Finding Magic Mike: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Producers Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum bring their Magic Mike-themed reality series to life while zeroing in on a bunch of dudes who want to recapture their own mojo, so they go to a stripper bootcamp and let it all hang out. No word whether Ginuwine’s “Pony” will make an appearance or if we will see Tatum, but guest hosts will include Whitney Cummings, Nikki Glaser, and Nicole Scherzinger. Lighten up and enjoy this one from afar as these guys compete for a cash prize and notoriety aplenty.
MacGruber: Season 1 (Peacock series) — This past spring, Will Forte told us that he was patiently waiting for Peacock to officially greenlight the MacGruber TV show, and it’s happening, approximately 11 years after the MacGruber film, which was (of course) based upon Forte’s recurring SNL sketch. The raunchiness of the film, co-starring Kristen Wiig as MacGruber’s sidekick (Vicki St. Elmo), surpassed the network incarnation of the sketch, but sadly, the title character’s sitting in prison these days, and only he can save the world. It’s no wonder that Forte once promised fans that that this series (written by Forte) was too “filthy” for network TV.
Firebite: Season 1 (AMC+ series) — Finally, we’ve got a new vampire series, and this one looks highly original and stars Yael Stone from Orange is the New Black. The story goes down in Australia and follows indigenous hunters who want to take out the only remaining vampire colony in the South Australian desert, which sounds wild because, you know, sunlight.
Dead Asleep (Hulu film) — This true-crime documentary turns the usual thriller format on its head while exploring whether Randy Herman Jr., who appeared to be remorseful, committed murder while asleep (which would be violent parasomnia) or if it was all a ruse. Forensic psychiatrists and prosecutors and journalists take center stage here to explore this shocking crime.
Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss (HBO, 8:00pm) — This documentary film takes a verité approach to charting rapper Juice WRLD’s rise to superstardom, a ride that was cut short when he passed away only a few years after his breakout hit. Expect a dive into drug abuse and mental health, both of which complicated this artist’s raise to fame.
Station Eleven: Season 1 (HBO Max limited series) — This post-apocalyptic drama series revolves around survivors of a flu, and hopefully, their society is faring a lot better (at least in terms of cooperating with each other) than real life.
Jimmy Kimmel Live — Neil Patrick Harris, Daniel Ranieri
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Scarlett Johansson, Bowen Yang, Toni Cornell
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen
Late Night With Seth Meyers — Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Kyle Mooney, Joe Russo
The Late Late Show With James Corden — Crosswalk Concert: BTS
A California Christmas: City Lights (Netflix film) — It wouldn’t be the holiday season without some cheesy holiday movies, and this story revolves around a beautiful couple who runs a dairy farm and winery and loves life. However, they must trek back to the city due to unavoidable circumstances, and that threatens their romance as well.
In case you missed this pick from last week:
And Just Like That…: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) are back, along with the Big Apple, y’all. No Samantha will be found, given that Kim Cattrall declined to return, but at least Samantha isn’t dead, unlike a certain other character who bit the dust in the premiere. *Cough*
Anne Boleyn (AMC+ limited series) — Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) stars in this reimagining of Tutor England’s era of King Henry VIII, and history will tell us that Anne, his second wife, did not fare well, given that no male heir surfaced from the marriage. The story leans toward psychological thriller rather than period drama, and the patriarchal society gets a feminist twist here.