#SetTheVCR: November 13-19, 2023

Monday, November 13

BlackBerry: The Limited Series (Anytime / AMC+)

BlackBerry tells the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone now streaming on AMC+. On CBC Gem for Canadians since last week.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE CURSE: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / PARAMOUNT+)

The genre-bending series explores how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring in their new home-improvement show.
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Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder are cursed! Will this 10-episode series get an Easy A? Or does the curse trap the happy couple in a Superbad loveless Zombieland? Only way to find out who wins the Battle of the Sexes is to watch and see just Cruella this curse really is.

Tuesday, November 14

A Murder at the End of the World: Limited Series (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+ Canada)

Darby and eight other guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire to participate in a retreat at a remote and dazzling location. When one of the other guests is found dead, Darby must use all of her skills to prove it was murder against a tide of competing interests and before the killer takes another life. Programming Note: it premieres today with 2 episodes.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: STRAYS (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)

An abandoned dog teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner.
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Will Ferrell, yo! It’s only November 14 you still got plenty of time to watch Elf. For now…enjoy this filthy funny movie. #SetTheVCR is going to the dogs!

Wednesday, November 15

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)

A coming-of-age documentary of Daniel Radcliffe and his stunt double David Holmes, whose close friendship endures a life-changing accident.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BECKHAM (ANYTIME / NETLIX)

Four-Part Documentary series on the British soccer star.
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The classic never-before-seen footage, this docuseries directed by Fisher Stevens follows David Beckham’s rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom. I typically include a list of famous folks who’re interviewed in this doc but they’re mostly soccer people so I dunno who they are. Truthfully I don’t know who David Beckham is. I’m an NBA guy. But I didn’t know who Lance Armstrong was before I watched his 30 for 30 so that’s why you watch these sports docs. The “goal” is to correct your ignorance. Or for fans to set the narrative. With Netflix’s Beckham giving him a Last Dance, who else is left? Gretzky!!

Thursday, November 16

The Crown: Season 6: Part 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

The Windsors face a reckoning as Diana, no longer a member of the royal family, continues to captivate the public in the weeks before her tragic death. British Succession returns for one final season…in 2 parts. Part 2 will air on December 14, 2023.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SILVER DOLLAR ROAD (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

Chronicles the story of the Reels family in North Carolina and their fight to keep their land.
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Silver Dollar Road focuses primarily on Mamie Reels Ellison and Kim Renee Duhon, two women who have spent decades working to protect their ancestral home. “For generations, the Reels have owned and lived on 65 waterfront acres along Adams Creek in Carteret County. The land, known as Silver Dollar Road, has been in the family since the days of Reconstruction, when their ancestors were freed from slavery. Elijah Reels officially took ownership in 1911, but when he died without a will, the land became what’s called heirs’ property, with ownership shared among a large group of Reels descendants.” Through various legal circumstances things got more complicated with accusations of trespassing, getting caught up in a system that jailed Licurtis Reels and Melvin Davis for 8 years and more. America’s a country that will give you a lot but oh it’ll take a lot from others. This is Raoul Peck’s latest.

Friday, November 17

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

Revisits and reimagines the beloved cult classic, taking Ramona Flowers, her evil exes, Scott, and his friends off on a mysterious new action-packed journey to find love. The anime series reunites the original film cast to reprise their roles.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS (ANYTIME / APPLE TV+)

Set after the battle between Godzilla and the Titans, revealing that monsters are real, follows one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to Monarch.
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This is the sixth installment and the second television series in the MonsterVerse franchise. It follows the epic battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco. Oh and the shocking revelation that monsters are real so try sleeping at night with your closet door open. Thankfully Kurt Russell is around with both eyes so the Earth should be safe. Still…umm Godzilla is BIG and TV is small. Scale is gonna be a legit issue for a live action Godzilla TV series. This is from executive producer and co-creator Matt Fraction who has written some outstanding (mostly Marvel) comic books. Still want to visit the MonsterVerse? I hear it’s lovely this time of year.

Saturday, November 18

Shohei Ohtani: Beyond the Dream (Anytime / ESPN+ & Disney+ Canada)

Shohei Ohtani has been a part of the Los Angeles Angels for several years. This is his backstory as his future being one of the greatest free agents in the history of the MLB is unfolding. This is where Ohtani who knows where he is going…
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: RUSTIN (ANYTIME / NETLIX)

Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.
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I don’t know this story: Bayard Rustin was one of the greatest activists and organizers and the architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington. Huh. It’s funny in a distrubing sort of way we keep going in circles. We have debates…did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone? Often when there’s a terrorist attack we want to know if it’s a lone wolf…we have a name for that, just as we use cell for evil group activities. We’re willing to accept when men do evil things they didn’t do it alone. Yet for some odd reason when men do great things history it is presented to us a singular achievement. I don’t get that. No activist or organizer is a “lone wolf.” That’s not a movement. Martin Luther King Jr. is fantastic, wonderfully flawed and we should celebrate his dynamic accomplishments…along with so many other individuals who stood beside him. (Yes I understand at the 1963 March on Washington King declared I Have a Dream. But the I is deceptive…We Have A Dream is not that catchy.) I’d rather a documentary for vital stories like these since there’s a journalistic integrity biopics tend to effortlessly bypass but this is what we got. And it has Chris Rock and Jeffrey Wright so that’ll do.

Sunday, November 19

Kennedy (8 p.m / History Channel)

A Conan O’Brien double-bill: The 3-night event chronicles the remarkable life, enduring legacy, and ambitious leadership of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. The story unfolds through a cinematic library of archival materials and over 70 new interviews from those well-versed in JFK’s history including yes Conan. Programming Note: This premiered on Saturday, November 18 with three back-to-back one-hour episodes (check History Channel On Demand). Tonight three episodes air starting at 8 p.m. and the final two episodes air on Monday, November 20 at 8 p.m.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: PLEASE DON’T DESTROY: THE TREASURE OF FOGGY MOUNTAIN (ANYTIME / PEACOCK & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

It follows three friends who live together. When they realize that they don’t like their life trajectory, they set off to find a gold treasure that is rumored to be buried in the nearby mountain.
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John Goodman narrates the adventure of Ben, Martin, and John, three childhood friends turned deadbeat co-workers. This is Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle only replace White Castle with Foggy Mountain treasure. Toss in hairless bears, desperate park rangers and a hypocritical cult leader oh and Conan O’Brien and you got a wild ride. Do they find the infamous treasure? No clue. But this is comedy gold. Check out the first 4 minutes:

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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.