#SetTheVCR: January 27 – February 02, 2025

Monday, January 27

Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music (8 p.m. / NBC)

For 50 seasons, Saturday Night Live has served as the premier venue for televised live music performances while continuously pushing boundaries to reimagine the relationship between music and comedy. Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Oz Rodriguez Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music will feature untold stories behind the culture-defining, groundbreaking and news-making musical performances, sketches and cameos of the past 50 years. The three-hour special broadcast event will showcase interviews with musical artists, cast, writers, producers and more who have been part of SNL’s legacy.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: GLADIATOR II (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+ & MGM+)

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
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Are You Not Entertained? Pedro Pascal wasn’t Wonder Woman: 1984 awful in Gladiator II but still failed to construct a strong performance. I am overflowing with doubt and contempt for his Mr. Fantastic in the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. (Which opens on July 25, 2025.) I have no faith in him: this is the way. And in the end? Gladiator II is a Denzel movie. Also? If you didn’t see this movie in cinemas? You get to find out how a monkey becomes emperor. Another reason why you’ll be glad you steamed Gladiator II.

Tuesday, January 28

Speak No Evil (Anytime / Prime Video-Canada)

When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare. As the weekend progresses, they realize that a strange side lies within the family who invited them: the untrammeled hospitality of the charismatic, alpha-male estate owner masks an unspeakable darkness. Programming Note: This was added to Peacock on December 6th.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: PARADISE: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / HULU)

Paradise is set in an upscale community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent individuals. But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high-stakes investigation unfolds.
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Series Premiere: I like a TV series where the cast cannot trust each other…and when the crimes go right to the top! The U.S. president, played by James Marsden is dead: oh oh. Sterling K. Brown plays a Secret Service agent. And he’s the last person to see the Pres alive: oh oh. This doesn’t sound like Paradise to me. It’s gonna take more than a mai tai or two to clear his name. Unless he is guilty…oh oh. Programming Note: This eight episode series premieres on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 with three episodes at launch, then continues weekly concluding on March 4, 2025.

Wednesday, January 29

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (Anytime / Prime Video-Canada)

Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent find themselves stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. They soon discover a community of witches led by a local devil who has a connection to Hellboy’s past. It Is What It Is.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / DISNEY+)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming a hero, with a journey unlike we’ve ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots.
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Saturday Morning Cartoons & Series Premiere: This is a standalone Spider-Man story set in an alternative timeline. (Originally Disney+ announced the series as Spider-Man: Freshman Year so the plan was always high school Peter Parker. Sorry, Uncle Ben.). However, it is not MCU canon which means its popularity will generate a confused discourse brimming with ignorance. In 2025…let’s stop giving stupid people a seat at the table. (Matt Murdock / Daredevil is voiced by Charlie Cox…so if it’s not canon why is the canon voice speaking for the non-canon Daredevil?!) Still, this is the web-slinger-in-training Peter Parker. In the recent Tom Holland movies, Parker was mentored by Tony Stark. This time it’s Norman Osborn. That’ll end well, right? Programming Note: Today is a two-episode premiere; 10 episodes total. Following the two-episode premiere, subsequent episodes will be launched in batches of two or three: episodes 3-5 stream on February 5; episodes 6-8 on February 12 and episode 9 & 10 stream on February 19.

Thursday, January 30

Scamanda (9:00 p.m. / ABC)

Based on the No. 1 podcast by the same name, Scamanda tells the story of Amanda Riley — a wife, mother, blogger, and Christian — whose tragic cancer tale captivates thousands. But Amanda has a secret that she’s dying to keep, and after an anonymous tip to an investigative reporter, her own words may prove to be her downfall. This is a 4-part docuseries. Programming Note: This’ll stream on Disney+ Canada on February 21st. But before that it’ll be on Hulu on January 31st.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with preserving their family’s special moment while making the most of the unanticipated tight quarters. In a hilarious battle of determination and grit, the father of the bride (Will Ferrell) and sister of the other bride (Reese Witherspoon) chaotically go head-to-head as they stop at nothing to uphold an unforgettable celebration for their loved ones.
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It’s a Will Ferrell movie. That’s it.
That’s the entire hook: it’s Will Ferrell.
I’m 100% IN: I’ll RSVP this invitation.

