#SetTheVCR is the Citadel of My Summer Lair: Like a strong Starting 5 I offer TV Recommendations from the witty to the creepy because we’re rolling into October. There’s a thin line between comedy and horror…and this week that’s so clear.
Monday, October 07
Superman & Lois: The Final Season (8:00-10:00 p.m. / The CW)
The final season of the series will consist of 10 episodes and kicks off with a two-hour premiere. Following an action-packed and dramatic season three finale, the Kent family continues their fight against their biggest enemies in the upcoming final season. With Lois still reeling from her battle with cancer and Lex Luthor and his proxy Bizzarro-turned-Doomsday still a threat to Smallville and Superman, viewers are left hanging on edge amid this epic intergalactic battle in space.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: CHRIS REDD: WHY AM I LIKE THIS? (ANYTIME / CRAVE)
In his first HBO Max stand-up special Chris Redd digs into his days of living life like a music video and realizing that even if he’ll never be tall enough to dunk, he can still grow as a person.
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I have little experience with Chris Redd; so I have no idea what to expect from his first HBO Max comedy special. He was on SNL (didn’t watch much) and Kenan (didn’t watch at all) and he was recently on Candy Cane Lane (watched it all). Based on this trailer? I’m In. Okay…show me what ya got Chris…make with the funny. Programming Note: This comedy special debuted on November 3, 2023 on HBO Max. It has just been added to Crave, now.
Tuesday, October 08
Kingdom of Dreams (Anytime / The Network)
A docuseries that first aired in the U.K. on Sky in 2022; it centers on the mystery and intrigue that came with the dark side of the high fashion industry in the early 1990s through the 2010s. The series focuses on the rise to fame of designers including John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: ALI WONG: SINGLE LADY (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
Ali Wong opens up about post-divorce life and the quest for love. After a whirlwind couple of years, Ali Wong returns to the stage to dish on the highs, lows and surprises of dating post-divorce.
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Ali Wong’s fourth Netflix special following her previous specials Ali Wong: Don Wong, Ali Wong: Baby Cobra and Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife. Single Lady was filmed at The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, CA as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2024. And it’s directed by Wong, too. Not comfortable when comics do that…it’s like bands recording an album without a producer. Echoing her previous specials this new one features personal material, typically marriage, pregnancy or motherhood. Well less marriage and no pregnancy replace those topics with being newly single and exploring her post-divorce life. Her last special (Don Wong (2022)) was so-so; thus for this special I’m emotionally at: Always Be My Maybe. Still, it’s Ali Wong so you know what to expect by now: if you dig her then you enjoy her Big Mouth. If you’re not a fan you have a legitimate Beef. And if you haven’t heard of her…man: are you Fresh Off the Boat?!
Wednesday, October 09
V/H/S/Beyond (Anytime / Shudder)
Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi inspired hell landscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense. I recommend: Stowaway directed by Kate Siegel and written by Mike Flanagan.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: STARTING 5 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)
This captivating sports series follows Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis and Jayson Tatum throughout the 2023-24 NBA season.
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This is Quarterback (also on Netflix) only it’s NBA: “Starting 5, a new 10-part Netflix sports series, provides an intense, behind-the-scenes look at the 2023-24 NBA season through the eyes of five of the league’s biggest players – Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics). The series captures their battles on and off the court as they chase greatness, push through injuries, and balance the demands of family and legacy. James pushes himself harder than ever to stay healthy – and dominant – in his 21st season, while Edwards electrifies with his rapid rise. Butler’s relentless drive propels the Heat, Sabonis anchors the Kings with his versatile play, and Tatum leads the Celtics in their quest for a record 18th championship. Starting 5 delivers an unfiltered view of life at the pinnacle of professional basketball.” This has potential. However, LeBron James mirrors Donald Trump: he uses these documentaries to crowbar his self-appointed GOAT status into the NBA narrative. Yeah, no. It’s a lie…LeBron ain’t no #GOAT: #StopTheSteal! Watch out for the LeBron James hijack, otherwise this basketball documentary should be fascinating. Programming Note: Starting 5 covers the present season. Head on over to ESPN+ to check out Clutch an eight-part series that chronicles an in-depth journey through the 2024 NBA Playoffs: Zion Williamson, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, P.J. Washington, Jaylen Brown, and more.
Thursday, October 10
The Hunt for the Chameleon Killer (Anytime / AMC+ & Sundance Now)
A three-part series exploring all the crimes of Elaine Parent, The Hunt for the Chameleon Killer uncovers every potential victim and determines whether law enforcement is correct in their belief that she was a serial killer.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: TEACUP: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)
Follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive.
