Nicole Kidman, Zoey King & Zac Efron star in ‘A Family Affair.’
FRIDAY, June 28 Fancy Dance Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone leads the cast of this new original movie drama about the complexities of being Indigenous women in a colonized world—at the at the mercy of a failed judicial system (Apple TV+)
A Family Affair Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Joey King star in this new romcom about the comic consequences of a new romance for a young woman and her mom and her movie-star boss (Netflix).
SATURDAY, June 29 Pirates: Behind the Legends The series about the great plunderers of the ocean wraps up tonight with two episodes, about Blackbeard (above) and Bartholomew Roberts, a Welshman who became the greatest pirate of the so-called “golden age” in the early 1700s (9 p.m., National Geographic).
SUNDAY, June 30 The Great Food Truck Race: Games on the Beach Food truck operators from all over America compete in a series of challenges in seaside locations on the Gulf Coast from Houston, Texas, to Miami (8 p.m., Food Network).
MONDAY, July 1 The Wall Contestants in this new competition battle trivia questions and a 40-foot wall for a chance to win millions of dollars, spurred on by host Chris Hardwick (NBC).
No Scope: The Story of FaZe Clan If you play e-sports, you probably know about the FaZe Clan. This doc looks at the organization and how it became one of the defining stories of entertainment…but not without its costs to its founders (7 p.m., ESPN).
TUESDAY, July 2 Sprint On your mark, get set….go! Watch elite runners train and navigate intense media scrutiny in this reality series about what drives them to want to become the world’s fastest humans (Netflix).
WEDNESDAY, July 3 Bluey Minisodes If you love the little cartoon doggie, you’ll gobble up these bite-size, one-to-three-minute morsels of funny and sweet moments with Bluey and Bingo and the world of the hit animated series (Disney Jr. and Disney+).
Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe The 2022 animated comedy—about creator Mike Judge’s irreverently lowbrow duo that began in the ‘90s on MTV—makes its broadcast premiere tonight as Beavis and Butthead fall into a black hole that sucks them (heh-heh) into the future (10 p.m., Comedy Central).
THURSDAY, July 4 A Capitol Fourth Watch all-star musical acts perform, plus awesome fireworks, at this year’s live red-white-and-blue show from the heart of Washington D.C. (8 p.m., PBS)
Space Cadet Emma Roberts stars as a wannabe astronaut who scams her way into NASA’s space program—and becomes its only hope for a dire circumstance (Prime Video).
The Bear roars back, Jessica Alba fights back & Tom Petty comes back (sorta) for a Florida homecoming
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FRIDAY, June 21 The Speedway Murders True-crime series about the unsolved 1978 mystery of four teens who vanished while working the graveyard shift at a local Burger Chef in Speedway, Ind., and the later discovery of their bodies in the nearby woods (Apple TV and Prime Video).
Trigger Warning Jessica Alba stars as a Special Forces commando who finds herself at violent odds with a hometown gang and a powerful senator (Anthony Michael Hall) in this tense drama (below), which has been knocking around in various stages for almost a decade. Now you can see if it was worth the wait! (Netflix).
SATURDAY, June 22 Tom Petty: Live from Gatorville Concert special captures the late Florida-native rocker’s 2006 performance in his hometown with his Heartbreakers band, his first “homecoming” show in more than a decade (1 p.m., AXS).
Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple Bruce Springsteen’s longtime guitarist gets the spotlight in this doc featuring interviews from Paul McCartney, Eddie Veder, Bono, Joan Jett, Peter Gabriel and more…including his boss, The Boss! (8 p.m., HBO).
SUNDAY, June 23 Orphan Black: Echoes Take a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence in this new sci-fi series following a group of women as they unravel the mystery of their identity. With Krysten Ritter, Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix and Avan Jogia (10 p.m., AMC, plus AMC+ and BBC America).
MONDAY, June 24 Out of Darkness A desperate band of Stone Age humans is hunted by a malevolent, mysterious being in this 2022 horror-thriller parable (below) about our enduring existential urge to destroy what we don’t understand (Paramount+).
TUESDAY, June 25 I Am: Celine Dion Documentary about the Canadian superstar singer, her music and how she deals with a rare neurological condition known as stiff person syndrome (Prime).
Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge Learn all about the iconic designer and her 50-year career as a female pioneer in a male-dominated fashion field (Hulu).
WEDNESDAY, June 26 Land of Women Six-episode drama (above) stars Eva Longoria (who also produced) as a New York empty nester whose life is turned upside down when her husband implicates the family in financial improprieties, and she’s forced to flee the city with her aging mother and teenage daughter (AppleTV+).
Fear Thy Neighbor New season offers more real-life cases of conflicts between neighbors that escalate into all-out warfare and end in shocking violence. As Commodus asked the crowd in Gladiator: Are you not entertained? (9 p.m., ID).
THURSDAY, June 27 The Bear Roll up your sleeves and get back in the kitchen for season three of The Bear, the hit workplace drama about frazzled workers at a Chicago restaurant starring Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bacharach (Hulu).
Presidential Debate President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump face off in their first of two planned debates ahead of the 2025 election. Are you ready to rumble? (9 p.m., CNN).
