Thursday 6An American Pickle (HBO Max streaming anytime) Seth Rogen stars as an immigrant worker who falls into a vat of pickles in 1920s Brooklyn and finds himself perfectly preserved for 100 years. Waking up in 2020, he attempts to adjust to life in modern-day, hipster-filled Brooklyn.“Hitmen” (Peacock streaming anytime) Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, hosts of “The Great British Bake Off,” reunite for this sitcom about a couple of best friends who just happen to work as professional killers.“Star Trek: Lower Decks” (CBS All Access streaming anytime) The Star Trek universe expands in an interesting new direction with this animated comedy about life among the grunt workers on the “lower decks” of a Federation starship. The show comes to us from Mike McMahan, a writer and producer on “Rick and Morty.”“Upright” (Sundance Now streaming anytime) Australian comedian/actor/writer/musician Tim Minchin (he wrote the Broadway adaptations for Matilda and Groundhog Day) stars in this eight-part musical drama about a shabby musician driving across Australia with nothing but an upright piano whose journey becomes more complicated by the addition of a runaway girl.Friday 7Howard (Disney+ streaming anytime) The late Howard Ashman—the playwright and lyricist who collaborated with composer Alan Menkin on such Disney Classics as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin—gets the biopic treatment.“The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Kids in Space” (Netflix streaming anytime) Magic School Bus writer-creator Joanna Cole passed away in July. Netflix keeps the magic alive, though, with this 45-minute special“Wizards: Tales of Arcadia” (Netflix streaming anytime) The Guillermo del Toro-produced trilogy of animated shows known as “Tales of Arcadia” comes up with its final fantasy, adding “Wizards” to the already interconnected mythology of “Trollhunters” and “3Below.”“The Oprah Conversation” (Apple TV+ streaming anytime) Oprah finally gets back to a talk show(ish) format with this one-on-one interview series in which the TV icon grills “newsmakers, thought leaders and masters of their craft.”“Being Rueben” (KWBQ-19 8pm) Fourteen-year-old genderqueer Welsh singer/makeup artist/social media influencer Reuben de Maid pursues his dream of becoming an internet sensation in CW’s newest reality series.Saturday 8“Diesel Brothers: Monster Jam Breaking World Records” (Discovery 6pm) Mud-caked monster trucks try to break a string of world records in this three-hour truckathon. Discovery will sell you the whole seat. But you’ll only need the edge.Sunday 9“Apocalypse Earth” (History 7pm) History attempts to lift our pandemic-sunk spirits by showing us the various ways in which nature (volcanos, hurricanes, earthquakes) could destroy all of civilization as we know it.“Tyson vs. Jaws: Rumble on the Reef” (Discovery 7:02pm) Discovery kicks off Shark Week with a (hypothetical) head-to-head competition between former boxer Iron Mike Tyson and the ocean’s deadliest apex predator. Watch out. One of them has got a mean bite.“We Hunt Together” (Showtime 8pm) This imported BBC thriller pits a couple with a lust for violence against a pair of detectives determined to put an end to their murderous spree. Eve Myles, from the “Doctor Who” spin off “Torchwood,” heads the cast.“YOLO: Crystal Fantasy” (Cartoon Network 1am) Two Australian party girls get into trouble in the Adult Swim block’s latest brain-meltingly weird cartoon.Monday 10“About Face” (Quibi streaming anytime) Model/actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley gets up close and personal with “icons of the beauty world.” “Mapleworth Murders” (Quibi streaming anytime) “Saturday Night Live” bigwigs Lorne Michael’s and Seth Myers are the executive producers of this silly satire of BBC-style murder mysteries. “SNL” grad Paula Pell, “30 Rock” star John Lutz and comedian J.B. Smoove star.“ShaqAttack” (Discovery 7:01pm) After enduring a “shark encounter” during 2018’s Shaq Does Shark Week, former baller Shaquille O’Neal is on a mission “to determine what shark has the perfect predatory attack.”Tuesday 11“America’s Book of Secrets: Special Edition” (History 7pm) History Channel offers up exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to some of our country’s most iconic locations and clandestine organizations.“Will Smith: Off the Deep End” (Discovery 7pm) Actor Will Smith dives into shark-infested waters. Evidently, in 2020, sharks themselves are no longer interesting. We need celebrities like Mike Tyson, Shaquille O’Neal and Will Smith in the water to make us pay attention.Wednesday 12“(Un)Well” (Netflix streaming anytime) Netflix’s latest docuseries digs into how well “wellness” trends live up to their hype.
Week In Sloth
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