Around April Fool’s Day, I joked here that no one asked for or would actually pay for CNN+, CNN’s subscription streaming service. Then last week, less than a month after launch, CNN shut down CNN+, cueing up many a Quibi comparison—which isn’t fair, because Quibi lasted seven whole months and at least gave us new seasons on Reno 911! Just setting that straight.
This week’s What to What picks include new comedies I Love That for You and Ten Percent, the ends of Ozark and Grace and Frankie, the returns of The Way Down and Made for Love, true-crime thriller Under the Banner of Heaven, and the 2022 NFL Draft. Get to the couch!
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What’s premiering this week
I Love That for You | SHOWTIME | Comedy
Series premiere, Sunday, May 1: Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live) stars in this semi-autobiographical comedy about a former child cancer survivor who begins her life anew as an adult. This means finally moving out of her parents’ house, falling in love, and—underutilized comedy gold alert—starting a new career as a home shopping channel TV host. Best of all, I Love That for You reunites Bayer with her former SNL costar Molly Shannon, who plays the network’s star host. Episodes of I Love That for You will drop early Sundays on the SHOWTIME app.
Coverage begins Thursday, April 28, 8 p.m. EST: Live from Las Vegas, it’s the 87th annual NFL Draft, wherein National Football League teams snatch up newly eligible players over three days and seven rounds. For those unaware (like me up until right now), every NFL Draft since 1976 has designated the last player chosen as “Mr. Irrelevant,” which just seems rude. Sure, the 262nd pick will get to play for the San Francisco 49ers (mmm, chowder bowls), but being stuck with that nickname will suck. Why not call him “El Finito”?
What to watch on Netflix this week
Ozark | Netflix | Drama, thriller
Season 4 Pt. 2 premiere, Friday, April 29: Why do networks keep dragging out the final seasons of popular series by splitting their releases in half? I contacted the Mayor of Tinseltown about it, who gave me this exclusive quote: “Because they can.” Anyway: the final seven episodes of crime thriller Ozark are finally here, and the fates of Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) are on the line—will they get out alive? It depends on Ruth (Julia Garner), who’s on a murderous rampage that could ruin the Byrdes’ deal with the FBI. D-R-A-M-A.
Grace and Frankie | Netflix | Comedy
Season 7 Pt. 2 premiere, Friday, April 29: Speaking of series finales being stretched out over split seasons, here’s the final 12 episodes of Grace and Frankie. Seven seasons is like a lifetime on Netflix anymore; we’ve been watching the hilariously tumultuous friendship of Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin) ebb and flow since 2015, making it now the streamer’s longest-running series (sorry, Orange Is the New Black). As good as Fonda and Tomlin are, the show’s true MVP is June Diane Raphael as Brianna, Grace’s hilariously caustic daughter. Bye, G&F!
What to watch on Hulu this week
Under the Banner of Heaven | Hulu | Drama, thriller
Series premiere, Thursday, April 28: Like your true-crime dramas with a little religious intrigue on the side? Under the Banner of Heaven, based on the hit Jon Krakauer nonfiction book, is here for you. The story dramatizes the real-life events leading up to the 1984 murder of a Utah woman (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her child at the hands of Mormon fundamentalists. The series’ requisite brooding detective (Andrew Garfield) is also a Mormon, and the killings lead him to question his own faith. The first two of seven Under the Banner of Heaven episodes premiere April 28.
Crush | Hulu | Comedy, romance
Movie premiere, Friday, April 29: Aspiring teen artist Paige (Rowan Blanchard, Snowpiercer) will do anything to get into Cal Arts—including joining her high school track team. At least this will give the decidedly unathletic Paige a chance to get close to her longtime crush Gabriella (Isabella Ferreira, Love Victor) . . . but what are these new feelings for teammate A.J. (Auli’i Cravalho, Moana)? Crush is a teen lesbian rom-com that doesn’t scrimp on the com(edy), with a fantastically funny turn by Megan Mullally as Paige’s wildly inappropriate mom.
What to watch on HBO Max this week
The Way Down | HBO Max | Documentary, true crime
Docuseries Pt. 2 premiere, Thursday, April 28: The epically-titled The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin doc finally concludes. Larger-than-life-haired Gwen Shamblin rose to fame with her Christian-based Weigh Down Workshop diet program, later transforming it into the Remnant Fellowship Church. Accusations of cult-like psychological, physical, and financial abuse dogged Shamblin until she died in a plane crash in May 2021, but The Way Down’s investigation continued. The final two of five episodes drop April 28.
Made for Love | HBO Max | Comedy, drama
Season 2 premiere, Thursday, April 28: In the 2021 debut season of dark sci-fi dramedy Made for Love, Hazel (Cristin Milioti) attempted to escape the remote desert compound of her creepy tech billionaire husband Byron (Billy Magnussen), only to find out he’d secretly implanted her with a chip to track her emotions (and location). Season 2 finds Hazel reluctantly back on the compound if only to take advantage of Byron’s medical tech to help her ailing dad (Ray Romano). Made for Love was one of 2021’s best, if overlooked, new shows—catch up.
W2W wildcards of the week
Ten Percent | AMC+, Sundance Now | Comedy
Series premiere, Sunday, May 1: Ever seen the French Netflix comedy series Call My Agent? You should definitely watch it ASAP. Ten Percent is a British remake of that show, following the ridiculous day-to-day dealings of a mid-level London talent firm and the agents who handle crisis PR for IRL actors (including Helena Bonham Carter, David Oyelowo, Dominic West, and Emma Corrin, playing themselves here). New episodes of Ten Percent will stream Fridays on AMC+ and Sundance Now, as well as on cable’s BBC America on Sundays (so you can’t miss it).
Welcome Home Nikki Glaser? | E! | Reality, comedy
Series premiere, Sunday, May 1: “I was well on my way to becoming one of the most successful female comics working today . . . and then the pandemic hit,” says Nikki Glaser in the trailer for her new reality series. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Glaser moved from Los Angeles back to her hometown of St. Louis and, being a savvy entertainer, she turned the situation into a wacky family reality show—like the Kardashians, but watchable. The question mark on Welcome Home Nikki Glaser? is likely from her parents, judging by the trailer.
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