#SetTheVCR: February 16-22, 2026

Monday, February 16

Matter of Time (Anytime / Netflix)

Eddie Vedder’s soul-stirring Seattle benefit concert fuels this documentary about the race to cure the rare genetic disorder epidermolysis bullosa, that can be lethal.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: GOOD FORTUNE (ANYTIME / STARZ)

In Good Fortune a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) and a wealthy venture capitalist (Seth Rogen).
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What is this? Ghetto Dogma?! Replace Ben Affleck with Keanu Reeves. Err. I dunno that Good Fortune lives up to its name. Well, it is a Good Fortune it is now streaming. I wouldn’t have paid to see this at the local cinema.

Tuesday, February 17

Museum of Innocence: Limited Series (Anytime / Netflix)

Based on Orhan Pamuk’s internationally acclaimed novel, The Museum of Innocence tells the tempestuous story of Kemal, who comes from one of Istanbul’s wealthiest families, and his poor and distant young relation Füsun – beginning in the 1970s. Kemal, who is willing to take on the whole world for the sake of his feelings, starts collecting his beloved’s earrings, her hair clips, and even her discarded cigarette butts… What is love? An obsession, an affliction, an accident that derails the course of our life; or a great and innocent happiness?
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SHOOK (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

Fresh out of grad-school, fledgling writer Ashish finds that life as an adult isn’t quite what he expected. Grappling with his parent’s recent divorce, Ash juggles his static career, a tight group of lifelong friends and his estranged father’s unexpected Parkinson’s diagnosis. As a promising new romance with Claire breathes new hope into Ash, he begins to realize that although life isn’t unfolding quite as he had imagined, it may still offer the love and fulfillment he wants, in an unexpected way.
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Don’t go see Amar Wala’s movie if you’re hungry. The beef patties at Warden station scene will leave you…Shook. (A moment of silence for Warden station beef patties.) Expanding on his 2018 short film of the same name, this movie is clearly a love letter to Scarborough. One of Shook’s final end credits is: “Filmed in Scarborough and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.” This local feature emphasized the T in #TIFF24 when I saw it at the film festival. Scarborough has much beauty but those stories rarely make it to the big screen. Welcome to the hood. Enjoy the food. Relish the strange characters.

Wednesday, February 18

Being Gordon Ramsay (Anytime / Netflix)

Being Gordon Ramsay is 6-part docuseries following one of the world’s most famous chefs in the lead-up to his biggest restaurant ventures to date: the opening of five culinary experiences in one of London’s tallest buildings, 22 Bishopsgate. As well as delving behind the scenes into the planning and construction of these incredible new venues, Gordon and his wife Tana will get candid about the Ramsay household and the challenges of balancing a successful career with the responsibilities of raising six children together.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: 56 DAYS: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

After a chance supermarket encounter, strangers Oliver and Ciara fall into a fast, intense relationship that takes a fatal turn. Fifty-six days later, homicide investigators discover an unidentifiable, decomposed body in Oliver’s apartment, sparking a twisted search for the truth as the series intercuts between a single day in the present and the past trajectory of their dangerous affair.
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2026 is gonna be the year of Fatal Attraction slap and tickle. Prime kicks it off with 56 Days shortly after Valentine’s Day. Upcoming erotic thrillers include Peacock’s Teach Me (Mandy Moore), Netflix’s Hancock Park, Dangerous Liaisons and Night Float with Nina Dobrev (who is so hot. More Erotic less Thriller.). That’s just TV. Erotic thriller movies are also coming (filthy yet terrible pun.). For now…here is 56 Days adapted from Catherine Ryan Howard’s best-selling novel. I dunno who that is. The hook is pretty standard: Love. Lies. Murder. Those are all fun! Programming Note: This is a Binge Release: all eight episodes will be released today.