BRING IT HOME
The new Collector’s Edition 4K restoration of director Joe Dante’s gleefully gizmo-ed 1990s classic Matinee—about a master movie showman (John Goodman) who truly believes in giving audiences of his schlocky ‘60s sci-fi flicks their money’s worth—arrives with a bunch of fun bonus features, including commentary, interviews with the cast, and behind-the-scenes docs.
Director George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat is a feel-good true story about how in the 1930s an underdog team from the University of Washington went on row, row, row their boat at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. Starring Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner and James Wolk.
I once wrote a magazine’s cover story on film noir, what it is, how it began and why it’s still a thing. Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema (Kino Lorber) is an excellent tour of the dark alleys, lonely streets and troubled souls that populated the genre in post-WWII America, with three newly restored classics: Dark City (featuring the movie debut of Charlton Heston!), No Man of Her Own (with Barbara Stanwyck), and Beware, My Lovely (starring Ida Lupino). The collection also features trailers and commentary.
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of its theatrical, the new Blu-ray release of Purple Rain (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) reminds us of Prince’s smashing acting debut, and it includes commentary and music videos for the flick’s hit songs, including “Jungle Love,” “The Bird,” “Sex Shooter,” “When Doves Cry,” “Take Me with U,” “I Would Die for You” and, of course, “Purple Rain.”
The new Blu-ray edition of director Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic Taxi Driver, starring Robert De Niro and a young Jodie Foster, gets spiffed with hi-def remastering and bonus features including commentary from Scorsese, a Q&A with the cast and more new featurettes. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Groove like it was yesteryear with Revival 69: The Concert That Rocked the World (Kino Lorber), a rock doc about the 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival. The all-star concert featured Alice Cooper, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Geddy Lee…and John Lennon with wife Yoko Ono, making his first public appearance with the Plastic Ono Band, and sealing his decision to leave the Beatles.
Is it getting cold in here, or is that just Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)? Now on DVD, the latest in the franchise features a threat that could turn the Big Apple into a giant icebox. Can Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Patton Oswalt and the original GB OGs (Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd) warm up this chilly ghost fest?
Get to know Poison’s Bret Michaels, go house-hunting with Reese Witherspoon, & hold on to your car when you visit Las Vegas!
Find all about Bret Michaels of the band Poison in this week’s episode of ‘Biography.’
All times Eastern.
FRIDAY, June 14 The Boys The “boys” are back for season four of the satirical superhero series, dishing out more wallops of vigilante justice to so-called do-gooders doing bad things (Prime Video).
Mama June: Family Crisis Who would have thought Honey Boo Boo would have such a lasting cultural impact? New episodes of the spinoff, about Boo Boo’s mother, spin around issues of declining health, college and legal woes, below (9 p.m., WE tv).
SATURDAY, June 15 Find My Country House Leave the city life behind in this new series from Reese Witherspoon’s production company, in which couples search for their dreams of rural paradise, from high-tech farmhouses to seclued ranches and cute hideaway cottages (12 p.m., A&E).
Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story A love triangle turns deadly and leads to a manhunt in this real-life drama starring Caity Lotz, Kyle Schmid and Larissa Dias (8 p.m., Lifetime).
SUNDAY, June 16 Biography Get a backstage pass into the lives and music of some of rock’s biggest superstars in this new series of specials kicked off tonight by Bret Michaels, and followed in coming weeks by Dee Snider, Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar and more (9 p.m., A&E).
House of the Dragon Season two begins of the Game of Thrones spinoff series (below), a prequel taking place 200 years earlier, starring Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy and Rhys Ifans (9 p.m., HBO).
Sin City Tow If you park your car while you party in Las Vegas but lose track of time, Sin City Tow may take it away. This new reality series looks at the often hot-tempered towing scene in a city where people go to win big, but usually end up losing their shirts…or their cars! (9 p.m., Discovery).
MONDAY, June 17 My Life is Murder Lucy Lawless returns for season four as the fearless Aussie investigator Alexa Crowe as she digs into eight new mysteries and a fresh batch of diabolical killers (Acorn TV).
The Great American Recipe Home cooks from across the country showcase their culinary talents as they compete in this taste-tempting celebration of multiculturism (9 p.m., PBS).
Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown How did the idealistic religious organization led by the infamous Jim Jones go horribly wrong, leaving almost a thousand followers dead in Guyana? This new doc looks at the story behind some of the most horrendous headlines of the 1970s (Hulu).
TUESDAY, June 18 Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution Three-part docuseries puts the spotlight on disco music, its groovy beginnings and its top artists and icons—like Donna Summer, below— and how it became a major musical liberation movement in the 1970s representing female empowerment and LGBTQ+ identity (9 p.m., PBS).
Here to Climb Follow pro climber Sasha DiGiulian (below) on her rise from child prodigy to champion sport climber, scaling the biggest, scariest walls on the planet—charting her own vertical course where pathways don’t exist (9 p.m., HBO).
Hope in the Water Travel the globe in this documentary featuring Shailene Woodley and Martha Stewart as they explore creative solutions and breakthroughs that might be our future of sustainable “blue food” from the oceans (9 p.m., PBS).
