📺 Watching: Bad Monkey, The Boys, Mr. Throwback

plus a previously aired series, 3 new movies & 3 series to watch this week

Aug 15, 2024

Hello again. The Olympics are officially over (sad), but the city of lights will remain a feature of our streaming screens for the rest of the summer: the Paralympic Games begin in a few weeks, and Emily in Paris is back with its fourth season!

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Mr. Throwback (Peacock)
Bad Monkey (Apple TV+)
The Boys (Prime Video)
The Newsroom (Max)

— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll

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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week. Our full list of August releases, including theatrical releases and streaming debuts, is available here and published monthly for our premium subscribers.

Jackpot! (Movie) — Paul Feig directs this action-comedy starring Awkwafina, John Cena, and Simu Liu. Set in the near future, a “Grand Lottery” has been newly established in California; the catch: kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot.
Watch on Prime Video: August 15
Emily in Paris (Season 4a) — The new season of Netflix's hit rom-com series featuring the misadventures of Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) has been split into two parts; the first premieres on August 15 and the second on September 12.
Watch on Netflix: August 15 (all 5 episodes of Part 1)
Bel-Air (Season 3) — School's out for the summer in this season of the dramatic Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reimagining. Joseph Marcell (the original Geoffrey) joins the cast as a yet-to-be-named Banks family member.
Watch on Peacock: August 15 (3 of 10 episodes, then weekly)
The Union (Movie) — A New Jersey construction worker (Mark Wahlberg) goes from regular man to aspiring spy when his long-lost high school sweetheart (Halle Berry) recruits him for an espionage mission.
Watch on Netflix: August 16
Immaculate* (Movie) — A devoutly religious woman arrives at an illustrious convent in the Italian countryside, but her picture-perfect new home is soon revealed to hold horrifying secrets. Sydney Sweeney stars.
Watch on Hulu: August 16 (*Streaming Premiere)
Chimp Crazy (Limited Series) — From the creators of Tiger King, this docuseries focuses on Tonia Haddix, the self-described “Dolly Parton of chimps,” and the drastic steps she took to keep one of seven chimpanzees that she used to look after.
Watch on HBO/Max: August 18 (1 of 4 episodes, then weekly)

Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.

Mr. Throwback

Keywords: mockumentary, sitcom, comedy
Watch if you like: The Office, The Comeback, Entourage
Jess’s Rating: B+

I wasn’t expecting a lot from a mockumentary starring Steph Curry that appeared on Peacock out of the blue, but I’m happy to report that it’s a good time. The short series stars Adam Pally as Danny, a lovable loser running a memorabilia shop, who reconnects with his childhood friend, NBA superstar Steph Curry (playing himself). A documentary crew charts the tumultuous path that Danny puts his family on after hoodwinking his famous friend in order to recoup financial losses.

Going into the show, I was nervous that Curry’s lack of acting experience would make him a distracting gimmick, but he’s surprisingly confident and charismatic on screen. His willingness to poke fun at himself and his own status earned my respect, and his comedic timing is far better than I would have imagined. Star power aside, every good mockumentary needs a strong ensemble, and Mr. Throwback delivers. Unsurprising to Happy Endings fans, Pally is perfectly cast as a guy who is both of questionable morals and undeniably likable. Ayden Mayeri (The Afterparty), as his ex-wife, proves that she has been woefully under-utilized in the comedy world. And Ego Nwodim (SNL) delivers sharp one-liners with impeccable precision.

Instead of episodic storylines, the series follows a discrete plot over the course of these six episodes. It’s short and sweet, and accomplishes what it sets out to. But its brevity also keeps it from feeling impactful. Mr. Throwback is an easy watch, and a positive addition to Peacock’s repertoire, but I doubt it will make any Top 10 lists at the end of the year.

— Jess

Length: 30-min runtime, 1 season / 6 episodes
Watch on: Peacock

Bad Monkey

Keywords: mystery, comedy, detective drama, book adaptation
Watch if you like: Bodkin, Burn Notice, Poker Face
Jess’s Rating: B-

The latest project from Ted Lasso and Shrinking creator Bill Lawrence kicks off with promise, but falls a bit short of my high expectations. Adapted from the Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name, Vince Vaughn stars as Andrew Yancy, a suspended detective in the Florida Keys who has a knack for finding trouble. When a mysterious severed arm is fished out of the ocean, Yancy jumps at the chance to prove himself, even if no one's asking him to.

Two episodes in, and the show is juggling a lot. Yancy is dealing with a sort-of-ex-girlfriend while trying to get back on the police force and surreptitiously investigating the detached arm. Meanwhile, there’s a separate storyline in the Bahamas that focuses on a character named Neville and his imminent expulsion from his home. And it’s all narrated, for no discernible reason, by a local folksy charter-captain.

