Hey not sure what to watch this week on the small screen? No worries #SetTheVCR is here to help you make some of those decisions easier. Each week Sammy Younan and I will give you our picks for each day of the coming week. Please note – All times are Eastern Standard Time so please adjust for your time zone.
This week, man this week. So much going on it’s crazy. In fact we even do something we’ve never done before, a special pick from the both of us. The week is that jammed packed this week. Couple of finales and plenty of premieres. So many that we don’t have them all.
From a comedy special to a horror, special behold TV’s wide range of emotions all ready to connect to your feelings. You feeling what I’m feeling?
Sammy Younan
We have not this before but here is a special pick for this week that both Sammy and I want to watch. We both loved this show and couldn’t miss out on recommending it. It’s the show that brought Will Smith from safe rapper-lite to household mega-celebrity. Seeing the cast all get back together during this trailer already hit us in all the feels and especially when they start talking about the late James Avery (Uncle Phil). This is going to be an emotional roller coaster ride. Then they drop what many had heard rumoured for a while that the original Aunt Viv would also be part of the reunion. A word of caution here as the trailer makes it as she comes on set to join the rest of the cast in shock surprise, she doesn’t. It’s a separate segment recorded between her and Will but he really wanted to make sure was included.
Monday, November 16
What Do Foreign Correspondents Think of the U.S.? (
His Dark Materials (9pm / HBO) – SEASON PREMIERE! The far better interpretation of the Phillip Pullman novels that the Golden Compass movie was based on. The series also is playing it slightly darker and more adult than the Golden Compass movie did. Which makes sense considering its dark subtext and storylines. Still, a great return of a well-received series for us during these dark days is always welcome. (Mr. Green)
Tuesday, November 17
Kevin Hart: Zero Fucks Given (
Mr. Green’s Pick of the Week
Big Sky (10pm / ABC) – SEASON PREMIERE! What starts out looking like a typical old-school David E. Kelley series of quirky fun quickly takes the off-ramp into dark, dark territory. As two young women are abducted and gone missing the search begins and uncovers even more disturbing facts. There looks to be some small-town quirk via Twin Peaks mixed in with Kelley’s new sensibility displayed in Big Little Lies. This looks really good and we got to talk with Maria Sten last week about her work on writing for the show on Geek Hard. It’s starting to look like a TV season… shhh we don’t want to jinx it. (Mr. Green)
Wednesday, November 18
Crazy, Not Insane (
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (3am / Disney+) – Finally a Star Wars Holiday Special that won’t be regretted, hidden and forgotten by Lucasfilm. Besides LEGO doing it will be an instant classic for sure with fans and kids around the world. The LEGO animated studio really gets its audience and that of the properties they license like Star Wars. Their video games are always amazing as is almost every video they do. Hence my uber confidence that this will also be super solid. LEGO Masters assemble! Sorry, Ummm wrong franchise. (Mr. Green)
Thursday, November 19
Sammy’s Pick of the Week
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (3am / Shudder) – Alexandre Philippe’s latest documentary has arrived on Shudder! Following his previous movie docs 78/52 (on Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho) and Memory: The Origins of Alien (on well: Alien) he now focuses on William Friedkin’s The Exorcist! (Check because I believe Crave still has Memory if you wanna see it. Highly recommended.) Released in 1973 William Friedkin’s The Exorcist has disturbed audiences for decades while dramatically reducing pea soup orders in restaurants (that era’s horror movies are bone-chilling, say from Rosemary’s Baby in 1968 to Halloween in 1978 before the slasher saga of the 80s.). Following a template from his previous work, Philippe’s Leap of Faith is a spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist while recognizing William Friedkin’s faith and filmmaking process exploring “what possessed” him to make this bold horror movie. (Before I conclude: a special nod to the Winchesters who wrap it up tonight after 15 seasons. That’s an impressive accomplishment: most Star Treks go 7 seasons deep. Supernatural is recognizing a force beyond scientific understanding so I believe the show’s title to be apt: I don’t understand how they pulled off 15 seasons. And I certainly do not believe we’ll be getting another 15 seasons run anytime soon so take a moment tonight to drop by…say goodbye to Sam and Dean and their amazing friends. I’m sure Mr. Green has more to say about all this so I will let him Carry On… ) (Sammy)
Supernatural (9pm / CW) – SERIES FINALE! It’s been a long road… No Kidding, 15 seasons is nothing to ever sneeze at. The road so far… Over that time the show has continued to have one of the most fervent fanbases in all of fandom. All the while not being jerks about. They just love the show and the brothers Winchester. Overall the lack of toxicity in this group is something other fandoms should take notes from. I’m looking at you Star Wars and Star Trek. Regardless of how the show ends this week, it will be one of those special shows in TV history. There is way too much to summarize here when discussing all of the apocalyptic finales and battles they have had, the dozens of deaths and resurrections or the number of times the brothers split up… way too many. For those who talk about the show with disdain, I’ve always believed it came from a place not getting this show has never been about a single goal. It’s been about two brothers and their car… a family of three. That’s it. It just so happens that it has monsters, demons, angels and gods (both lower “g” and upper) in the background of the story of these two brothers and their car. Now… the series finale. (Mr. Green)
Friday, November 20
Voices of Fire (
The Mandalorian (3am / Disney+) – Seriously did you doubt this would be my pick here? Of course, you didn’t it’s the only thing worth watching on Fridays as appointment viewing each week. After last week’s reveal of Katee Sackoff as another character from the Dave Filoni Clone Wars & Rebels series’ that he created it becomes ever more clear that while Favreau is the big money behind the show he is relying on Filoni. His creations help create an ever-expanding storyline of awesomeness that Favreau gets to use. Which really should spark some joy for long time fans if this episode gets to the character that has most fans excited to see in the show this season. (Mr. Green)
Saturday, November 21
Dolittle (
Run (Anytime / Hulu) – A new movie that could have come out during October and no one would have batted an eye regarding that placement. The story of a loving mother who takes care of her child. Sounds very Hallmark MOW doesn’t it? Well, maybe if Stephen King was writing it. Here the mother played by Sarah Paulson of American Horror Story and Ratched is no stranger to the morally questionable characters. After you watch the trailer you will also see why I invoked King since this has some Misery vibes happening. I just hope they don’t do the usual “Hollywood” thing and demonize mental health like they usually do. (Mr. Green)
Sunday, Month
Belushi (
Fear the Walking Dead (9pm / AMC) – SEASON FINALE! For all of you who are TWD fans Fear has it’s season finale tonight. Even though I stopped watching the TWD series of shows that of course had very little effect on it’s popularity. In fact while the main show is closing in on it’s series finale soon it has spawned 2 spinoffs series which this is one of. Fear from all accounts has almost become the preferred show for many fans. Not surprising since this show had less connection to the main show for many years and these characters you realized were just fodder for the zombie hordes. What I did watch of the early seasons of this show it was clear that they had a much better handle on what the show was compared the main TWD franchise. (Mr. Green)
Well, there you go plenty of options for the week ahead. Enjoy yourself and watch responsibly.
If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!