#SetTheVCR: May 04 – 10, 2026

Monday, May 04

Mob City: Limited Series (Anytime / Prime Video-Canada)

Mob City is based on a true story of a conflict that lasted decades between the Los Angeles Police Department (under leadership of police chief William Parker), and ruthless criminal elements led by Bugsy Siegel, who was in charge of the Los Angeles mafia operations. The series is a crime drama set in Los Angeles during 1947, with brief visits to the 1920s to show background information. The 6 episode series was created by Frank Darabont and Jon Bernthal plays an LAPD detective. Edward Burns as Bugsy Siegel which seems like strange casting. I’ve never seen this show and I’m a big fan of L.A. Confidential so yeah I’ll check it out.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: LORD OF THE FLIES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-US)

When a group of schoolboys crash-lands on a tropical island, their attempts to survive are threatened by the lure of their darkest instincts.
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Lord of the Flies is, of course…William Golding’s outstanding 1954 debut novel. So. It simply doesn’t matter if contemporary audiences struggle with any aspect of the novel. Including Piggy. Especially Piggy. Fatty’s real name was never revealed and he was scorned and eventually, bullied to death. Don’t be soft. Don’t be weak. Own that. And stoutly present that, as harsh as it is…to a contemporary audience. If anybody struggles that’s entirely their issue. Learn to deal. Success of this challenging adaptation is rooted in the infectious and undaunted courage of the filmmakers. “Jack Thorne’s adaptation is the first for television. Truthful to the original novel – set in the early 1950s on an unnamed Pacific island – Thorne’s adaptation delves further into the book’s emotive themes; human nature, the loss of innocence and boyhood masculinity. Each of the four episodes is titled after a character at the core of the story – Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack – offering a subtly different perspective on the boys’ collective plight and manner in which they cope with their predicament. The series has been made with the support of Lord of the Flies author William Golding’s family.” That sounds solid so far even though all of that is just marketing. I also acknowledge this is a cheat since we do not have access to this Limited Series here, still. (Well, in Canada. CBC Gem picked it up but there’s no date yet.) Prepare and manage expectations for when this finally crosses the pond.

Tuesday, May 05

The Yogurt Shop Murders (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)

In 1991, four teenage girls were brutally murdered at a frozen yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. What happened that night forever shook the Austin community and continues to mystify the police and haunt the families left in the wake of unthinkable loss. This 4-Part True Crime docuseries premiered last August. However the killer has been identified via DNA testing so a special 5th Update Episode will stream on May 22nd. You can start watching the first 4 episodes to catch up before 5 drops.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: ARE WE GOOD? (ANYTIME / KANOPY-US)

Comic and podcast pioneer Marc Maron reflects on loss and growth after the death of his partner, Lynn Shelton. As he processes grief and crafts comedy, he revisits his career, family struggles, and the evolving comedy world at 60.
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From WTF to Are We Good? A comedian confronts loss, age, fame and his own demons (who are just really onery cats.). The next chapter of Marc Maron’s story is an overlooked documentary, especially if you are a podcaster. If you’re a comic though? The doc is a struggle: “The greatest indication that it’s fucking over is Chappelle spending an hour and 10 minutes shitting on trans people. I mean, with everything going on, that’s the choice? But whatever.” That’s about 1 hour into the doc. Marc Maron is an ideal comic for the social media era because he talks (and even jokes) like Twitter. He’s simply decided these are dark times or harrowing times…and it’s really not. These aren’t the end days. We’re not living through WWII. I find his anxiety tedious and even obnoxious. So Are We Good? Yeah, mostly. Programming Note: WTF Is A Podcast with Marc Maron a graphic novel by Brian “Box” Brown comes out on November 3, 2026.

Wednesday, May 06

Balls Up (Anytime / Prime Video)

Two marketers pitch a bold new condom World Cup sponsorship. After a booze-fueled scandal, they must outrun chaos to survive. How bad can it be?!
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: CITADEL: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

Citadel is a heart-racing spy thriller following Mason Kane (Richard Madden), Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), and Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) – elite operatives of a legendary agency destroyed by Manticore, a ruthless network backed by the world’s most powerful families. When a terrifying new threat emerges, the three are pulled back into action. Now they must recruit an unlikely team of skilled new operatives and launch a globe-spanning mission to stop a conspiracy that could reshape humanity. With blockbuster action, shocking betrayals, and an expanded ensemble of mysterious agents, the stakes have never been higher – and anyone could be friend or foe.
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Let’s Citadel on the couch and enjoy spies saving the world. We got a global spy series executive produced by the Russo Brothers. Prime Video continues to open their wallets for these super expensive TV shows. Though, the Citadel Spinoffs underscore how diversity pimping is always…always disingenuous. Quality is superior to representation. Always. Ya gotta be good this. I’m grateful the other spinoffs like Mexico are on hold. Make Season 2 strong and let’s go from there. Really, that’s a lot of Citadel. I dunno if I can sit through all that. I watched the first season of the…America…white? whatever it’s called. It’s okay. I’ll do Season 2 of that…not sure about this rest.

