The Media Tourist

What to watch and more March 28 – April 4

Daniel Craig’s ‘Queer’ turn, a ‘Simpsons’ TV milestone & a taboo-bustin’ Oprah special

FRIDAY, March 28
Queer
Daniel Craig (above) takes a big swing away from his movie run as macho superspy James Bond to star in this heartfelt movie about a gay American in Mexico City in the 1950s, where sparks fly when he makes an intimate connection with a former U.S. soldier (Max).

The Rule of Jenny Penn
Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow star in this creepy film about sinister goings-on in a retirement home (Shudder).

Mid-Century Modern
New comedy series from the creators of Will & Grace stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham—and a parade of guest stars—in a romp (above) about three gay best friends who decide to spend their golden years in Palm Springs (Hulu).

SATURDAY, March 29
Wife Stalker
Keisha Knight Pullam stars in this new drama thriller about a woman whose husband leaves her for another female with a nefarious past (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, March 30
The Last Anniversary
Original mystery drama series (above)—set on a beautiful remote island shrouded in secrets—stars Teresa Palmer as a young woman drawn into a tangled generational web (AMC+).

The Simpsons
The longest-running primetime scripted show in TV history returns tonight for season 36 (yes, 36!) as Bart tries to become a celebrity DJ and Homer finally pushes Flanders too far (8 p.m., Fox)

Mobland
Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan (above) and Helen Mirren are among the cast of this new crime series—about power struggles within a global crime syndicate—from action-centric director Guy Richie (Paramount+).

MONDAY, March 31
Truelove
A group of old friends reunited at a funeral and make a drunken pact to see that each other dies with dignity. But such a “good” idea turns into a shocking reality in this series with an ensemble cast (Acorn TV).

An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution
The Queen of daytime TV hosts this primetime event all about the inevitable event all women who live past “a certain age” will face, diving into the once-considered-taboo topic with a panel of experts and a live audience (10:01 p.m., ABC). 

TUESDAY, April 1
Audrey
A wild, snarky dark comedy about a mom who’ll do anything to achieve her dreams—even assuming the identity of her daughter when she falls into a coma. With Jackie Van Beek and Lindsay Taylor (checking streaming services for availability).

American Masters—Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Screen icon Liza Minnelli—the daughter of legendary actor Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli—is spotlighted in this documentary with a look into her dynamic life from childhood to Broadway and the silver screen, where she found Oscar-winning superstardom in Cabaret (9 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, April 2
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America
Find out in this new series all about the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, 30 years ago, which claimed 168 lives and changed America forever (8 p.m., National Geographic).

THURSDAY, April 3
Pulse
New medical drama—from Emmy-winning writer Carlton Cuse—stars Wilia Fitzgerald, Colin Woodell, Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher and Chelsea Muirhead (Netflix).

NOW HEAR THIS

Five of the top albums from one of the world’s most acclaimed bands are now available together on Fleetwood Mac 1975-1985 (Rhino), which includes the LPs Fleetwood Mac, Rumors, Tusk, Mirage and Tango in the Night, available as six LPs or five CDs. Relive hits like “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Sara,” “Gypsy,” “Landslide,” “Say You Love Me” and “Rhiannon,” plus many more.

Forty years ago, Tina Turner exploded into the pop mainstream with her iconic breakthrough album Tiny Dancer. A new 5-CD set (from Parlophone) commemorates the milestone with a grand collection of remastered original tracks, plus B-sides, extended versions, rarities, previously unreleased cuts, two live in-concert discs and a Blu-ray of promo videos for “Let’s Stay Together,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me” and “Private Dancer.”

BRING IT HOME

A truly “modern” love story, Companion (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) stars Sophie Thatcher, Lukas Gage and Jack Quaid in this horror tale of a super-serviant android built for companionship that goes murderously rogue.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Vitamin V: Video and the Moving Image (Phaidon) takes a highly visual look at how film and video have become integrated into modern art, with more than 850 examples from some 100 artists from around the world who use “contemporary technologies in unexpected and often revolutionary ways.” And an essay explains how it all got started in the 1960s.

How could two very different songs, separated by an ocean, recorded within weeks of each other, offer so much insight into America in the 1970s, the British empire, and almost everything associated with global culture? Peter Silverton‘s engrossing London Calling New York New York (Trouser Press), breaks it all down in a fascinating tale-of-two-cities treatise built on these two seminal works of music from The Clash and Frank Sinatra.