Thursday 9“Close Enough” (HBO Max streaming anytime) “Regular Show” creator J.G. Quintel tries his hand at adult animation with this “absurdist” comedy about a couple transitioning from twentysomethings to thirtysomethings.“Expecting Amy” (HBO Max streaming anytime) HBO tries out a three-part docu-reality show in which comedian Amy Schumer gives birth to her first child. … Trust me, everything celebrities do is fascinating and worthy of a docu-reality series.“Japan Sinks: 2020” (Netflix streaming anytime) The title of this Japanese-animated series kinda says it all. Edgy animator Masaaki Yuasa (“Devilman: Crybaby,” Mindgame, Lu Over the Wall) adapts Sakyo Komatsu’s bestselling 1973 sci-fi disaster novel.“Cannonball” (USA 6pm) In the great tradition of other slapstick TV game shows (“Wipeout,” “Holey Moley,” “Ultimate Tag,” “The Floor is Lava”) comes this wet and wild “aquatic competition.” WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanan and radio/TV personality Rocsi Diaz host.Friday 10Greyhound (Apple TV+ streaming anytime) Tom Hanks battles the German Navy in Apple TV’s WWII, Atlantic Ocean-set drama. Spoiler alert: The Nazis lose.“Greatness Code” (Apple TV+ streaming anytime) Apple TV explores “untold stories” of LeBron James, Tom Brady, Usain Bolt and other athletes in this sporting docu-series.“Down to Earth with Zac Efron” (Netflix streaming anytime) Who wouldn’t want a travel series with the star of High School Musical?Home Movie: The Princess Bride (Quibi streaming anytime) Jeffrey Katzenberg’s short attention span, smartphone-enabled streaming service tries its hand at a feature film. Sort of. Actually, director Jason Reitman (Juno) talked a whole bunch of stuck-at-home celebrities (Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner, Common, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Patton Oswalt, Josh Gad, Zazie Beatz, Jon Hamm, Jack Black, and plenty of others) into recreating a “Sweded” version of the 1987 fantasy classic in the comfort of their own living rooms. You only get a few minutes every two weeks, so this is gonna take a while.Palm Springs (Hulu streaming anytime) Adam Samberg and Cristin Milioti do the romantic comedy thing in this Groundhog Day-esque tale of two people who meet at a wedding in Palm Springs, but find themselves unable to escape the venue and each other. Theatrical distributor Neon dropped a record $17 million on this little film at the Sundance Film Festival—before COVID came along and killed any chance of a theatrical release. Oh well. Enjoy at home.“Little Voice” (Apple TV+ streaming anytime) Singer Sara Bareilles and filmmaker J.J. Abrams are the producers behind this Apple’s tune-filled musical dramedy about “the search to find your true voice … and then the courage to use it.”Saturday 11“Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered” (Nickelodeon 6:30pm) Guests try to figure out the identity of celebrities whose faces and voices have been obscured by digital smartphone filters. (Hint: It’s probably the star of some Nickelodeon show.)“Hotel Paranormal” (Travel Channel 8pm) Travel Channel expands its supernatural documentary/recreation empire into a show focussed exclusively on haunted happenings in hotels. Fingers crossed this leads into the haunted ice cream parlor show I’ve been craving.Sunday 12“P-Valley” (Starz 7pm) This drama, set within a strip club in the “dirty south” called PYNK, is the work of playwright Katori Hall (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical).“Snowpiercer” (TNT 8pm) If you’ve been following TNT’s tense, train-based, postapocalypse-set class-warfare drama “Snowpiercer,” you’ll know why the title of tonight’s season finale— “994 Cars Long”—is cause for concern.Monday 13 “Celebrity Call Center” (E! 8pm) C’mon, give TV a break. It’s not easy producing a new TV show during a pandemic. Here, ordinary people phone in to a call center and get advice about family, friends, relationships and work from random celebrities. Who could you be getting sage advice from? Well. Todd Chrisley, for one—and I hear he knows best. Also, Nikki Bella, Nene Leakes, Kelly Osbourne, Alyssa Milano, Dorinda Medley and Mikey Day.Tuesday 14“Jeff’s Homemade Game Show” (BYUtv 7pm) Comedian/actor Jeff Rogers (who played “Uniformed Cop” on “Chicago Fire” and “Uniformed Officer” on “Chicago P.D.”) turns a visit to some Mormon family’s home into an instant game show right in their living room, using common household objects, locations and activities. Wednesday 15“Skin Decision: Before and After” (Netflix streaming anytime) Netflix makes with one of them there plastic surgery reality series.“United We Fall” (KOAT-7 7pm) A bald schlub (Will Sasso) and his sexy Hispanic wife (Olivia Taylor Cohen) try to raise a bunch of kids with an overzealous extended family and a sassy, live-in grandmother. You know, a sitcom.
Week In Sloth
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