#SetTheVCR: March 18-24, 2024

Monday, March 18

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (9:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m. / ID)

This four-part docuseries uncovers the toxic and dangerous culture behind some of the most iconic children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s. It pulls back the curtain on an empire, built by creator Dan Schneider, that had an undeniable grip on popular culture. Over the course of its four parts, the docuseries reveals an insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism. This premiered yesterday on ID (both episodes are streaming on HBO Max) and tonight is Part’s 3 and 4.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BEACON 23: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

Beacon 23 takes place in the farthest reaches of the Milky Way and follows Aster, a government agent, and Halan, a stoic ex-military man, whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together inside one of many Beacons that serve as a lighthouse for intergalactic travelers.
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Series Premiere: And now a science-fiction mystery thriller. That’s my jam. Plus an Artificial Intelligence humanoid? Oh Yes. Indeed every Beacon is run by one highly trained human and a specialized Artificial Intelligence. Aster is a government agent while Halan is ex-military and the lonely Beacon-keeper. Got it. But how exactly did Aster end up here? Halan is starting to doubt her and question her agenda…paranoia in space is so deadly. Is Aster is friend or foe? I didn’t read the Hugh Howey novel this is all adapted from; have you? So, I dunno what to expect except shifting alliances and lots of tension because space comes with so much pressure. Hopefully this is the latest contribution to the flourishing in space no one can hear you scream genre. Programming Note: Beacon 23: Season 1 streamed on MGM+ on November 12, 2023, it finally came to Canada. Season 2 premiered on April 7th on MGM+.

Tuesday, March 19

Chicken Nugget: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

A woman steps into an odd machine and becomes… a chicken nugget?! Now, it’s up to her father and admirer to embark on a zany quest to bring her back. Yup, it’s Korean.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: NCAA – FIRST FOUR (6:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. / TRUTV)

The Big Dance is also another name for the NCAA basketball tournament: The 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will tip off with the NCAA First Four.
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The First Four is the official start to March Madness: four games played earlier in the week before the Round of 64 in the NCAA men’s (and women’s) basketball tournament. The First Four is played in Dayton, Ohio. While upcoming first- and second-round games running on March 21-24 stretch from New York City to Spokane, Washington. All the madness — 67 games in total — will be televised by CBS Sports, TNT, TBS and truTV. But before we can reach the Final Four we start with the First Four: (16) Wagner vs. (16) Howard and then after that is (10) Colorado St. vs. (10) Virginia. That’s the appetized, which continues with another double-header tomorrow. Programming Note: The First Four runs over two night March 19-20 all on TruTV with Game 1 starting at 6:30 p.m. followed by Game 2 at 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 20

Expend4bles (Anytime / Starz)

Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. This was nominated for 7 Razzies including Worst Picture, though it lost to Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Was it robbed? Watch and you decide…
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: X-MEN ’97: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / DISNEY+)

X-Men ’97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
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Series Premiere & Saturday Morning Cartoons: When the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) launched in 2008 with Iron Man it began a process of loose adaptations of Marvel comics. Captain America movies like The Winter Soldier and Civil War were (mostly) pulled from the comics. Mirroring the comics the MCU formally established a distinct continuity with a clear timeline. This was the second time Marvel had connected with continuity outside of the comics. The success and popularity of X-Men: The Animated Series confirmed the commercial value in fostering a consistent mythology. Far more than the MCU movies, many X-Men episodes were fully based on the mutants’ Marvel comics. Fantastic storylines and events in the X-Men comics, such as the Dark Phoenix Saga, Days of Future Past, the Phalanx Covenant, and the Legacy Virus manifested in this mid-90s X-Men cartoon. The X-Men: The Animated Series debuted on October 31, 1992, on the Fox Network as part of the Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup. The show featured a team line-up similar to that of the early 1990s X-Men comic books: Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey and Professor X. (Cyclops’ Blue Team! How is that for an old school X-Men reference!) The cartoon ran for 76 episodes concluding on September 20, 1997. X-Men ‘97 is a revival, picking up exactly where the original series ended…with the death of Professor X. Oh, no: now what? And yes, Lenore Zann returns as the voice of Rogue. Programming Note: For more on X-Men ‘97, Lenore Zann was a recent My Summer Lair guest.  I spoke to her about the incredible return of this classic…the episodes are freshtastic. You’ll dig em.

