#SetTheVCR: January 26 – February 01, 2026

Monday, January 26

Have I Got News For You: Season 4 (Anytime / HBO Max)

Hosted by Roy Wood Jr. with acclaimed comedians Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black serving as team captains, “Have I Got News for You” is a comedy panel show which delivers comic observations from the satirical to the surreal.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)

On the cusp of global superstardom, New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past as he records the album “Nebraska” in the early 1980s.
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Man, I told you! Told your fat mom, too. Point Blank: Jeremy Allen White can’t pull off Bruce Springsteen. This is like casting Robert Pattinson as Batman. Or Jason Momoa as Aquaman. Awful casting made for awful movies. It’s far from a Brilliant Disguise. Deliver Me from this half-baked biopic. Nah, man. Hard Pass. I’m giving this corny Glory Days the Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. Bury it in a Secret Garden. Instead? Nebraska, an incredible Bruce Springsteen album celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022. As such I highly recommend Nebraska: Live also on Hulu. A favorite track from this bare bones album is Atlantic City: Everything dies, baby, that’s a fact / But maybe everything that dies someday comes back. As a biopic huh? Choose your Bruce Springsteen wisely.

Tuesday, January 27

Mike Epps: Delusional (Anytime / Netflix)

From enduring breakups to navigating fame, Mike Epps shares hilariously unfiltered stories of how a little delusion and a lot of hustle made him a star. The special is Epps’ fifth for the streamer, following Ready to Sell Out (2024), Indiana Mike (2022), Only One Mike (2019) and Don’t Take It Personal (2015).
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: WONDER MAN: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / DISNEY+)

The series follows aspiring Hollywood actor Simon Williams, who is struggling to get his career off the ground. During a chance meeting with Trevor Slattery, an actor whose most prominent roles may be well behind him, Simon learns that legendary director Von Kovak is remaking the superhero film Wonder Man.
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The fake Mandarin Ben Kingsley reveal remains utter rubbish. It’s wildly condescending Marvel Studios continues to offer that lukewarm hogwash to thirsty fans. It was a lame idea. It was executed poorly. And it fails to age well. It’s disgusting and will never be palatable. It was a silly response because the comics-Mandarin is “racist.” So we end up with this overreaction junk, just as we did with Ancient One (which went white and female, solid two-fer, eh? Good job Marvel, team.). More raw honestly? In 2025 this Wonder Man TV show looks worse than the 1976 Wonder Woman TV show. This sucks so much and it sucks so bad you can smell the suck coming from it. There’s little to Wonder here.

Wednesday, January 28

School Spirits: Season 3 (Anytime / Paramount+)

Season three plunges Maddie Nears and her friends into a deeper, darker mystery as the veil between worlds grows dangerously thin, delivering twists that challenge everything they thought they knew. After clawing her way back to life, Maddie struggles with terrifying visions and the weight of protecting both the living and the dead while Simon – trapped in the afterlife – becomes obsessed with the secrets buried in Split River High’s scars. Why have so many people died at Split River High? What was Mr. Martin warning them about? As they search for answers, new dangers and dark secrets begin to surface.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SHRINKING: SEASON 3 (ANYTIME / APPLE TV)

Shrinking follows a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives … including his own.
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I’m 100% in for Season 3 but man…it’s all heartbreaking. So much sorrow with this sublime series, which I suppose is the whole point. Bah…Michael J. Fox appears in this season of Shrinking. Always tragic to see a vibrant brother ailing. I grieve for the spunky kid who Dukes of Hazzard slid across the hood of the DeLorean. And more heartbreak? I feel so bad for Harrison Ford: slumming it on TV. Dude ruled the box office back in the day. How do you go from blockbusters to singing Sugar Ray? Sorry, son. (Don’t ever try to sell me on the “golden era of TV” nonsense, please: this ain’t. And this ain’t “prestige TV” as Apple branding pushes. That’s another gross marketing myth. TV is TV. Some of it is good, most of it is just okay.) Putting aside those distressing elements this is Must See TV. Shrinking has solid comedic heartfelt moments: the cast is West Wing connected…they play off each other and talk quickly. Season 3 “centers on Jimmy navigating big life changes, like his daughter Alice heading to college far away, as he grapples with finding new love (potentially with Sophie) while still healing from loss, all while his support system (Paul, Gaby, etc.) faces their own challenges, including Paul’s worsening Parkinson’s and the crew dealing with new family dynamics and life stages. It’s about “what moving on looks like,” exploring new beginnings, deepening struggles, and the messy, hopeful journey of growing up and finding happiness.” I highly recommend Shrinking. It is…rather ironically a big deal. Programming Note: Season 3 premieres with a one-hour season premiere episode on Wednesday, January 28 followed by one new episode weekly, every Wednesday until April 8, 2026.

