#SetTheVCR: August 22-28, 2022

As you heard on The Black Phone, The End Is Nye but thankfully we have a Good Samaritan. Gimme some Mo recommendations as it’s #SetTheVCR.

Monday, August 22

Red Rose: Season 1 (Anytime / BBC iPlayer)

This creepy show about a supernatural app and horny teens is a Netflix co-production so it will be on Netflix soon. Oh, yes. For now all 8 episodes of Red Rose are available on BBC iPlayer; though it is broadcast every Monday on me telly.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE BLACK PHONE (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)

After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer’s previous victims.
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The Black Phone is now streaming on Peacock following its 45 day theatrical release. Super creepy movie from the Sinister folks (director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill also crafted Doctor Strange!). (Another name you’ll recognize is Tom Savini who made the disturbing masks Ethan Hawke wears as The Grabber.) Totally superior to the Joe Hill short story it is based upon. (Every single deviation from the short story was a radical improvement and a stronger creative choice.) Will 13 year old Finney escape a sadistic child killer? Or will he end up calling the next victim via The Black Phone…like all the previous victims? Nothing like some fresh warm #FearPee to kick off a week.

Tuesday, August 23

Only Murders In The Building – Season 2: Episode 10 – *Season Finale* (Anytime / Hulu & Disney+)

Three amigos share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. Season 2 concludes today however in July 2022 Only Murders has been renewed for Season 3.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: UNTOLD: THE RISE AND FALL OF AND1
(ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

The journey of three young friends who have a dream of bringing greater acclaim to the game they love and end up flipping the billion-dollar basketball industry on its head.
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It’s fantastic to have all these sports related documentaries coming out; these past few years. So many stories that can and should be told. One story I know only a little about is AND1. And it is fantastic this Untold follows the 30 for 30: The Greatest Mixtape Ever (broadcast on May 31, 2022.) I never wore AND1 (or Starter!) but their importance to basketball, to our culture cannot be overstated. AND1 fused underground streetball with the billion-dollar culture of the NBA. But…what happened to them? That I dunno; it remains…Untold. Did AND1 ironically get into…foul trouble? Programming Note: Next week’s Untold is Operation Flagrant Foul. It’s about an NBA referee betting on his own games? Oh Boy.

Wednesday, August 24

Belfast (Anytime / HBO Max & Crave)

Kenneth Branagh’s film comes to streamers: A young boy and his working-class Belfast family experience the tumultuous late 1960s.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: WELCOME TO WREXHAM: DOCUSERIES
(10 P.M. / FX)

Rob McElhenney. Ryan Reynolds. Wrexham, Wales. To this town, football is not life and death. It’s more important than that.
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I don’t understand. “In 2020, Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) teamed up to purchase the 5th tier Red Dragons in the hopes of turning the club into an underdog story the whole world could root for.” As I said I don’t understand. Celebrities’ wealth is only going to increase over the next decade so it’s natural many of them will become involved in sports ownership. We’ve seen that with Jay-z and the Nets; Justin Timberlake with the Memphis Grizzlies. But this…is not NFL or NBA or MLB. This is…I guess Ted Lasso in real life? “From Hollywood to Wales, from the pitch to the locker room, the front office to the pub, Welcome to Wrexham will track Rob and Ryan’s crash course in football club ownership.” I wonder what their end “goal” is…only one way to find out.

Thursday, August 25

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 3 (Anytime/ Paramount+ & Crave)

The madcap adventures of the Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos returns for a third season.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: THE END IS NYE: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / PEACOCK)

Bill Nye investigates the most epic global disasters imaginable - both natural and unnatural – and then demystifies them using science.
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Bill Nye is presenting a scientific blueprint for surviving 6 world ending scenarios. That’s kind of him. We got monstrous hurricanes and a supervolcano (not sure what that is but Bill is the egghead not me) and more Earthly dangers all presented in distinct VFX so we get the picture. This 6 episode docuseries was co-created by Nye along with Seth MacFarlane and Brannon Braga (our recent friends from The Orville.) The End maybe Nye but hopefully with some smart science we can control our fate. Or not…perhaps our fate is to “settle the Bill.”

Friday, August 26

Murder House Flip: Season 2 (Anytime / The Roku Channel)

An unconventional home renovation show takes on the country’s most infamous homes: ones known for the mysterious murders within their walls; designers Joelle and Mikel remove the stains of the past and make once morbid homes marvelous.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: SAMARITAN (ANYTIME / PRIME VIDEO)

25 years ago, the world’s greatest hero vanished.
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Sylvester Stallone is actually the legendary vigilante Samaritan. Only…Granite City’s superhero died in a fiery warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis over 20 years ago. I never read the Mythos Comics this movie is based on so I’ve no idea what to expect. (Even with this “Rocky” foundation; this is a comic book movie.) Who is in the loop is a young boy named Sam; he believes Samaritan is alive and living in the apartment across from his. If he’s correct then it’s good timing as the city is going Gotham City ugly quickly. It’s time for a hero. When all this darkness hits look for a good…Samaritan.

Saturday, August 27

Loving Adults (Anytime / Netflix)

Loving Adults is a Danish psychological thriller: What happens to a marriage when the love of your life becomes your worst enemy?
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: ME TIME (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

With his family away, a devoted stay-at-home dad enjoys his first me time in years by joining his hard-partying old friend on a wild birthday adventure.
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It’s…a Kevin Hart comedy. Basically he’s kicking it “Old School” like Frank The Tank. (Old School a comedy classic is on Prime Video Canada if this isn’t working for you.)

Sunday, August 28

Death on the Nile (Anytime / Crave)

While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress.
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SAMMY SUGGESTION: MO: SEASON 1 (ANYTIME / NETFLIX)

In Texas, Mo straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a pending asylum request while hustling to support his Palestinian family.
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You remember how the first couple of Seinfeld seasons basically adapted his stand up bits for comedy moments? The same method is being applied here in Mo. Even from the trailer you’ll recognize many moments from his 2021 Netflix special Mohammed In Texas (i.e. the hummus bits.). Atlanta was about navigating white and black culture as it melded and clashed in…well Atlanta. Imagine then navigating Texan culture with being Muslim from a Palestinian family. You can either cry or laugh and Mo is clearly a comedy. Produced by Ramy Youssef; creator of Ramy which has gotten a number of recommendations in this space. As the Atlanta door closes a Mo opens.