#SetTheVCR: December 08-14, 2025

I’m not an Influencer with TV Recommendations, though I have most excellent #SetTheVCR suggestions that’ll make you say Boo-Yah!

Monday, December 08

Mad Men: Complete Series (Anytime / HBO Max)

In 1960s New York, alpha male Don Draper struggles to stay on top of the heap in the high-pressure world of Madison Avenue advertising firms. Aside from being one of the top ad men in the business, Don is also a family man, the father of young children.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE HOME (ANYTIME / STARZ & PARAMOUNT+ CANADA)

A troubled man starts working at a retirement home and realizes its residents and caretakers harbor sinister secrets. As he investigates the building and its forbidden fourth floor, he starts to uncover connections to his own past and upbringing as a foster child.
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Pete Davidson plays Max, a graffiti artist doing court-ordered community service as the superintendent of a creepy retirement home. Is it weird to see Pete Davidson in a twisted, low-lit horror-thriller? Yup. Of course…what he finds there is more than just quiet old folks chilling in God’s Waiting Room. Bleeding residents, eerie night visits and shadowy psychoses hide a nightmare that links Max’s past to something sinister in the present. Huh. Okay. Tis the season…I should be recommending Home Alone but eh, let’s go with Home.

Tuesday, December 09

The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize (Anytime / Paramount+)

A comedian journeys through the US and Norway, meeting an eclectic mix of political supporters, activists, and experts while investigating Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize aspirations.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE WEST WING: SEASONS 1-7 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-US)

Cutthroat presidential advisers get their personal lives hopelessly tangled up with professional duties as they try to conduct the business of running a country. Fictional Democratic President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet suffers no fools, and that policy alienates many. He and his dedicated staffers struggle to balance the needs of the country with the political realities of Washington, D.C., working through two presidential terms that include countless scandals, threats and political scuffles, as well as the race to succeed Bartlet as the leader of the free world.
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West Wing is amazing…it’s still one of the best written TV shows of all time. Though, each West Wing reunion (remember the 2020 West Wing Special?) offers diminishing returns. Like Arnold in yet another Terminator movie. Skip anything that isn’t these 7 seasons. (Re)Watch the show now streaming on Netflix-US; Aaron Sorkin is an amazing TV writer. What makes the X-Files so good is what made West Wing so good: same relationship dynamics. West Wing is like Star Trek…the overworked characters mostly focused on their jobs. No frivolous romance…or high school drama: the primary emphasis is on the issues and moving the plot forward. I dig this series quite a bit. Keep all the other useless drama crap, off camera. Did you know that Sidney Poitier was the first choice for president on West Wing? That would have dramatically transformed the show. Casting is nuts.

Wednesday, December 10

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season 2 (Anytime / Disney+)

After Camp Half-Blood’s protective border is breached, Percy Jackson embarks on an epic odyssey into the Sea of Monsters in search of his best friend, Grover, and the one thing that may save the camp — the legendary Golden Fleece. With help from Annabeth, Clarisse, and his newfound cyclops half-brother Tyson, Percy’s survival becomes essential to stopping Luke, the Titan Kronos, and their impending plan to bring down Camp Half-Blood — and ultimately, Olympus. Programming Note: This is a two-episode premiere and the 8 episode season concludes on January 21, 2026.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: 30 FOR 30: BOO-YAH: A PORTRAIT OF STUART SCOTT (9 P.M. / ESPN)

An intimate look at the life and legacy of Stuart Scott – the trailblazing SportsCenter anchor whose words, wit and authenticity transformed the way sports stories are told.
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Oddly, this is a most crucial 30 for 30. This doc (and what Stuart Scott did) connects to the culture. It transcends sports. Producer and director Andre Gaines confirms: “Stuart Scott didn’t just change sports journalism — he changed culture.” This 30 for 30 features an extraordinary lineup: Charles Barkley, Chris Berman, Vince Carter, Common, Michael Eric Dyson, Rich Eisen, Kevin Frazier, Mike Greenberg, Jay Harris, Ernie Johnson, Suzy Kolber, Shaquille O’Neal, Robin Roberts, Jeremy Schaap, John Skipper, Kenny Smith, and Michael Smith, along with Scott’s family — Jacqueline, Kimberley, Sydni, Synthia, Susan, Stephen, and Taelor Scott So many taking a tea for this one. Cue the Denzel Glory Tear.

