Even with your Poker Face I can tell you’re seeking TV Recommendations for your Safe House. No worries with this week’s #SetTheVCR I got it in The Black Bag.
Monday, May 05
TIME100: The World’s Most Influential People (Anytime / Hulu)
The 2025 TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people recognizes the leaders shaping the world today and defining its future. The 22nd annual list features Will Ferrell on Lorne Michaels, Amy Poehler on Rashida Jones, Derek Jeter on Jalen Hurts, Chris Evans on Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth on Ed Sheeran, Ali Wong on Nikki Glaser, Diane Sawyer on David Muir, Ted Danson on Kristen Bell and more.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SAFE HOUSE: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / ACORN TV)
Former detective Robert (Christopher Eccleston) and his wife Katy are asked to turn their guest house into a safe house.
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Have you seen Safe House? It debuted on ITV back on April 20, 2015. I have not. That’s the beauty of streaming: the invitation to enjoy overlooked gems. The first guests who check into Christopher Eccleston’s Safe House is prison warder David Blackwell, his wife Ali and children Louisa and Joe, following the attempted abduction of little Joe. Of course not everything is as is. It’s a British TV show so expect escalating tension, a spot of murder and a reveal or two. A Safe House only applies when you’re playing tag. In life…not so much. Anytime a character doesn’t know who to trust…oh I’m up for that. Count me as a house guest for all 4 episodes.
Tuesday, May 06
Untold: Shooting Guards (Anytime / Netflix)
Former Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton shook the basketball world with their infamous gun incident in 2009, but what really went down when guns were drawn in their NBA locker room? Through raw firsthand accounts, Arenas and Crittenton unpack the events that had a life-altering impact on both men, and ultimately led Crittenton down a dark and tragic path. For the first time, this eye-opening documentary reveals the full story.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: DAVID SPADE: DANDELION (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)
With signature sardonic takes on the perils of flying, charity auctions, and the evolution of porn, David Spade is sharper and funnier than ever in Dandelion.
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It’s David Spade. You know who that is. You know his dry style. So…you’re either in or you’re out. I’m 100% IN because…it’s David Spade. I may be a Grown Up but his dry style makes me laugh.
Wednesday, May 07
David Blaine: Do Not Attempt (Anytime / Disney+ Canada)
David Blaine: Do Not Attempt is a six-part documentary series exploring the world through the lens of magic. Seeking out incredible people who perform real feats that look like magic, Blaine takes us on a jaw-dropping journey through some of the world’s most extraordinary cultures as he seeks out kindred spirits, finds inspiration, and learns some truly exceptional skills along the way.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BLACK BAG (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)
Black Bag is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.
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Michael Fassbender is tasked to identify the source of the security leak in his intelligence organization (National Cyber Security Centre…it’s real) or tens of thousands of people will die. Standard, right? However, the short list of suspects includes his equally wife, Kathryn played by Cate Blanchett. Two other names you’ll know: David Koepp wrote the screenplay. And Steven Soderbergh is the director. So…who is the traitor? A line from the movie: “When you can lie about everything, how do you tell the truth about anything?” Now that Black Bag is streaming on Peacock you have clearance to know who the traitor is.
Thursday, May 08
Forever: Limited Series (Anytime / Netflix)
Forever is a modern reimagining of Judy Blume’s groundbreaking 1975 novel. It’s an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018. That sounds…Forever awful.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: POKER FACE: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / PEAOCK)
Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time. From minor league baseball to big box retail, from funeral homes to alligator farms and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime solving existential road-trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability.
