#SetTheVCR: December 6-12, 2020

We’re getting deeper into the Holiday Season…so you know what that means right? A Lord of the Rings style quest to find non-Christmas movies. I…didn’t totally succeed. My Bad: We Good?

Sunday, December 6

The Simpsons: Season 32 (8 p.m. / Fox)
Fargo: Season 4 (9 p.m. / FX)
Moonbase 8 (11 p.m. / Showtime)

Sammy Suggestion: The Reagans (8 p.m. / Showtime)

The series finale of The Reagans. The fourth and final episode explores the Reagans’ second term (including Iran-Contra scandal). It also reveals why the docuseries is called The Reagans plural; this isn’t just about Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Nancy’s behind-the-scenes machinations to shape the Reagan legacy reveal her true power and her agenda. Turns out as first lady her agenda was entirely focused on legacy and making her husband great again. Fascinating yet disturbing docuseries. The past is prologue.

Monday, December 7

Sammy Suggestion: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Anytime /Hollywood Suite)

Way before Stranger Things appeared in 2016 “Strange things were afoot at the Circle-K.” Indeed. 1989 give us Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure a movie that lived up to its title. Though Coronavirus disrupted 2020 gave us the third Bill & Ted movie. So with Hollywood Suite’s free preview now on why not go back to their Excellent Adventure. (Bogus Journey is also on Hollywood Suite though that movie…sigh also lives up to its title.)

Tuesday, December 8

Long Hot Summers: The Story of The Style Council (12:30 p.m. / Showtime)

Sammy Suggestion: The Bubble: An Open Gym Documentary (8 p.m. / TSN (Tomorrow!))

Tomorrow: A #SetTheVCR heads up! You’re getting Part 1 and Part 2 of The Bubble: An Open Gym Documentary. It’s a 4 part docuseries so tomorrow Wednesday, Dec. 9 is Part 1 and 2 while Wednesday, Dec. 16 is Part 3 and 4 both nights it starts at 8 pm all on TSN. As you know the NBA shut down on March 12. And with the season three-quarters complete and no champion crowned: the question was always how do we finish what we started? The answer became the NBA bubble: on July 30 the NBA resumed its season on an ESPN Florida campus. Too much success. While this NBA Bubble documentary is focused on the Raptors I hope it expands: we’d never witnessed anything like this before and I cannot speak for the players and staff experiences. It was an unusual social experiment and we’re still sorting out the ramifications.

Wednesday, December 9

Alabama Snake (9 p.m. / HBO/Crave)

Sammy Suggestion: Happiest Season (Anytime / Amazon Prime Canada)

Sigh. It’s a Christmas movie sure but I haven’t succumbed to Christmas Cheer just yet. Rather this is a PSA. Hulu TV shows and movies are scattered on various Canadian platforms so it can be hard to track em down. Still the popular (I assume it’s popular because I saw it trending) holiday hit has made its way to Canada via Amazon Prime. Thank you Jeff Bezos. It’s your basic generic rom-com: half of a gay couple (the female Terminator from Dark Fate) wants to take the other half home for the holidays (the human girl in Twilight) only…she hasn’t told her family she’s gay. Cue Frasier style hijinks with a Christmas tree in the background: hence the title Happiest Season right? (If you’re in the mood for a great Kristen Stewart movie Panic Room is on Starz via Crave.)

Thursday, December 3

Alice in Borderland: Season 1 (Anytime / Netflix)

Sammy Suggestion: Let Them All Talk (Anytime / HBO Max)

Recently David Fincher signed a four-year exclusive deal with Netflix and it makes sense for both parties. Fincher’s movies haven’t done well at the box office which isn’t reflective of their quality. So Netflix gives him a small space to quietly create and he doesn’t hafta open against an MCU movie. You would think Steven Soderbergh would want a similar deal with a streamer. Well, today he’s on HBO Max with Let Them All Talk. The bulk of the dialogue was improvised by the cast and he shot this movie using natural light. Not your standard HBO Max movie even though the description sounds like it: “An author goes on a trip with her friends and nephew in an effort to find fun and come to terms with her past.” So yeah Let Them All Talk about how Soderbergh should score a similar Fincher-Netflix deal.

Friday, December 4

Giving Voice (Anytime / Netflix)
The Wilds (Anytime / Amazon Prime )

Sammy Suggestion: I’m Your Woman (Anytime / Amazon Prime)

I dunno if this movie will be any good. I’m simply sharing it because I can use the phrase “go on the lam!” We rarely get an opportunity to use that. (Especially in real life…) So yeah a criminal’s wife must go on the lam with her baby. Works for me!

Saturday, December 5

The Christmas Setup (8 p.m. / Lifetime)

Sammy Suggestion: The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (8 p.m. / HBO)

Do you have a sudden irresistible urge to dance to disco music with half your shirt open?! No need for Web MD: you have come down with a strong case of Saturday Nigh Fever. Despite being one of the biggest pop bands of all time I don’t know much about The Bee Gees. So I’m grateful this documentary is here to enlighten me. Ok let’s get into it. (Also on Crave in Canada.)