What To Watch This Week: Stream Our Top 7 TV and Movie Picks (Nov. 17–23)

Gerry Dee: Funny You Should Say That | Netflix | Stand-up comedy

Special, Tuesday, Nov. 18: If you haven’t seen the Canadian sitcom Mr. D, where Canadian teacher-turned-comedian Gerry Dee plays a (wait for it) underqualified high school teacher, you really oughta check it out. Not necessarily before you see Dee’s stand-up act, though. On his show or behind the mic, the affable, authentic Dee mines his life for his goofy-but-sage humor. Fittingly, this special is based on Dee’s book of the same name, which collects various autobiographical essays.

If you wanna see Mr. D, The Roku Channel has all eight seasons for free. Prime Video has seven of those seasons, and Tubi has the first one.

Thoughts and Prayers | HBO, HBO Max | Documentary

Movie, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 9:00 p.m. ET: The title of this documentary about school shootings has a cringey ring. Attribute that to the phrase being a ubiquitous, useless response to a grave issue. In press materials for this film by Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock, HBO writes, “Equal parts absurd and unsettlingly real, the film traces the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry and its effect on students and educators, raising important questions about the unintended consequences of these intense preparations. In the absence of meaningful prevention efforts and gun reform, how far will Americans go to prepare for active shooters?”

A Man on the Inside | Netflix | Comedy

Special, Tuesday, Nov. 18: This fantastic comedy-mystery series from Mike Schur (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation) and starring Ted Danson returns for a second season—and a new mystery. This time, accidental gumshoe Charles (Danson) is going back to college with an almost entirely new cast that includes Mary Steenburgen (Danson’s IRL wife), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Danson’s show daughter), Stephanie Beatriz, Jason Mantzoukas, Jill Talley, Gary Cole, and more.

The Assassin | AMC+ | Drama, thriller

Limited series premiere, Thursday, Nov. 20: The first season of this thriller series aired on Amazon Prime Video UK last summer, and it was such a hit that AMC+ picked it up as a North American exclusive—and producers are considering a second season. The show stars Keely Hawes (Scoop) as a retired assassin whose past catches up to her and her investigative journalist son (Freddie Highmore of Bates Motel and The Good Doctor). All six episodes will be available to stream today.

Kathleen Madigan: The Family Thread | Prime Video | Stand-up comedy

Special, Friday, Nov. 21: Comedian Kathleen Madigan’s sixth stand-up special, 2023’s Hunting Bigfoot (Prime Video), won Comedy Special of the Year from the readers of the comedy website The Interrobang. In her newly minted seventh hour-long special, Prime Video says, “Audiences can expect her signature sharp wit as she tackles gambling as math education, Midwest pioneers, her four cats, aging parents, and modern church competition, showcasing her mastery of crafting the perfect joke.”

Train Dreams | Netflix | Drama

Movie, Friday, Nov. 21: Denis Johnson’s novella of the same name is the basis for this Sundance hit by director Clint Bentley. Joel Edgerton (Golden Globe Award-winner for 2016’s Loving) portrays Robert Grainier, a rail worker in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century. The film covers decades of Grainier’s life as he struggles with his place in the world, including commitments to his family, from which he’s frequently absent. The cast also includes Felicity Jones and William H. Macy.