Thursday, February 19

The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story (Anytime / Hulu)

When high school student Cassie Stoddart is found stabbed to death in a house on the outskirts of Pocatello, Idaho, the community is gripped by fear that a random killer is on the loose. Police retrace Cassie’s final hours and focus on three classmates… As the investigation narrows, detectives uncover a shocking buried videotape that reframes the case, raising the unthinkable question of whether 16-year-olds could have committed such a brutal crime.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE NIGHT AGENT: SEASON 3 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Coming off the explosive events of Season Two, Night Agent Peter Sutherland is called in to track down a young Treasury Agent who fled to Istanbul with sensitive government intel after killing his boss. This kicks off a sequence of events where Peter investigates a dark money network while avoiding its paid assassins, while putting him on a collision course with a relentless journalist. Working together, they uncover buried secrets and old grudges that threaten to bring the government to its knees — and get them both killed in the process.
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Hard to believe this series kicked off way back on March 23, 2023. According to Netflix promo copy: “In the last scene of the finale, things are finally looking up for Peter — literally. He’s on a jet heading to his first mission as a night agent; Night Action is an “off the books” program under the president that investigates cases that traditional intelligence agencies can’t figure out.” I didn’t even finish Season 2. Night Agent isn’t bad it’s just not remarkable as James Bond TV or even Must See TV. It’s on Netflix so it’ll always be there (I assume.). I’ll get to it…not sure when.

Friday, February 20

The Last Thing He Told Me: Season 2 (Anytime / Apple TV)

Owen shows up after five years on the run, Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey find themselves in a race to figure out how to reunite their family before the past catches up to them. Did you watch Season 1? I did not.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: WATCHING YOU: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / HULU)

Are secrets ever safe – in a world where anyone could be watching? After a passionate one-night stand in a friend’s rental property, Lina is horrified to discover her affair has been captured by cameras hidden in the apartment. Amid mounting threats and paranoia, she sets out to unmask an insidious voyeur, only to realise the threat is closer and more dangerous than she could have imagined. Fighting for her life, and those around her, Lina vows to bring down her tormentor no matter the cost.
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During the 56 Days blurb I mentioned 2026 is gonna be the year of Fatal Attraction slap and tickle. This Australian Stan Original series premiered on October 3, 2025; it’s now here. A typical mix of sinister secrets, a voyeur, psychological mind games and the main character would classify her arc over the 6 episodes as suffering. Which of course means. . .bringing those involved to justice. . .no matter the cost. If you like those elements, changes are you will like Watching You.

Saturday, February 21

Strip Law: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Uptight lawyer Lincoln Gumb is too boring to win cases in Vegas until he teams up with local magician/hedonist Sheila Flambé to bring some flash and pizzazz to the stupidest cases the city can throw at them.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: ETERNITY (ANYTIME / APPLE TV)

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.
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I still haven’t watched At Eternity’s Gate from 2018. And I didn’t enjoy Eternals. I bring this up because this Eternity is about making choices. And before you reach your Eternity, it’s valuable to make good pop culture choices. You wanna lead a good life? Consume good pop culture. I dunno if this good or not…but do you want it on your record? Because if you watch it, it’s on your record for all Eternity. Choose well, choose wisely.

Sunday, February 22

Song Sung Blue (Anytime / Peacock)

Lightning and Thunder, a Milwaukee husband and wife Neil Diamond tribute act, experience soaring success and devastating heartbreak in their musical journey together. This is a rare moment when I side with the gatekeepers. It’s not that I care about a “cluttered and dirty” home. It’s that isn’t Song Sung Blue appealing. The Diamond is fantastic; why would I care about a Midwestern couple?! The Studios were kinda right to reject the movie.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: RENTAL FAMILY (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)

An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.
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Lost In Translation Part 2? Brendan Fraser is a struggling white actor in Japan, out of the culture in more ways than one. Will he able to navigate Shibuya Crossing and get to the other side? Apparently, with the help of a Rental Family he can.

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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.