#SetTheVCR: July 20-26, 2026

Lots of Nouvelle Vague TV Recommendations this week: 72 Hours will be just Gone watching TV. #SetTheVCR is just as rare as a Blue Heron.

Monday, July 20

Saved by the Bell: Seasons 1-5 (Anytime / Paramount+ Canada)

A charismatic, fourth-wall-breaking high school hustler and his tightly knit, archetypal group of friends scheme their way through relationships, rivalries, and lighthearted teenage high jinks at Bayside High School, all while trying to outsmart their exasperated but well-meaning principal.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: NOUVELLE VAGUE (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

A playful, poignant love letter to cinema, this film reimagines the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless in an exuberant exploration of the youthful rebellion and creative chaos that shaped the French New Wave.
~~~

Dropping on Crave like a fresh Netflix baguette is Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague. A gorgeously shot, manic love letter to the absolute madness of the French New Wave. Before they were iconic directors, Jean-Luc Godard and his crew were just pretentious, hyper-obsessed film critics writing angry reviews and declaring they could do it better. The film drops you right onto the chaotic 1959 Paris sets of Breathless, where rules were actively being lit on fire. It features a stellar cast including Zoey Deutch playing Jean Seberg and Guillaume Marbeck capturing Godard’s beautifully unhinged, rule-breaking energy. It’s a stylish, fast-paced ride about what happens when a group of arrogant kids accidentally change the course of cinema history forever. They ain’t taking no crêpe. And while you can click on the video below to enjoy the trailer…why not get to know a movie by its soundtrack? The official soundtrack from the film itself is available on the Nouvelle Vague Soundtrack Spotify Playlist. Say bonjour to some lovely French music.

Tuesday, July 21

The Real Wolf of Wall Street (Anytime / Paramount+)

While the iconic Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street saw Hollywood turn Jordan Belfort and his band of boiler room brokers at Stratton Oakmont into the face of ‘90s excess, the story behind their rise is even darker and more debauched than previously known. It’s a binge release: all three-parts of the docuseries are now streaming.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: BILL MAHER: THE KENNEDY CENTER MARK TWAIN PRIZE FOR AMERICAN HUMOR (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Comedy’s biggest stars gather to toast — and tribute — late-night legend Bill Maher as he accepts the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in a heartfelt, hilarious ceremony.
~~~

Happy News for people who like to go on social media on Saturday mornings to complain about Bill Maher. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Bill Maher has spent over three decades making sure absolutely nobody is politically comfortable. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Bill Maher. I think… there was an off-then-on-again to this political comedy recognition event. (The gala performance took place on June 28.) “Recorded live in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the prestigious comedy event celebrates Maher’s massive influence on American cultural and political discourse—one politically incorrect joke at a time.” (Shout out to the worthless fool who always chimes in with “Maher’s not funny.” Always a worthless Twitter comment that wastes everyone’s time.) The gala performance features Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, Arianna Huffington, Jay Leno, John Mellencamp and Stephen A. Smith. Let’s celebrate the ultimate icon of political incorrectness with some bipartisan bruising.

Wednesday, July 22

A Toxic Love Story (Anytime / Netflix)

In a glamorous California suburb, a young woman’s arrest for a violent fantasy plot becomes a sensational scandal, but the truth remains hidden behind a sophisticated web of deception. As the investigation peels back layers of betrayal, it becomes unclear who is the true victim and who is the villain in a game where everyone is playing a part.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: BLUE HERON (ANYTIME / THE CRITERION CHANNEL)

In the late 1990s, a family of six settles into their new home on Vancouver Island, as internal dynamics are slowly revealed through the experiences of the youngest child, Sasha. Their fresh start is interrupted by the increasingly dangerous behavior of Jeremy, the family’s oldest child.
~~~

Gorgeous film—honestly, even with the sound off you can tell it’s beautifully shot. A strange, dark indie movie that doesn’t really ask to be liked…just experienced. Directed by Sophy Romvari, this semi-autobiographical debut injects you into a hazy, late-90s Vancouver Island summer that feels incredibly intimate yet deeply unsettling like moving into a cozy haunted house. The stunning cinematography generates admiration for the lush Vancouver scenery while the creeping tension from the eldest brother’s unravelling behavior triggers a contagious anxiety. Blue Heron is a haunting meditation on family, immigration, and memory that skips paint-by-numbers Hollywood melodrama for something far more raw, quiet and poignant. This isn’t a shower, it’s a bath…so prepare to linger.

Thursday, July 23

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 (Anytime / Paramount+)

In season 4, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise – led by Captain Christopher Pike – embark on a series of thrilling and emotional adventures across the stars. As they journey to strange new worlds, they will battle inner demons and external threats, encounter colorful new characters, reunite with familiar faces and confront terrifying aliens. Through it all, they strive to embrace a bright, hopeful future. Programming Note: The 10-episode season premieres on Thursday, July 23 on Paramount+. New episodes will be available weekly on Thursdays through Thursday, September 24. Season 5 will be the final season.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

The Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia, a world shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. Joining forces with Teela and Man-At-Arms, Adam must embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
~~~

I wasn’t keen on putting on pants to check out Masters of the Universe at the cinema. (Based on the box office, I wasn’t alone.) I’m terrified of nostalgia. Nostalgia is so cheap it should be made in China and sold here in dollar stores. It’s disposable and worthless.

