Well, our modern society has been coronavirus interrupted which means we’ve gone from #PantsWorthy where an event was worth puttin on pants to #CouchWorthy determining if something is worth watching. Thankfully here are some #CouchWorthy suggestions!
Sunday, March 29
Sammy Suggestion: TV Show Companion Podcasts (Anytime / Fox)
Take a break from TV (which doesn’t make any sense in a #SetTheVCR column) and sample some of the official podcast companions for popular tv shows. A fascinating trend is tv shows are showing up with podcasts: HBO put out a Watchmen podcast and a Chernobyl podcast while Syfy puts out the official Project Blue Book podcast. Right now only a handful of tv shows offer podcasts however they have incredible access to actors and writers and creators. Dope way to spend a few extra minutes in a world you dig.
Monday, March 30
Sammy Suggestion: What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (8 p.m. / Fox)
What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was created to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Deep Space Nine. However, this wasn’t just a fan love letter. It was co-directed by Ira Steven Behr, the show’s showrunner and executive producer. Behr wrote 53 Deep Space Nine episodes more than any other writer. So his intimate involvement gives this documentary weight and insight. I really hope they make one of these docs for Star Trek: Voyager. (I’ve suggested docs on ShoutFactory TV before. Remember it is a free streaming service. You don’t hafta sign up and there’s no commercials. Watch and enjoy.)
Tuesday, March 31
The Scheme (9 p.m. / HBO)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch (10 p.m. / History)
Frontline: Plastic Wars (10 p.m. / PBS)
Sammy Suggestion: Coachella: 20 Years in The Desert (Anytime / YouTube)
This year’s Coachella has been cornaivrious postponed and will now unfold in October. Happily, you can enjoy 20 years of Coachella without all the drugs and without all the camping. Yet another YouTube Originals music documentary which they’ve been quietly building a niche: Justin Bieber: Seasons, Katy Perry: Will You Be My Witness, The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story and The Gift: The Journey Of Johnny Cash among many others. This doc will feature performances from Kanye West, Daft Punk, Travis Scott, LCD Soundsystem, Rage Against The Machine, Pixies, Swedish House Mafia, Jane’s Addiction, Björk, The White Stripes, Madonna, Moby, Beck, Radiohead and many more. Of course.
Wednesday, April 1
David Batra: Elefanten I Rummet (Anytime / Netflix)
How to Fix a Drug Scandal (Anytime / Netflix)
Sammy Suggestion: The Johnny Carson Show (Anytime / ShoutFactory TV)
What better way to celebrate April Fools Day than with some laughs?! The slightly weirdly titled The Johnny Carson Show comes to ShoutFactory TV starting today. Carson was incredible. An outstanding interviewer, talented host, and belly aching comedy. He is a late night legend. Watch and you’ll see why.
Thursday, April 2
Sammy Suggestion: Cursed Films (Anytime / Shudder)
This past January at Sundance Alexandre O. Philippe’s latest documentary Leap of Faith: William Friedkin focusing on The Exorcist premiered. (I was hoping it would have screened at Hot Docs which was coronavirus interrupted.) Thankfully while we wait for Leap of Faith Shudder’s original 5 part docu-series Cursed Films covers The Exorcist in its opening episode. What movies such as Poltergeist, The Omen, and Twilight Zone: The Movie have in common is on-set mishaps making them cursed. Sometimes the legends are scarier than the movies.
Friday, April 3
Zombieland: Double Tap (8 p.m. / Starz)
Future Man: Season 3 (Anytime / Hulu)
Home Before Dark: Season 1 (Anytime / Apple TV)
Harley Quinn: Season 2 (Anytime / DC Universe)
Coffee & Kareem (Anytime / Netflix)
Sammy Suggestion: Tales From the Loop: Season 1 (Anytime / Amazon Prime)
Oh!! I cannot wait for this sci-fi tv show! Have you read The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag? A runaway teenager and her toy robot race to the edge of the continent as all around them a deeply consumerist society crumbles. It is visually stunning. Electric State’s movie rights were sold to the Russo brothers with IT creators Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti slated to be the director and producer. Oh, that is so gonna work (for now…these things can change). While we impatiently wait for that we get Tales From the Loop produced by Mark Romanek (YES!!) and based on the book with the same name. This’ll be like a Michel Gondry crossed with Black Mirror. Her if Her was ominous.
Saturday, April 4
Sammy Suggestion: Zombieland: Double Tap (8 p.m. / Starz)
You know em and you adore em: “Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.” There’s never a bad time to watch a zombie movie.
