procrastinationchronicles.com – how television rules my life…

new and noteworthy tv: 4/22-5/5

April 21, 2024 No Comments

I started up with The Sympathizer (Max) and it has a lot of the elements that worked well in the book but might need a couple more to get more cohesive (or hectic in a deeper way). I also enjoyed the tv take on Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime) and am excited to see a season two (though not sure it has officially been renewed). I also finished the PBS series Nolly (PBS) which wasn’t super compelling but somehow kept me in for three episodes and Monsieur Spade (AMC) which I liked the vibe of but kept forgetting who all the people were. And diving into some Disney+ with a Marvel review, I think I tried both Inhumans and Cloak & Dagger when they were on and deemed them too dumb to watch. There was only one season of Inhumans which made good mindless watching but it really was dumb. Will report back on Cloak & Dagger.

Shogun (Fx/Hulu) Season Finale, Tuesday 4/23, 10pm – Folks have been raving about this show, I am a little behind but think it’s definitely a good one though not going to catch up before Tuesday.
Dead Boy Detectives (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/25 – Two teen ghosts work with a clairvoyant to solve mysteries.
The Veil (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 4/30 – Elisabeth Moss as a badass in an international spy thriller, yes please.
Fiasco (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 4/30 – A mockumentary of a first-time director’s film going awry.
Shardlake (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 5/1 – A 16th-century England monastery murder mystery.
Hacks (Max) Season Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – This show has been a hoot and I’m looking forward to the next season.
A Man in Full (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – An Atlanta real estate tycoon’s empire starts to crumble, has Jeff Danels and Diane Lane so could be worth a look
Scrublands (SundN/AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – Based on the novel an Australian noir crime drama
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – Based on a true story about two prisoners who meet, fall in love, and try to stay alive.
Welcome to Wrexham (FX) Season Premiere, Thursday 5/2 – A new season after being promoted, this series does a great job of telling multiple stories and covering things from touching to amusing.
Maryland (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 5/5, 9pm – A tale of two sisters who find out secrets after their mother’s death, with Stockard Channing as a quirky friend.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

technology, tv

time to cut the cord

April 13, 2024 No Comments

I have had “deal with tv” on my list of things to do for ages. I knew I was paying too much for cable, but I’m a tv gal so it seemed ok that I was prioritizing tv. But these days with all the streaming options it also seemed like there had to be something better. And I am already paying for Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. And Max. But as soon as I started to Google “tv options” I became overwhelmed and put it off.

So I finally started taking some action. I’ve been using a Tivo as my DVR with cable. So I pulled up my list of season passes and looked at what networks I really watched. And then I started to look at where I could get the various options. FX/FXX is easy because it’s always on Hulu. I could add Paramount+ and Peacock to get NBC and CBS. And was ABC also playing on Hulu?

I felt myself starting to freeze up again.

So I checked Hulu Live to see what coverage they had and basically, it was everything except AMC. I have been enjoying but figured I could AMC+ at some point if it was a dealbreaker for the next season of Dark Winds for example. Then I checked YouTube and decided since I already had Hulu I wasn’t going to go down that rabbit hole.

I didn’t love the idea of getting everything on streaming. There have been times when for example the internet goes out and I’ve been able to watch regular tv. It has been relatively infrequently. The other thing that I love is the ease of pausing and rewinding or fast-forwarding on regular DVR shows, and the fact that you can actually pause the screen and see what’s there. These didn’t seem like deal-breakers.

So it’s happened. I’ve added all my season passes to be recorded and there’s an option to go to my stuff and find recorded programs. So far it seems to work which I guess is what one wants. I am not as comfortable with the interface. I don’t see for example how to display what shows are upcoming to be recorded. We’ll see. And I now get Disney+ so I’ll be poking around there.

I know that I can always go back to cable if I hate it. And I’d be more appreciative if that was the case.

Next, I’m not sure I need my TiVo anymore but that’s an emotional decision I can put off for another day. I will add it to my list.

Do you still have cable? If not how are you getting tv these days?

new and noteworthy tv: 4/8-4/21

April 7, 2024 No Comments

Some of the network tv is finishing up. Resident Alien (Syfy) has held up well, Extended Family (NBC) made a decent pairing with Night Court, and Wild Cards (CW) was a fun compliment to Family Law. Throw in some Children Ruin Everything (CW) and Ride and we can call it a day. I also caught the first Parish (AMC) and while it didn’t immediately grab me there were enough elements to tune back in as well as Sight Unseen (CW) which was ridiculous and the premise will get more ridiculous as they try to move it forward. This week I’m intrigued to see the reviews on The Sympathizer and Fallout, if only because Walton Goggins is in it and The Last of Us shows that shows based on video games can be good.

