NOW SEE THIS

JANUARY 22, 2021

Welcome to Now See This, THR chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg's weekly viewer guide newsletter dedicated to cutting through the daunting clutter of the broadcast, cable and streaming TV landscape! Comments and suggestions welcome at daniel.fienberg@thr.com.

I Came to Bring the 'Paint'

If you liked HBO's How To with John Wilson or Netflix's Pretend It's a City — and I certainly liked both — you'll probably get a kick out of HBO's new docuseries Painting with John. You won't learn much about actual art from musician and character actor John Lurie. But as filmed therapy goes, it's quirky and beautifully shot. I have some reservations about it, mind you. So definitely watch the John Wilson and Fran Lebowitz shows first.

To Watch a Thief

My actual top recommendation for this week would have been Netflix's Lupin, but that premiered two weeks ago. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with all of the international offerings that pop up on Netflix, and this French mystery, in which a gentleman thief attempts a heist at the Louvre in the first darned episode, is well worth seeking out if the algorithm hasn't pointed you toward it already. The five episodes making up the first half of the season zip by with stylish energy and a steady rush of twists and turns and Parisian scenery. If you haven't seen The Intouchables or noticed his small roles in a handful of American blockbusters, you’ll soon learn that leading man Omar Sy is a star of the highest magnitude. 

Other Odds and Ends

There isn't a big-ticket blockbuster debuting on streaming this week, but THR chief film critic David Rooney was a fan of Ramin Bahrani's The White Tiger, which features Priyanka Chopra Jonas, among other stars. My colleague Inkoo Kang was less enthusiastic about Hulu's "droopy and drab" The Sister from Neil Cross. And I've forgotten nearly everything about Epix's Ed Burns-created dramedy Bridge and Tunnel even though I watched it two weeks ago. So maybe you just want to concentrate on a new episode of Disney+’s WandaVision and this week's TV's Top 5 podcast interview with series head writer Jac Schaeffer. 

Treat Yourself

In my review of The CW's new drama Walker, I noted that the Jared Padalecki series was not, in fact, a very good remake of Walker, Texas Ranger, but that its core plot — workaholic dad has to repair his relationship with his kids after the death of his wife — came closer to evoking The WB's Everwood, a much better show than Walker, Texas Ranger. Don't believe me? The Treat Williams-centered family drama coincidentally happened to hit HBO Max this week, so you can experience, or re-experience, all of the tears and warm-fuzzies for yourself.

The 'Geeks' Shall Inherit

When Jessica Campbell died last week, I wanted to recommend that you honor her by checking out her tremendous, surprisingly sensitive arc on Freaks and Geeks, but at the time the NBC one-and-done drama was in a strange streaming limbo. It's a pleasure, then, to report that the all-time great coming-of-age series will arrive on Hulu on Monday and, even better, will have its full original soundtrack intact. If you somehow haven't seen Freaks and Geeks, set aside your pre-frustration at the lack of closure and settle in for 18 episodes of star-launching TV featuring one of the best casts ever caught on tape.

This Week's THR Staff Pick

Heat Vision senior editor Aaron Couch writes, "Today sees the return of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, the YA animated show about a group of teens stranded on Isla Nublar. It takes place in the same universe as the films, with connective tissue that will weave into next year’s Dominion. There’s plenty for old school Jurassic Park fans (John Williams music!) and for youngsters (kids saving the day). Jurassic World filmmaker Colin Trevorrow, an executive producer on the show, says the team is careful to maintain a consistent feel between show and films: 'For starters, never forget the wonder. It’s always an amazing thing to see a dinosaur.'"

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JANUARY 22, 2021

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