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While Natasha Lyonne is rather tepid and basic the Poker Face guest stars were the true money and magic! Season 1 offered Ron Pearlman, Judith Light, Lil Rel Howery and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, among others in distinct circumstances. Season 2 though…this is a weak guest star line up: Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney, Kumail Nanjiani…lotta dreck. Those people can’t offer any valid or significant magic. So my poker tell is I’m nervous heading into this second season. If you haven’t seen Season 1; well: “The series centers on Charlie Cale, a casino worker with an innate ability to detect lies, traveling across the United States on the run from a casino boss following a suspicious death. Along the way, she encounters colorful characters and solves homicides in a variety of settings.” Season 1 is still on CBC Gem for Canadians and Peacock for Americans. (Excellent Kid Cudi Kanye tune too.) I enjoyed Season 1. If you’re down for sarcastic mysteries you’ll enjoy the cards Peacock have dealt. Programming Note: Season 2 debuts on May 8, 2025, with the first three episodes of the 12 episode season; the rest of the season streams on a weekly basis all the way to July 10, 2025. Wanna bet Poker Face: Season 2 is a great season? What are the odds?
Friday, May 09
Karol G: Tomorrow was Beautiful (Anytime / Netflix)
Karol G pulls back the curtain of her career in this intimate look at her life as she navigates a stadium tour, love, health and chasing greatness. Karol G was told her dream was too big — that she was the wrong gender, and from the wrong place, to ever be a global star. But only fools bet against a Bichota. Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful, a documentary from This Machine and director Cristina Costantini, traces Karol’s rise from humble beginnings in Medellín, Colombia, to international stardom, as she proves the critics wrong with an electrifying, record-breaking stadium tour.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: CONAN O’BRIEN MUST GO: SEASON 2 (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)
In this riotously funny travel series, Conan O’Brien experiences local cultures and connects with fans he previously met on his podcast.
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This fresh season of Conan O’Brien Must Go is a weekly release: all 3 episodes stream weekly concluding with the season finale on May 22. “In the second season, Conan visits New Zealand, Austria, and Spain. In the first season, he traveled to Norway, Argentina, Thailand, and Ireland. The series has already been renewed for a third season.” Conan going ethnic is always gold because culture is always weird.
Saturday, May 10
The Simpsons: Yellow Planet (Anytime / Disney+)
Saturday Morning Cartoons: Your favorite Simpsons characters like you’ve never seen them before! Stream Yellow Planet, an exclusive, full-length episode of The Simpsons. Programming Note: This is the last episode aired that Pamela Hayden provided voice work for. And this random one-off episode is considered part of Season 36.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: NONNAS (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
After the loss of his mother, a man risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of local grandmothers as the chefs.
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The Book Club only all the seniors are horny for Italian Food. And replace Brady in 80 for Brady with Vince Vaughn. It’s Complicated…eh, not really. They just replaced the kids in Toronto’s Little Italy with adults. It Is What It Is.
Sunday, May 11
Usher: Rendezvous in Paris (Anytime / BET+)
Incorporates the essence of his landmark cultural phenomenon Vegas residencies into a seductive French touch confession. Captured during Paris Fashion Week at La Seine Musicale, the film features chart-topping hits and more from Usher’s 30-year career, performed with never-before-seen costumes and state-of-the-art lighting and special effects. In addition to bringing the vibrant live concert experience to the screen, Usher: Rendezvous in Paris gives audiences a glimpse inside life beyond the stage.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SUMMER OF 69 (ANYTIME / HULU)
An awkward high school senior hires an exotic dancer to help seduce her longtime crush before graduation, leading to unexpected friendship and lessons in self-confidence, acceptance, and adulthood.
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Wow…really? A raunchy sex comedy like American Pie. I worry studios will stop making these like Westerns but we still get Westerns so here we are. Abby is the socially awkward gamer who has a high school crush and a lot of sexual ignorance. Santa Monica is a stripper with too much sexual knowledge and a strip close that maybe closing. Putting them both together you get…Summer of 69. (69 Dude!! You didn’t really think the Bryan Adams song was about…19…69 did you?!) Hopefully like other nasty as they wanna be movies in this genre Summer of 69 is filthy. You’ll want to add this to your To Do List.
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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.