Hapless (Pea) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/10 – A UK comedy series about an obsessive and gaffe-prone journalist, originally aired starting in 2020 in the UK.
Fallout (Am) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/11 – Based on the video game franchise a woman surfaces from an underground bunker 200 years after an apocalypse to a hostile Los Angeles.
Baby Reindeer (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/11 – A struggling comedian shows kindness to a woman who turns obsessive.
Franklin (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/12 – Michael Douglas stars in this series based on a book about Benjamin Franklin.
The Sympathizer (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/14, 9pm – This book was great, curious how well it translates as we look at a spy at the close of the Vietnam war.
Under the Bridge (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/17 – Based on a true-crime book a girl goes to meet friends at a party and disappears.
Dinner with the Parents (Free) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/18 – A comedy set at a weekly family dinner.
Big Mood (Tubi) Series Premiere, Friday 4/19 – A comedy about female friendship tested by mental illness.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Roku) Series Premiere, Friday 4/19 – Based on the book series a family returns to an ancestral home to find fantastical secrets.

new and noteworthy tv: 3/25-4/7

March 24, 2024 No Comments

I was so busy catching up on movies I had to limit my tv shows for a bit. Happy to now turn back to a few things I was wrapping up. Starting with Feud: Capote vs The Swans (FX/Hulu) which overall I was meh about, a little fun at first to revisit that era and peeps but not enough of the right notes and seemed to drag on.

Dead Hot (Tubi) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/27 – I’m not really sure what to do about Tubi shows, it’s apparently a free network, do I start checking these out? This is a mystery/thriller about besties where something from their past comes back to haunt them.
The Baxters (Am) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/18 – Roma Downey helms this ‘faith-based’ family journey, based on a book series, pass.
We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/28 – Based on a novel inspired by the true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of WWII, I might need a break from the tragedies of war.
A Gentleman in Moscow (Show) Series Premiere, Friday 3/291, 9pm – I loved Amor Towles’s Rules of Civility but hadn’t gotten to this one, Ewan McGregor stars a what one assumes is a gentleman holed up in a Russian hotel and not allowed to leave, I don’t get Showtime at the moment so maybe I try a quick book read first.
Renegade Nell (Dis+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/29 – A young woman framed for murder becomes a notorious outlaw in 18th-century England, wouldn’t be my first Disney watch.
Parish (AMC) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/31, 9pm – Giancarlo Esposito stars as a man whose life is destroyed and he goes back to his wheelman roots, Esposito is always good I’ll check this out.
Sight Unseen (CW) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/3, 9pm – A cop who goes clinically blind keeps solving crimes with the help of an agoraphobic remote helper, I feel like the CW already had a blind person solving crimes show, I’ll watch at least one so I can feel good about my disdain.
Ripley (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/4 – A grifter tries to build a life in the world of wealth and privilege after being sent to Italy to try and bring a rich guy’s son home, I do enjoy a grifter and it’s got Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning so pending reviews.
Sugar (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/5 – Colin Farrell stars as a PI trying to get to the bottom of a disappearance, I’m currently without Apple so I’ll wait for the reviews.
Mary & George (Starz) Series Premiere, Friday 4/5, 9pm – Mother and son one of whom seduces King James I, I’m not that into the historical stuff but with Julianne Moore, though Starz isn’t high on my list.
Mr Bates vs the Post Office (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 4/7, 9pm – A David vs Goliath story of British postal managers accused of stealing when money started disappearing.

movies

procrastinator’s must-see movies of 2023

March 22, 2024 No Comments

So I’ve watched what I’m going to watch. I do like to see all the best pic nominees and I have accomplished that but the list of movies that people considered best of last year is pretty endless. While this list focuses more on this year’s releases than my other lists do (Books & TV) as you can see I do watch things from the previous years so figure they should also get their spotlight. This year I started tracking movies with a 5-star rating, I thougt it would help me remember and maybe compact the recency bias. But to be honest, do I remember Cha Cha Real Smoot as being all that great? No. But I gave it a high rating at the time so we’re going with it.

