#SetTheVCR: April 13-19, 2026

Monday, April 13

The Canada Reads 2026 Debates (10:00 a.m. / CBC Gem)

CBC’s great Canadian book debate, Canada Reads, returns for its 25th edition, Monday, April 13 through Thursday, April 16. Ali Hassan will host a panel of celebrity advocates championing Canadian books that speak to this year’s theme, “One Book to Build Bridges.” Each day of the competition, one book will be eliminated by the panellists until a winner is declared Canada’s must-read book in 2026. Canada Reads finds new ways each year to raise awareness for a range of Canadian books and authors, and has influenced the way Canadians talk about and consume books. For the past ten years, every Canada Reads finalist has appeared on the Canadian bestseller lists following the announcement of the shortlist, and many titles have spent months on these lists.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: HUMINT (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

A South Korean agent hunts a drug ring in Russia and goes head-to-head with a North Korean operative – pulling both into peril and tangled secrets.
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Netflix has been so disappointing with all their generic K-Dramas. More Dynamite less Kiss, yo. What happened to Korean ruckus like Oldboy? On March 31st Netflix offered viewers Humint. “A South Korean agent hunts a drug ring in Russia.” Oh! Yes! I’ll #SetTheVCR for that. This is the third entry in Ryoo’s Overseas Location trilogy: The Berlin File (2013…and on Netflix) and Escape from Mogadishu (2021). And as an Oldboy, I all o…K with that.

Tuesday, April 14

Trevor Noah: Joy in the Trenches (Anytime / Netflix)

From unexpected social media beef to a therapist’s truth bomb, Trevor Noah turns chaos into comedy with a sharp, playful, and laugh-out-loud set about our flawed world, and his own flawed self.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: UNTOLD: JAIL BLAZERS (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Volatile players. Criminal charges. National headlines. Portland’s championship-caliber NBA team implodes spectacularly in this unflinching documentary. The early 2000s Portland Trail Blazers were a team unlike any other, a roster stacked with All-Stars and undeniable talent, poised to make their mark on the NBA. But while their on court performances dazzled fans, their off court lives became the subject of scandal, controversy, and relentless media attention.
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There’s been so many sports documentaries that now they’re making docs about teams that didn’t win or even accomplish all that much. The poorly named Trail Blazers barely reached the Western Conference Finals. Once. In Game 7 Portland held a 15-point lead in the 4th quarter before falling to Kobe’s Lakers. “In the early 2000s, the Portland Trail Blazers were stacked with talent—and surrounded by controversy.” That’s the Netflix appeal to viewers. I have not read Jail Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball by Kerry Eggers (published in 2018). Between that NBA book and this NBA documentary, I hope there is a clear and compelling exploration of why this Portland team mattered. Because for me (and most of my generation) The Bad Boys played in Detroit.

Wednesday, April 15

Christy (Anytime / HBO Max)

Christy Martin never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia—until she discovered a knack for punching people. Fueled by grit, raw determination, and an unshakable desire to win, she charges into the world of boxing under the guidance of her trainer and manager-turned-husband, Jim. But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it—confronting family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life-or-death.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: ADULTHOOD (ANYTIME / CRAVE & AMC+)

Siblings Megan and Noah return to their childhood home after their mother has a stroke. While cleaning out the basement, they find the mummified remains of a neighbor who went missing decades ago walled up in the den. The deeper they dig, the harder it becomes to escape.
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As an actor you know Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston, Esq. in the Bill & Ted movies and Destroy All Neighbors. As a director you know Alex Winter from mostly docs like The Panama Papers, Showbiz Kids and The YouTube Effect. So, a comic neo-noir from Alex Winter is marvelous fun. Adulthood is all about making terrible choices, right? Non-Trailer Context: I interviewed Alex about his engaging documentary The YouTube Effect. Here’s that MSL conversation.

