This new TV show is one of the best depictions of adolescence our critic has seen
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who loves “My So-Called Life,” “Freaks and Geeks” and “Reservation Dogs.”
Those are the three TV series about adolescence to which TV critic Robert Lloyd favorably compares Amazon Freevee’s “High School,” premiering Friday, in his recommendation this week. Plus, we look back on Angela Lansbury’s indelible performance in “The Manchurian Candidate,” advise you to catch up on “The Owl House,” gab with the cast of “Reboot” and more.
And, as always, we’d love to hear what you’re watching, too: Send your TV or streaming movie recommendations to [email protected] with your name and location. Submissions should be no longer than 200 words and are subject to editing for length and clarity.
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A few weeks ago, while watching “The Long, Hot Summer” (multiple platforms), I lunged for the pause button: Was that Angela Lansbury as Minnie Littlejohn, the mistress of the Mississippi plantation owner played by Orson Welles? Dumb question, really: Once she showed up, who else could she have been? Lansbury, who died this week at 96, wasn’t the kind of actor you mistook for anyone else. Just four years after “The Long, Hot Summer,” Lansbury would deliver her most indelible film performance in “The Manchurian Candidate” (multiple platforms). I remember watching John Frankenheimer’s great thriller as a teenager and feeling captivated and terrified; having known Lansbury mainly through her signature Disney “B&B” musical roles in “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (multiple platforms) and “Beauty and the Beast” (multiple platforms), it floored me that a sweet singing teapot could also become the murderous embodiment of political evil. That’s the magic of acting — and Lansbury was one of its most spellbinding practitioners. —Justin Chang
Based on the 2019 bunk-bed memoir by Canadian identical-twin singing sisters Tegan and Sara Quin, “High School” (Amazon Freevee) is a quietly beautiful series, as good a show about adolescence as I’ve ever seen. Television stories about teenagers tend toward the fantastic; they are most often soap operas, melodramas, sensationalistic and/or overstylized. (Indeed, naturalism is something most American television productions can’t or don’t care to achieve.) Executive produced by the Quins and Clea DuVall and anchored by terrific performances by twins Railey and Seazynn Gilliland, as Tegan and Sara respectively, I’d place it alongside “My So-Called Life,” “Freaks and Geeks” and “Reservation Dogs” in its interest in and ability to capture authentically the experience of being young — not to mention being alive in a certain place (Calgary, where it’s cold) and time (the late 1990s, when nobody texts). Sympathetic to its characters (including Cobie Smulders, Kyle Bornheimer and Nate Corddry doing fine work as the related adults), it will show the same scene from different perspectives (as does the book). It’s a queer coming-of-age story, but not specifically a queer coming-of-age story, and though it’s a period piece, its emotional details will be familiar to most anyone who has survived into their 20s. This is a show about family; about friendships and friendships that shade in and out of love; about following people who don’t quite know where they’re going either; and being ready for experiences before you’re quite able to understand them. It’s also unusually accurate about loving music, learning to make it, and what it’s like to hang out with friends and strangers in a room where someone has a guitar. —Robert Lloyd
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It’s a great week for fans of queer, horror-infused, YA-skewing animation. Following Thursday’s release of “Dead End: Paranormal Park” Season 2 on Netflix, Saturday will see the premiere of “Thanks to Them,” the first of three “The Owl House” Season 3 specials, on Disney Channel. (Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Disney+). Created by Dana Terrace, “The Owl House” follows Luz Noceda, an excitable, optimistic, fantasy-loving human teen who accidentally stumbles through a portal to the demon realm, where she meets a witch named Eda and an adorable demon named King. Thus begins Luz’s life on the Boiling Isles — a chain of islands comprised of the decaying remains of a giant magical being called a titan — where she starts training to become a witch. Besides apprenticing with Eda, Luz eventually matriculates at a magic school where she befriends other teen witches, including her crush.