Thursday, March 21

Road House (2024) (Anytime / Prime Video)

It…Is What It Is: Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Road House as Dalton, ex-UFC fighter-turned-bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse owned by Frankie. Facing threats from a criminal gang led by Brandt, Dalton’s violent past emerges. When he is confronted by Knox, a lethal gun-for-hire, the escalating brawls and bloodshed become more dangerous than his days in the Octagon.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: APPLES NEVER FALL: LIMITED SERIES (9:00 P.M. / W NETWORK)

The Delaney family seems happy but Joy disappears, forcing her husband and four adult children to reassess their family history.
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Limited Series Premiere: This is an annoying Canadian Broadcast Premiere. On Peacock Apples Never Fall was a Binge Release: all 7 episodes dropped on March 14th. Here in Canada, we’re getting it weekly…so you gotta watch it for 7 weeks. Therefore, if you hate spoilers ya gotta stay off the internet for about 8 or 9 weeks. This is based on Liane Moriarty’s novel with the same name and you know most of the cast: Annette Bening, Sam Neill and Alison Brie. It’s your classic nothing and nobody is what it seems deal, you know? “When Joy (Annette Bening) suddenly disappears, her children are forced to re-examine their parents’ so-called perfect marriage as their family’s darkest secrets begin to surface.” It’s a limited series so it’s kind to have a self-contained story.

Friday, March 22

3 Body Problem: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

A young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time to a group of brilliant scientists in the present day. As the laws of nature unravel before their eyes five former colleagues reunite to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history. Based on the acclaimed, international bestselling book trilogy, The Three-Body Problem.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DAVEY & JONESIE’S LOCKER: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / HULU & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

The original series follows Davey and Jonesie, two lovably eccentric best friends who have always felt out of step with their peers and the banal backdrop of their high school existence.
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More multiverse shenanigans. Bill and Ted travelled through time in a phone booth. Davey and Jonesie trip through the multiverse via their locker. “But the joke is on them when they only end up in bizarre, alternate versions of their high school, surrounded by offbeat versions of their classmates. Fortunately, these audacious and creative besties are ready to make the most of this vacation from reality by leaving their mark on every universe they visit…even if it means choosing interdimensional chaos while they’re at it. Worth it for the vibes.” Ya gotta figure there’s a universe out there where you’re finally truly deeply cool. Right? Programming Note: This is a Binge Release…all 10 episodes drop all at once.

Saturday, March 23

Anatomy of a Fall (Anytime / Hulu)

A woman is suspected of murder after her husband’s death; their half-blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness. Now streaming on Hulu for Americans, Prime Video-Canada for Canadians.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: RAMY YOUSSEF: MORE FEELINGS (10:00 P.M. / HBO MAX & CRAVE)

Ramy Youssef returns to the stage to offer his unique reflections on our divided world, the unexpected perils of charitable giving, and more.
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Well, this is classy: a Sammy Suggestion of a Peabody Award winner. Indeed Ramy Youssef an Egyptian American creator scored a Peabody for his work in the Hulu series Ramy. I’ve described Ramy as a middle-eastern Atlanta just not as absurd. My feelings are…that’s not fully accurate but it’s the best I can do. More Feelings is Youssef’s second special with HBO, following 2019’s Ramy Youssef: Feelings. The special is directed by Chris Storer, the Ramy director best known as creator and co-showrunner of FX’s The Bear, for which Youssef has directed one episode for. It’s all happening.

Sunday, March 24

Dream Scenario (Anytime / HBO Max & Paramount+ Canada)

A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME (ANYTIME / SHUDDER)

A thunderstorm brings a mysterious woman to Patrick’s isolated mobile home. As the night unfolds, secrets and realities blur. Will she be able to leave? Or is something darker keeping her there?
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It was a dark and stormy night…and two strangers are seeking shelter from the storm. Only…there’s a palatable tension as both of em have ambiguous motivations. Who can you trust when you can’t trust anybody? I opened the week with Beacon 23 and I close it You’ll Never Find Me. Creepy times as March comes to a close.

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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.