WEDNESDAY, June 19 Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics Two-hour documentary showcases Owens’ historic triumph over Nazi Germany during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. LeBron James is one of the producers (8 p.m., History).
Dynamic Planet Four-part series filmed over three years explores the effects of climate change on all seven continents and their inhabitants, and how science, nature, and Indigenous knowledge can prepare us for the future (8 p.m., PBS)
THURSDAY, June 20 Rear Window Director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic—about an apartment resident with a broken leg who helplessly witnesses what he thinks is a murder out his window—stars Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly…and Raymond Burr as a very bad guy (9 p.m., TCM).
Slave Play. Not a Movie Provocative documentary takes viewers inside the buzzy Broadway play about race, sex and interracial relationships (9 p.m., HBO).
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When I was a kid, I was fascinated with volcanos—mountains that spewed rocks and fire. My interest was generated primarily by seeing them in the background of illustrations of dinosaurs. Adventures in Volcanoland (Hanover Square Press) is a deeper, far much more fascinating and fact-filled look at these monstrously magnificent mountains, with acclaimed geochemist Dr. Tasmin Mather as your guide to volcanos in history, the science of eruptions, and how volcanos drive our planet’s “constant cycles of ebb and flow, destruction and renewal.”
So you think you know Paris? Not the international Euro destination city, but the Hilton Hotel heiress who became a pop-culture marquee name? Find out all about the life and times of Paris Hiltonin Paris: The Memoir (William Morrow), her autobio now in paperback. From rebellious teen to wilderness camps and sexual abuse, and becoming a queen of celebrity culture, I’m betting there’s a lot you didn’t know about Paris.
Sci-fi lovers will love The First Geeks (McFarland) and its spotlight on the lives and careers of writer Ray Bradbury, monster-mag man Forrest J. Ackerman and effects genius Ray Harryhausen, back from when they were comic-book nerds and buddies in the 1930s…and long before they were household names in filmdom. Ackerman became the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland; Bradbury was an author highly sought by Hollywood for his novels and screenplays; and Harryhausen went on to become a pioneer of stop-motion animation.
BRING IT HOME
Jeffrey Wright was nominated for multiple awards, including an Oscar, for his starring role in American Fiction as an erudite Black man who confronts racist stereotypes head-on, with a pen instead of a sword. With Tracee Ellis Ross,Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown. Highly recommended!
Up your nose with a rubber hose! Relive all the heartwarming humor and hijinks of the beloved 1970s sitcom series Welcome Back, Kotter, starring Gabe Kaplan as a grownup graduate of a tough Brooklyn high school now returning to teach there and tame an unruly class of troublemakers, including a young John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino. The handsome boxed set of DVDs includes all 95 episodes.
Kelly Clarkson’s a contender, Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Presumed Innocent,’ & the Brat Pack is back!
Will Kelly Clarkson reign for daytime show queen at this year’s Daytime Emmys?
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FRIDAY, June 7 Queenie Dionne Brown stars in this new drama series as a young Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and not feeling like she belongs in either. Based on a best-selling novel by Candice Carty-Williams (Hulu).
The Daytime Emmy Awards It’ll be more than soap suds at tonight’s 51st annual awarding of honors to all kinds of programming—daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary and legal/courtroom programs—that air during daylight hours. But the show’s at night. Go figure (8 p.m., CBS).
Hit Man Confusion and comedy ensue when a straight-laced professor pretends to be a professional assassin (above). Starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, and directed by Richard Linklater (Netflix).
SATURDAY, June 8 Snowpiercer The final season of the post-apocalyptic thriller series begins tonight, with Jennifer Connelly, Sean Bean and others returning to the remnants of humanity on a perpetually moving train across a frozen wasteland (9 p.m., AMC).
SUNDAY, June 9 Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story Based on a true story, this lurid tale stars Jana Kramer and Austin Nichols as former childhood sweethearts whose marriage goes on the rocks when his circumstances take a suspicious turn (9 p.m., Lifetime).
MONDAY, June 10 Six Schizophrenic Brothers An all-American family in Colorado is torn apart in this new docuseries when six of 12 siblings develop schizophrenia. It’s a heart-wrenching true story that made medical history (8 p.m., Discovery).
TUESDAY, June 11 How Music Got Free Remember how you used to have to buy music? This docuseries shows how tech-driven disruption and file sharing created the means and the motive for a new generation of young people to participate in outright theft…and be celebrated for it (Paramount+).
Love Island TV personality Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules hosts the new season of this hedonistic competition with sexy singles giving off pheromones on a tropical island oasis (Peacock).
Deadliest Catch It ain’t exactly Spongebob stuff as the new season of the docuseries about risk-taking crab fisherman on the Bering Sea begins tonight (8 p.m., Discovery).
WEDNESDAY, June 12 Presumed Innocent Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this eight-episode sexy thriller (above), a remake of the 1990 movie starring Harrison Ford about a legal-eagle attorney accused of killing his mistress. Remember, he’s presumed innocent… With Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard and Elizabeth Marvel (Apple TV+).
Can’t Cancel Pride Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Melissa Etheridge and others join forces to recognize the impact of music and the contributions of LGBTQ+ organizations and artists in the entertainment community (Hulu).