Friday, July 24

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Anytime / Paramount+ Canada)

Baz Luhrmann’s extraordinary documentary may be the most poignant account of Elvis Presley’s life and career to date, featuring long-lost footage from his epochal 1970s residency in Las Vegas.Baz Luhrmann returns to the subject of his most audacious film — 2022’s Elvis — with the extraordinary EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. Free of contemporary interviews with experts, critics or other stakeholders, the film is propelled by recently discovered archival footage shot at the beginning of the famed performer’s Las Vegas residency. Originally intended to last a few weeks at the International Hotel, the 1969 engagement was shockingly lucrative, and stretched on for over seven years. Programming Note: This has been streaming on Paramount+ US on June 3, 2026.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: 72 HOURS (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

A 40-year-old executive (Kevin Hart) hopes to save his flailing career by joining a group of twenty-somethings (Marcello Hernández, Mason Gooding, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall) on a wild three-day bachelor party, after he’s inadvertently added to their group text.
~~~

It’s Kevin Hart and Marcello Hernández. You’re either IN or you’re out. It’s just that simple. You don’t need 72 Hours to think it over or even bother watching the trailer. That’s the entire comedy hook. Kevin Hart you know. While, Marcello Hernández is on fire on SNL. Can he translate that TV comedy success to making funny movies? We’re all about to find out.

Saturday, July 25

King of the Hill: Season 15 (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+)

In the new season, Hank and Peggy settle into retirement life on Rainey Street while attempting to keep their neighbors from going off the rails. Bobby navigates old friendships while dealing with the stresses of being an entrepreneur. This is a binge release: all ten episodes of the season are now streaming.
~~

SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE DINK (ANYTIME / APPLE TV)

Desperate to save a struggling country club and earn his father’s respect, a washed-up tennis pro is compelled to break a sacred vow and do the unthinkable: play pickleball.
~~~

Eh, I saw Ben Stiller in Dodgeball…I guess I can see him do pickleball next. It’s also got Jake Johnson. Washed-up former tennis prodigy Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson) has been reduced to coaching unruly children at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) suburban country club. Desperate for his father’s approval, Dusty blindly supports Chuck’s vendetta against the new craze taking over the club: pickleball. But when Dusty reaggravates an old injury, taking away his ability to play tennis, he resorts to the unthinkable in the name of rehab. He not only tries pickleball, but, thanks in part to his enchanting new partner Candace (Mary Steenburgen), he finds himself actually enjoying it. Torn between two worlds, Dusty is forced to finally face the ghosts of his past athletic failures, including his childhood nemesis, Andy Roddick (Andy Roddick). Ultimately, Dusty is drawn into a desperate battle for the future of the club, his father’s affection and his very identity.

Sunday, July 26

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (Anytime / Netflix-Canada)

Bumbling detectives, including Lieutenant Frank Drebin, hilariously bungle their way through crime investigations filled with sight gags and farce. They attempt to solve puzzling cases in this cult parody of police dramas.
~~

EDGAR WRIGHT SUGGESTION: GONE: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / BRITBOX)

Alana Polly, a married music teacher from Bristol, has vanished. Minutes have turned into hours; hours into days. And yet her family have heard nothing. Her car keys are still in the dish by the front door, her mobile phone is still charging under the bed. It’s as if she’s simply walked out on her stable family home. Concerned, Alana’s husband Michael Polly goes to the police. He speaks to Detective Annie Cassidy. He is determined – insistent – that she finds out what has happened to his wife. Cassidy promises him she will. But something in her gut tells her he is responsible.
~~~

BritBox debuts Gone, a domestic thriller starring David Morrissey and Eve Myles that centers on a wife’s mysterious disappearance and a husband under suspicion. Well, the husband did it. Right? Right… Is this a British Gone Girl, or is something else going on here? Eve Myles plays Detective Annie Cassidy, who has a gut feeling. And nothing David Morrissey, who is the distraught husband says or does will make that unsettling feeling be…Gone. Programming Note: Gone will premiere on BritBox on July 23, with three episodes, followed by one episode weekly through August 13. The series originally premiered across the pond on ITV1 and ITVX back on March 8, 2026.