#SetTheVCR: September 21-27, 2026

Monday, September 21

The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan (Anytime / Shudder)

This feature-length documentary pulls back the curtain on Andy Milligan, the notoriously volatile pioneer of 1960s and ’70s grindhouse horror and early Queer cinema. Through a newly unearthed archival interview with the director himself, rare movie clips, and raw insights from the actors and biographers who survived his chaotic sets, the film provides a fascinating, unfiltered look at a true outsider artist. It is a must-watch for cinephiles, horror enthusiasts, and anyone captivated by the grit of avant-garde New York filmmaking.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: CITY OF BLOOD: LIMITED SERIES (ANYTIME / HULU & DISNEY+ CANADA)

In climate-ravaged Berlin, two sisters separated since childhood reunite as elections loom. One grew up sheltered under a dome, the other survived the violent streets—where they discover vampires control the underworld.
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And now a return to vampires that don’t sparkle. This looks like Blade meets The Wire or something similar, just set in a post-apocalyptic Berlin. Vampires aren’t just hiding in gothic castles; they are deeply embedded in the city’s power structures, running corporate syndicates and dirty political campaigns. Wow, okay. Shall we visit the City of Blood? Should be lovely this time of year.

Tuesday, September 22

CFNY: The Spirit of Radio (7:30 / PBS)

The documentary traces CFNY from its origins in a suburban house north of Toronto to its position as one of the few commercial stations in North America programming alternative music. It gives particular attention to programme director David Marsden and the on-air culture he assembled.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU FOR MONEY (ANYTIME / CBC GEM)

In Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, actor and author Ben McKenzie turns investigator, pulling back the curtain on the cryptocurrency industry and the culture of hype, misinformation, and speculation that fueled its explosive rise. What began as a promise of financial freedom has evolved into a volatile ecosystem rife with fraud and reckless gambling, carrying with it devastating consequences for everyday people.
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Cryptocurrency, metaverse, blockchain and even NFTs were ill-defined by a plethora of ignorant “journalists.” All that bad work generated a tsunami of stupid that drowned all intelligence and suffocated nuance. Especially online. With journalist Jacob Silverman, Ben McKenzie has written a number of critical articles on crypto for publications including Slate, The New Republic, The Washington Post, and The Intercept. Good start. Most folks know Ben McKenzie as the actor on The O.C. and Gotham. He has an undergraduate degree in economics. He attended the University of Virginia, graduating in 2001 with a Bachelor’s degree featuring a double major in Economics and Foreign Affairs. So far so good. Finally, before this documentary he (again with journalist Jacob Silverman) co-authored the anti-cryptocurrency book Easy Money in 2023. I’m satisfied. Ben did the work and has a decent enough background on the topics presented in and directing his 2026 investigative documentary Everyone Is Lying to You for Money. “Through firsthand reporting, expert interviews, and a clear-eyed examination of major collapses and scandals, the film traces how crypto became one of the most aggressively marketed financial products of the modern era—and how warning signs were ignored, dismissed, or deliberately obscured. As fortunes are made and lost, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money asks a sobering question: who benefits from the chaos, and who is left to clean up the damage?”

Wednesday, September 23

Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple (Anytime / CBC Gem)

TIFF 2026 selection Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple explores the artistry and enduring influence of Rush’s enigmatic drummer and lyricist through rare archival footage, intimate reflections and extraordinary live performances. An all-star lineup of acclaimed drummers, including Danny Carey of Tool, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Gavin Harrison of King Crimson and Porcupine Tree, and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, joins Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to tackle Peart’s notoriously demanding drum parts, revealing the musicianship behind one of rock’s most original artists.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BROTHERS: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / APPLE TV)

Brothers follows Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, who play fictionalized versions of themselves, and whose friendship is thrown into chaos when they uncover a decades-old secret: they might actually be brothers. After Woody’s daughter’s engagement falls apart, he loads up the family and heads to Austin for an extended stay at Matthew’s ranch.
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Remember Twins with Arnold and Danny? Yeah, well this is Brothers. Programming Note: The eight-episode comedy premiered with the first two episodes on Wednesday, September 23, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through November 4, 2026.

