#Bingewatch: your #TV #show guide for February 11th-17th
Hey, bingewatcher! We hope you enjoyed what last week’s TV schedule had to offer. So far, Russian Doll is still on its way to own the month this February, but there were some tasty new dramas hidden amongst the rabble.
Mainly, though, we’re still trying to shower ourselves clean after the characteristically disgusting Big Mouth Valentine’s Day special.
This week plays host to a bunch of new shows we couldn’t be more jazzed about. Our sights are set on Miracle Workers, a heavenly new comedy led by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), in which an angelic crew of afterlife employees set about trying to convince God not to destroy the Earth and start again.
We’re also pumped for Umbrella Academy, the new vehicle for our fave Ellen Page, who we haven’t seen taking centre stage in a big superhero production since 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. It has every chance of rivalling Deadly Class for the best heightened genre show set in an elite school for extraordinary kids this year, a niche subgenre that apparently pops up more often than you’d think.
Check out all our picks for the shows to watch out for this week after the jump, and get bingewatching!
American Dad (TBS)
Original air date Feb. 6th, 2005
Season 15 continues Mondays from Feb. 11th, 2019
Seth McFarlane’s more political alternative to Family Guy is about half as dumb and ten times crazier. Featuring the Republican misadventures of Stan Smith, the all-American patriarch of a proud nuclear family that happens to include an extraterrestrial escapee from Area 51, and an ex-ski-jumper trapped in the body of a goldfish.
Delicious (Acorn)
Original air date Dec. 30th, 2016
Season 3 airs Mondays from Feb. 11th, 2019
Leo is a celebrity chef who stole most of his recipes from his first wife, Gina. He’s now stuck in a loveless marriage with Sam, but continuing a secret affair with Gina behind her back. The British series is set on the beautiful coast of Cornwall, with much of the saucy drama occuring in Leo’s succesful chain of hotels, like Fawlty Towers with more infidelity. Stars Dawn French (Psychoville), Emilia Fox (Strangers), and Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) as the dysfunctional trio.
Boomerang (BET)
Airs Tuesdays from Feb. 12th, 2019
Comedy series based on the Eddie Murphy film of the same name, in which a chauvinist business exec starts to turn his life around when he meets his boss, essentially the female version of himself. This new series swaps out Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, and Robin Givens for newcomers Tequan Richmond & Tetona Jackson, the son and daughter respectively of the original characters.
Executive produced by Lena Waithe (Master of None), hopefully the new take on Murphy’s outdated social commentary will swap out the uncomfortable 90s humor with some witty and topical takes on workplace dynamics and gender roles.
Miracle Workers (TBS)
Season 1 airs Tuesdays from Feb. 12th, 2019
Earth is going to pieces: sea levels are rising, climates are going crazy, and everyone has just sort of given up, including God and his team of angels. Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) plays the once all-powerful heavenly father who seems to have lost his mojo, with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) as an overwhelmed stooge stuck in the Department of Unanswered Prayers. When a determined new employee is moved to his division (Blockers’ Geraldine Viswanathan), they think they can devise a plan to convince God not to blow the planet to smithereens and start all over again.
From the mind of Simon Rich (Saturday Night Live), the new comedic take on global warming and Christianity should fulfil all your Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett needs until Good Omens takes center stage later this year.
Weird City (YouTube Premium)
Airs Wednesdays from Feb. 13th, 2019
Before Jordan Peele revitalises the classic anthology series The Twilight Zone, he has another project to let loose that features similarly episodic tales of the strange & unexpected.
Teaming with Adam Bernstein (30 Rock) and his Key & Peele co-writer Charlie Sanders, the new series will explore the fictional city of Weird, a dystopic metropolis in the not-so-distant future that will become the home to bizarre and poignant stories that reflect on modern day issues. Those with a YouTube Premium account should be sure to check in for a taste of Peele’s craziness before his other projects land.
The Dragon Prince (Netflix)
Original air date Sept. 14th, 2018
Available on Netflix from Feb. 15th, 2019
Upcoming fantasy adventure that could be your kids’ new obsession, especially with a video game adaptation just round the corner. This beautiful animation takes place in world that lifts from Lord of the Rings and How to Train Your Dragon, in which humans & elves are at war.
Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy (Netflix)
Available on Netflix from Feb. 15th, 2019
New take on the documentary special featuring one of the geniuses behind Seinfeld back in the day, as well as longtime collaborator with Sacha Baron Cohen on projects such as Borat and Brüno. Writer and comedian Larry Charles presents four unique specials that examine how comedy works in different countries & communities around the world.
Doom Patrol (DC Universe)
Season 1 airs Fridays from Feb. 15th, 2019
When the Suicide Squad is out of action, look no further than the Doom Patrol, a sinister mix of seasoned nobodies from the largely forgotten pages of DC’s most obscure comic book issues. A quick-off-the-mark spin-off from the DC Universe streaming site’s suprisingly okay Titans, the Patrol was featured in the fourth episode of the parent series, with the likes of April Bowlby (Heathers), Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) and Matt Bomer (American Horror Story) all returning for a chance in the spotlight. Good to know that there’ll be a parade of costumed comic book losers on our screens pretty much every day of the week this year.
Lorena (Amazon Prime)
Available from Feb. 15th, 2019
Four startling episodes chronicling the lives, marriage, and insane true court case of John and Lorena Bobbitt. Plagued by alleged violence and sexual abuse, Lorena grabbed a knife and sliced off… well, we’ll spare you the horrific details. All we’ll say is that the incident made headline news, and the case is still being debated to this day. Jordan Peele (Get Out) serves as executive producer for this stunning and bizarre true crime documentary.
Proven Innocent (Fox)
Season 1 airs Fridays from Feb. 15th, 2019
Essential viewing for crime fans with a passion for righting wrongs and fighting injustice. Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight) portrays Madeline Scott, a determined lawyer working for a wrongful convictions firm after she herself was exonerated some years ago for a crime she didn’t commit. The team reopen grisly cases with shady evidence with the hope of setting the innocent free, while Scott slowly realises that her past isn’t quite done with her.
Starring Rachelle Lefevre are Russell Hornsby (Fences), Nikki M. James (Broadway actress known for Les Misérables and The Book of Mormon), and the incomparable Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) in the exciting new series that promises a healthy mix of tabloid trash and sophisticated suspense.
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
Season 1 available from Feb. 15th, 2019
Comic book adaptation from Dark Horse, the same publishers that brought you the stylish and subversive graphic counterparts to superhero funny books like Hellboy, Sin City, and 300. Let us be the first to say, this one looks nuts, and both Umbrella Academy and Deadly Class will be fighting for our attention this year to win the prize for the silliest yet most enjoyable heightened high school thriller of this year.
Stars Ellen Page, whose career has frankly been done a dirty since she ditched her spandex-clad group of mutant buddies back in 2014. Page plays Vanya Hargreeves, one of forty-three babies born in surreal circumstances, six of which are brought to The Academy to hone their supernatural abilities. The only catch is… she doesn’t have any. From the mind of My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, so expect a slick soundtrack, gothic undertones and plenty of eyeliner.
Ransom (CBS)
Original air date Jan. 1st, 2017
Season 3 airs Saturdays from Feb. 16th, 2019
New internationally produced thriller gets a second shot at redemption, as the previously cancelled Ransom received a surprising renewal last year. The thrilling procedural takes inspiration from Laurent Combalbert and Marwen Mery, two of the world’s leading crisis & hostage negotiators. Stars Luke Roberts (Black Sails) and Nazneen Contractor (Scorpion) as the series’ core duo.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Original air date Apr. 27th, 2014
Season 6 airs Sundays from Feb. 17th, 2019
The squawking comedian returns with more sharp observations on current events tinged with the left-wing smugness of a middle-class British pundit. Guaranteed to leave you wheezing with contagious laughter or seething with rage depending on where your allegiances lie.
John Oliver has been cracking wise about political mishaps & corporate foibles since his work as the British correspondent on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, but really took off with his podcasting work and regular appearances on Community as the sleazy, alcoholic professor of psychology, Ian Duncan. Now, his popular talk show has been offering a biting satirical take on the world of news since 2014, and you can expect your YouTube recommendations to be filling up with takedowns of the most baffling news stories very soon.