THURSDAY, June 13 Alone In tonight’s beginning of its new season, this high-stakes competition puts ten seasoned survivalists in the freezing northlands of Canada, equipped with only basic tools to face bone-chilling cold, ice all around and an assortment of predators, including bears, wolves and moose. At the end: A half a million dollars to the last person standing (9:30 p.m., History).
Brats New documentary feature about the iconic, generation-defining “brat pack” movies of the 1980s was directed by Andrew McCarthy, who should know—he starred in many of them, including St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero and Weekend at Bernies (Hulu).
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How does Darth Vader keep his Death Star warm? With a space heater! Why do Wookies have so much hair? Fur protection! These and many, many more galactically funny ha-has can be found in Stars Wars Dad Jokes (Chronicle Books), a perfect Father’s Day gift for the pop who has everything…except a ready arsenal of so-bad-they’re good Stars Wars jokes!
BRING IT HOME
Its a classic combo in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) as the two former foes unite against a formidable threat to monsters as well as men. Starring Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens.
The woman behind the girls who just wanna have fun, what really happened to OJ’s wife & Disney reclaims Sunday nights
New documentary spotlights the life, career and cultural impact of Cyndi Lauper.
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FRIDAY, May 31 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary Concert event honors the duo who wrote some of Broadway and Hollywood’s most memorable showtunes, such as “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” from iconic musicals including Oklahoma!, State Fair, The King and I, Carousel and The Sound of Music (9 p.m., PBS).
Couples Therapy The award-winning docuseries returns for another season of Dr. Orna Guralnik guiding couples through conflicts (streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime).
SATURDAY, June 1 The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson The courtroom drama of O.J. Simpson murder charge became the crime of the century in 1995. This new doc pulls back the curtain on the victim, O.J.’s wife, and features interviews with more than 50 participants, including those who were closet to her. And it’s done in partnership with the Domestic Abuse Hotline (8 p.m., Lifetime)
The Price is Right In honor of Game Show Day (in case you didn’t know that was a thing!), you can watch the late, great Bob Barker hosting old episodes (1984-1985) of the classic daytime come-on-down competition (3 p.m., Buzzr).
SUNDAY, June 2
The Mayor of Kingston In season three of the gritty crime thriller (above), Kingston “mayor” Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner, returning after his debilitating snowblowing accident) faces an infiltrating Russian mob, a drug war and his own past as an inmate in the local prison (Paramount+)
Billy the Kid Want shootouts and wild horse chases? Well, saddle up with the notorious young-looking outlaw (Tom Blythe) as he gets into more Old West trouble in season two (9 p.m., MGM+).
The Wonderful World of Disney The show that was one a staple of Sunday night returns with Inside Out (above), the animated 2015 flick about childhood emotions voiced by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling and Lewis Black (8 p.m., ABC).
MONDAY, June 3 Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color Idris Elba narrates this four-part series about soldiers of color, shedding new light on the contributions of some 8 million individuals who fought valiantly for the Allied forces (8 p.m, NatGeo).
Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup New docuseries picks up on the post-prison life of the woman convicted of murder in Missouri for hiring a hitman to kill her mother, who had falsely claimed her daughter was suffering from a variety of illnesses—some of which the mom had induced (9 p.m., Lifetime).
TUESDAY, June 4 Clipped Laurence Fishburn and Ed O’Neill star in this new series based on a true story—a notorious NBA owner’s racist remarks captured on a tape heard around the world…and the fallout that followed (Hulu).
Let the Canary Sing Documentary explores the cultural impact of Cyndi Lauper and the long-lasting legacy of the “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” ‘80s singer (Paramount+).
WEDNESDAY, June 5 An Audience with Kylie Global superstar Kylie Minouge performs her hits and invites special guests to join her onstage in this musical extravaganza at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall (Hulu).
THURSDAY, June 6 Criminal Minds: Evolution The hit franchise returns for a new season with Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cookand Kirsten Vangsness leading the cast as the FBI profiles investigate a conspiracy with an unexpected complication (Paramount+)
Queer Planet Actor Andrew Rannells narrates this playfully insightful documentary about nature’s hidden LGBTQ community and its spectrum of “unconventional” behaviors. It’s a Gay Pride parade marching across the animal kingdom! (Hulu).
BRING IT HOME
The story of the first Black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil War gets a new shine in the 4K Ultra HD new “steelbook” release of Glory (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment). Released theatrically in 1989, it stars Denzel Washington (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick and CaryElwes, and comes with commentary, behind-the-scenes documentaries and featurettes.
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If you think Washington is a mess now, wait until you read The Hidden History of the White House (Willliam Morrow). Author Cory Mead deep dives into the populist mob than ransacked the place (sound familiar?) after Andrew Jackson’s disastrous 1829 inauguration; how Woodrow Wilson’s wife became a “shadow” president; when Sir Winston Churchill came on a covert mission to huddle with FDR about how the Allies could win WWII…and many more dramatic events, power struggles, world-altering decisions and shocking scandals that all happened inside the walls of America’s most famous residence.
