This week is a struggle though the key is that the tv struggles not you. Self-care is a great way to love yourself today. If that fails well there’s a Brad Pitt movie where he takes off his shirt.
Sunday, May 31
Sammy Suggestion: Lance: Part 2 (9 p.m. / ESPN)
Ha! No worries this isn’t a 10 parter like The Last Dance on cyclist Lance Armstrong. Tonight is the final part. Last week watching Part 1 I kept thinking we’re deeply stupid when it comes to drugs. We were wildly irrational with weed: we gave credence to the stupidest among us. Anytime fear is given value it’s at the exclusion of intelligence. I wonder if that same irrationality and the ghostly specter of “drugs” (“GASP!!”) factors in with how Lance is viewed. I mean with drugs how do we sort facts from the foolish? I wonder if Part will deal with some of that nonsense. Anyways. So now ESPN has focused on Jordan and Lance…who is next? Bruce Lee!! I’m serious. This is All Hands On Deck. Be Water premieres next Sunday. And I’m telling you right now? It’ll be my TV pick of the week.
Monday, June 1
Sammy Suggestion: Laurel Canyon (Anytime / Crave)
Some of the names on the poster for EPIX’s 2 part Laurel Canyon doc-series: Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Mamas & The Papas, The Turtles, The Doors and The Byrds. So that instantly tells you two things: 1) this is a music documentary about the LA neighborhood where so many of these bands lived and recorded and 2) what era of music this is. Should be a groovy doc…man.
Originally Part 1 was broadcast in America on EPIX Sunday, May 31 tonight it debuts on Crave (9pm if you want to watch it live) while Part 2 will be on Crave on June 8 at 9pm.
Bonus Fun Fact: Laurel Canyon is director Alison Ellwood’s first but not only music documentary that’ll appear on #SetTheVCR. On Saturday, August 1st her other music doc The Go-Go’s (yes Vacation!) will be on Showtime. Looking forward to that as I don’t know anything about The Go-Go’s. The Go-Go’s premiered at Sundance this past January so it’s still fresh.
Tuesday, June 2
Sammy Suggestion: Inside Joke: Space Force (Anytime / Spotify?)
On Friday, May 29 the Steve Carell lead Space Force comedy debuted on Netflix. And it showed up in our world with a 10-part podcast hosted by Jimmy O. Yang. (Dude’s funny…I’ll probably check this out.) It’s the usual interviews with cast and crew kinda thing but since the cast is brimming with comedic talents this should be entertaining. I’ve written about this engrossing trend before recommending some of the official podcast companions for popular tv shows: HBO put out a Watchmen podcast and a Chernobyl podcast while Syfy issued 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.
Wednesday, June 3
Sammy Suggestion: Fight Club (Anytime / Crave)
This technically isn’t about Fight Club which returns to Crave on Friday. I’m curious if you’ve been watching more retro movies? Classics? Or are you enjoying modern movies? Are you avoiding horror or relishing horror? There’s no such thing as “read the room” because everybody is experiencing a number of distinct emotions as this pandemic and their house arrest status unfolds. Just be sure no matter what you are consuming to take long breaks from tv news and most especially Twitter. Be good to yourself so you don’t hafta resort to a Fight Club.
Thursday, June 4
And We Go Green (Anytime / Hulu)
Sammy Suggestion: The Clearing (Anytime / Crackle)
The magic words: Zombie Apocalypse. I think there are some other things going fracturing family, a father and daughter relationship but ah zombies. That’s the hook.
Friday, June 5
Fight Club (Anytime / Crave)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (8 p.m. / Starz)
Sammy Suggestion: The Last Days of American Crime (Anytime / Netflix)
You can view this as the latest comic book adapted as a tv show and/or you can view this as the latest Rick Remender tv project following Deadly Class. I never read this comic book though it attempts to answer a controversial question: “With one week until the end of all crime in the United States, can the last heist in American history be pulled off?” In a way, you could set this into the Purge universe. This adaptation is directed by Olivier Megaton who you may know from Taken 2 and 3.
Saturday, June 6
Sammy Suggestion: Ad Astra (8 p.m. / HBO)
I’ve suffered through Gravity and The Martian: both sucked failing to offer any compelling sci-fi. While Ad Astra’s trailer featured a Moon Rover Bullitt car chase and the studio has released a 3 minute clip of that scene and it’s…so fresh; soul fresh. That works for me. If this is closer to Brad Pitt’s Tree of Life I’m 100% IN!
