It’s Leap Day week! Thursday, February 29 gives us an extra 24 hours in 2024, so use it wisely and revisit the classic “Leap Day” episode of 30 Rock and revel in the legend of Leap Day William, who lives in the Mariana Trench and trades candy for children’s tears. Stream it on Peacock, Hulu, or The Roku Channel.
This week’s What to Watch recs include the new period epic Shōgun, Adam Sandler sci-fi drama Spaceman, Good Wife/Good Fight spinoff Elsbeth, dark Kate Winslet comedy The Regime, and FIA Formula One racing action. TV is good for you—dig in!
What’s new on TV this week
Series premiere, Tuesday, February 27: James Clavell’s 1975 novel Shōgun was first adapted as a five-episode TV miniseries in 1980. FX’s new take doubles the runtime and epic scale. In 1600 Japan, Englishman John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) washes ashore as Lord Toranga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is battling for his political and mortal lives. Meanwhile, the mysterious samurai Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai) works to prove her value to the regime. Speaking of value: Based on early reviews, Shōgun currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Coverage begins Saturday, March 2, 6:55 a.m. PT/9:55 a.m. ET: The 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship peels out first with the Bahrain Grand Prix this Saturday, then burns rubber on Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, China, Canada, and over a dozen more countries until December. The 24 races will air live on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, and ABC. If that isn’t enough vroom-vroom action for you, the concurrent Formula Two Championship will stream on ESPN3 via ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
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What to watch on Netflix this week
American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders | Netflix | Documentary
Miniseries premiere, Wednesday, February 28: The producers of Wild Wild Country (including the Duplass Brothers) are back, this time with a true-crime docuseries about the mysterious death of investigative journalist Danny Casolaro. In the 1980s, Casolaro reported on a dispute between Ronald Reagan’s Department of Justice and a spy tech company and soon uncovered a conspiracy with so many arms he called it an “octopus.” He died in 1991, but his alleged murder wasn’t the end of the story.
Spaceman | Netflix | Drama, sci-fi
Movie premiere, Friday, March 1: If you buy Adam Sandler as an astronaut, you’ll buy the premise of Spaceman. Six months into a solo research mission at the edge of the solar system, Jakub (Sandler) discovers a spidery alien (voiced by Paul Dano) aboard his spacecraft. Since the alien has life experience going back to the beginning of time, he has some sound romance advice for Jakub about fixing his relationship with his estranged wife (Carey Mulligan) back on Earth. Didn’t see that coming, did you?
What to watch on Paramount+ this week
Survivor | CBS, Paramount+ | Reality
Season 46 premiere, Wednesday, February 28: For the 16th time in its 24-year run, Survivor returns to the islands of Fiji with 18 new contestants, including at least one from your area who’s going to be all over your local CBS news station for the next few weeks. There are no major changes to the Survivor formula this time around (if it ain’t broke, etc.), just the usual social and physical games set against a breathtaking backdrop and the leathery visage of Jeff Probst. This week’s premiere is two hours long; gather the snacks.
Elsbeth | CBS, Paramount+ | Drama
Series premiere, Thursday, February 29: Thanks to last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Elsbeth will probably be this season’s only new scripted series from CBS. But who’s Elsbeth? If you were a fan of The Good Wife and its sequel The Good Fight, you know attorney Elsbeth Tasciono (Carrie Preston). In her solo spinoff from the Good series, Elsbeth relocates to New York City to help the NYPD solve cases. Yes, it’s another “wacky outsider works with the police” setup, but at least it’s not, ugh, So Help Me Todd.
More of what to watch on streaming this week
Me, Hereafter | Hulu | Documentary
Miniseries premiere, Thursday, February 29: Here’s a dramatic new true-crime docuseries twist: the story is told from the murdered victims’ POV. Me, Hereafter uses actor voice portrayals “from beyond the grave” to narrate the standard-issue shadowy reenactments and interviews with family members and investigators, adding a haunting (and creepy) element to the proceedings. All four episodes of Me, Hereafter will stream on February 29. Happy Leap Day, murderphiles!
Miniseries premiere, Sunday, March 3: After Mildred Pierce and Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet has finally landed an HBO limited series without her character’s name in it—unless she’s playing Elena T. Regime (note: she is not). Winslet stars as Elena Vernham, the chancellor of a fictional Central European autocracy that’s falling apart around her. As the walls close in, power-addicted Elena becomes paranoid and unhinged, making The Regime a deliciously dark comedy in the vein of cold-war classic Dr. Strangelove.
Movies available to rent/buy on VOD this week
- Poor Things (February 27)
- Lisa Frankenstein (February 27)
- Demise (February 27)
- Monster (February 27)
- A Nashville Wish (February 27)
- What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears? (February 27)
- Why Men Are Clueless (February 27)
- The Beast (February 28)
- Butchers Book Two: Raghorn (February 29)
- Amelia’s Children (March 1)