American Fiction – I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, relationships, and look at the literary scene through the lens of ‘Black’ fiction.
The Holdovers – The movie really finds a way to show the evolution from start to finish of characters and their understanding of each other with poignant moments.
Sharper – I dig a good caper or con and this was a fun layer of who’s screwing who and how with a strong cast including Julianne Moore to pull it all off.
Air – I almost didn’t watch this because the topic didn’t interest me but I was totally drawn into this Nike getting Michael Jordan.
Nyad – Another movie I almost didn’t watch but man this story is incredible and Annette Bening pulls it off, with the also great Jodie Foster.
Flora & Son – Starting with a pretty rough mother and son relationship it turns into something that’s just sweet.
Beastie Boys Story (2020) – I mean this was an era, I rarely do docs but this story by remaining members Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz of Beastie Boys along with appropriately Spike Jonze directing is a gem.
How to Blow Up A Pipeline (2022) – Environmental activists bring out the heist vibe I dig as we see how they come together and their plan.
Language Lessons (2021) – Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass create characters and circumstances that just brought me in as remote Spanish lessons bring them together.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) – Another sweet flick, an aimless guy starts hosting bar mitzvah parties and develops a relationship with a mother and daughter that turns in just enough of an untropey way.

What were your faves of last year?

new and noteworthy tv: 3/11-3/24

March 8, 2024 No Comments

Moving through my Peacock subscription (acquired temporarily for Holdovers and Oppenheimer) I finished Mrs. Davis which was very odd and I appreciate the big swing. I also caught the first of Elsbeth (CBS) and will stay tuned there, one doesn’t need to have watched the previous shows but you’ll appreciate things like a Cary Agos namedrop. I’m also trying to grab a few more flicks before I finally do my best pic list.

Boat Story (Free) Series Premiere, Tuesday 3/12 – This thriller follows two strangers who find a boatload of coke and decide it’s going to get them a new life, but the police, gangsters, and hitmen might have something to say about it.
Apples Never Fall (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/14 – Annette Bening and Sam Neill play a picture-perfect couple but their family faces a twist when a wounded woman knocks on their door.
The Girls on the Bus (Max) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/14 – Four female journalists on the campaign trail to the White House.
Girls5eva (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 3/14 – This cute show moves from Peacock to Netflix for season 3, one assumes more hijinks to ensue.
Manhunt (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/15 – A portrayal of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Lincoln.
Nolly (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/17, 9pm – Helena Bonham Carter stars as one of British TV’s most famous faces and her firing.
Alice & Jack (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/17, 10pm – A love story that will undoubtedly face some challenges.
Palm Royale (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/20 – Kristen Wiig leads an all-star cast as a woman trying to make it into Palm Beach high society in 1969.
3 Body Problem (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/21 – 5 friends deal with the laws of science unraveling across continents.
Diarra from Detroit (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/21 – A woman can’t believe she’s been ghosted but her investigation into his whereabouts turns into a dive into Detroit underworld.
The Long Shadow (SundN/AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/21 – A true crime drama about the Yorkshire Ripper.

lifestyle

calistoga

March 3, 2024 No Comments

You may remember that I like to do a spa day each year for my birthday. Occasionally I make a weekend out of it and go somewhere local, typically somewhere in the wine country. Being so close I often end up at Sonoma for day trips so I wanted to dig in a little further.

Last year I stayed in St. Helena and since I found it so charming made it my lunch stop on the way up. A delicious meal at The Charter Oak right as the rain was really starting to come down. Followed by a stroll through the downtown and a quick stop at The Model Bakery, though a little too late for their English muffins.

From there I made my way up to my Calistoga hotel The Best Western Plus Stevenson Manor. Overall a nice stay with a short walk to the main downtown. They had a pool and jacuzzi as well as a gym, I passed due to the pretty constant downpour and my spa day. They had onsite breakfast which was meh. A cute downtown strip with shops, restaurants, and wine-tasting rooms. Did I make some purchases at Blackbird, yes I did.

I didn’t book vineyard tastings for the weekend because I wanted a little more flexibility and with the pouring rain most of the outside spaces were a no-go. But fret not there are tastings to be had. Lawer Estates had a tasty selection and a friendly staff who also helped me with some restaurant recs. Picayune Cellars & Mercantile was very cute and I even opted for the chocolate pairings which I hear were introduced for the Insta crowds, but yum. Over the weekend I also made it to August Briggs which I found a little less engaging of an experience.

As for food, the first rec landed me at Sam’s Social Club for a tasty and festive dinner. The next day breakfast went to their historically noted breakfast place Cafe Sarafornia for some solid breakfast grub. And then a fancy dinner wasn’t thwarted by the power outage and the staff at Evangeline made a lovely dinner happen.

