#SetTheVCR: April 27 – May 03, 2026

Monday, April 27

The Miniature Wife: Season 1 (Anytime / Peacock & Crave)

When a world-renowned scientist on the verge of a miraculous scientific breakthrough accidentally shrinks his wife down to six inches tall, their already sizeable marital problems grow even larger.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: PAUL ELIA: GOOD SON (ANYTIME / YOUTUBE)

What does it mean to be a Good Son? In this stand-up special, Paul Elia takes us through navigating the cultural expectations of trying to carve his own path while still keeping his mom happy. Can you live your truth and still be the son your family wants you to be?
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Often in my weekly #SetTheVCR column I recommend stand up comedy specials. And typically they’re on Hulu or Netflix etc. Here’s the punchline: The best stand-up comedy doesn’t ask for permission. Like a Detroit Player, Paul Elia self-produced and self-financed his new special Good Son. Instead of chasing a platform: he became one. This special deftly documents the hard and heavy unspoken/spoken promise of being the child of immigrants. (His family is from Iraq.) Your parents gave up so much; some parents even fled dangerous war zones to set up a new life in America/Canada and…what are you gonna do with those opportunities? Who are you gonna become? How are you gonna be…a Good Son?

Tuesday, April 28

The Guest: Limited Series (Anytime / Hollywood Suite)

A cleaner becomes captivated by her wealthy employer’s charismatic influence. As their intense friendship grows and secrets emerge, their relationship spirals into a dangerous psychological game where nothing is quite what it seems.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DUST BUNNY (ANYTIME / HBO MAX)

An eight-year-old girl asks her scheming neighbor for help in killing the monster under her bed that she thinks ate her family.
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Yes: A 10 year old girl hired a hit man (Mads Mikkelsen) to kill the monster under her bed. “It was conceived and designed to be an Amazing Story story,” says Bryan Fuller. Remember the 2020 Amazing Stories revival by Spielberg? This has got an ’80s Gremlins vibe and style. I was sad I was unable to get this movie Done & Dusted last TIFF.

Wednesday, April 29

I, Jack Wright (Anytime / CBC Gem)

A death in the family. A bombshell will. A murderer in their ranks? The apparent death by suicide of high-powered businessman Jack Wright sends a shockwave through his family. As his many wives and children fight over the remains of his estate, a dogged police detective investigates – and uncovers the shocking truth about this well-heeled family. Thrilling drama starring John Simm and Nikki Amuka-Bird, also featuring Trevor Eve. The six-part British crime thriller series created by Chris Lang (Unforgotten) premiered in the UK in April 2025 and it comes to Canaada.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: WIDOW’S BAY: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / APPLE TV)

In Widow’s Bay, something lurks beneath the surface. Mayor Tom Loftis is desperate to revive his struggling community. There’s no Wi-Fi, spotty cellular reception and he must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed. He wants these people to respect him. They don’t. They think he is soft and cowardly. And he is. But Loftis is determined to build a better future for his teenage son and turn the island into a tourist destination. Miraculously, he succeeds: tourists are finally coming. Unfortunately, the locals were right. After decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true start happening again.
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Hiro Murai!! This is the Japanese dude (duh!) that made Atlanta dope. He directed the show’s first 5 episodes setting the entire tone…that engaging surrealism style with a cinematic look. He directed 7 out of Atlanta’s 10 episodes in Season 1. Ditto for Season 2 including Teddy Perkins. Don’t even waste my time with Donald Glover as a “renowned multi-hyphenate artist.” I ain’t willing to blindly accept that narrative just to overlook Hiro Murai’s freshtastic contributions. (This Is America the music video? Also Hiro! See? Dude is dope.) Hiro Murai killed on Barry; a witty HBO series about a reformed assassin. Station Eleven was a struggle though: the show and the Emily St. John Mandel novel. But he’s back directing this Apple TV show and executive producing alone with the show’s star Matthew Rhys. As you can see from the teaser, this is like Atlanta’s surreal tone, just way less Black and set in a New England town. (The press release says: “Blending genuine horror with character-driven comedy…” which describes a number of Atlanta episodes, yeah?) Soon as I saw Hiro Murai, oh yes: I was 100% In. I didn’t even need a trailer. Gimme a streaming date and I’m there. Programming Note: The new 10-episode series debuts on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 17, 2026. A special two-episode release is on Wednesday, May 27.

