Shows That Are Pulling Me Out of the August Doldrums
We're officially done with the prestige TV drought of mid-Summer.
Caveat: No spoilers here.
August is upon us and halfway through the month, I’m feeling
’s words hardcore:It [August] is a forced layover during which we're all stranded without service in some god-awful place… like Bakersfield or Houston. I mean… Why goddamnit?
August has always been a torturous limbo for me. It’s the month that screams loudly and abrasively in your face, “Summer is nearly over! Too bad. Get ready for the year!” Too many exclamation points and yet not enough to encapsulate the sheer volume of panic that August drums up. And let’s face it, change and transition are never fun, knowing wistfully that whatever you’ve been doing to hold on to an iota of peace and reprieve in the Summer, will soon be replaced by a cacophony of bustling activity that you will never, despite all attempts to the contrary, 100% accurately estimate the impact of.
August, mom/human energy aside, we have much to celebrate in the realm of new, entertaining TV shows hitting the airwaves and that’s what we’re here to talk about.
🤣 Let’s Start with Laughter & Lightness - AKA “The Sitcom”
Mr. Throwback on Peacock [Trailer]
Who knew that Curry, the basketball phenom, could ALSO act? Jordan should be jealous. Curry makes it look easy in this hard-to-pass-up Summer sitcom.
Starring three comedic talents—NBA star Steph Curry, Adam Pally (Happy Endings), and Ego Nwodim (SNL), and one of the main reasons I tune into SNL, apart from the Please Don’t Destroy Guys - the show features a trio of childhood friends reuniting. Each actor excels individually while creating a strong ensemble performance, leveraging their experience in ensemble settings and improvisation.
Curry plays himself essentially, a famous NBA star and nice guy, Nwodim is his manager and childhood friend, and Pally plays Danny Grossman, a down-on-his-luck, former child basketball star phenom and teammate of Curry’s, who fell from fame in a rather scandalous way as a teen, and which involved Grossman’s dad and the team coach (Tracy Letts, in a masterful role).
The six-episode mockumentary, reminiscent of The Office and Parks and Recreation, picks up when Danny reconnects with Curry at the Chase Center, fabricating a story about his daughter’s illness (she was dressed as “Eleven” from “Stranger Things”) to get the cash he owes a lender.
This witty family sitcom stands out for its diverse cast and Jewish lead, offering refreshing representation at a time of rising antisemitism. And hallelujah for that.
🙊 Moving On to Dark Comedy - Mysteries with Big Lebowski Energy
Bad Monkey on Apple TV+ [Trailer]
Vince Vaughn embodies a quintessential Gen-X character in the adaptation of Carl Hiaasen's detective series, playing Andrew Yancy, an unconventional detective residing in the Florida Keys.
The trailer for this show doesn’t do it justice. Not since the noir mystery thriller known as Sugar [An Ode to L.A. and Review] earlier this year, and before that The AfterParty season 2 [See here], has Apple TV+ intrigued me with a fun mystery, but here we are, or here I am. And it’s worth the time.
If you haven't read the bestselling novels by Carl Hiaasen featuring detective Andrew Yancy, you're not alone. Two episodes in, it seems the series is set in three main locations: the Florida Keys, a brief stop in Miami, and the Bahamas. The Keys locale highlights Vaughn’s ex-detective Yancy, whose messy romantic relationships are bested only by his messy sleuthing methods (breaking and entering? pfff), and Neville, a Bahaman, whose sister, living in the Keys coincidentally, sold their family beachfront shack to an evil developer played by Rob Delaney (Catastrophe) who is buying up the island and chewing up the locals. Delaney makes for a splendid villain but he may be slightly less evil than his accomplice, Eve (Meredith Hagner, Search Party).
Jodie Turner-Smith delivers a standout performance as "The Dragon Queen," a legendary figure who wields her power on the island while harboring intense desires for Neville. Radiating charisma in every scene, her character balances vulnerability with a hint of moral ambiguity, much like the others in the story.
🤕 ENTERING Dark DRAMA Fueled by Toxic Workplace Trauma
The hit show that took two seasons to catch on, and now everyone’s acting like they always ALWAYS knew it was the next Succession. Very much Pet Shop Boys’ Opportunities, if you get my drift.
If there’s a show that perfectly captures the generational divide between Xers and Zoomers, it’s Industry. This series follows a thirsty, attractive, and diverse group of ambitious "bright young things" (to borrow a term from Evelyn Waugh) navigating the cutthroat environment of a London-based investing and financial firm, Pierpoint. At the top of the ladder sits, Eric (Ken Leung), who has cultivated a culture of grossness whose toxicity spreads like a cancer, even to those who may be more likely to resist and fight back.
Harper (Myha'la Herrold), the sole American of the group of young analysts and arguably the most interesting at least in season 1, is desperate to rise to the top and idolizes Eric, but there’s a cat and mouse afoot to their interactions that creates immediate tension to every scene with the two of them. The rest of the ensemble are comprised of Yaz (Marisa Abela), a gorgeous trust-fund, party girl out to prove she’s more than a nepo hire and pretty face, and Robert (Harry Lawtey), the poor boy with the Hull accent, and a motherless son who has everything to prove class-wise, even with having graduated from Oxford. There are others as well, but this group of 4 is the main crew.