And the spa day was really the cornerstone of the weekend. I did “the works” at Dr Wilkinsons. An early arrival allowed time to hang in the fortunately covered mineral hot springs. From there a mud bath followed by a mineral bath with a facemask. A pop into the steam room before a blanket wrap. This gets you all ready for your massage. I certainly felt gooey after that day.

On my trip back I decided to take the cutover to Healdsberg and check it out. A daring decision in the continued downpour but the downtown square makes for a charming stroll. One more tasting at Lioco was a great vibe and tasty wines. A lunch stop at PizZando where I had a solid pasta before heading back.

I’m so grateful to be close to so many beautiful places and to have the opportunity to just get out of my apartment for a bit. Another year well celebrated.

new and noteworthy tv: 2/26-3/10

February 25, 2024 No Comments

I finally kicked out my top tv of 2023 last week. One of the things that was holding me up was that I was trying to finish Succession(HBO) because it was on so many people’s lists. I started it after it ended so that was a chunk of episodes and it’s not a light bingy show. Overall I thought it was good and the performances were great but I don’t love a show where people are all idiots and assholes. I also dabbled with at least starting as many of the one-off shows on various lists. I’m currently rocking a Peacock subscription for a few various items.

County Rescue (GAF) Series Premiere, Monday 2/26, 8pm – Great American Family is a network I’m not tracking but apparently this is its first original series, an action-adventure medical drama.
Shogun (FX/Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 2/27, 10pm – Based on the novel, 1600 Japan and Civil War, early reviews look good.
Perimeter (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/29 – Interconnected stories set in 90’s Atlanta.
Elsbeth (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/29, 10pm – I loved Carrie Preston as this character in The Good Wife and The Good Fight, two great series so of course I’m tuning in.
Dead Hot (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 3/1 – This UK comedy thriller set in Liverpool shows two friends bonded after the trauma of losing someone and new people bringing new drama.
The Regime (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/3, 9pm – The story of a year in the walls of the European palace with Kate Winslet trying to hold it together.
Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Fox) Season Premiere, Tuesday 3/5, 9pm – I’m pretty sure this series wasn’t good when it first came out but maybe it was a slow time, I’ll catch one but although I like a certain amount of procedurals in my repertoire I really would like to stop watching shows that I’m not that into, too much backlog.
Animal Control (Fox) Season Premiere, Wednesday 3/6, 9pm – This was another show that I think I wanted to be funnier than it was because it has a good cast, we will see where they start.
The Gentlemen (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/7 – Guy Ritchie brings us a series about an English aristocrat who inherits an estate to find it is a cannabis empire, set in this world of the movie of the same name.

best, tv

procrastinator’s top tv of 2023

February 22, 2024 No Comments

I was honestly thankful for the strike to give me a little breathing room (very sad for the strife of workers and glad they came to a resolution). Standard caveats apply, I haven’t seen everything and this list could look very different depending on the day. But here goes:

Shrinking (App+) – This might have been the right time right place but caught this as I was coming out of having Covid and catching up on some Apple TV and I found the characters and situation sweet and funny and Harrison Ford is Chef’s kiss.
The Bear (Fx/Hulu) – This could easily have done a repeat at one, I thought there was no way they could keep up the quality and pace but not only a great season but some amazing individual episodes (which I don’t normally pay as much attention to) now I’m nervous about doing it again in three.
The Last of Us (HBO) – I have honestly been over post-apocalyptic and zombie shows but I will follow Joel and Ellie wherever they go.
The Diplomat (Net) – I wasn’t sure I’d be as enthusiastic about Kerry Russell in anything after The Americans but was immediately pulled into this and the constant issues and relationships at stake.
Fargo (Fx/Hulu) – I had faded in enthusiasm for this show but they came back in fine form bringing midwestern nice back with lots of fun characters and of course bloodshed.
Poker Face (Pea) – I love a good procedural and Natasha Lyonne running away across the country and having individual murder-solving episodes in new towns each with its own vibe is great fun and I don’t even care about the can tell you’re lying gimmick, though you know too many murders for one person to run across.
Somebody Somewhere (HBO) – Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller show a complicated friendship and their, and everyone else’s, sweet quirks get me.
Gen V (Am) – I was almost giving up on The Boys because of all the brutal violence but I had fun with this new entry into this universe, its supes, and much corruption.
Severance* (App+) – This was technically last year but I did a binge-month subscription, and I certainly don’t know where they’re going with this series but the first season was captivating.
Bad Sisters* (App+) – I don’t know that I want this show to go another season but this unbelievable series of events came to a nice closure.

