Let’s just get this out of the way right now: Super Bowl LVII commercials are what you want to see today, so have at it. I’ll be right here when you’re done, cool? Cool.
This week’s What to Watch picks include new sci-fi comedy Hello Tomorrow!, the XFL 2023 season kickoff, the premieres of Animal Control and The Company You Keep, the return of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Julianne Moore crime thriller Sharper. Grab that remote!
Jump to your preferred streaming service
What’s premiering this week
Hello Tomorrow! | Apple TV+ | Comedy, sci-fi
Series premiere, Friday, February 17: In what should be a comedic companion series to alternate reality drama For All Mankind, Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) sells timeshare residences on the moon—it’s about synergy, Apple TV+. Hello Tomorrow! is another big-swing production from the streamer, a retro-futuristic dramedy full of 1950s sparkle and dark undercurrents that feels like an unlikely mashup of The Jetsons and Don’t Worry Darling. Three of 10 episodes drop on February 17.
Coverage begins Saturday, February 18, 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT: The revival of early-2000s upstart football league XFL got off to a promising start in February 2020, but the pandemic had other plans. The third time might be the charm under the new commissionership of Dwayne Johnson as the XFL kicks off a new season on ABC, ESPN, and FX. The inaugural Saturday games will see the Vegas Vipers taking on the Arlington Renegades and the Orlando Guardians facing off against the Houston Roughnecks. Get Xtreme!
What to watch on Netflix this week
Red Rose | Netflix | Drama, horror
Series premiere, Wednesday, February 15: A group of British teens falls prey to a mysterious, malevolent app called Red Rose that slowly tears their lives apart. (As the trailer says, “It’s not just your battery that could die.”) Supernatural thriller Red Rose, created by Michael and Paul Clarkson (The Haunting of Bly Manor), is a parental-screentime-limits warning come to horrifying life. The eight-episode series premiered to rave reviews on BBC Three in 2022, and Red Rose also scared many a viewer sleepless(!).
Romantic Comedies | Netflix | Comedy, romance
Movies, now streaming: According to Reelgood.com, the most popular romantic comedies to stream on Netflix for Valentine’s Day is a weird mix, for sure. The obvious flicks include Your Place or Mine (2023), Call Me by Your Name (2018), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Notting Hill (1999), and Jerry Maguire (1996). Disturbingly, Blonde (2022), 365 Days: This Day (2022), The Power of the Dog (2021), Nocturnal Animals (2016), and Top Gun (1986) are also near the top. Hey, whatever works for you, lovers.
What to watch on HBO Max this week
King Star King | Adult Swim, HBO Max | Animation, comedy
Special premiere, Monday, February 13: It’s common knowledge that Adult Swim shows are best enjoyed with, um, herbal enhancement. Be advised to tell your guy to double your usual order if you plan on watching King Star King—it’s bizarre even by [AS] standards. After he seduces the king’s daughter, Princess Snow White, King Star King is banished from Heaven and sent to Earth to work as a fry cook at The Waffle Zone. Io9 called King Star King a “punk rock He-Man,” and this new Christmas(?) special wraps the series.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | HBO Max | News, talk
Season 10 premiere, Sunday, February 19: It’s hard to believe that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver debuted all the way back in 2014, a year mostly devoid of things to complain about (well, relative to today, that is). After nearly 300 deep dives on political inanity and corporate greed, not to mention 26 Emmy awards, you’d think there wouldn’t be any more evil left for Oliver to dunk on. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong—there’s always new villainy for Oliver to take down. Here’s hoping for a ChatGPT bit.
What to watch on Hulu this week
Series premiere, Thursday, February 16: Since Community ended, Joel McHale hasn’t had much luck with network shows—remember The Great Indoors? Neither does he, probably. Going by early reviews, his new FOX comedy Animal Control might be the one that finally sticks. The series follows the daily misadventures of Northwest Seattle Division animal control workers as they wrangle critters small and large—think Brooklyn Nine-Nine with nets instead of guns. Animal Control could be FOX’s next Welcome to Flatch.
Series premiere, Sunday, February 19: In his first series since the finale of This Is Us, Milo Ventimiglia stars as Washington DC bar owner Charlie, a seemingly average guy who moonlights as a slick conman from a family of criminals. Things get complicated when Charlie’s one-night stand with undercover CIA agent Emma (Catherine Haena Hill) evolves into a romance where neither can be completely honest about themselves. The Company You Keep has a juicy setup that it just might be able to sustain.
W2W wildcards of the week
Star Trek: Picard | Paramount+ | Drama, sci-fi
Season 3 premiere, Thursday, February 16: The third and final season of Star Trek: Picard reunites Jean-Luc (Patrick Stewart) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) with most of their Star Trek: The Next Generation crew: Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner (where’s Ashley Judd?). interrupting the fan-service nostalgia is a new villain, Vadic (Amanda Plummer), a revenge-bent Shrike commander with some serious Khan vibes. Make it so.
Sharper | Apple TV+ | Drama, thriller
Movie premiere, Friday, February 17: Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, and Briana Middleton star in Sharper, a flashy A24 crime thriller about con artists fleecing New York billionaires and looking fabulous while doing it. The A.V. Club says “Sharper puts a sterling ensemble of grifters and frauds through their paces,” and the film works overtime to keep you guessing from the edge of your seat. If you prefer that seat to be in a theater, Sharper is also playing in select venues.
Want more TV recommendations?
Sign up for our newsletter to stay tuned for the latest recommendations plus deals, contests, and more.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms and Conditions.
