Nicolas Cage is a spider-guy, Tina Fey delivers all four seasons, and is this guy the future of late night?
Apologies to paid ABW subscribers for the lateness of this week’s Always Be Streaming newsletter – life just got in the way.
A bunch of thoughts on the new and returning shows of the week.
I wrote about Spider Noir already in the newsletter on Monday. For the TL;DR version: Nicolas Cage is perfect in the series, but the show stumbles a little bit with a plot that isn’t especially interesting. A shame, because so much else about the show is incredible. Especially the cinematography that looks gorgeous in both the black & white (my preference) and colour versions.
A show like The Four Seasons is generally right in my wheelhouse, but the first season of it left me pretty cold. The second season has a lot more confidence about it and played a bit better, but broadly I think my issue is the cast. I really like Tina Fey (obviously… I’m not a monster) and I’m delighted by Claude Calvani, but I have never been on the Colman Domingo bandwagon, I have a fiery disinterest in Will Forte, and I’ve always been a bit annoyed by Kerri Kenney-Silver (one of many reasons I never took to Reno 911 back in the day). The show does everything it can to stop me watching, but watch it I have.
We have two biographical soccer drama shows on this week, with the BBC’s Dear England and Netflix’s Brazil 70: The Third Star. Both are timed to generate some viewership as excitement builds for The World Cup, starting June 11.
Am I alone in struggling to find the enthusiasm in pressing play on For All Mankind spin-off Star City?
Usually in the Always Be Streaming newsletter I focus more on scripted TV shows and movies (it becomes too much for me to also cover all of the unscripted shows), but I did want to highlight this YouTube show that debuted this week
Good Night with Ben Gleib is one of the efforts springing up right now to bring a late night variety chat show to YouTube. This one has Gleib, a comedian who has been around for around 20 years, building up a substantial enough IMDB profile, is hosting a show from his house.
I have only watched a few minutes of it, but it has strong community television / public access vibes to it. Not that I have an issue with that – I’m very into authentic-feeling shows like this.
Is Ben Gleib the future of late night? Doubtful. But he seems amiable enough and I’ll watch a few episodes of this, I reckon. Is Kevin Smith a guest that has me enthused to watch? Heavens no. Is the 1 hour, 48 minute runtime of the first video a hugely off-putting proposition? It’s a bad vibe, Gleib.
Here’s episode one:
Returning TV
The Chi (s08), Rick & Morty (s09), A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (s02), The Four Seasons (s02), Deli Boys (s02), Criminal Minds (s19), Murder Mindfully (s02)
New TV
Spider Noir — Prime Video
Who’s in it: Nicolas Cage, Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li
What’s it about? Ben Reilly, a seasoned, down on his luck private investigator in the 1930s New York, is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero.
Brazil 70: The Third Star — Netflix
Who’s in it: Lucas Agrícola and Rodrigo Santoro
What’s it about? In 1970, the Brazilian national team took the field with big dreams and an even bigger challenge: to become the first three-time world champions.
Dear England — BBC One [UK] | Binge [AUS]
Who’s in it: Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker
What’s it about? Biographical drama following the reign of Gareth Southgate as England National Football Team Manager
Viral Hit — Netflix
Who’s in it: Ouji Suzuka
What’s it about? A high school student at the bottom of the school hierarchy takes on the world's injustice in a unique way: streaming his own fights!
Star City — Apple TV
Who’s in it: Rhys Ifans, Anna Maxwell Martin, Agnes O'Casey, Alice Englert
What’s it about? A troubled young man becomes a divine agent through a pact with a deity; his job is to protect the mortal realm from dark forces with a little help.
New Movies
Miss You, Love You — HBO Max
Who’s in it: Allison Janney, Andrew Rannells, Bonnie Hunt, Suzy Nakamura, Oscar Nunez, and Lisa Schurga.
What’s it about? A grieving widow is forced to plan her husband's funeral with her estranged son's assistant
That’s the newsletter for this week.
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