Come to think of it, maybe the cast is more St. Elmo’s Fire BRAT pack than Bright Young Things. Anyway, it’s good fun. Season 3 features guest star Kit Harrington (Jon Snow, Game of Thrones) as a bratty megalomaniac “green-energy” entrepreneur, not unlike Jay Duplass’s “Jessie” in season 2 in the personality department, but Duplass was more likable. If the premiere is anything to go on, it’s going to be a wild ride.
Making a U-Turn into Breaking Bad Territory but Funnier
Average Joe on Netflix [Trailer]
A Pittsburgh plumber grieving his dad’s untimely death learns about a few skeletons in his dad’s closet starring comedian Deon Cole (Black-ish, Grown-ish) and that dude from the Old Spice commercials.
I might have overlooked this show if the Netflix carousel hadn’t featured it, but thankfully, it caught my eye. Originally released on BET in 2023, Average Joe follows an honest plumber in Pittsburgh, named Joe (Cole) who discovers his late father was involved in shady dealings with the Russian mafia. Joe has a daughter going to college and needs money, so when his father’s extra-curricular activities net out some moola, Joe and his friends, “Touch” and Leon, decide it’s time they all “break bad” (translation: go all gangster, sort of) and get a piece of the pie, that they’ve been denied. Of course, it all starts to fall apart when the wives find out.
With such a wild premise, the success hinges on strong storytelling and acting, and this show delivers on both fronts. It's incredibly well done!
❤️ 🥐 Detour in Paris, with Emily, in a Contemporary Version of Sex in the City
Emily in Paris on Netflix [Trailer]
It’s season 4 of the show that makes our beloved Emily, into a vapid American in Paris, playing up the stereotype of the forever clueless gamine in a den of wolves, known as France. Gotta love Darren Star for it.
I’m fully embracing the first four episodes of season 4, even if Emily can’t bid adieu to the two annoying suitors from seasons past. Such is life and love and Emily living “in the gray.”
And for the love of God,
can you please clarify how the name “Camille” should be pronounced? I’m dying!!! The Americans on the show discard the “ll” entirely which I believe should lend itself to a longer “y” sound in the French pronunciation and not this bastardized “cami” like she’s a half shirt/tank top.A Pit Stop for the Husband
All of these shows, save Industry and EIP, are shows I’m watching with my husband, who also is nearly done with ALL seasons of Netflix’s The Lost Kingdom.
If you’re looking for shows to watch with your partner, check out this funny column I co-authored with the talented funny lady,
My husband really enjoyed The Instigators on Apple TV+, a heist comedy set in Boston. I didn’t watch it but love this film promo featuring a faux Dunkin Donuts heist with Damon and Affleck. [See here]
And finally, the “Hazard” sign is unnecessary, It Ends with Us, Doesn’t Crash & Burn
The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us, directed by Justin Baldoni and starring Blake Lively as Lily, has received mixed reviews. While some critics argue it romanticizes domestic abuse, the movie does an effective enough job (for what it is) of depicting the complexities and devastating effects of abuse in relationships. This film doesn’t aspire to be a Sundance Film Festival indie exploration of abuse. It’s a mainstream, quasi-summer blockbuster flic and as such has to check certain boxes that purists may say dilutes from the angle of abuse, but on the other hand, make it an engaging watch.
As a faithful adaptation, the film's strengths lie in the performances of the younger actors portraying Lily (Isabella Ferrer) and Atlas, convincingly portraying their love story. I fully bought into their love for one another. Jenny Slate shines as Lily's best friend and sister-in-law, adding depth to the supporting cast. Jenny Slate is always a gem and she shines here as Lily’s best friend and sister-in-law.
The soundtrack was good too, notably Lively’s best friend, Taylor Swift’s “My Tears Ricochet,” “Cherry” by Lana Del Ray, “Skinny” by Birdy, Lucinda Williams, and a new one by Lewis Capaldi.
Fun, Random Stat
43% of
Subscribers are from the Substack app.Because It’s Never Enough: MORE TV Show Recos and Reads
Let’s Discuss
What shows are you watching right now? Any of these?
Is August purgatory for you as well?
Are you into Pet Shop Boys? It’s ok if you’re not. I excuse uninformed tastes.
Have you ever likened the cast of Industry to the Brat Pack? Any similarities?
If you saw It Ends With Us, did you end up liking it more than you thought you would? If not, are you planning to?
If you have a Substack, are you SURPRISED by the # of subscribers from the Substack app?
We should do another collab-- 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. The best Kevin Bacon movies?
August is a funky time isn't it? Hoping season 4 of Emily isn't just a re-work of the first 3 seasons. Something fresh in Paris?
Not surprised at all by your percentage of Substack-based subscribers! You've created such a lovely community. I like it here, it's cozy. :)