What To Watch This Week: Stream Our Top 7 TV and Movie Picks (Feb. 2–8)

The Muppet Show 50th Anniversary Special | Disney+ | Drama, comedy

Special, Wednesday, Feb. 4: “It’s time to play the music/ it’s time to light the lights/ it’s time to meet the Muppets on The Muppet Show tonight!” The six-year-old in me still gets hyperactive hearing the theme song from this Jim Henson-created variety/sketch comedy show. So you know I’m down for this special, which celebrates Kermit and Co.’s semicentennial and features guests Sabrina Carpenter, Seth Rogen, and Maya Rudolph. My only complaint is that it’s not a whole new season. Why not, Disney? The show never gets old. GASP! It is a backdoor pilot for a new season? Well, as Kermit would say, “Yaaaaayyyyy!”

Unfamiliar | Netflix | Thriller

Series premiere, Thursday, Feb. 5: Formerly called Bone Palace and scheduled for release in 2025, this German thriller follows Meret and Simon Schäfer (Susanne Wolff and Felix Kramer), married ex-spies who run a safe house for protected witnesses. When a past threat resurfaces, it throws the couple into a chaotic cat-and-mouse game with “assassins, Russian agents, the BND, ex-lovers, and a whole bunch of people they have wronged.” The six-episode series premieres in its entirety on Netflix today.

The Lincoln Lawyer | Netflix | Drama

Series premiere, Thursday, Feb. 5: A David E. Kelley legal drama based on bankable airport fiction author Michael Connelly (author of the source material for Amazon Prime Video’s Bosch)? No wonder it’s on its fourth (going on fifth) season. Fans of the series already know about the big, hairy cliffhanger that ended Season 3 and are eager to see what happens. We’ll avoid talking about it out of respect for those who aren’t quite to that point in the series. But, Netflix says, you can expect more “signature twists, along with the unique blend of suspense, humor and heart our fans love.”

The ‘Burbs | Peacock | Comedy

Series premiere, Sunday, Feb. 8: This eight-episode series adapts the 1989 film starring Tom Hanks and directed by Joe Dante (The Howling, Gremlins) and gives it a bit of a genre and plot renovation. Instead of a horror comedy about a man concerned about his new neighbors, it’s now a mystery where newlyweds (Nope’s Keke Palmer, Fresh Meat’s Jack Whitehall) move to the husband’s childhood ‘hood and worry about their neighbors. All eight episodes hit Peacock today.

Puppy Bowl XXII | Animal Planet, HBO Max | Sports, puppies

Special, Sunday, February 8, 2 p.m. ET: It’s good that this three-hour adoption event happens before the big game, when we’re not drunk enough to think adopting a Goldendoodle will numb the pain of lost bets or Sunday Scaries-related existential meltdowns. Then again, it’s in those moments a new best friend can provide a big, slobbery dopamine hit. Wait. Don’t listen to that. Adopt, drink, and gamble responsibly.

Super Bowl LX | NBC, Peacock | FOOTBALL!

NFL football championship, Sunday, February 8, 6:30 p.m. ET: The day is finally here where we celebrate the holy trinity of caloric regret, financial ruin, and corporate propaganda. LET’S EFFIN’ GOOOOOOOOO! Ahem. Welcome to Super Bowl LX (that’s 60 for the non-scholars), where the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots meet in what is definitely, totally, 100% an unscripted display of pure athleticism. We all know the drill: Pretend the commercials are high art and the game isn’t a choreographed drama that would shame the WWE. It’s not just a game; it’s a quintessential American lifestyle choice. Happy viewing!