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Writer, producer, and showrunner Ian McCulloch has adapted Stinger. I think? First published as a paperback in 1988, Stinger is by Robert McCammon. (Only novel I’ve read by Robert is Boy’s Life. And it is breathtaking.) Anyways, Stinger is like The Stand only it unfolds over a twenty-four hour period in Inferno, Texas. How much of the novel survives in the TV show? “Of course, during production the series changed and evolved. Just as it should. Even the title’s different. Stinger is now Teacup. The reasons for this are too spoilery to share but watch the first few episodes and all will be revealed,” says McCulloch. “Point being, the series is now very much its own thing: a puzzle-box mystery, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, a can’t-but-must look horror story, a family drama, a science fiction epic—of the keyhole variety, of course.” Clearly things have changed…the novel is set in Texas, this show takes place in rural Georgia. Well then; let’s discover just what kind of storm in this Teacup.
Friday, October 11
Disclaimer: Limited Series (Anytime / Apple TV+)
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Renée Knight. Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett) built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: CADDO LAKE (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & CRAVE)
When an eight-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.
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Caddo Lake was initially called The Vanishings At Caddo Lake. The real life Caddo Lake—on the border between Texas and Louisiana—has been the sight of numerous Bigfoot sightings. There are also numerous urban legends about sunken ships, pirates (old school America?), an Indigenous curse and more. Clearly, something’s in the water. But what? Now, how much of that shows up in this horror movie is unknown. I appreciate this trailer moves past a missing girl story or even a ghost story. Clearly, something’s in the forest. But what? Programming Note: This movie comes from producer M. Night Shyamalan. His latest picture Trap streams on HBO Max & Crave on October 25th.
Saturday, October 12
Tomb Raider – The Legend of Lara Croft: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)
Saturday Morning Cartoons: Picking up after the events of the highly successful Tomb Raider videogame Survivor trilogy as told in 2013’s Tomb Raider, 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, and 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the animated series will chart the globetrotting heroine’s next chapter as she takes on the role of the iconic tomb raider that she is destined to become. Twenty-five years after her first game appeared, Lara Croft continues to explore new territory.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MR. CROCKET (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)
A mother embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her son from a demonic children’s show host who is kidnapping kids.
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If you’ve checked out horror movies like The Banana Splits Movie, Willy’s Wonderland, Satanic Panic and even Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey then you’ll be interested in more child-like horror. “It’s 1994 in the town of Shurry Bottom, PA, and Summer has recently been widowed following the tragic death of her husband. She’s left to raise their son Major on her own, but finds herself struggling to deal with his public outbursts and temper tantrums as he attempts to process his own grief. Following a particularly nasty fight between the two of them, a magic mailbox suddenly appears in their front yard, delivering a VHS tape of an old children’s show called Mr. Crocket’s World. It’s not long before Mr. Crocket himself crawls out of Summer’s television screen and kidnaps Major, forcing her to face her own demons and save her son before he’s permanently trapped in Crocket’s hellish world.” It all reminds of me of The Outer Limits: “There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission.” No kid-ding.
Sunday, October 13
Tracker: Season 2 (8:00 p.m. / CBS)
Meet Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist who roams the country as a reward seeker, using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family. The TV series is based on the bestselling novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver. Programming Note: Season 1 is on Hulu & Disney+ Canada.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: CITADEL: DIANA (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)
Milan, 2030: Eight years ago, the independent global spy agency Citadel was destroyed by the powerful enemy syndicate, Manticore. Since then, Diana Cavalieri, an undercover Citadel agent, is alone, trapped behind enemy lines as a mole in Manticore. When she finally sees a way out and the chance to disappear forever, the only way to do so is trusting the most unexpected ally, Edo Zani.
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More Citadel via the Italian Ministry of Culture. This is superior to Canada’s Online Streaming Act designed to bully foreign streamers to produce subpar CanCon like The Lake or Three Pines. Do you wanna sit through Late Bloomer or this? Quality is more valuable than solidarity. The Italian Original, Citadel: Diana, is the second series to debut from the world of Citadel and will be followed by India’s series, Citadel: Honey Bunny starring Varun Dhawan and Samantha on November 7, 2024. The American version premiered on April 28, 2023 with 6 episodes. It was decent James Bond TV, though I was left stirred I was not shaken. As you may recall: that first season focused on Citadel agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh. Kane discovers a new organization, Manticore (the bad guys), led by Dahlia. A bunch of stuff happens: eight years later, he’s living quietly as Kyle Conroy, with his memory wiped, until an old Citadel colleague needs his help. And we’re off. It’s all expensively produced by the Russo Brothers. How engaging and captivating is any of this…well: do you want a Mission Impossible style TV show? That’s your Mission should you choose to accept it.
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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.
