#SetTheVCR: September 07-13, 2026

Monday, September 07

Erupcja (Anytime / Mubi)

A romantic vacation goes awry when a volcanic eruption strands Bethany (Charli XCX) and her soon-to-be fiancé, Rob in Warsaw, Poland. Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to ditch her baggage, reunite with childhood friend Nel and traipse across lofts, clubs and back alleys, all the while becoming entangled in an emotional web that challenges her sense of self.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: FOR THE LOVE OF STAR TREK (8:00 P.M. / TVO)

Celebrating sixty years of Star Trek, we explore how one bold TV show became a cultural force, inspired science, technology, and even real-life space travel, reimagining the future as a place of hope. Unearthing archive interviews with the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, and stars of the original series – Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, plus a new interview with William Shatner – we hear the stories behind the starship about the show that changed everything.
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During September, Star Trek will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. The official milestone culminates on September 8, 2026, marking exactly six decades since Star Trek: The Original Series first beamed down on television on September 8, 1966. “Paramount is commemorating the milestone with screenings, fan experiences, television specials, theatrical events and partnerships stretching from Hollywood to London and all the way to the International Space Station.” Like the Tribbles, Trek’s 60th anniversary celebrations are multiplying and I can’t even begin to share all of em in this limited space. There’s a lot of Star Trek happening globally and I wanna highlight Canada’s cool contribution with this 45-minute TVO documentary which offers archive interviews with the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry and actors like Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, Michael Dorn, Robert Picardo. Plus a new interview with William Shatner.. (Technically, Canada’s best Star Trek contribution is William Shatner.) Star Trek was one of the founding fathers of fandom. It’s why Shatner can go on SNL and jokingly confess in a comedy sketch set at a nerd-convention: “Get a life, will you, people. For crying out loud, it’s just a TV show. I mean, look at you. Look at the way you’re dressed. You’ve turned an enjoyable little job I did as a lark for a few years into a colossal waste of time.” While I haven’t enjoyed any modern Star Trek—nothing since Star Trek: Voyager has truly captured my imagination and engaged my heart—a 60th anniversary of something we have all built is worth celebrating and giving the Vulcan Salute to. May this sci-fi show continue to live long and prosper. Programming Note: TVO Broadcast info: Monday, September 7 at 8 p.m. and TVO Docs YouTube Channel Release: Monday, September 7 at 9 a.m.

Tuesday, September 08

America’s Got Talent (8:00 p.m. / NBC)

Eleven incredible acts take the stage for a spectacular three-hour live event, featuring master illusionists Young & Strange as they risk it all with a mind-bending, world-first grand illusion in a high-stakes bid to win America’s vote and secure a spot in the finals. The full episode will be available to stream the next morning on Peacock.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: UNTOLD MR. T: I PITY THE FOOL (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

Before the gold chains, mohawk, and Hollywood fame of The A-Team and Rocky III, there was Laurence Tureaud. This is the extraordinary origin story behind one of the most unlikely and beloved icons in entertainment – Mr. T.
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Mr. T’s documentary follows Arnold in 2023: a 3-part documentary series on Netflix about Arnold Schwarzenegger, while Sly, about Sylvester Stallone, also in 2023 is a feature-length documentary film also on Netflix. (Dolph: Unbreakable comes out next month.) The odd thing about Mr. T is that as iconic as he is…I don’t know anything about him. I know A-Team and Rocky III and much more. So, I know Mr. T but…I don’t know Mr. T. In a Guardian interview Mr. T expressed many issues with the Netflix documentary. And I get that. It’s a weird experience to have your whole life documented. I dunno if his complaints about the doc are valid or maybe he’s just seeing his whole life for the first time laid out like that? Maybe like me…he knows Mr. T but…doesn’t know Mr. T.

Wednesday, September 09

The Paper: Season 2 (Anytime / Peacock & Crave)

The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch in the series The Office find a new subject when they discover a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it. In season two, after sweeping the Ohio Journalism Awards, Ned searches for a journalistic crusade, coming for a local private club and jeopardizing the paper, while he and Mare try to figure out their attraction, Esmeralda struggles to find her place, and the staff gradually mature as reporters. Programming Note: For Americans with Peacock this is a binge release. For Canadians The Paper will be broadcast on Showcase at 9 p.m. starting with the first 3 episodes and check Crave for streaming.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE 2026 NFL SEASON: NFL KICKOFF GAME (8:20 P.M. / NBC & PEACOCK)

The 2026 NFL season is the 107th season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season is scheduled to begin on September 9, 2026, with reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle hosting New England in the NFL Kickoff Game and will end on January 10, 2027. The playoffs will begin on January 16 and conclude with Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on February 14.
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The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks kick off the historic 107th NFL season against the New England Patriots, launching a high-stakes 18-week journey toward gridiron glory that culminates at Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium. Football is back and just in time, politics, trade wars and “Canada Down” and all that was getting stupid. It’s great to have fun again.

