#CouchWorthy: January 2025 TV Highlights

January Highlights

Paradise: Season 1 (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+ Canada)

Series Premiere: Paradise is set in an upscale community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent individuals. But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high-stakes investigation unfolds. So far? I like Paradise better than I like Apple TV’s Silo.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with preserving their family’s special moment while making the most of the unanticipated tight quarters. In a hilarious battle of determination and grit, the father of the bride (Will Ferrell) and sister of the other bride (Reese Witherspoon) chaotically go head-to-head as they stop at nothing to uphold an unforgettable celebration for their loved ones.
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It’s a Will Ferrell movie. That’s it.
That’s the entire hook: it’s Will Ferrell.
I’m 100% IN: I’ll RSVP this invitation. (Sadly, not the strongest Will Ferrell movie. And Reese Witherspoon is stiffer than a wooden spoon.)

January Highlights

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. 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. It wasn’t worth it to have Cameron Diaz back in action.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MO: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Mo Season 2 finds Mo stranded across the border and desperate to get back to Houston before his family’s asylum hearing – but as a stateless refugee without a passport, he’s gonna need all the hustle and charm he can muster. Little does he know that the journey home is just the start of his troubles, and there’s a new guy in town ready to steal both his longtime love Maria and his falafel taco recipe.
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You remember how the first couple of Seinfeld seasons basically adapted his stand up bits for comedy moments? The same method is being applied here in Mo; at least it was in the first season. Even from the trailer you’ll recognize many moments from Mo Amer’s 2021 Netflix special Mohammed In Texas (i.e. the hummus bits.). Atlanta was about navigating the wild rapids of white and black culture as it melded and clashed in…well Atlanta. Imagine then navigating Texan culture with being Muslim from a Palestinian family. You can either cry or laugh and Mo is clearly a comedy. It’s produced by Ramy Youssef; creator of Ramy streaming on Hulu. Now that the Atlanta door has closed a Mo window opens. The Netflix series which we last saw in 2022 is back for Mo.

January Highlights

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Season 1 (Anytime / Disney+)

Saturday Morning Cartoons & Series Premiere: This is a standalone Spider-Man story set in an alternative timeline. (Originally Disney+ announced the series as Spider-Man: Freshman Year so the plan was always high school Peter Parker. Sorry, Uncle Ben.). However, it is not canon which means its popularity will generate a confused discourse brimming with ignorance. In 2025…let’s stop giving stupid people a seat at the table. (Matt Murdock / Daredevil is voiced by Charlie Cox…so if it’s not canon why is the canon voice speaking for the non-canon Daredevil?!) Still, this is the web-slinger-in-training Peter Parker. In the recent Tom Holland movies, Parker was mentored by Tony Stark. This time it’s Norman Osborn. That’ll end well, right?
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE RECRUIT: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Season Two of The Recruit finds CIA Lawyer, Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside the Agency.
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Dude from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before grew up to become Jack Ryan. Noah Centineo is a fledgling lawyer at the CIA when a spy comes in from the cold with dark secrets (is there any other kind with the CIA?) that will she is willing to expose. This is the twist; the kid is a rookie not a seasoned James Bond and doesn’t have the experiences or connections yet…who does he trust? Can he even trust himself? Can we even trust Netflix? The last episode of this series streamed on December 16, 2022. Whew. Season 2 finds Noah Centineo “pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside the Agency.” Oh, yes. Can’t trust anybody? You can Recruit me for that: Team Ruckus reporting for duty!

January Highlights

Kobe: The Making of a Legend (Anytime / CNN)

“I want to be the greatest player that I could possibly become.” Barely 1 minute into this CNN Original docuseries you hear that inspiring Kobe confession. It’ll be 5 years since we lost that #GOAT. It’s a strange time as LA–and surrounding areas–neighborhoods like the Pacific Palisades are struggling emotionally after fires have ravaged so much. (When Kobe was drafted by the Lakers in 1996 his first home was in the Pacific Palisades.) Kobe is such an emotionally connected LA story. Five years later, the Lakers with LeBron James are useless and worthless in that order. He was always a loser. And the city has been battered by the fires. Once again, as always with pop culture: what we lose we rarely ever gain. This is Kobe: The Making of A Legend.
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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.
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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?

January Highlights

Scamanda (Anytime / Hulu)

Based on the No. 1 podcast by the same name, Scamanda tells the story of Amanda Riley — a wife, mother, blogger, and Christian — whose tragic cancer tale captivates thousands. But Amanda has a secret that she’s dying to keep, and after an anonymous tip to an investigative reporter, her own words may prove to be her downfall. This is a 4-part docuseries. Programming Note: This’ll stream on Disney+ Canada on February 21st.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE RIG: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

Workers on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland are about to take a break: when the time comes for them to return back to land, the oil rig becomes engulfed by a supernatural mist. Will they make it back?
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I didn’t mind The Rig when it was released all the way back on January 6, 2023. I watched the entire first season of this Scottish-sci-fi-Mist meets The Thing. (Couple of accents were thick hadda subtitle that sucka.) You know what will “Happening” when you mess with Mother Nature. Eh..I can’t come up with a third movie reference…anyways it’s now streaming. Those who survived Season 1; those crew members are relocated to a clandestine offshore facility known as the Stac, that’s deep within the Arctic Circle. Here, the crew grapple with the aftermath of the catastrophic events from Season 1. Of course all the while facing new threats emerging from the uncharted depths of the ocean. Some horror and some sci-fi…2 of the major food groups of a nerd’s pop culture diet: Rig On!

January Highlights

Lockerbie: A Search for Truth: Limited Series (Anytime / Peacock)

Limited Series Premiere: A “You Can’t Handle The Truth!” limited series from Peacock. Based on the 2021 non-fiction book The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice by Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph, this 5-part series offers a poignant exploration of grief, resilience and the relentless quest for accountability. The series is named for the Scottish town over which the flight went down, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground. Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth) lost his daughter who was flying to New York to spend Christmas with her boyfriend. As he conducts a dogged investigation — one that takes him all over the world and into perilous geopolitical danger — Swire learns the shocking truth: The British and American governments knew about the terror plot and decided not to act on it. This was a 9/11 conspiracy theory, one it’s real life.
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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.
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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.

January Highlights

Severance: Season 2 (Anytime / AppleTV+)

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.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE NIGHT AGENT SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Based on the novel by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent is a sophisticated, character-based, action-thriller centering on a low level FBI Agent, Peter Sutherland, whose efforts to save The President in Season 1 earn him an opportunity to become a Night Agent in Season 2.
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New Black Phone, Who Dis? We got credible evidence of a leak in the CIA, the Night Agent went AWOL and my stirring movie love language: “I cannot trust anyone.” That’s always code for Team Ruckus reporting for duty. Hard to believe this series kicked off way back on March 23, 2023. According to Netflix promo copy: “In the last scene of the finale, things are finally looking up for Peter — literally. He’s on a jet heading to his first mission as a night agent; Night Action is an “off the books” program under the president that investigates cases that traditional intelligence agencies can’t figure out.” But now, can Peter Sutherland figure things out…who is the mole? Who can he trust? As an agent can he survive the night? Programming Note: Night Agent has been renewed for a third season, which will begin production in Istanbul at the end of 2024 before returning to New York in 2025; all according to Netflix.

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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.