Friday, January 31

NFL Icons: Joe Montana (Anytime / MGM+)

Known as “Joe Cool” and considered by some to be the greatest to ever play the quarterback position, Joe Montana takes viewers through the high-pressure moments that built his legend. Starting with his college career at Notre Dame and winding through San Francisco where he propelled the 49ers to four Super Bowl championships, Montana is one of the NFL’s all-time greatest post-season performers and a central figure of one of the league’s most accomplished dynasties.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE RECRUIT: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Season Two of The Recruit finds CIA Lawyer, Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside the Agency.
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Dude from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before grew up to become Jack Ryan. Noah Centineo is a fledgling lawyer at the CIA when a spy comes in from the cold with dark secrets (is there any other kind with the CIA?) that will she is willing to expose. This is the twist; the kid is a rookie not a seasoned James Bond and doesn’t have the experiences or connections yet…who does he trust? Can he even trust himself? Can we even trust Netflix? The last episode of this series streamed on December 16, 2022. Whew. Season 2 finds Noah Centineo “pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside the Agency.” Oh, yes. Can’t trust anybody? You can Recruit me for that: Team Ruckus reporting for duty!

Saturday, February 01

The Wild Robot (Anytime / Peacock)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Shipwrecked on a deserted island, a robot named Roz must learn to adapt to its new surroundings. Building relationships with the native animals, Roz soon develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling. Programming Note: For Canadians this’ll be on Prime Video-Canada on February 7.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MO: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Mo Season 2 finds Mo stranded across the border and desperate to get back to Houston before his family’s asylum hearing – but as a stateless refugee without a passport, he’s gonna need all the hustle and charm he can muster. Little does he know that the journey home is just the start of his troubles, and there’s a new guy in town ready to steal both his longtime love Maria and his falafel taco recipe.
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You remember how the first couple of Seinfeld seasons basically adapted his stand up bits for comedy moments? The same method is being applied here in Mo; at least it was in the first season. Even from the trailer you’ll recognize many moments from Mo Amer’s 2021 Netflix special Mohammed In Texas (i.e. the hummus bits.). Atlanta was about navigating the wild rapids of white and black culture as it melded and clashed in…well Atlanta. Imagine then navigating Texan culture with being Muslim from a Palestinian family. You can either cry or laugh and Mo is clearly a comedy. It’s produced by Ramy Youssef; creator of Ramy streaming on Hulu. Now that the Atlanta door has closed a Mo window opens. The Netflix series which we last saw in 2022 is back for Mo.

Sunday, February 02

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (9 p.m. / CNN)

Chronicling his personal and professional life before and after the near-fatal horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story uses Reeve’s own words, as well as intimate testimonials from his closest family members and friends, to paint a rich, nuanced portrait of a man who refused to be defined by his physicality and who proved that you don’t need tights and a cape to be a hero. This is the linear television premiere of the HBO Max documentary. It’s also still on Crave for Canadians.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: VIETNAM: THE WAR THAT CHANGED AMERICA (ANYTIME / APPLE TV+)

Narrated by Ethan Hawke, the series commemorates the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, offering a deeply human look at the lives of those who lived through one of the most divisive conflicts in American history.
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Big Johnson: [flying in the chopper to the roof] “Just like fuckin’ Saigon, hey, Slick?” Little Johnson: [smiling] “I was in junior high, dickhead.” That was Die Hard, yo. Vietnam shows up in everything. That subtitle: “The War That Changed America” is so accurate. Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Casualties of War, Good Morning Vietnam, Rambo: First Blood…s and Chuck Norris’ Mission In Action movies. So much more. That’s exactly what I was thinking about when I saw this Vietnam trailer. Nam was (and remains…) HUGE. Even Principal Skinner on The Simpsons has Nam flashbacks. (Less so these days.) Marvel’s The ‘Nam comics. Winnie Cooper’s brother dies in the Wonder Years pilot episode. I suspect because it was the first “TV war” it created so many potent images. This six-part docuseries “commemorates the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, offering a deeply human look at the lives of those who lived through one of the most divisive conflicts in American history.” Wow. Heavy.

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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.