Season 3 picks up directly after the events of Season 2, which saw Luz and her friends stand up against the Boiling Isles’ authoritarian ruler and accidentally unleash an even bigger threat before getting thrown back into the human world. The Peabody Award-winning series has made Disney animation history with its ensemble of LGBTQ characters and a central queer romance. But beyond its important representational milestones, “The Owl House” is a series full of humor and heart. It’s a story about a found family of lovable weirdos who unconditionally support each other and stand up for their beliefs. While the return of “The Owl House” is exciting, it’s also a bit bittersweet: The series’ third and final season will be comprised of just three 44-minute episodes to wrap up its storyline. (The remaining two specials are expected to air next year.) But I still can’t wait to see what kind of antics Luz and her friends get into in the human realm before figuring out how to save their world. —Tracy Brown
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On the mockumentary spectrum, Steven Levitan’s “Reboot” (Hulu) — about the reboot of fictional early-2000s sitcom “Step Right Up” — falls somewhere between Levitan’s own “Modern Family” (occasionally saccharine) and HBO’s “The Comeback” (skin-crawlingly awkward). That deft balance between Hollywood satire and good-natured workplace comedy may explain why it’s so swiftly become one of my favorite new TV shows of the year. And it’s not just Judy Greer’s character calling herself “a sexual fluid” after experimenting with a woman: As Zack Jackson, the original series’ former/perpetual child star, and Elaine Kim, an in-over-her-head studio executive brought in from the tech industry, Calum Worthy and Krista Marie Yu bring a distinctly millennial sensibility to “Reboot” that those of us who grew up on TGIF can empathize with. They stopped by Screen Gab to tell us what show they would reboot, what they’re recommending and more. —Matt Brennan
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
Krista Marie Yu: “Partner Track” on Netflix with Asian American badass actress Arden Cho; “A League of Their Own” on Prime Video with the amazing Molly Ephraim; and “Avenue 5” on HBO Max with my TV mom from “Dr. Ken,” the incredible Suzy Nakamura! Girl power!
Calum Worthy: I just watched the docuseries “Black Gold” (Paramount+). It is an incredible series that explores the oil industry’s decades-long campaign to deny the dangers of climate change.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
Worthy: “Parks and Recreation” (Peacock) always puts a smile on my face.
Yu: I love “13 Going on 30” (HBO Max), which is why working with Tom-Tom herself (Judy Greer) is unbelievable!
What sitcom from your childhood is ripe for a reboot — and what twist would you add to make it appeal to contemporary audiences?
Worthy: I used to watch “M.A.S.H.” reruns every day after school. It was such an innovative show. Remember the “Interview” episode?! I would love to reboot it and continue their tradition of experimenting with the sitcom format.
Yu: I know it’s not a sitcom, but I loved watching the classic movie musical “Gypsy” growing up, with Natalie Wood. I would love to play Louise one day with Jonathan Slavin (my cast mate and mentor from “Dr. Ken”) as Mama Rose. DREAMS!!!!
What’s next
Listings coordinator Matt Cooper highlights the TV shows and streaming movies to keep an eye on
Fri., Oct. 14
“The Curse of Bridge Hollow” (Netflix): Marlon Wayans and “Stranger Things’” Priah Ferguson play father and daughter in this family-friendly 2022 comedy.
“Halloween Ends” (Peacock): Don’t bet on it in this 2022 entry in the long-lived horror franchise. Jamie Lee Curtis stars.
“High School” (Freevee): The youthful misadventures of sibling indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara serve as the stuff of this new coming-of-age comedy-drama.
“Martha Gardens” (Roku): Ms. Stewart shows you how to get a thumb as green as hers in her latest series.
“Rosaline” (Hulu): Romeo’s ex-GF ain’t gonna let that little hussy Juliet steal her man in this 2022 rom-com based on Shakespeare’s classic. “Justified’s” Kaitlyn Dever stars.
“Shantaram” (Apple TV+): An Aussie fugitive’s road to redemption runs through 1980s Bombay in this new drama based on the 2003 novel. “Sons of Anarchy’s” Charlie Hunnam stars.
“Next at the Kennedy Center” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): Musicians of today give props to jazz legend Charles Mingus in the debut installment of this arts series.
“CMT Artists of the Year” (CMT, 9 p.m.): Country music’s Alan Jackson is singled out for special honors at the annual ceremony.
Sat., Oct. 15
“Autumn in the City” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): If she can make it there, she’ll make it anywhere in this new rom-com set in NYC. With Aimeé Teegarden.
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 8:29 and 11:29 p.m.) Hip-hop’s Megan Thee Stallion pulls double duty as host and performer in this new episode.