The 1977 WWII film A Bridge Too Far featured an all-star cast, some of the most intense battle scenes ever filmed and a level of gritty combat “authenticity” that has stood the test of time. In Making a Bridge Too Far (GoodKnight Books), author/filmmaker Simon Lewis transports readers back to the production of the film, shot on location in the Netherlands (where its events took place), with insights from many of the cast (which included Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford, Elliot Gould, Michael Caine and Lawrence Oliver) and immersive details and insights about making a war movie believable in an era decades before Saving Private Ryan and today’s slam-bang special effects.
If your eyes were glued to the coverage of the recent Met Gala, you’ll really dig Fashion Faux Parr (Phaidon), a collection of British fashion photographer Martin Parr’s eye-popping coverage of fashion for high-end magazines and behind the scenes at major fashion events. With some 250 color images, it’s a swirling look inside a world where looks reign supreme.
Michael Douglas flies a kite, a new Dora explores, Billy Joel marks a milestone and Conan O’Brien’s gotta go
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FRIDAY, April 12 Franklin Michael Douglas stars as the founding father (above) who famously flew a kite in a thunderstorm, signed the Constitution and became America’s first postmaster general, among many other achievements, in this new limited series about the guy on our $100 bill (Apple+).
Dora You probably know her as Dora the Explorer, but now she’s just plain Dora in this new 26-episode animated series about the bilingual adventurer and her monkey friend, Boots (Paramount+).
The Greatest Hits The transportative power of music is the theme to this fantasy flick in which a young woman (Lucy Boynton) discovers that songs can allow her to time-travel back to a former romantic relationship (Hulu).
SUNDAY, April 14 The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden—The Greatest Arena Run of All Time” The title says it all: The “Piano Man” makes his record-breaking 100th consecutive performance at New York City’s iconic venue, part of his record-breaking string of sold-out appearances there (9 p.m., CBS).
The Sympathizer Hoa Xuande, Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr. (who plays multiple roles) star in this limited series about a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam war, and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles—where he learns that his dangerous spying days are not over (9 p.m., HBO).
MONDAY, April 15 Music Mayhem New original series cuts through the stardust to get to the bitter feuds, tragic endings, weird collaborations, musical romances and more dishy side trips into the land of rock and roll, with spotlights on the Beatles, David Bowie, Ozzy Osborne, the Rolling Stones and many other performers (8 p.m., AXS).
TUESDAY, April 16 Control + Alt Desire Docuseries follows the year-long investigation of shocking killings that rocked a quiet Florida town, and a 29-year-old man accused of murdering his family execution-style for the love of a cam girl (Paramount+).
WEDNESDAY, April 17 Under the Bridge New series based on true-crime tale about the abduction about a 14-year-old girl who went to join friends at a party and never came home. Starring Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone and Vritka Gupta (Hulu).
THURSDAY, April 18 Conan O’Brien Must Go The Emmy-winning former late-night talk show host spent several years sitting behind a desk. Now he’s up and moving around as the host of this new travel series (above), in which he treks the world to connect with listeners to his popular podcast (Max).
Orlando Bloom: To the Edge Three-part limited adventure series follows the actor on his journey of self-discovery as he pushes his limits physically and mentally through fear-defying extreme sports, including wingsuiting, free diving and rock climbing (Peacock).
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In Music and Mind (Viking), renowned opera superstar Renee Fleming curates a collection of essays by other famous music makers and thinkers (Ann Patchett, Yo-Yo Ma, Ben Folds) to present a thorough—and thoroughly entertaining—treatise on the power of music manifest in ways both mental and physical. Bravo!
Star Trek’s George Takei’s My Lost Freedom (Random House) brings his childhood story—of incarceration with his family, along with thousands of other U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry, in California internment camps during World War II—to vivid life for young readers. It’s a pointed, timely reminder of hysteria masquerading as “national security,” and the fragility of democracy in our “land of the free.”
Spend a day in a galaxy far, far away, unearth the dark secrets of polygamy, & catch cheating spouses in the act
‘The Empire Strikes Back’ is part of an all-day marathon of Stars Wars on Saturday.
FRIDAY, Jan. 5 The Life Three-night documentary event features an imprisoned Missouri woman eventually convicted of murdering her mother, telling her own story in in a swirl of events that included physical and psychological abuse and Munchausen Syndrome (8 p.m., Lifetime).
Good Grief Schitt’s Creek’s Daniel Levy makes his debut as a feature-film writer and director in this movie about a man on a soul-searching trip to Paris after the death of his spouse (below). With Luke Evans, Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel (Netflix).
Daniel Levy & Luke Evans star in ‘Good Grief.’
SATURDAY, Jan. 6 Love on the Right Course A struggling pro golfer (Ashley Newbrough) has to choose between a hot club owner (Marcus Rosner) and her old trainer (8 p.m., Hallmark).
Star Wars Marathon Strap in and hold on—it’s an afternoon and evening of back-to-back galactic adventure with A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (11:30 a.m., TNT).
SUNDAY, Jan. 7 The Golden Globes The kickoff to movie awards season begins tonight with this 81st live annual presentation honoring the year’s best movie and television performances. Among other things, the Globes make other award shows look kinda dull in comparison—that’s why it’s called Hollywood’s “party of the year” (8 p.m., CBS).
