A New Year; Some Old TV. What are your TV resolutions for 2020?
Sunday, December 29
Sammy Suggestion: Preacher: Complete Season 4 HULU
The 4th and final season is now on Hulu. All done! Preacher concluded on September 29, 2019, after 43 episodes. Though I’ve read the comics I did not watch the tv show. Sometimes it’s great when a tv show is all done and I can sit down with the whole thing. It’s not great for ratings and all that…I get that. Still, as a “trade,” I appreciate it. (I’ll probably do the same thing with American Gods.)
Monday, December 30
Sammy Suggestion: Pavarotti 8 p.m. Showtime
Showtime’s latest documentary Pavarotti will reveal why he’s such…a “big” deal. In 2016 director Ron Howard (produced of course and always by Brian Grazer) gave us The Beatles: Eight Days a Week a documentary on music’s Fantastic Four. We don’t often get docs from Ron Howard; he’s entertained and delighted us with many features (I dig The Paper and Apollo 13) yet music seems to captivate his interest. I dunno much about Pavarotti but I trust Ron Howard enough to go down this road and see what’s what.
Tuesday, December 31
Sammy Suggestion: Happy Death Day Netflix
So look there’s plenty of Dick Clark specials to watch the ball drop and ring in the new year (2020 so sounds like a sci-fi movie!). However, I am suggesting Happy Death Day because it’s Groundhog Day fun. The premise is simple: “A college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again, in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer’s identity.” However, the execution is what makes it fun and last day of the year worthy. If you were stuck in a loop what would you do differently? Who would you kiss? What would you learn? How would you grow? Sometimes you gotta look back before you look ahead. This movie was written by Scott Lobdell so I mean right there that’s X-cellent. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, January 1
Doctor Who: Season 12 8 p.m. BBC America
Brockmire: Complete Season 3 (IFC) Hulu
Sammy Suggestion: Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice 9 p.m. CNN
A Linda Ronstadt documentary: The Sound of My Voice. Huh; I don’t really have any pro or negative Ronstadt feelings. However, it helps it is CNN Films, though. They do such a solid job. Fresh Dressed (2015), The Reagan Show (2017), RBG (2018), Love, Gilda (2018) and Apollo 11 (2019) are all CNN Films. It’s a crazy and surreal banner; much like ESPN’s 30 for 30 you pay attention when CNN airs their latest “film.” Other than that since I dunno anything about Ronstadt I can’t tell if is…No Good. Come on. You hadda know that was coming!
Thursday, January 2
What Is Jeopardy!? Alex Trebek and America’s Most Popular Quiz Show 8 p.m. ABC
Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning 9 p.m. Lifetime
Sammy Suggestion: Alita: Battle Angel Crave
I did not get around to seeing Alita: Battle Angel at a cinema near me. I couldn’t tell if it was good or a turkey. The movie is based on the 1990s Japanese manga series Gunnm by Yukito Kishiro which I never read. It was directed by Robert Rodriguez (not a big fan) and produced by James Cameron who co-wrote the script (I broke up with James yet again following the latest Terminator! Skynet Save Me!!). So I dunno. Some red flags; some interesting possibilities. Movies like this are great for streaming services and I’m glad it’s on Crave as of today. Let’s press Play and see what happens, shall we?
Friday, January 3
Ilana Glazer: The Planet is Burning Amazon Prime Video
Sammy Suggestion: The Imitation Game Netflix
The Imitation Game was uploaded to Netflix on January 1st so you’ve got some time to check it out. True Story: “During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.” Benedict Cumberbatch plays yet another brilliant jerkface (his Alan Turing has more humanity than his Sherlock but isn’t as cool as his Doctor Strange) and Matthew Goode is in this as well; keep waiting for him to breakout: that investment will jackpot one of these fine days. A decent WWII thriller with spies: those are usually entertaining.
Saturday, January 4
Sammy Suggestion: Dracula: Season 1 Netflix
The basic facts that make Dracula must see tv and why you should invite him into your home! Of course, it’s based on Bram Stoker’s novel however this series is by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat our friends over at Sherlock! (And Doctor Who!!). So that makes it a BBC production (well BBC-Netflix production). It’s 3 episodes though as we saw with Sherlock each episode is over an hour. So I am fully 100% in…I doubt this will…wait for it: suck!
