History of Swear Words — (Netflix series) A Nic Cage-hosted TV show? Yes please. A Nic Cage series where he teaches us lessons about expletives? Give it to me now. Cage hosts here with an array of guests — including Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes — to dive deep into his proudly profane stance. Over the course of six episodes, you’ll learn about the origins of “F*ck,” “Sh*t,” “B*tch,” “D*ck,” “Pu**y,” and “Damn.” Alright!
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC, 8:00pm) — The marvelous Jane Levy returns for Season 2 of this fancifully musical series. This time around, Zoey returns after an appropriately extended time away to discover that her personal and work lives are now the portrait of chaos. Cue the songs.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Viz series on Hulu) — This series isn’t exactly new to Hulu, but the dubbed version is fresh, so settle into the transformation of the life of the shinobi. The son of the Seventh Hokage Naruto Uzumak enters Ninja Academy, and a series of mysterious events transpires.
Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr. (PBS, 8:00pm) — Jordan Peele, Gayle King, and Issa Rae dig into their pasts and discover previously unknown ancestors and consider profound inquiries about family.
This Is Us (NBC, 9:00pm) — Season 5 picks up with Kate confronting past events, Randall experiencing the aftereffects of viral fame, and Kevin building toward his future.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Anya Taylor-Joy
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Gwen Stefani, Ralph Macchio
The Late Late Show With James Corden — James Marsden, Tim Minchin
In case you missed these recent picks:
The High Note — (Focus Features film on HBO) Movies in 2020 didn’t fare so well in theaters, but HBO is giving this film a second whirl. The comedy-drama picture stars Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Zoë Chao, Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard, and Ice Cube, and it’s about the personal assistant who aims to be a music producer while working for a famous singer.
The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina: Part Four — (Netflix series) The Riverdale spinoff will come to a (planned) end with this installment starring Kiernan Shipka. This time around, the Devil-afflicted Nick’s attempting to win Sabrina back after surrendering to his darker urges, but The Eldritch Terrors have descended upon Greendale, and The Void could truly be the End of All Things. Can the Fright Club save the day? I’m (strangely) pulling for Harvey over here. And Salem the Cat. Meow.
Vikings: Season 6B — (Amazon Prime) The final ten episodes of the History Channel series are making their debut on streaming first. The epic saga comes to a close with grave consequences from the confrontations between the Vikings and the Rus. Ivar the Boneless has a last reckoning with the King, and there’s unfinished business all over England. Get ready for (of course) a violent and bloody end to the show.