Thursday, April 16

Sisu: Road to Revenge (Anytime / Crave)

Returning to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war, ‘the man who refuses to die’ dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honor. When the Red Army commander who killed his family comes back hellbent on finishing the job, a relentless, eye-popping cross-country chase ensues – a fight to the death.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: JERRY WEST: THE LOGO (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

Jerry West: The Logo examines the price of greatness and the man who paid it, as the notoriously private and enigmatic West opens up with rare candor about his private struggles with depression, the marriage that crumbled under the weight of his obsession, his complicated relationship with fatherhood, and the persistent feeling of being an outsider even as he achieved what others only dream of.
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There’s an entire generation of younger (read that as ignorant) NBA fans who need to watch this Prime Video documentary on Jerry West. Jerry West was ruthless. Kevin Durant: “He was just on another level.” Michael Jordan: “This dude, he was good.” Jerry West is the only player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP award while being on the losing team. One of my favourite NBA stats. This was in 1969 when the Lakers lost to the dreaded Celtics in seven games. And Jerry West was honored for his stellar performance: averaging 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in the series. See why he won the Finals MVP even though he lost? Jerry West should remain the logo of the NBA. Jordan maybe if they ever had to change it; not sure why they should. LeBron James sucks, he can’t even be the logo of the G League. Pat Riley: “Nobody else deserves to be the Logo.” And Magic with the final word: “There’s no Showtime without him.” Or Kobe on the Lakers, either. This bit from the TV Guide description: “In capturing what would become West’s final interviews, Jerry West: The Logo becomes both eulogy and reckoning – a tender, unflinching examination of what we sacrifice in pursuit of greatness and whether, in the end, it’s worth the cost. This film captures West in his most vulnerable and reflective moments, offering audiences a side of the legend they’ve never seen – the man behind the logo, wrestling with his demons, his legacy, and the question of what it all meant.” Man. That’s heavy. Jerry West died on June 12, 2024 at 86 years old. In Los Angeles, of course. He was and is LA royalty. Not bad for a kid born in 1938 in Chelyan, West Virginia. Jerry West on the court and off the court is The Logo. Programming Note: Also on Prime Video is Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association on Prime Video. Yes, classic ball with Dr. J and those wonderful puffy afros and short shorts. Highly recommended docuseries.

Friday, April 17

Shelby Oaks (Anytime / Hulu)

The Paranormal Paranoids, a team of paranormal investigators, uncover a dark legacy and the far-reaching effects their investigation has as Mia searches for her sister Riley, the lead paranormal investigator, twelve years later. As Mia uncovers new and disturbing leads related to Riley’s disappearance, she uncovers evidence of a hidden supernatural evil dating all the way back to her and Riley’s childhood.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BEEF: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

A Gen Z couple who witness and film an alarming fight between their millennial boss and his wife, triggering a, high-stakes game of coercion at an exclusive country club.as a Gen-Z couple witnesses an alarming fight between their Millennial boss and his wife. Newly-engaged Ashley Miller and Austin Davis, both lower-level staff at a country club, become entangled in the unraveling marriage of their General Manager, Joshua Martín, and his wife, Lindsay Crane-Martín.
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Yo, I can never become a vegetarian because I enjoy Beef so much. Beefs are glorious. Often they make creatives better and stronger: 50 Cent (Curtis) vs Kanye (Graduation). The fans gets to circle the wagons and cement their loyalty. (Jay-Z vs Nas for King of New York.) There’s so much joy with a fresh beef. And I’m not just limiting this to Kendrick vs Drake. Or now Drake vs Shad. (Shad > Drake. All day, everyday; every way.) Arnold and Stallone’s ‘80s beef was so beneficial to all of us. We got a ton of amazing action movies, they escalated their cool kills and body counts to top each other. They established a rich action movie pipeline for agents, producers, actors…Hollywood, really. Beef is delicious. My favourite line from 2023 Back That Year Up: Kevin Hart and Kenan reviewing US-China relations. Kenan observes: “The good thing about having beef with China is that it comes with broccoli.” But Wendy’s is right: where’s the beef for this Netflix anthology series? Oscar Isaac is dull. I got Beef with him for sure for always recycling the same boring performance. He doesn’t take risks; yet he’s a household name? Why? Beef: Season 1 worked as a dark black comedy. I’m not sure I am feeling Season 2 and what’s being offered in the trailer. I’ll check this out but for now, this Netflix Beef seems more like Impossible Beef.

