never been in the same room together! Cumberbatch and Samberg in one scene? That’s the polar opposite of actors and comedy and well, everything. There’s nothing Rosey about a movie reimagining but we can set aside my War and check this out.

Friday, November 21

The Family Plan 2 (Anytime / Apple TV)

Dan Morgan (Marky Mark) is many things: a devoted husband, a loving father, a celebrated car salesman. He’s also a former assassin. And when his past catches up to his present, he’s forced to take his unsuspecting family on a road trip unlike any other.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: GOOD BOY (ANYTIME / SHUDDER & AMC+)

A loyal dog moves to a rural family home with his owner Todd, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most.
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This is a traditional haunted house horror movie…only it’s all told from the perspective of a dog. Dog gone it…this sounds fun. Like Presence but with treats. Tell your dog this ghost says hi.

Saturday, November 22

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake: Season 2 (Anytime / HBO Max)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Fionna and Cake – with the help of the former Ice King, Simon Petrikov – embark on a multiverse-hopping adventure and journey of self-discovery. All the while a powerful new antagonist determined to track them down and erase them from existence, lurks in the shadows.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO: IT AIN’T RIGHT (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)

Filmed live at the legendary United Center arena in Chicago, Sebastian Maniscalco’s “It Ain’t Right” goes all in on family chaos, aging, and the little things that drive us all nuts – with his one-of-a-kind comedic bite.
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Straight out of his hometown Chicago arena and into your living room, Sebastian Maniscalco goes full cranky-genius in It Ain’t Right. Filmed live at the legendary United Center (Michael Jordan’s house), Sebastian Maniscalco, whose trademark persona is pure Italian-American exasperation: all hands, eyebrows, and “Can you believe this?!” rage. Like a witty Incredible Hulk he tears into aging, family chaos and the absurd little things that make grown men say, “Seriously?!” Dude tells stories like he’s describing a family emergency at Sunday dinner—loud, animated and hilariously fed up with humanity. Brother…we’ve all been there. I know It Ain’t Right but oh, it’s a valid emotion.

Sunday, November 23

One Shot with Ed Sheeran: A Music Experience (Anytime / Netflix)

From impromptu performances on bustling sidewalks and subway cars, to intimate interactions with fans and passersby, Ed Sheeran will take viewers on a mesmerizing journey, during one afternoon, in real time, as he travels the streets of New York City, performing his greatest hits, captured in a single take. One singer. One city. One shot.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BIF NAKED: A DOCUMENTARY (9 P.M. / SUPER CHANNEL FUSE)

Born in India, adopted by American missionaries, and raised in Winnipeg, Bif Naked carved her own path—rising through the male-dominated punk scene with her unmistakable voice, poetic lyrics, and defiant spirit. Behind the tattoos and powerhouse performances is a survivor of cancer, addiction, and heartbreak, whose strength and vulnerability reshaped what it means to be a rock star. Through rare footage, intimate interviews, and unforgettable performances, Bif Naked celebrates a woman who has never played by the rules—and has never backed down.
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In November Toronto will enjoy documentary screenings from Nash the Slash Rises Again!, Behind the Castle Doors: The Origin of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (both at Blood in the Snow Film Festival) and Run Terry Run (a brand new Terry Fox documentary playing at Roy Thomson Hall.) All of which brings us to this Bif Naked documentary. Which opens with contemporary Bif Naked reflecting on her life, her career and looking at the camera she concludes: “I never meant to be a singer. I never sang as a child. But life has a way of surprising you. I didn’t follow the path that was laid out for me. I followed my heart and my guts…and a whole lot of chaos.” Chaos like a sexual assault when she was a teenager. An abortion when she was older and married. Adopted by missionaries. A record label that refused to release her finished album. Daunting for sure and yet those experiences—and many others like it—only made Bif Naked stronger. Bif never comes across like a victim, which I deeply appreciate. Woe is me makes for easy and cheap likes on social media. She’s a warrior. Her resilience is refreshing. Getting back up after getting knocked down (which is part of life) is a notable skill. And getting back up is something she does throughout the documentary. “The documentary also features commentary from Bif’s friends and colleagues George Stroumboulopoulos, Denise Donolon, Jordan Alexander and more.” Punk, poet, cancer survivor and a Canadian icon…Bif Naked: A Documentary cranks up the volume up on a dramatic life lived loud. If you wanna love yourself today, check out this music documentary.