With the Olympics Opening Ceremony starting in about four and a half hours time (as I press send on this email), it is pretty well understood that there will be limited interest in many viewers globally watching anything that isn't the Olympics for the next two weeks. So, don't be expecting too many big TV shows or movies released this coming fortnight.
That said - there is actually a few notable releases. The big one is season 2 of Ted Lasso - a show that won over a bigger-than-expected audience with it's good-natured, feel-good comedy. Apple TV+ are releasing the show weekly, so don't be expecting a Ted Lasso binge this weekend in-between the swimming and field hockey.
Turner & Hooch on Disney+ is mildly better than I had expected, but it is very much for undemanding family audiences. I'm sure your expectations are pre-set accordingly for that one already.
Kids (boys, mostly) of the 80s will be curious about the cartoon Masters of The Universe: Revelations. It takes the approach of revisiting the world of He-Man with this sequel series, giving the show much better animation and voice acting than the original ever had. It is made for the adult viewers of the original toon who might get a kick out of it, but know that the writing is still pretty juvenile and that there's more adult-appropriate shows that should be watched instead. It's perfectly good for what it is, even if that experience is just as hollow as the animated toy commercial we were watching 30+ years ago.
A reminder for Aussie Always Be Watching readers: here's your guide on where/how you can watch the Olympics across the next two weeks.
Dan Barrett
returning:
Ted Lasso (s02), Sky Rojo (s02)
new:
Turner & Hooch - Disney+
Stars: Josh Peck, Reginald VelJohnson, Lyndsy Fonseca
A detective solves crimes with the help of an oversized dog. TV adaptation of the 1989 film 'Turner and Hooch'.
Masters of The Universe: Revelation - Netflix
Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Diedrich Bader, Chris Wood, Mark Hamill, Lena Headey
The war for Eternia begins again in what may be the final battle between He-Man and Skeletor. A new animated series from writer-director Kevin Smith.
The Last Letter From Your Lover - Netflix
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Felicity Jones
A pair of interwoven stories set in the past and present follow an ambitious journalist determined to solve the mystery of a forbidden love affair at the center of a trove of secret love letters from 1965.
Power Book III: Raising Kanan - Starz | Stan
Stars: Mekai Curtis, Patina Miller
Power Book III: Raising Kanan is a prequel set in the 1990s that will chronicle the early years of Kanan Stark, the character first played by executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
Sexy Beasts - Netflix
Hoping to say goodbye to superficial dating, real-life singles sport elaborate makeup and prosthetics to put true blind-date chemistry to the test.
Ultra City Smiths - AMC+
Stars: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, John C. Reilly, Bebe Neuwirth
Follows the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of fictional metropolis Ultra City's most famous magnate by two intrepid detectives.
Jolt - Amazon Prime Video
Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Jai Courtney
A bouncer with a slightly murderous anger-management problem that she controls with the help of an electrode-lined vest she uses to shock herself back to normalcy whenever she gets homicidal. After the first guy she's ever fallen for is murdered, she goes on a revenge-fueled rampage to find the killer while the cops pursue her as their chief suspect.
That's it for this week. Everyone stay safe. Let's be careful out there.