Saturday, April 18

NBA Playoffs: Day 1 (1:00 p.m. / ESPN)

It’s the NBA Playoffs! And the 82 game season for each team has concluded. And the stupid dumb Play-In Tournament has wrapped up. And now the real NBA post-season can (finally) start. Look. All that matters is how good you are. Winning is paramount. Winning is beautiful. These 1 championship and done NBA teams are not good for the league and for their cities. Architect a dynasty and you leave a lasting legacy. It’s imperative to build. It’s crucial to dominate. Dynasties transform cities.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: RAMY YOUSSEF: IN LOVE (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)

Filmed in front of an intimate crowd at historic venue The Hideout in Chicago, in his third HBO standup special, Ramy Youssef playfully engages with the audience as he approaches a vast spectrum of personal topics, both hilariously relatable and genuinely serious, all while doing so with the belief that you can find light and hope in all things if you just try to see them through a lens of love. Whether it’s his marriage, being a dog parent, AI, or religion, Ramy comes at everything with his own brand of heart and humor.
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You know Ramy. Least I hope you do. He co-created and executive produces Netflix’s Mo; Mo Amer’s TV show which pairs well with fresh hummus. That was Netflix. On Hulu Ramy, which he created, produced, sometimes directed and always stars in ran for 3 seasons from April 19, 2019 to September 30, 2022. Ramy, of course featured Dave Merheje and you can see his 2021 comedy special on Crave: I Love You Habibi. Netflix, Hulu, Crave and I haven’t even mentioned Prime Video where Ramy co-created an animated series: Number 1 Happy Family USA. (Season 1 is now streaming.) Yes! This is like when The Boys in Wu-Tang started releasing solo albums…on different record labels. That’s how you take over an industry. This is Ramy’s third HBO Comedy Special; following Feelings (2019) and More Feelings (2024). There’s a distinct intimacy with his comedy. Chappelle and Kevin Hart for example feel big…they tell big jokes to big crowds because they are big names. Like me, he is Egyptian…though he’s on the Muslim side of the house. So if you know this culture you know most of us are humorous storytellers who are keen observers. It’s the intimate details that make a joke truly funny. So it’s not just his sense of humour that makes him funny. His distinct X-Factor is his Egyptian culture—our culture—and what the empowers him to do, to be and to say. Honestly? More than any other culture I’m surprised at how few Egyptians make notable pop culture. (Dave Merheje is Lebanese. Mo Amer is Palestinian-American whose family fled Kuwait during the 1990 Gulf War and settled in…Texas. A Palestinian-Texan from Kuwait is so messy politically.) Programming Note: Crave hasn’t confirmed it’ll broadcast this recently announced comedy special. (It wasn’t on HBO’s April listings, either. It was surprise add.) But they better. (I don’t have an or else…that sounded like a threat but I’ve no way to back it up…)

Sunday, April 19

Dracula Eternal (Anytime / Prime Video-Canada)

Dracula Eternal: A woman’s idyllic summer is shattered when her best friend falls ill, her fiancé vanishes, and she’s drawn into a terrifying battle against an ancient evil in this modern re-imagining of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (Why is Dracula on fire lately? He’s far from “undead” these days…)
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: FROM: SEASON 4 (ANYTIME / MGM+ & PARAMOUNT+ CANADA)

In Season Four, the closer the residents of town get to the answers they seek, the more terrifying their search becomes. Who is the Man in Yellow, and what does he want? Will Jade and Tabitha’s revelation be the key to finally going home? How much longer can Boyd hold the town together, even as his body and mind are falling apart? And what role will the town’s most recent arrival play in the events to come? Season Four will open doors that some in town will end up wishing had remained closed.
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Honestly, when you see that damn tree in the road you know you are home. Which is ironic since these characters have spent 3 seasons trying escape this hell-town and actually get back home. I asked From actor Ricky He (Kenny) about the eerie small town Stephen King vibes. Ricky nodded and said: “Yeah, Stephen King’s a fan of the show. He’s tweeted about it.” Equally interesting…I asked Corteon Moore (Boyd’s son) about making horror in From. And he pointed out: “ On From, I don’t think of that show as a horror at all. Cause I don’t really participate in any of the evil spirits. Except for the stuff with my wife on that show.” I did not expect that answer. Currently, this is one of my favourite TV shows. I have no idea what’s going on. I will say this…I have a feeling Chloe Van Landschoot as Kristi Miller? won’t make it to the end of Season 4. Oh, yes.

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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.