Thursday, January 29

Bridgerton: Season 4 – Volume 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball. Volume 2 streams on February 26.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Free-spirited Poppy and routine-loving Alex have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together. The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else – could they actually be the perfect romantic match?
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This trailer is already better than The Map That Leads to You. Plus Emily Bader is way hotter and far less obnoxious than Madelyn Cline so that’s another plus. People We Meet on Vacation is all so generic but it’s on Netflix. So Be It. (The Map Leads directly to Before Sunrise which did it all way better. “I’m getting on a plane to New York and the though of being a continent away from you is unbearable.” This is strictly weak Before Sunrise for the Taylor Swift-Bridgerton kids. Decent soundtrack, though.) If you’re lost on Netflix looking for something to watch…well: The Map That Leads to You.

Friday, January 30

The Wrecking Crew (Anytime / Prime Video)

Estranged half-brothers Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU (ANYTIME / HBO MAX)

With her life crashing down around her, Linda (Rose Byrne) attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist (Conan O’Brien).
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Conan O’Brien outside of his comfort zone. That’s the entire hook. Remember The Sandman in Uncut Gems or even before that in Punch-Drunk Love? Funny dude doing serious work. It’s Conan’s turn. So yeah, kick it with Conan.

Saturday, January 31

Yo Gabba GabbaLand!: Season 2 (Anytime / Apple TV)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Season two brings this group together with a new roster of musical guests to create dynamic performances and original songs to help kids and families uncover life lessons through music, movement and joyful discovery. The feel-good 10-episode second season returns with new music, special guest stars and joyful lessons for kids and families.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SAINTS AND WARRIORS (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

On the hardwood and on their homeland, the Skidegate Saints are fighting for more than a championship — they’re fighting for their future. Set against the backdrop of the 2024 All Native Basketball Tournament and the battle for Indigenous sovereignty, Saints and Warriors captures a story of resilience, brotherhood, and the unbreakable spirit of Haida Gwaii.
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I did not know there is an All Native Basketball Tournament. Is that like their March Madness? I missed this documentary at Hot Docs (always running out of game clock at Hot Docs) so I’m happy I can now correct that oversight. The doc is produced by Michael Grand who also produced The Grizzlie Truth. That doc was about the demise of the Vancouver Grizzlies and how that loss has impacted Van City. Sports have a profound yet subtle way of shaping our communities. It’s more than just a game between Saints and Warriors. Shall we tip off and see how this local basketball sculpts these communities? (The only Native American NBA players I can quickly identify are Bison Dele and Kyrie Irving. Curious to check out their skills too.)

Sunday, February 01

Vanished: Limited Series (Anytime / MGM+)

When a couple’s trip to Paris takes a dark turn with the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend Tom aboard a train to the south of France, Alice is plunged into a web of intrigue and danger, uncovering shocking secrets about the man she thought she knew.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: RISE OF THE 49ERS (9 P.M. / AMC)

Team legends Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young reflect on the passion and pressure during the “Gold Rush” reign from 1981 to 1995 when San Francisco won five Super Bowls and revolutionized the sport, on and off the field. The series chronicles the rise of the team from underdogs into pro football’s most glamorous franchise and offers a compelling look at the personalities that helped shape the sport.
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“Utilizing rare and never-before-seen footage from NFL Films, including video of team speeches and behind-the-scenes photos of San Francisco’s legendary head coach Bill Walsh, the series will feature incisive interviews with club legends (and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees) Montana, Rice, Young, Ronnie Lott, and Eddie DeBartolo Jr., among others. Each episode will also feature on-camera contributions from Brady.” All that matters…all that’ll ever matter is how good you are. And the 49ers were so good. San Francisco won four Super Bowls in the 1980s, earning them the title Team of the Eighties. They won 2 more in the ‘90s. So this is that story. Success is denying others glory. And the 49ers have often struck NFL gold.

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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.