Thursday, December 11

The Fakenapping (Anytime / Netflix)

Failed entrepreneur and struggling dad Sattam finds himself tangled in a madcap scheme when he decides to repay his debts by kidnapping his own father. This is a Saudi comedy, I’m so curious.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MAN VS BABY: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

After a job looking after a high-tech mansion ended in disaster thanks to an irritating insect in Man vs Bee, Trevor Bingley (Rowan Atkinson) has left the stressful world of housesitting for the quieter life of a school caretaker. That is, until a lucrative offer to look after a luxury London penthouse over Christmas proves too tempting to resist. But on the last day of term, when no one comes to collect the Baby Jesus from the school nativity, Trevor finds himself with another undersized and very unexpected companion. With a penthouse to protect and a baby to burp, will Trevor be able to have the calm Christmas he hopes for, or will festivities descend into chaos?
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If you enjoyed Man vs. Bee you’ll dig this. If you enjoyed Mr. Bean you’ll dig this. My money is on the baby, though.

Friday, December 12

Taylor Swift: The End of an Era (Anytime / Disney+)

The Final Show, featuring The Tortured Poets Department for the first time, and The End of an Era, a revealing, all-access, 6-episode behind-the-scenes docuseries chronicling the record-breaking tour. It Is What It Is. Bowie and countless others were much better at “Eras.”
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: INFLUENCERS (ANYTIME / SHUDDER & AMC+)

In Southern France, CW and her French girlfriend Diane are celebrating their first anniversary as a couple when they are bumped from their hotel room and forced stay in a smaller one because of a popular British influencer, Charlotte, who befriends Diane and won’t leave the couple alone, which irritates CW, who wants to put an end to that.
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Don’t just doomscroll past this Shudder offering. A stand-alone sequel to Influencer, the indictment of narcissistic online culture returns as well as fresh murders, identity lies, misinformation. It’s hard to escape this thirst trap. This time it’s persona. Programming Note: Influencer from 2022 is streaming on Netflix if you wanna do a double-bill then talk about it online for social media clout.

Saturday, December 13

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 2 (Anytime / Paramount+)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey return for more pizza-fueled action in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 2. From the sewers to the streets of NYC, the heroes in a half shell face new villains and teenage challenges. Season 2 is stacked with an epic guest star lineup, including Kieran Culkin, Craig Robinson, Seth Rogen, Ralph Ineson, Peter Stormare, Fred Armisen, Heidi Gardner and Ike Barinholtz.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES (ANYTIME / HBO MAX)

Documentarian Marty DiBergi follows estranged Spinal Tap bandmates David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls as they search for a drummer and prepare for a reunion concert in New Orleans. Joined by music royalty Paul McCartney and Elton John, Spinal Tap wrestles with their checkered past to put on a show that they hope will solidify their place in the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll.
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At the movies since June we’ve had rereleases of OG Spinal Tap, Clueless, 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 40-Year Old Virgin, OG Texas Chainsaw and even Prince’s Sign o’ the Times. It’s truly a miracle anybody saw Jame Gunn’s Superman. I’m often cautious with a movie sequel years and years after the first one. I dunno if Spinal Tap II can recapture the magic. Which, ironically, contributes to the humour. If it’s bad, well it was always meant to be bad. But is it so bad that it’s good? Let’s Tap in and see. Programming Note: OG This Is Spinal Tap is streaming on HBO Max.

Sunday, December 14

A CNN Special Event: Roy Wood Jr.’s Very Very Very Merry Holiday Special (8:00 p.m. / CNN)

Filmed in front of a live audience in the nation’s capital, Wood Jr. will dive into the joy, and occasional chaos, of the holiday season with his signature blend of sharp wit and warm humor. Backed by the world-class U.S. Air Force Band and joined by surprise guests from across comedy and music, Wood Jr. leads an evening of musical performances and sidesplitting comedic moments that welcome audiences of all ages into the holidays with laughter.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Detective Benoit Blanc teams up with an earnest young priest to investigate a perfectly impossible crime at a small-town church with a dark history.
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Welcome back detective Benoit Blanc: this is a fresh follow up to the 2019 hit Knives Out from Rian Johnson. I haven’t enjoyed the recent Agatha Christie movies: Death On The Nile (super bad!) and Murder On The Orient Express (rather boring…) but Knives Out is loads of mystery goodness. Though did you enjoy Glass Onion back in 2023? Do these movies happily fill the Agatha Christie hole in your heart? You know all the actors who are playing suspects but…do you know who the killer is? It’s difficult to get to the heart of a “glass onion” without some tears and truly a Dead Man is hard to wake up. So let’s investigate the latest Knives Out.