Thursday, September 24

Setting the Tempo (Anytime / Disney+)

Setting The Tempo follows the WNBA’s first international franchise in the tumultuous journey to build a team ahead of their inaugural game. With zero players signed, a new league-wide player contract still unresolved, and the looming threat of a lockout, the Tempo must beat the odds and the clock to make it to opening night.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: NEKAI WALKS (ANYTIME / TVO DOCS)

In the summer of 2023, a Toronto teenager leaves home with his first paycheck, planning nothing more dangerous than a game of basketball. As dawn turned to darkness, he is caught in a hail of gunfire on a North York street.
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Canada is not “as bad” as America when it comes to gun violence that claims the lives of youths. Yo…not as bad isn’t a positive metric. We have no valid reasons to be proud. This hard to watch doc follows the resilient recovery of Nekai Foster, a young Black Canadian whose fight to live exposes the human cost of urban gun violence. This story is set at Jane & Finch. Our hood. Which makes it a hard doc to watch. But it’s such a fantastic window. We talk about gun violence often using stats. This is a real boy with real experiences. It’s not an easy watch but it’s a neccessary watch.

Friday, September 25

The Napa Boys (Anytime / Prime Video)

A mysterious individual known as “The Sommelier” leads a group of friends on a raucous road trip through wine country.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: BACKROOMS (ANYTIME / HBO MAX & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom, leading to an endless network of frightening interconnected rooms. After a therapist’s patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him.
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Backrooms takes that familiar, eerie internet aesthetic—that weirdly nostalgic, empty-office style we saw all during COVID—and turns it into cinematic claustrophobia. Does it work? According to Wikipedia: “Backrooms is an American science fiction analog horror web series created by Kane Parsons, based on the “Backrooms” creepypasta.” So Slender Man all over again. I find A24 as a brand wildly overrated: way too much ignorant hype and not enough quality. This movie might be another example for my position. Shall we explore the Backrooms and find out?

Saturday, September 26

Toy Story 5 (Anytime / Disney+)

Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang come face-to-face with Lilypad, a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same? Whatever dude. It’s yet another bland Toy Story.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SCTV: THE COMPLETE SERIES (ANYTIME / NETFLIX-US & PRIME VIDEO-CANADA)

The staff of Melonville’s TV station put on programming that is unique in its own silly way. One of Canada’s most influential and groundbreaking sketch comedy series will be available to stream in its entirety for the first time, with six seasons and 135 episodes available to Prime members nationwide. Created by Toronto’s renowned comedy institution The Second City, SCTV originally aired from 1976 to 1984 and became a cultural phenomenon, launching the careers of Canadian comedy icons Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, Andrea Martin, and Dave Thomas. The series’ sharp satire and distinctly Canadian point of view earned it multiple awards and a permanent place in television history.
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I hope SCTV on Netflix is brought to us by Tex and Edna Boil’s Organ Emporium. When you watch the Ryan Reynolds produced John Candy documentary (on Prime Video) Conan, Tom Hanks etc. notable prominent Americans dig SCTV. And now with Catherine O’Hara’s passing it should be streamed for everyone. Give everyone a chance to says thanks for the laughs. (Though communal SCTV was so strange and even startling when I saw the John Candy doc at TIFF. That was the first time I’d ever seen SCTV with an audience. Like most Canadians I’d only watched it at home by myself. And yet—in 2025—we collectively laughed. As strange as the experience was; watching SCTV all together, it was still super funny.) Canadian sketch comedy wasn’t just content…it was Must See TV. And yeah…we really did hafta #SetTheVCR for this. Programming Note: You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way) is a fantastic comedy documentary that’ll be opening in September. It covers the cast of a Godspell production in 1972: Cast members in the production included Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin and Jayne Eastwood, with Paul Shaffer serving as musical director. And it’s the Big Bang to SCTV and all that followed. It’s a must watch. I’m sharing that trailer because everybody knows all the SCTV fun.

Sunday, September 27

Power Ballad (Anytime / Starz)

When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves – even if it means risking everything he cares about. From writer-director John Carney, Power Ballad is a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE SIMPSONS: SEASON 38 (8:00 PM / DISNEY+ & FOX)

This long-running animated comedy focuses on the eponymous family in the town of Springfield in an unnamed U.S. state. The head of the Simpson family, Homer, is not a typical family man. A nuclear-plant employee, he does his best to lead his family but often finds that they are leading him. The family includes loving, blue-haired matriarch Marge, troublemaking son Bart, overachieving daughter Lisa and baby Maggie. Other Springfield residents include the family’s religious neighbour, Ned Flanders, family physician Dr Hibbert, Moe the bartender and police chief Clancy Wiggum.
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Welcome to Season 38 of The Simpsons. Try to process that. This charming cartoon premiered on Dec 17, 1989. Yo just once, I’d like someone to call me “Sir” without adding, “You’re making a scene.” Appreciate it for the moment, for as long as it’s here Oh and Treehouse of Horror XXXVII is soon! No confirmed date just yet but check with #SetTheVCR. I’m still with this show. Let’s go!

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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.