Vaughn brings his signature rapid-fire wit to Yancy, and whether or not that works for you will depend on how charming (or grating) you find him. The supporting cast shows promise, especially Jodie Turner-Smith as a Bahamian mystic, Meredith Hagner as a suspiciously unbothered widow, and a fresh-off-of-Deadpool Rob Delaney as a shady developer.

Lawrence's trademark quippy dialogue is on full display, and the Florida Keys setting provides a vibrant backdrop for the shenanigans. But the show seems to be struggling a bit with its tone, wavering between quirky comedy and more serious crime drama. It's too early to make a definitive call, but if it can find its footing and balance its various elements, Bad Monkey has the potential to be another win in Lawrence’s roster.

— Jess

Length: ~50-min runtime, Limited Series / 10 episodes (2 available, new on Wednesdays)
Watch on: Apple TV+

Where we choose a recent-ish show that we enjoyed (or a show that is returning soon) to review and feature.

The Boys

Keywords: action, dark comedy-drama, satire
Watch if you like: The Umbrella Academy, Peacemaker, Heroes
Jenni’s Rating: B+

When The Boys returned for its fourth season earlier this summer, I realized that somehow I’d never seen a single episode. Now, one month later, I’ve binged my way through the first two and a half seasons, and I can’t believe I’ve waited this long.

The Boys is a darkly comedic, satirical take on the superhero genre, offering a gritty depiction of what a world with super-powered individuals might really look like. If you’ve read Brandon Sanderson’s Steelheart, it has a very similar concept and tone: the show flips the traditional hero narrative on its head, portraying the "supes" as corrupt, morally ambiguous, and often downright evil, while a ragtag group of vigilantes, aka "The Boys," attempt to expose and take them down.

The writing is sharp, the characters, complex, and the action, intense. This series balances moments of absurd humor with genuinely shocking twists and drama; each episode feels like a new revelation, peeling back layers of a world that’s both fascinating and horrifying. The performances, particularly by Antony Starr as Homelander, are top-notch and anchor the show in a way that helps make even its most outlandish moments feel grounded.

I should mention there is a decent amount of violence and gore — almost verging on gratuitous — but it’s not as shocking once you learn to expect it, and it actually serves to underscore the cynical and unpredictable nature of the world portrayed in the series. I wouldn’t expect myself (a squeamish scaredy-cat) to say this, but the graphic content does enhance the impact and heightened tone of the story, making the stakes feel somehow both cartoonish and viscerally real.

If you’re tired of boiler-plate dramas and looking for something that pushes creative boundaries, The Boys is a must-watch. I’m sad to say, I have heard middling reviews about the most recent season, but I’ll hold my comments and report back when I get there.

— Jenni

Length: 60-min runtime, 4 seasons / 32 episodes
Watch on: Prime Video

Where we highlight shows that have long-since ended or been canceled, that are well-worth digging back up.

The Newsroom (2012-2014)

Keywords: workplace drama, uplifting, journalism
Watch if you like: The West Wing, The Morning Show, Madam Secretary
Jenni’s Rating: B-

As a byproduct of living in a swing state, I have been absolutely inundated with political ads over the last few weeks. They’re not really doing anything to change my mind, but they are really making me want to rewatch shows like Veep and The West Wing, and slightly more removed, but still relevant: The Newsroom.

Sharing a similar optimism and political interest with his most famous series set in the White House, Aaron Sorkin’s most recent TV project, The Newsroom, chronicles the behind-the-scenes drama and inner-workings of the fictional Atlantis Cable News. The episodes feature actual news events of the early 2000s, but deal with them in a slightly more utopian way than any actual cable news program would have. Jeff Daniels stars as the station’s anchor Will McAvoy who, together with his staff — an incredible ensemble cast including Emily Mortimer, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, and Sam Waterston — sets out to put on a show with journalistic integrity, despite a flood of corporate and commercial obstacles.

This series has a fair few haters, especially in the professional TV reviewing scene, but if you love the witty dialogue, hopeful heart, and entangled personal relationships that make up the core of Sorkin’s dramas, it is absolutely worth a watch. There’s definitely some grandstanding and sweeping idealistic moments in The Newsroom that can come off as preachy, but the show is well-acted and compelling enough to suck you in, despite those moments that may give you the ick.

So, while it may not convert its critics, The Newsroom is a worthwhile choice for anyone looking to escape the barrage of modern political ads and dive into a world where the news is delivered with passion, principles, and purpose, and by a team you want to see succeed.

— Jenni

Length: 50-min runtime, 3 seasons / 25 episodes
Watch on: Max

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