From Beef to Beats to Babies to Boris Becker this week’s #SetTheVCR is beautifully bodacious. Believe that!
Monday, April 03
NCAA National Championship Game (9:20 p.m. / CBS)
The final game of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. Plus One Shining Moment.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: PRETTY BABY: BROOKE SHIELDS (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)
Brooke Shields has been known as beautiful and famous since she was a baby, but a new documentary series reveals it’s taken decades for her to feel confident in her talent.
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Return to The Blue Lagoon. A two-part documentary, directed by Lana Wilson (Taylor Swift: Miss Americana), tells the story of Brooke Shields, from her early beginnings as a sexualized young girl to her transformation into a woman discovering her own power. The documentary also focuses on Shield’s volatile relationship with her own mother Teri Shields, who doubled as a doting but alcoholic manager. Brooke Shields has been around forever…The Blue Lagoon was 1980. But I don’t know anything about her. I’ve never read or seen an interview; I didn’t even know she had an alcoholic mother until I came across this press release. Hopefully this will respectfully explore her friendship with Michael Jackson. That’s about the only aspect of her life I know about. Fame back then was different than fame these days.
Tuesday, April 04
The NBA Legends of The 90s (Anytime / NBA App)
Relive every NBA Finals series from 1990-1999 with full games FREE with your NBA ID, now on the NBA App! Shawn Kemp Sonics! Charles Barkley Suns! And of course Michael Jordan Bulls!
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: REDEFINED: J.R. SMITH (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)
J.R. Smith, the two-time NBA champion who’s gotten a lot of ink for changing his focus from basketball to golf, will be the subject as he goes back…to school.
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An inspiring four-part docuseries about a basketball star who refused to be defined by his setbacks. Oh and when it comes to J.R. Smith there are many setbacks. But this isn’t about his NBA career; this is about his life post-basketball. Follow J.R. as he charts a fresh path, overcoming adversity and discovering a passion for golf while pursuing a college education at at North Carolina A&T, the nation’s largest historically Black university. I know this sounds like a Rodney Dangerfield Back To School deal. A goofy NBA player going back to school while picking up a new sport. Adam Sandler would kill in a role like this if he was younger. But this isn’t a movie. It’s real life…it’s J.R. Smith’s Redefined life.
Wednesday, April 05
Bros (Anytime / Prime Video-US)
Two men with commitment problems (one of em is Billy Eichner) attempt a relationship. Might still be streaming on Peacock; check.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: AMAZING GRACE (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+ CANADA)
This documentary features never-before-seen footage of legendary singer Aretha Franklin performing her 1972 gospel album in Watts, Los Angeles.
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You don’t hafta wait until Sunday to go to church: Amazing Grace has surfaced on Paramount+. If Avengers: Endgame is those individuals at their most powerful then this is Aretha Franklin at the height of her powers. It’s astonishing to belt out Amazing Grace in a black church just 4 years after MLK’s death. This Sydney Pollack documentary is a powerful coda to the turbulent 60s (the doc was shot in 1972 in the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles) and is a fitting memorial to a fierce activist whose career was sadly boiled down to Respect.
Thursday, April 06
80 for Brady (Anytime / Paramount+)
Four lifelong (and randy!) friends set out on an unforgettable journey to see their hero, Tom Brady, play in Super Bowl LI and witness one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, discovering that it’s never too late to live life to the fullest.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BEEF: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
A road rage incident between two strangers – a failing contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur – sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses.
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Like Oasis vs Blur. Like Kanye vs 50 Cent. Like Joan Crawford vs. Bette Davis. Like David Letterman vs. Jay Leno. Like all those and more: Steven Yeun and Ali Wong have Beef. He is a failing contractor and she is a self-made entrepreneur. Put em together and they got Beef.
Friday, April 07
Tiny Beautiful Things: Limited Series (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+ Canada Star)
Based on the best-selling collection by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things follows Clare (Kathryn Hahn) a floundering writer who becomes a revered advice columnist while her own life is falling apart. Programming Note: This is a binge release; all 8 episodes drop today.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE NEW YORK TIMES PRESENTS: THE LEGACY OF J DILLA (10 P.M. / FX)
Profiling Prolific Musician, Producer and Visionary J Dilla.
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Dive into the world of a true hip-hop visionary with this must-see documentary. J Dilla, the Detroit native who changed the game in the music industry, is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Exclusive access to his family and friends, creates an intimate portrait that explores the life and legacy of the creative powerhouse, from his early beginnings to his iconic work with artists like Erykah Badu and A Tribe Called Quest. With raw and emotional interviews, the man behind the music and the impact he left on the hip-hop landscape is revealed. Hopefully the first of many tributes to a true unforgettable legend.
Saturday, April 08
Jury Duty: Season 1 (Anytime / Freevee)
Jury Duty chronicles the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror, Ronald Gladden. What Gladden doesn’t know is that the entire case is fake, everyone except him is an actor, including James Marsden, and everything that happens – inside the courtroom and out – is carefully planned.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BOOM! BOOM! THE WORLD VS. BORIS BECKER (ANYTIME / APPLE TV+)
Tennis Legend Boris Becker gets a Last Dance.
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According to the media release: “this docuseries aims to explore every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning The Wimbledon Championships at the age of just 17, going on to win 49 career titles including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal.” Whew. That’s impressive. The filmmakers Alex Gibney and John Battsek followed Becker for almost four years; right up to his sentencing for two-and-a-half years for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying his debts. Interviews include immediate family and tennis stars including John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Novak Djokovic, Mats Wilander and Michael Stich. Sounds fascinating; what’s not to “love” about a tennis doc, right?
Sunday, April 09
Catching Lightning (8 p.m. / Showtime)
The riveting four-part documentary series chronicles infamous mixed martial arts fighter “Lightning” Lee Murray and his role in one of the largest cash heists in history.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE PORTABLE DOOR (ANYTIME / MGM+)
A man lands an internship at a mysterious London firm with unconventional employees, including the charismatic CEO who is incorporating modern corporate strategy into ancient magical practices.
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The synergy of a magic recommendation in #SetTheVCR! Magic is being ruined by applying modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices. Geeks who’ve enjoyed the niche fruits of nerdery know that pain when it all went mainstream. Only…the corporation J.W. Wells & Co has a sinister agenda. What could it be? You’d know if you read the Tom Holt novel this was all based on. So: are you gonna Slide through The Portable Door?
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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.
