Hello chickens. If you’re in Quebec, you need some warmth. May I suggest Crave’s Four Weddings and a Funeral? Its having arrived on Crave on Aug. 26, this is catching us all up as I missed it on the last blog post. Fill out the appropriate form to request a full refund and please accept my apologies. It’s sweet and mild and perfect for watching/napping in this chilly late August. Adapted from Richard Curtis’s original by Mindy Kaling, whom we all love, correct? Bumph: The miniseries “follows Maya – a young communications director for a New York senatorial campaign who receives a wedding invitation from her college schoolmate now living in London. She leaves her professional and personal life behind, in favor of traveling to England and reconnecting with old friends and ends up in the midst of their personal crises. Relationships are forged and broken, political scandals exposed, London social life lampooned, love affairs ignited and doused, and of course, there are four weddings…and a funeral.”
Catchup 2: Speaking of sweet and mild, Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso is surprising me with hints that it is more sophisticated than the fratboy dumb comedy that I thought in advance of watching this story of a honking American football coach imported to coach a Brit “football” (soccer) team. I’ve watched all four episodes. It’s kinda lovely. Jason Sudeikis has impressed me before, but here he and his moustache play a cheerful sad sack in ways that are surprising and clever, and that will keep me watching for the weekly episodes, which drop Fridays. His Guys Friday (Nick Mohammed, Brendan Hunt) is also amusing.
Thursday Aug. 27
Editorial No. 1a: After the NBA and MLB suspended games Wednesday after player/team strike after the latest police shooting, of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, will the NHL also grow a spine?
Editorial No. 1 b: Trumpian shenanigans persist for one more night. Look away, but you Stateside people, please do vote.
Friday Aug. 28
All Together Now (movie premiere on Netflix) based on the book Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick. Bumph: “An optimistic, talented teen clings to a huge secret: She’s homeless and living on a bus. When tragedy strikes, can she learn to accept a helping hand?” Stars Auli’i Cravalho, Rhenzy Feliz, Judy Reyes, Justina Machado, Taylor Richardson, C.S. Lee, Anthony Jacques Jr., Gerald Waters, with Fred Armisen, and Carol Burnett!!!!!!
Get Duked (film premiere on Amazon Prime) “is an anarchic, hip-hop inspired comedy that follows four city boys on a wilderness trek as they try to escape a mysterious huntsman.” Yoiks! Zounds!
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (movie premiere on Disney+) “is an all-new animated adventure featuring beloved stepbrothers, Phineas and Ferb, as they set out across the galaxy to rescue older sister Candace, who has been abducted by aliens and has found utopia in a far-off planet, free of pesky little brothers.”
Pandemic Elementary (new short doc on CBC Gem) “The first CBC Creative Relief Fund project to be launched, CBC Short Doc PANDEMIC ELEMENTARY follows a B.C. family trying out a radical version of homeschooling in the midst of the pandemic.”
Cobra Kai (series premiere on Netflix) “Cobra Kai takes place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, where a now successful Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) struggles to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of Mr. Miyagi, and must face his previous adversary, down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo.”
Masaba Masaba (series premiere on Netflix) “This scripted series based on real-life moments from Masaba Gupta’s life follows her unique background, the diverse worlds she straddles across fashion and family, and her foray back into the dating world. An inspirational, joyous celebration of her life, this fun series will be packed with tongue-in-cheek humour, enacted by the mother-daughter duo, Masaba, and Neena Gupta themselves. The genre-bending series is written and directed by Sonam Nair and produced by Ashvini Yardi’s Viniyard Films.”
Unknown Origins (Spanish-language movie new on Netflix) “Madrid, 2019. A serial killer is spreading chaos. Anonymous people with no apparent connection are being murdered while imitating the first appearances of the most famous superheroes. Cosme is the best detective on his station and he’s about to retire against his will. David is his replacement, but he’s young and impulsive. Both will be on a mission to put together the pieces of a game they’re completely unfamiliar with. On this adventure they’ll have the assistance of Jorge Elías, son of Cosme, lovable nerd and owner of a comic book store, and Norma, their chief and manga and cosplay lover. They say sometimes you have to put on your suit and come out to make this a better world. Maybe this is one of those times. ”
Real Time with Bill Maher (10pm HBO, next day on Crave) Scheduled guests in this post RNC episode are: Trey Gowdy, Wynton Marsalis, Nina Burleigh (The Trump Women: Part of the Deal), The Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson.
Saturday Aug. 29
Go to bed. You look like you need a nap. (aka not much to report that i can see, but maybe I’ll use this time to break some terrible news. I’ll be taking a break for a couple of weeks through Sept. 10-26. I’ll be relocating my home operations three and a half inches to the left as you face my beloved map of Canada, to Winnipeg, home of so many good things and me. I’ll try to leave you with a few program notes for that period, but I WILL MISS YOU DAMMIT. More details to come. Calm down. You’ll be fine.)
What is d2tv anyway? I’m so glad you asked. This is the latest iteration of my TV writing/blogging that began back in 1986 or so? at the Winnipeg Sun, continued briefly in print and on the web at the Montreal Gazette and finally, here, for myself and YOU! Having newly (July 2020) left the full-time journalism business for a brief rest aka vacation, I am hoping to put more time and features on this blog, which is still currently mostly a collection of Canadian streaming and broadcast programming notes focussing on premieres of new and returning series, specials etc, with the occasional series finale thrown in for sentimental reasons. Reviews are, for the moment, only occasional. If you spot an error or oversight or have a recommendation to share, please do so in the comments or by emailing me at the above address. Glad you’re here. And isn’t this era of too much TV a great time to be alive?
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