Thursday, April 30

Cosmic Dawn (Anytime / Prime Video-Canada)

After witnessing the alien abduction of her mother as a child, Aurora joins the UFO cult “The Cosmic Dawn.” Now moved on from the cult, Aurora is forced to confront her past and pursue the ultimate truth about The Cosmic Dawn.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MAN ON FIRE: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Man on Fire follows John Creasy, who was once a high-functioning and skilled Special Forces Mercenary known for surviving even the most desolate situations. However, John is now battling extreme PTSD and personal demons. As he attempts a fresh start, he’ll find himself back in the (metaphorical) fire and fighting harder than ever.
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Oh yeah, no…we’re not doing this. The ruckus is fine. However, Man On Fire is strictly, Tony Scott and Denzel Washington. After that…Yahya Abdul-Mateen ll is a compromise (director Steven Caple Jr. will helm Episodes 1 and 2). Yeah, so we’re not doing that. Man On Fire is reverse Reacher: solid books, crappy Tom Cruise movies, mostly amazing Prime TV show. This is A.J. Quinnell books, solid movie and now…this. So yeah neither the man nor Netflix is on fire for this.

Friday, May 01

Wuthering Heights (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)

A bold and original interpretation of one of the greatest love stories of all time, Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, whose forbidden passion for one another turns from romantic to intoxicating in an epic tale of lust, love, and madness.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: TALES FROM THE CRYPT: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / SHUDDER)

Tales from the Crypt, the popular 90s horror anthology series inspired by the 1950s EC Comics, is back exclusively streaming on Shudder! Each episode is a self-contained story, often featuring well-known talent and directors, and is hosted by the Crypt Keeper (John Kassir), a wisecracking corpse known for his macabre puns. With its signature unrestricted gore, profanity, and dark irony, the show’s episode styles range from comedy to drama and deliver twisted moral lessons where “bad people” meet poetically horrific ends – and issues like greed, lust, and moral decay lead to tragic consequences.
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It’s halfway to Halloween. In April Pluto TV offered April Ghouls programming. Now Shudder is coming in strong with the complete Tales from the Crypt series. Created by William Gaines and Steven Dodd, the HBO series ran for seven seasons: from June 10, 1989, to July 19, 1996, with a total of 93 episodes. Though the more notable names to highlight are: filmmakers Richard Donner, Walter Hill, Joel Silver, and Robert Zemeckis as the horror show’s executive producers. As Shudder slowly adds seasons you’ll see Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Michael J. Fox, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Catherine O’Hara, Christopher Reeve, Kyle MacLachlan, Joe Pantoliano, Patricia Arquette, Key Huy Quan, Ewan McGregor, Steve Buscemi, Martin Sheen, Joe Pesci, Tim Curry and more. Programming Note: Subsequent seasons drop every Friday until the Final Season 7 premieres on June 12th. So start with Season 1 then return to Shudder every Friday for more dead-eye puns.

Saturday, May 02

Swapped (Anytime / Netflix)

A tiny woodland creature and a majestic bird suddenly swap bodies, forcing them to team up to survive the wildest adventure of their lives. I don’t think this looks good at all but! Tracy Morgan supplies one of the voices, so here it is.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: HALLOW ROAD (ANYTIME / HULU & PARAMOUNT+ CANADA)

Two parents receive a distressing late-night call from their teenage daughter, who has just accidentally hit a pedestrian. They jump in their car, racing to get there before anyone else stumbles across the scene. As they head deeper into the night, disturbing revelations threaten to tear the family apart as they soon realise they might not be the only ones driving down Hallow Road.
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More Matthew Rhys this week. After getting a frantic late-night call their daughter has just struck a pedestrian…the high-stakes road trip begins. This time the real danger might not be the accident itself, but the secrets that surface on the drive. Your classic atmospheric “one-night-gone-wrong” movie. If you wanna know What I Did Last Summer, check this out.

Sunday, May 03

The Audacity: Season 1 (Anytime / AMC+)

Set inside the bubble of Silicon Valley, The Audacity takes on the warped dreams, outsized egos, and ethical lapses of the self-styled inventors of the future. In a world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus, bio-hacked tech bros, AI labs and disillusioned teens being optimized in elite private schools, an audacious data-mining CEO (Billy Magnussen) strives to turn insight and influence into profit and power. The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: CORONER TO THE STARS (ANYTIME / CBC GEM)

Coroner to the Stars chronicles the extraordinary journey of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the former Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner whose groundbreaking autopsies forever shaped American culture. From Marilyn Monroe and Robert Kennedy to Sharon Tate and Natalie Wood, Noguchi pushed forensic science into the spotlight—even as Hollywood elites and political adversaries sought to silence him. A Japanese immigrant who unwittingly rose to fame in a city driven by stardom, Noguchi’s fearless pursuit of truth often placed him in the crosshairs of controversy.
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Here’s the thing. There are strange and mysterious celebrity deaths. How did Marilyn Monroe die? Was George Reeves a suicide? Was Natalie Wood murdered? And some of those answers come the Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner. The Scarpetta of celebrities is Dr. Thomas Noguchi. It’s not always about who speaks for the dead. It’s also who interprets for the dead. So? What do the dead have to say for themselves?

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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.