Starting today, I’m out of here for two weeks (the boss calls it a “sabbatical”; I call it “14 days in a kiddie pool next to a cooler full of White Claws”). Until my sunburnt return in July, What to Watch will be in the capable hands of my CableTV.com colleague Olivia Bono—treat her right, W2Wers.
This week’s What to Watch picks include the long-awaited return of Westworld, the 2022 NBA Draft, a new season of The Umbrella Academy, a farewell Motherland: Fort Salem, and—is it the ’90s again?—a new Beavis & Butt-head movie. Stream on!
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What’s premiering this week
Westworld | HBO, HBO Max | Drama, Sci-fi
Season 4 premiere, Sunday, June 26: Westworld last graced our screens in May 2020—at this rate of production, fictional TV future and actual future will eventually overlap. The dystopian sci-fi series began in Westworld, an android-populated fantasy camp for the rich and sadistic, but now those androids are out in the real world, which is bad news for us meat sacks. Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, and Aaron Paul return for Season 4.
2022 NBA Draft | ABC, ESPN | Sports, basketball
Coverage begins Thursday, June 23, 7:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT: The Orlando Magic kick off Round 1 of the 2022 NBA Draft, followed by Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, and Detroit Pistons. In overall quantity of picks, the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves lead the pack. As for fans of the L.A. Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Brooklyn Nets, sorry, no Draft selections for you this year.
The Future Of | Netflix | Documentary
Series Premiere, Tuesday, June 21: Cheeseburgers, dogs, skyscrapers, life after death—tech media site The Verge has some bold-but-researched predictions for the tomorrows of these and plenty more in its new docuseries The Future Of. The 12-episode series is narrated by Jurnee Smollett and promises “weird,” “scary,” and most of all “exciting” prognostications for tomorrow. Fortunately, a Westworld theme park isn’t among them.
The Umbrella Academy | Netflix | Action, drama
Season 3 premiere, Wednesday, June 22: The Umbrella Academy, based on the comic book from My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way (can’t ever leave that out, lest we anger the MCR Army), continues to be one of the wildest superhero sagas on TV. That’s quite a claim in a streaming universe that includes The Boys and Doom Patrol, but the Hargreeves clan takes it to a new level in production and performance in Season 3. If you’re not yet on board, catch up.
What to watch on HBO Max this week
Gordita Chronicles | HBO Max | Comedy
Series premiere, Thursday, June 23: Relax, lowbrow foodies—Gordita Chronicles is not about the elusive Taco Bell menu item. In 1985, 12-year-old Cucu “Gordita” Castelli (Olivia Goncalves) and her family leave the Dominican Republic to pursue the American Dream in Miami, Florida; wacky culture shock and heartwarming moments ensue. This coming-of-age comedy is produced by Zoe Saldaña and Eva Longoria, all 10 episodes of which stream June 23.
Menudo: Forever Young | HBO Max | Documentary, music
Series premiere, Thursday, June 23: It was all glamor and fangirls to the public in the ’80s but, behind the scenes, famed Latin boy band Menudo were being abused and exploited by a sketchy manager—it’s not just an American thing. The four-part Menudo: Forever Young tells the tragic tale through flashback footage, interviews with former members (not including the most famous one, Ricky Martin), and grownup fans. Your mom is going to love it.
What to watch on Hulu this week
Motherland: Fort Salem | Freeform, Hulu | Drama, sci-fi
Season 3 premiere, Tuesday, June 21: Supernatural series Motherland: Fort Salem is coming to an end with Season 3, so now’s a great time for newbies to jump into this ambitious and dark AF show. Set in a female-run world where three witches (Taylor Hickson, Ashley Nicole Williams, and Jessica Sutton) are drafted into the US Army to even the odds against terrorist witch group The Spree, Motherland: Fort Salem is a lot to take in, but it’s a dystopian trip worth taking.
The Bear | Hulu | Comedy
Series premiere, Thursday, June 23: After the sudden death of his brother, fine-dining chef “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Shameless) returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop. Like a gritty reboot of Bob’s Burgers, The Bear is a comedic/dramatic lesson in the harsh realities of restaurant management, familial relations, and the myriad wonders of provolone (it’s the best cheese, period). All eight episodes stream June 23.
W2W wildcards of the week
Beavis & Butt-head Do the Universe | Paramount+ | Animation, comedy
Movie premiere, Thursday, June 23: Thanks to Intellectual Property Reboot Fever, a new Beavis & Butt-head series is coming to Paramount+ later this year—heh, heh, cool. In the meantime, creator Mike Judge presents Beavis & Butt-head Do the Universe, a kinda-sequel film to 1996’s Oscar-snubbed Beavis & Butthead Do America. Space, time travel, and parallel universes are involved, as are the voices of Tig Notaro, Gary Cole, Andrea Savage, and many more.
Loot | Apple TV+ | Comedy
Series premiere, Friday, June 24: After billionaire socialite Molly (Maya Rudolph) has a messy public meltdown when her husband of 20 years dumps her, she pours herself into working at the charity foundation she’s just found out she owns. Of course, she knows nothing about the job or the foundation, hence funny. Workplace comedy Loot comes from the writers of 30 Rock and Master of None, and Maya Rudolph always delivers. Three of 10 episodes drop June 24.
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