Thursday, May 07

The Terror: Devil in Silver (Anytime / AMC+ & Shudder)

The Terror: Devil in Silver tells the story of Pepper – a working class moving man, who through a combination of bad luck and a bad temper, finds himself wrongfully committed to New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital – an institution filled with the people society would rather forget. There, he must contend with patients who work against him, doctors who harbor grim secrets, and perhaps even the very Devil himself.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SEND HELP (ANYTIME / DISNEY+ CANADA & HULU)

Two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it’s a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.
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Send Help was Day 1 destined to be a streaming movie. I was never gonna pay to see this. Like yo: What is this? Why does this exist? It’s Alive meets Office Space…and what Rachel McAdams is Milton?! I dunno why I’d bother with this ghetto Survivor. If you wanna watch it, it’s now streaming. Me? Not even on Tubi. Not even on a long flight. I’ll probably pass away and never ever watch this. Hardest Pass.

Friday, May 08

Whistle (Anytime / Shudder & Crave & AMC+)

A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

A widow (Sally Field) who works at a local aquarium finds joy again when she forms an unlikely bond with a giant Pacific octopus and a wayward young man who comes to town in search of family. Together, they uncover a mystery that will lead them to a life-changing discovery and restore their sense of wonder.
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If you’re a Remarkably Bright Creature you’ll enjoy this charming adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s 2022 novel.

Saturday, May 09

Spaceballs: The Animated Series: Season 1 (Anytime / Kanopy)

I had no idea this existed. And with the upcoming sequel Spaceballs: The New One coming soon in 2027, I figured a visit to this whacky world would be fun. However I quote this from Wikipedia: “Spaceballs: The Animated Series, also known as Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs: The Animated Series or simply Spaceballs: The Series, is an adult animated television series that premiered in 2008 on the United States’ G4 and Canada’s Super Channel, and is loosely based on the parody science fiction film Spaceballs. Similarly to how the original film parodied the original Star Wars films and the Star Trek universe, each episode of the series parodies a different film or other aspect of popular culture, such as the Star Wars prequel trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, or the Grand Theft Auto video games. The show was widely panned and was not renewed for a second season.” Alright, then.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: JIMMY O. YANG: FINALLY HOME! (ANYTIME / VEEPS)

Jimmy O. Yang returns home to Hong Kong for five massive arena shows for his newest comedy special – Finally Home! It’s about coming home, his hilarious family, fighting for the bill, great Karaoke and so much more! This comedy special is funnier, bigger and more epic than ever. A great time for everyone! He is not the self-proclaimed Hong Kong Taylor Swift for nothing.
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What is Veeps?!! One of the ongoing and subtle #SetTheVCR subplots is I write about the evolving (in real time!) streaming world. (I’ve lost count of how many streamers there are.) There are notable streaming trends and one of the curious developments is happening with stand-up comedy. I dig Jimmy O. Yang’s comedy and I have recommended his specials in previous #SetTheVCRs. However, Jimmy’s last 2 specials streamed on Prime Video: Good Deal (2020) and Guess How Much? (2023). With stand-up I can never tell if it’s smarter to go indie and bet on your audience or if going indie after being on Prime (twice!) means they said you suck, go away…you know? Still here we are: with Jimmy’s latest comedy special on Veeps: Finally Home! was released on May 2nd. Cool. Except…yeah: what is Veeps? According to Google: “Veeps is a premium streaming service specializing in live, high-quality concerts and music-related events, often referred to as a “virtual venue” or concert-first streaming platform.” News to me. More news to me? It’s owned by Live Nation/Ticketmaster however…artists like Jimmy keep the entire ticket price. Really? That seems suspect but I’m still catching up to all this. This comedy special isn’t free, rather it’s $18.99 which is on par with a comedy club night out. I’m curious about this experiment…will it work? Do Peeps like Veeps? (#Magic!)

Sunday, May 10

The Roast of Kevin Hart (Anytime / Netflix)

Comedic rockstar and roast master himself, Kevin Hart, is confirmed to be roasted LIVE from The Kia Forum at Netflix Is A Joke Fest in Los Angeles on May 11. Superstar comedian Shane Gillis is confirmed to host the evening.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DISASTER: THE CHERNOBYL MELTDOWN (9:00 P.M. / CNN)

Spanning the scope of the catastrophic collapse of the reactor, the Soviets’ calculated cover-up, and the present-day fallout now intersecting with the war in Ukraine, Disaster: The Chernobyl Meltdown reveals a tragedy still reverberating across history. Featuring revealing interviews with survivors speaking publicly for the first time, alongside rare insight into the CIA and Soviet responses, the series exposes a web of secrecy, miscalculation, and human cost. Astonishing new footage from inside the nuclear exclusion zone reveals how this scarred landscape is once again under siege as war encroaches on one of the most dangerous places on Earth. The four-part docuseries marks the 40th anniversary of the unprecedented tragedy.
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So wanted to check this out but then President Trump started a war with Iran and CNN (ironically) had a meltdown and got Viagra excited to cover a war and get those ratings. We’ve been at war in the Middle East my entire life…it’s boring and it follows a playbook. I am hoping CNN finally properly airs this 4 part docuseries because 40 years later…I wanna know what it means. I want to put this disaster into historical context. And I want to understand exactly what happened. This isn’t a another American Middle East war this is significant history—our history. Programming Note: Part 1 is tonight at 9 p.m. and Part 2 is at 10 p.m. Then on Sunday, May 17 at 9 p.m. is Part 3 followed by Part 4 at 10 p.m.

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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.