“Let’s Get Physical” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): “The Rookie’s” Jenna Dewan plays a fitness instructor by day, suburban madam by night in this new fact-based thriller.
Sun., Oct. 16
“Miss Scarlet and the Duke” (KOCE, 8 p.m.): This mystery drama set in Victorian-era London returns with new episodes.
“Chesapeake Shores” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): The family drama ends its run after six seasons.
“Magpie Murders” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): A book editor (“Harlots’” Lesley Manville) has a mystery on her hands in this new decades-spanning drama.
“Step Up” (Starz, 9:56 p.m.): This drama about a performing-arts high school in Atlanta steps up for a third season.
“Annika” (KOCE, 10 p.m.): This detective drama set in Scotland also returns. Nicola Walker stars.
Mon., Oct. 17
“Doc Martin” (Acorn TV): The veddy British comedy-drama returns for a 10th and final season. Martin Clunes stars.
“Kids Baking Championship” (Food Network, 8 p.m.): Boo! The competition returns with a special one-off Halloween episode.
“Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): This new special explores the response to the mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta in 2021.
“The Vow” (HBO, 9 p.m.): This docuseries about the rise and fall of the self-improvement program turned bizarre sex cult known as NXIVM is back for Season 2.
“POV” (KOCE, 10 p.m.): Muslim Americans share their perspectives on life in these United States in the 2022 documentary “An Act of Worship.”
Tue., Oct. 18
“Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy Live From Los Angeles” (Netflix): The veteran comic holds court at Chavez Ravine in his latest stand-up special.
“Somebody Feed Phil” (Netflix): Mr. Rosenthal’s foodie travelogue tucks in for a sixth season.
“Unsolved Mysteries” (Netflix): The most recent reboot of the eerie docuseries unleashes a third season.
“By Design: The Joe Caroff Story” (TCM, 5 p.m.): This new documentary salutes the influential graphic designer behind some of the most iconic movie logos of all time.
“The Nine Lives of Vince McMahon” (Vice, 8 p.m.): The controversial pro wrestling impresario is profiled in this new documentary.
“Mama’s Boy” (HBO, 9 p.m.): Oscar-winning screenwriter and LGBTQ activist Dustin Lance Black (“Milk,” “Under the Banner of Heaven”) shares his journey in this new documentary.
Wed., Oct. 19
“Love Is Blind” (Netflix): The contestants are out of sight but not out of mind as the competition returns for Season 3. Nick and Vanessa Lachey host.
“The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” (Peacock): The legendary civil rights activist is celebrated in this new documentary.
“The School for Good and Evil” (Netflix): Would-be heroes and villains get educated at a Hogwarts-like academy in this star-studded 2022 fantasy tale. With Charlize Theron.
“Nature” (KOCE, 8 p.m.): Catch up on all the latest gnus — and zebras, gazelles, etc. — in the new episode “Running With the Beest.”
“King Tut: A Century of Secrets” (Discovery, 8 p.m.): Tomb it may concern, this new special marks the centenary of that famous find in Egypt in 1922.
“Artbound” (KCET, 9 p.m.): A new episode surveys the contributions made to our fair city by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s-40s.
“Nova” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): The efficacy of hallucinogens in treating anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc., is explored in the new episode “Can Psychedelics Cure?”
“Year One: A Political Odyssey” (HBO, 9 p.m.): This new documentary goes behind the scenes of President Biden’s first 365 days in office.
“Secrets of the Dead” (KOCE, 10 p.m.): Visit the ancient Roman city buried when Mt. Vesuvius blew its top in AD 79 in the new episode “Last Days of Pompeii.”
“After Happily Ever After” (BET, 10 p.m.): People help their exes find new love in this new dating series hosted by Bow Wow.
“American Horror Story” (FX, 10 p.m.): The franchise is back with a new season set in the hellhole that was 1980s NYC. With Patti LuPone.
“Documentary Now!” (IFC, 10 p.m.): Even more classic docs come in for a good spoofing as the anthology series returns.
Thu., Oct. 20
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Paramount+): The bawdy comic reboots her 2013-16 sketch show for a fifth season.
“One of Us Is Lying” (Peacock): Truth be told, this teen-themed mystery drama is back for Season 2.
“V/H/S/99” (Shudder): Be kind, rewind — or else — in this 2022 entry in the found-footage horror franchise.
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