Thursday, September 10

The Perfect Lie (Anytime / Netflix)

Luxurious dinners, fine wines and carefully curated evenings are gradually undermined by distrust, deception and betrayal. What appears to be an enviable lifestyle begins to unravel, turning into a dangerous game in which everyone has something to hide and something to lose. How far will they go to protect their secrets, and who can they really trust when the truth comes to the surface?
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SUPERGIRL (ANYTIME / HBO MAX)

While celebrating her 21st birthday, Kara Zor-El travels across the galaxy with her dog Krypto, during which she meets the young Ruthye Marye Knoll and goes on a “murderous quest for revenge.”
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Well the first couple of Supergirl trailers offered a radical improvement over the recent Sasha Calle Flash nonsense. So that was progress worth noting. And yet…it was still not opening weekend money. Supergirl is still just Coke Zero. While I do trust James Gunn with the DCU I can’t see any value that a Supergirl movie adds. Her comics are mostly eh. (Some decent runs here and there but if you’ve never read Supergirl comics you can keep your nerd street cred.) Dying has been her greatest comic contribution. “On August 8, 2014, Ike Perlmutter (CEO of Marvel Entertainment) sent an email to Sony executive Michael Lynton, continuing a conversation about female-led superhero movies.” “Arguing that they were bad investments, Perlmutter cited three in particular, even providing links to their grosses on Box Office Mojo.com: Elektra (“Very bad idea and the end result was very, very bad”), Catwoman (“a disaster”), and Supergirl (“another disaster”).” He was right. See how bad it is now that it’s streaming at home.

Friday, September 11

Daughters of 9/11 (Anytime / Paramount+)

Twenty-five years after the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, Elizabeth Miller, Jessica Trant and FBI special agent Frank Pellegrino confront whether the man accused of masterminding the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), will ever face justice. The doc follows the unlikely friendship that developed between Elizabeth and Jessica, and their shared determination to find justice, despite their opposing views on what KSM’s fate should be 25 years later. Elizabeth and Jessica feel their drive for justice is not just for them, but for all families who lost loved ones and for the American people. There needs to be resolution.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: 9/11: UNITED WE STAND – 25 YEARS LATER (ANYTIME / DISNEY+)

How the worlds of sports, music, and entertainment helped the country heal in the days, weeks, and months after September 11th. Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan leads an emotional two-hour event special commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Rather than focusing solely on the tragedy itself, this documentary explores the relatively untold stories of national resilience, unity, and recovery. Through powerful archival footage and deeply personal interviews, the special details how the worlds of sports, music, Broadway, and comedy helped a grieving country rediscover joy, foster connection, and begin to heal in the days and months following the attacks. Featured guests reflecting on the cultural response include Pete Davidson, Jon Bon Jovi, Jon Stewart, and Derek Jeter.
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I made this 9/11 documentary a Sammy Suggestion for today as it aligns with pop culture: “Featuring Derek Jeter, Jon Bon Jovi, Matthew Broderick, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Jimmy Fallon, Mark Messier, Jon Stewart and more, the special explores how sports and entertainment helped a grieving nation after the September 11 terrorist attacks.” That’s fine. But all the major networks and streamers will be running some sort of 9/11 special or documentary, especially since this is the 25th anniversary. It is what it is.

Saturday, September 12

Dang: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

Meet the Dangs! The animated series follows siblings Andrew and Eunice, whose fun, messy lives in New York City are interrupted when their worst nightmare comes true: their high-achieving older sister Ruthie shows up and wants to hang out with them.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SPACE CADET (ANYTIME / CRAVE)

The wordless, music-driven animated film follows a young astronaut named Celeste and the guardian robot she leaves behind on Earth. Space Cadet is a poignant, music-filled tale about memories and the bonds that connect us. Based on Kid Koala’s award-winning graphic novel, Space Cadet is a tomorrow-days lullaby about finding your place in the universe.
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A #TIFF50 Flashback…check out last year’s TIFF during this year’s TIFF.
In the silent movie star tradition (think Charlie Chaplin…or Pingu) I offer Kid Koala’s charming Space Cadet: “a musical fable about a young astronaut and her guardian robot.” Wonderfully anti-Pixar: it’s got so much soul and zero dialogue. Plus the soundtrack is fantastic! (“An original score by Kid Koala, with original songs by Mariana “Ladybug” Vieira and songs featuring vocalists Digable Planets’ Emilíana Torrini, Martha Wainwright, Meaghan Smith and Trixie Whitley.)

Sunday, September 13

Crew Girl: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

Sixteen-year-old Teagan Tao was a rising star in single sculls rowing until a family scandal capsized her future. Forced to relocate with her mom to the East Coast, Teagan starts over at the prestigious Easton Prep, where she’s not just an outcast but stuck aground – there’s no girls’ rowing team. Her only way to the water is to take the helm of the school’s notoriously dysfunctional boys’ varsity crew as their coxswain.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: IN THE GREY (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO-CANADA & STARZ-US)

In The Grey follows a covert team of elite operatives who live in the global shadows, as comfortable wielding power and influence as they are automatic weapons and high explosives. When a ruthless despot steals a billion-dollar fortune, the team is sent to steal it back on what would be for anyone else a suicide mission. What begins as an impossible heist gets much worse, spiraling into an all-out war of strategy, deception and survival.
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Yo, Son! Eiza González and Guy Ritchie…that’s opening weekend money. Yes for sure Guy Ritchie is the non-union Mexican equivalent of Quentin Tarantino but there’s enough Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap to be entertaining. There’s nothing In The Grey about that.

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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.