Grimsburg John Hamm leads the voice cast in this animated grownup comedy series (above) about a detective trying to redeem himself in a town where everyone has a secret (following the NFL double-header, Fox).
MONDAY, Jan. 8 Secrets of Polygamy If you liked watching Mormon Wives, you’ll dig this deep-dive investigative series about the shocking secrets of “extreme” polygamist groups with twisted religious roots like the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Apostolic United Brethren (10 p.m., A&E).
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project Travel through time and space in this innovative documentary on the acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni (Max).
Cash CabMusic The trivia game show that takes place inside a specially rigged NYC cab gets a new twist—all music trivia—and a new host, Adam Growe, above (10 p.m., AXS).
TUESDAY, Jan. 9 Caught in the Act: Unfaithful Remember when MTV showed music videos? Ah, the ‘80s. If you want to see cheating lovers get ratted out, tune in for the return of this “relationship” show hosted by Tami Roman, who helps guide readers into the realm of unfaithful spouses and suspicious partners (9 p.m., MTV).
LaBrea Subterranean life—and the fight for survival—goes on in the deep, dark sinkhole beneath Los Angeles as season three begins of the contemporary sci-fi drama starring Natalie Zea, Jon Seda and Nicholas Gonzalez (9 p.m., NBC).
Big Little Brawlers New series takes you inside the big lives of a group of “little people” who perform (and compete) in the Micro Wrestling Federation (9 p.m., Discovery).
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 10 Prison Brides Documentary series follows seven women from around the world who believe they have found their soulmates in a most unexpected place—behind the bars of American prisons (9:30 p.m., Lifetime).
Criminal Record New crime thriller series about two London detectives (Peter Capaldi, above, and Cash Jumbo) clashing over an historic murder conviction as one pushes to advance her career and the other tries to protect his connections and his legacy (Apple TV+).
THURSDAY, Jan. 11 Skymed Tune in tonight to binge on all nine episodes of season two of the series drama about young medics and pilots flying air ambulances and making jaw-dropping rescues in Canada (Paramount+).
Ted New streaming follow-up to the profanely hilarious 2012 and 2015 hit catches up with the randy Teddy Bear (voiced again by creator Seth McFarlane) as he’s settled into life with a new owner—a young boy—and his family (Peacock).
New adaptation of the Southern coming-of-age tale adds musical Broadway pizazz
The Color Purple Starring Fantasia Berrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks & Colman Domingo Directed by Blitz Bazawule Rated PG-13
In theaters Dec. 25, 2023
A pull-out-the-stops reworking of the classic 1985 Steven Spielberg adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the new Color Purple is an extravagant, hybridized remake of the heart-wrenching coming-of-age drama with showtunes from the story’s later incarnation as a Tony-nominated musical, which ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2008 before touring internationally.
Stretching across nearly three decades, it follows Celie, a young Black woman growing up in Georgia in the early 1900s as her many hardships—poverty, rape, incest, and emotional and physical abuse—ultimately blossom into freedom, independence and a soaring reaffirmation of love and acceptance. And, oh yeah, a big slice of comeuppance. Color this karma purple, baby.
Meet the silver screen’s newest singing star: Fantasia Berrino, who won the 2004 season of American Idol, makes her movie debut as Celie, and, holy moly, what a knockout performance, and what avoice. But she’s hardly alone: She’s surrounded by an ensemble of other terrific talent and standout performances, including Taraji P. Henson, who oozes sensuality and sophistication as the feisty cabaret singer Shug Avery; Orange is the New Black’s Danielle Brooks is a mountain of sass, fire and fight as Sophia, a force-of-nature female who won’t bow to any man. Colman Domingo—who’s also making Oscar waves with his starring role in the Civil Rights biopic Rustin—is devilishly good at playing despicably bad as “Mister,” the hot-tempered, banjo-strumming farmer who begrudgingly takes Celie to become his wife—and his property.
There’s Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, also making her impressive movie debut young(er) Celie, and Haille Bailey (the singing star of The Little Mermaid) as the younger version of her sister, Nettie. Corey Hawkins, whose hit movies include Straight Outta Compton and BlacKkKlansman, is Mister’s son, the juke-joint entrepreneur Harpo. Veteran actor Louis GossettJr. plays “Old Mister,” Mister’s cantankerous father, and David Allan Grier is the local reverend, Shug’s long-estranged father.
Watch closely and you’ll see the cameo by Whoopi Goldberg, who marked her breakthrough in the original film. And behind the scenes, there’s the benevolent hand of Oprah Winfrey (who made her acting debut as Sophia in the 1985 movie) and Spielberg, now teaming together as CP ’23 producers, along with iconic music man Quincy Jones, who wrote the score for the first film.