Last year I added series that had ended in 2022 that may not necessarily have hit the top ten but some are definitely worthwhile so thought I’d do it again (not an exhaustive list) :

The Afterparty (App+) – Another binge and again not sure it worked as well from season to season but the multiple POVs and associated styles a fun format for a whodunnit.
Barry (HBO) – This show overall was really good, I didn’t love where they went with the final season but I get it.
Better Call Saul* (AMC) – Since I was behind on doing Breaking Bad I delayed this but they did a great job of creating a worthwhile prequel and engaging characters, again I didn’t love the final season.
The Flight Attendant* (HBO) – The first season of this was a hoot, the second season still intriguing but a little more of a stretch, Kaley Cuoco as a mess really makes it work but also fun supporting cast.
Girls* (HBO) – Ugh this show was nearly unwatchable, I don’t need my people to be likable but I kind of want them not to be complete idiots and assholes to everyone.
The Great (Hulu) – This was a very fun occasionally true story of Catherine the Great, Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult brought a new side to things, also a fun supporting cast.
Happy Valley (BBC) – I was pleasantly surprised to have a third season come back so many years later, I didn’t really remember all the details but a nice conclusion to a terrible story.
Lucifer* (Net) – This was a very late pickup for me but what a fun show, they did a surprisingly good job of the story of the devil on earth and various family and implications.
The Other Two (Max) – This was a fun sendup of the whole Hollywood thing, great ridiculousness with our two floundering siblings as they try to make it.
Reservation Dogs (Fx/Hulu) – This show made my top ten list a number of times, beautifully crafted series following indigenous teens in rural Oklahoma, and ran the spectrum from funny to heartbreaking with wonderful standalone tales.
Sex Education (Net) – I didn’t love the final season of this but won’t let that mar the great fun of the earlier seasons as our inept sexpert helps fellow teens with usually helpful advice.
Single Drunk Female (Free/Hulu) – A comeback story of a woman trying to rebuild her life after a public flameout, sweet and funny.
Succession (HBO) – Well done with great performances but another case of you seeming to be idiots and assholes doesn’t make for my favorite tv or I would think a successful business.
Ted Lasso (App+) – You can’t go wrong with Ted, it’s definitely a feel-good show worth watching, it’ll make a soccer/football fan out of most.

* I finished in 2023 but season/series finished earlier

I’d love to hear some of your favorites in the comments.

new and noteworthy tv: 2/12-2/25

February 9, 2024 No Comments

I watched a couple of the Feud (Fx/Hulu) and while it’s not great there is something appealing about the inside look at society. I cranked through the latest season of Queer Eye (Net) which also isn’t great but is always a nice palette cleanser. Also, the latest Reacher (Prime) which wasn’t as good as the first but still fun enough. The latest season of Lupin (Net) which I still quite enjoy, I am a sucker for a good caper. I delved into the first season of One Piece (Net) because it had gotten some buzz and found myself kind of pulled into the pirate adventure. I also did a little catch-up on Bob’s Burgers (Fox/Hulu) the one animated show that I find endearing. And enjoying the return of regular network tv.

The New Look (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/14 – Inspired by true events this series focuses on Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, and other contemporaries as they launch modern fashion coming out of WWII.
Resident Alien (Syfy) Season Premiere, Wednesday 2/14, 10pm – I think this show is a hoot, and Alan Tudyk as an alien passing himself off as a small-town doctor deserves an Emmy.
Churchy (BET+) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/15 – A son is bypassed for leadership of his father’s megachurch and strikes out on his own with comic results.
Far North (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/15 – A drug smuggling dramedy about a New Zealand meth deal gone awry.
The Vince Staples Show (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/15 – A rapper and actor navigates everyday life in this comedy.
Ghosts/So Help Me Todd (CBS) Season Premieres, Thursday 2/15, 8:30/9 – A fun lineup returns, I’m curious to see what awaits us in the new seasons.
The Equalizer (CBS) Season Premiere, Sunday 2/18, 8pm – After watching the latest Denzel flick I’m even more appreciative that they did this Queen Latifa version, I can’t remember what sort of dire straights we left things in.
Will Trent (ABC) Season Premiere, Tuesday 2/20, 8pm – I enjoyed this random Louisana ‘cop,’ his surrounding peeps, and his tiny dog.
Constellation (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/21 – An astronaut returns to Earth only to find pieces of her life missing.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/2 – So I guess more of this.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (AMC) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/25, 9pm – A spinoff focusing on Rick and Michonne, I stopped watching this ages ago but clearly it still has legs.

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