Your TV GPS, Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert’s look at the week ahead in television, appears every Monday morning on BostonGlobe.com. Today’s column covers July 13-19.
HOW TO PEACOCK
The brave new world of streaming overload and confusion continues this week, with the launch of Peacock, the service from NBCUniversal. It joins Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, CBS All Access, Apple TV+, and others in the fight for your money and eyes. Each streamer has virtues and drawbacks (here’s an overview); your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to determine which ones you’ll subscribe to.
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And don’t forget that you can subscribe for a month or two, watch the shows you’ve been wanting to see, then unsubscribe, as many people I talk to do. Remind yourself to unsubscribe on your calendar. Cycling through services across the year is a perfectly viable and more financially reasonable option.
Peacock’s large library of movies and old shows — a critical factor for many streaming customers — includes “Frasier,” “Friday Night Lights,” “The Affair,” and “The Carol Burnett Show” (here’s a longer list). And it will arrive with original series, of course. Here are a few of them:
• “Brave New World” An adaptation of the Aldous Huxley book starring Jessica Brown Findlay, Harry Lloyd, Alden Ehrenreich, and Demi Moore.
• “The Capture” A BBC drama series about a former soldier accused of murdering the lawyer who got him acquitted of war crimes.
• “Cleopatra in Space” An animated children’s series in which a 15-year-old Cleopatra is pulled 30,000 years into the future.
• “Intelligence” A British workplace comedy series starring David Schwimmer as an entitled American who joins the cyber-crimes unit.
• “Lost Speedways” A docu-series about the great racetracks of the past, hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matthew Dillner.
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• “Psych 2: Lassie Come Home” The second “Psych” original movie since the show ended in 2014, starring James Roday and Dulé Hill.
There’s a free ad-supported version of Peacock, with 7,500 hours of material; there’s an upgrade for $4.99 per month with 20,000 hours of content (which Comcast Xfinity subscribers get for free); and there’s an ad-free version for $9.99 per month.
WHAT I’M WATCHING THIS WEEK
1. Last week, I rented the movie “The Outpost,” and it still rings in my ears. Based on the book by Jake Tapper about the 53 US soldiers who tried to repel a 2009 attack by almost 400 Taliban insurgents in a remote outpost in Afghanistan, it’s a visceral and poignant reminder of both heroism and the specific challenges of that war. I’m hoping “Father Soldier Son,” coming Friday on Netflix, will serve as a companion piece of sorts. It’s a documentary from The New York Times that follows one military family over the course of 10 years, thus providing an intergenerational look at sacrifice, purpose, and American manhood in the aftermath of battle. At the center is Brian Eisch, a platoon sergeant and father of two who returns home from Afghanistan with one leg.
2. ABC is premiering a sitcom on Wednesday at 8 p.m., which would usually signal disinterest by the network. It’s the midsummer dead zone, after all. But, with people locking down these days, and a shortage of new content on the horizon, perhaps it’s not a bad idea. Called “United We Fall,” it’s about a married couple played by Will Sasso and Christina Vidal as they navigate parenthood and their highly judgmental families, including a mother who lives with them, played by Jane Curtin.
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3. I’m a massive “30 Rock” fan, but I’m not thrilled about the show’s return for what is being called “30 Rock: A One-Time Special,” due Thursday at 8 p.m. on NBC. The recent “Parks and Recreation” reunion set out to cheer us up during this time of stress and to raise money for charity, but the “30 Rock” special has a more PR-driven agenda. This year, the networks’ annual Upfronts — where they promote their upcoming shows to advertisers — were canceled due to the pandemic, so the network is using “30 Rock” to push its 2020-21 TV lineup. Prepare to be marketed to, ironically but also fiercely.
4. No, not the Steely Dan song about when the stars come out at night. The documentary “Showbiz Kids,” which hits HBO on Tuesday at 9 p.m., is about the child-star phenomenon — what’s lost when a child works, the nature of stage parents, the vulnerability to sexual abuse, and the curse of fame. It’s directed by Alex Winter — Bill in “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” — who was a successful child actor, and it features interviews with Evan Rachel Wood, Todd Bridges, Jada Pinkett Smith, Wil Wheaton, Henry Thomas, and others.
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CHANNEL SURFING
“Cursed” A new take on the Arthurian legend, with Katherine Langford as a teenager who joins a quest to find Merlin. Netflix, Friday
“Fatal Affair” A movie about romantic obsession starring Omar Epps, Stephen Bishop, and Nia Long. Netflix, Thursday
“United Shades of America” Season five of W. Kamau Bell’s look at American communities premieres. CNN, Sunday, 10 p.m.
“Indian Matchmaking” A glimpse of the custom of arranged marriage in the modern era. Netflix, Thursday
“The Alienist: Angel of Darkness” The second season of the late-19th century crime drama based on Caleb Carr’s fiction. TNT, Sunday, 9 p.m.
TCA NOMINATIONS
Every year, the Television Critics Association, a group of about 250 journalists (including me) from the United States and Canada, hand out awards, although, of course, this year’s in-person ceremony has been canceled.
“This was an incredible year for television, offering a variety of groundbreaking new series with fresh perspectives and renewed vigor for some veteran favorites,” said TCA president (and former Globie) Sarah Rodman, now an executive editor at Entertainment Weekly. “Although we sadly will not have the opportunity to gather to honor these creative achievements in person, we look forward to sharing our selections for the season’s top programs when the winners are unveiled later this summer.”
Here are many of the nominees:
Individual Achievement in Drama
Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America” (FX on Hulu)
Kaitlyn Dever, “Unbelievable” (Netflix)
Regina King, “Watchmen” (HBO)
Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True” (HBO)
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Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Jeremy Strong, “Succession” (HBO)
Merritt Wever, “Unbelievable” (Netflix)
Individual Achievement in Comedy
Pamela Adlon, “Better Things” (FX)
Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me” (Netflix)
Elle Fanning, “The Great” (Hulu)
Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek” (Pop TV)
Issa Rae, “Insecure” (HBO)
Ramy Youssef, “Ramy” (Hulu)
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
“60 Minutes” (CBS)
“Frontline” (PBS)
“Hillary” (Hulu)
“The Last Dance” (ESPN)
“McMillions” (HBO)
“The Rachel Maddow Show” (MSNBC)
Outstanding Achievement in Movie or Miniseries
“Little Fires Everywhere” (Hulu)
“Mrs. America” (FX on Hulu)
“Normal People” (Hulu)
“The Plot Against America” (HBO)
“Unbelievable” (Netflix)
“Watchmen” (HBO)
Outstanding New Program
“The Great” (Hulu)
“The Mandalorian” (Disney+)
“The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
“Never Have I Ever” (Netflix)
“Watchmen” (HBO)
“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (NBC)
Outstanding Achievement in Drama
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“Euphoria” (HBO)
“The Good Fight” (CBS All Access)
“Pose” (FX)
“Succession” (HBO)
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
“Better Things” (FX)
“Dead to Me” (Netflix)
“The Good Place” (NBC)
“Insecure” (HBO)
“Schitt’s Creek” (Pop TV)
“What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Program of the Year
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“Mrs. America” (FX on Hulu)
“Schitt’s Creek” (Pop TV)
“Succession” (HBO)
“Unbelievable” (Netflix)
“Watchmen” (HBO)
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at matthew.gilbert@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewGilbert.
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July 13, 2020 at 07:05PM
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This week’s TV: Peacock launches, the war comes home, and television critics’ nominations - The Boston Globe
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