The songs are essential parts of the reimagined story, expressing a gamut of feelings from woeful sadness and heartfelt yearning to soaring, rousing joy and buoyant jubilation. Trust me, you won’t be able to get “Hell No!,” “Push Da Button,” “Miss Celie’s Pants” or “I’m Here” out of your head. The expertly crafted musical numbers, from solo spotlights to streets full of singers and prancing dancers, sometimes make wildly colorful leaps of imagination, like the resplendent “What About Love,” which takes place on a massive retro movie-musical stage, and “Dear God/Shug,” which unfolds atop a gigantic spinning phonograph record.
The movie’s musical groove is dug deep, spread wide and held steady by director Blitz Bazawule, a Ghanaian filmmaker who’s also a rapper, singer-songwriter, poet and record producer. You probably haven’t heard of his previous film, The Burial of Kojo (nominated for a pair of Golden Globes). But he makes a strong impression here, with a firm grasp on the subject matter and the source material and the large cast.
The title comes from Shug pointing out to Celie that God is everywhere—in sunshine, songs, hearts, nature. And all that bountiful beauty, she says as she picks up a purple bellflower, was put there for us to appreciate. “I think it pisses God off,” Shug notes, “if you walk past the color purple and don’t recognize it.”
Because music is such a key ingredient here, you’ll see some recognizable music people in supporting roles, like singer-actress Ciara (as the grownup Nettie), Grammy-winning composer and bandleader John Baptiste (playing Shug’s musician husband), and rapper-actor H.E.R. (as Harpo’s daughter, “Squeak”). They all add to the film’s rich tapestry of characters, and its resonant strum of the heartstrings.
As Celie finds herself, she also finds love in a harsh world that seems to have none. And you’ll find yourself swept up in a flood of emotion with this vibrantly revived, majestically moving tale that will have you seeing—and appreciating—purple in a spectacular new light.
Eddie Murphy gets the Christmas spirit, Archie and Jughead go to India & Geddy Lee is all about that bass
Eddie Murphy stars this week in the Netflix Christmas comedy ‘Candy Cane Lane.’
FRIDAY, Dec. 1 Candy Candy Lane Eddie Murphy has made just about every kind of movie, except a Christmas holiday comedy. And now he’s done that too! In this bright blast of yule-y fun, he plays a man determined to win his neighborhood’s annual house-decoration contest, making a deal with a pesky elf (Jillian Belle) for some Christmas magic that takes a manic turn. With Tracee Ellis Ross, Nick Offerman and Ken Marino (Netflix).
The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd The movie funnyman and SNL comedy pioneer (below) hosts this new docuseries, probing into some of history’s most unusual and bizarro mysteries—like the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, or a plague of killer dancing (10 p.m., History).
SATURDAY, Dec. 2 A Christmas Story Christmas The recent movie sequel to the 1983 holiday classic comes now to TV, starring several of the original cast members in a modern-day update to the tale of a little boy who just wanted a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas (10 p.m., TBS).
Thriller 40 Has it really been four decades since Michael Jackson “thrilled” us with his 1983 hit single and album of the same name? This new documentary takes you behind the scenes of how a recording became a musical milestone for the ages (8 p.m., Showtime).
May December Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton star in this new movie (above)—loosely based on the real-world tabloid scandal of convicted sex offender Mary Kay Letourneau—about a woman who committed a similar crime and the TV actress preparing to play her in a new movie (Netflix).
NOW HEAR THIS
The Queen of Soul reigns supreme in Aretha Franklin: A Portrait of the Queen 1970-1974, a lavish new box set of five of her classic albums from that era, plus session outtakes, B-sides and demos. Relive the funk and firepower of Aretha’s classic hits like “Son of a Preacherman,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “You’re All I need to Get By,” plus deep cuts including the Queen’s takes on “Spanish Harlem,” “At Last,” “The Long and Winding Road” and The Band’s “The Weight.”
SUNDAY, Dec. 3 Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen British historian Lucy Worsley (below) travels the world in this new limited series that follows the footsteps and the secret life of the enigmatic writer who revolutionized the genre of detective fiction (8 p.m., PBS).
Chowchilla Documentary about the chilling true story of one of the strangest kidnappings of all time, when three masked men boarded a school bus in 1976, taking 26 children and their driver—and burying them all in a remote underground chamber. Find out how they escaped, and how the event continues to haunt them (9 p.m., CNN).
MONDAY, Dec. 4 The Big Bake Contestant cooks capture the cuteness of the North Pole with goodies adorned with seasonal, winter-wonderland decorations (11 p.m., Food Network).
TUESDAY, Dec. 5 Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? In this new musical docuseries, the Rush band member (and bass player!) powwows at home with some of musicdom’s most famous fellow bassists and digs into their groovy stories (Paramount+)
The Canterville Ghost Huge Laurie, Freddie Highmore and Toby Jones are among the voices you’ll hear in this animated, family-friendly reimagining of the Oscar Wilde classic about a family who moves into a haunted house in England (VOD).
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 6 Hollywood Houselift With Jeff Lewis Lewis, who formerly hosted Bravo’s Flipping Out, returns for another season of this celebrity-digs redo series, with clients including Christina Ricci, Josh Duhamel and Regina Hall (Freevee).
THURSDAY, Dec. 7 We Live Here: The Midwest Documentary spotlights families from America’s heartland who would love to stay but face challenges because of who they are, in the face of a rising tide of discrimination and hate in their churches, schools and neighborhoods (Hulu).
My Life with the Walter Boys Heartwarming coming-of-age series (above, from the producers of The Kissing Booth) follows a teenage girl (Nikki Rodriguez) who relocates after a tragic accident from New York City to rural Colorado, where she develops feelings for two very different brothers (Netflix).
Christmas at the Opry Wynonna Judd hosts this festive, two-hour celebration of Christmas classics, holiday favorites and some of today’s biggest hits, from Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry House (8 p.m., NBC).
The Archies The retro comic book characters (Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, et al) get reimagined in this new live-action series (above) as 1960s teens in India in the fictional town of Riverdale—at least that hasn’t changed! (Netflix).
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Sure, you know Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Batman and Tarzan. But what about Waku, Prince of the Bantu… Jann of the Jungle… or Mars, the God of War? They’re all here, along with hundreds of others in Lou Mougin’s excellent Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics (McFarland), a thorough (and thoroughly entertaining) scholarly rundown of lesser-known do-gooders from the 1930s through the ‘50s.
Hey, ol’ Scratch is is good company in the Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures (McFarland) by Theresa Bane. The author, a professional vampirologist, catalogues nearly 3,000 unholy terrors from the mythologies and lore of virtually every ancient society and religion. A few of my personal faves: Abaddown, the demonic angel from the bottomless pit of Sheol; the Daitya-Yuga, with a track record for trouble stretching across more than 1.5 billion years; and Paymon, the host and emcee of hell. It’s a busy underworld out there!
He was the Beatles’ loyal friend, longtime roadie and personal friend. Find all about Mal Evans and his world in the inner circle of the legendary British band in Kevin Womack’s Living with the Beatles (Dey Street), which sometimes included jumping into recording session and even helping the Fab Four write songs. It’s a fascinating glimpse behind the Beatles’ curtain.
BRING IT HOME
Ahead of the Christmas Day theatrical release of the new remake, now you can own director Steven Spielberg’s 1995 original. The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), was nominated for 11 Oscars and marked the acting debut of Oprah Winfrey and the movie breakthrough of Whoopi Goldberg. The new 4K HD set includes several special features, including a making-of doc.
Bradley Cooper channels superstar conductor Leonard Bernstein in splendid new biopic
Maestro Starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan Directed by Bradley Cooper Rated R
In limited theatrical release Wednesday, Nov. 22; on Netflix Dec.
You don’t have to know much, or anything really, about Leonard Bernstein (who died in 1990) to fall under the spell of Maestro, the majestic musical biopic about the superstar composer and conductor who won seven Emmys, two Tonys and 16 Grammys, wrote the Broadway musical West Side Story, composed symphonies, operas, chamber music and choral masses, and became the first American conductor to lead a major orchestra. He was also the first conductor to take classical music to the general public via television, and he led, at one time or another, almost all the world’s most prestigious symphony orchestras.
He was the famous “face” of classical music for decades.
The film shows Bernstein’s vibrant, exuberant life through the complicated, clouded prism of his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre (a splendid Carey Mulligan).
Bradley Cooper, who both directs and stars, is nothing short of amazing, morphing (with the help of a prosthetic nose) into the demanding role as the charming, chain-smoking Bernstein, a live-wire, wild-haired musical genius with a voracious, nearly insatiable appetite for life and love. “I want a lot of things,” he says; he wants to write, to conduct, play piano and make a musical bridge for his creativity to become manna for the masses.
He also wants to love both men and women. Which is ok, to some extent, with his wife…until it isn’t. Mulligan gives a searing, carefully nuanced performance as the Chilean-born TV and Broadway actress who sacrificed much of her own career to support her husband’s rising star and become his muse, rearing their family while dealing with his ongoing attraction to other men.
Cooper was previously lauded for his directorial debut, A Star is Born, which received multiple Oscar noms and a pair of Grammys. But Maestro is his magnum opus, a superbly crafted demonstration of his full confidence on both sides of the camera as it sprawls across the decades, from the black and white New York City of the ‘40s through the colorfully swingin’ ’60s, into the go-go haze of the ‘70s and the cocaine-fueled ‘80s. There’s already Oscar buzz for both Bradley and Mulligan (who was herself also previously Oscar nominated, for the stinging #metoo slap of Promising Young Woman.)
You know it’s the holidays when Snoopy placidly floats by a window in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade—just after Lenny and Felicia’s scathing domestic disagreement in the family’s Park Avenue penthouse apartment. I loved the scene where an elderly Bernstein grooves in a nightclub, drunk or coked up or maybe just high on life, to Tears for Fears’ “Shout.” To cop a line from that song, Cooper “let it all out” to become Bernstein so completely and convincingly, I did a double take when images of the “real” Bernstein came onscreen during the credits.
The clothing, the hairdos, the rapid-fire, rat-a-tat-tat dialogue, the changing look of the changing times—all spot-on. And the orchestral concert-hall performances, with Cooper approaching something that looks like ecstasy as he “feels” the notes and slices through the air with his baton, the sound coursing through him—well, it will course through you as well, sweeping you up and away in the grandiose, transcendent power of music. Bravo!, maestro!
