(NOTE: Now that the actors have joined the writers on the picket line, all streaming schedules are even more subject to last-minute change. At least until Fran Drescher learns to work a guillotine.)
Premieres Wednesday:
The Deepest Breath — Documentary cameras follow daring free divers in their training to descend to the greatest depths, all in a single breath. The sport is said to be phenomenally dangerous and require vast reserves of courage. So if any of them don’t make it, trust that social media will explain why they were all stupid and deserved to die. (Netflix)
Premieres Thursday:
My Magic Closet — In this Brazilian series, a teenager who’s lost her mother and been abandoned by her father discovers that her wardrobe is a portal into the dormitory of a top K-pop group. But don’t worry if that sounds improper, because they make sure she only uses the girls’ bathroom. (Max)
Supa Team 4 — Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema and a voice cast of South African talent bring us the story of a teen quartet who get recruited to become superheroes. Programs like this are a great way to expand your kids’ cultural literacy, because they show how open-minded streaming services can be when their own writers go on strike. (Netflix)
Superpowered: The DC Story — Rosario Dawson narrates a three-part documentary that examines the legacy and influence of the seminal comics company. Part One chronicles DC’s early days, Part Two its expansion into other media and Part Three its future potential. THIS JUST IN: David Zaslav has canceled Part Three. (Max)
Sweet Magnolias — Season 3 sees the specters of the past returning to Serenity, South Carolina, as Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue are confronted by a mysterious woman they know all too well. The smart money says it’s Nikki Haley, back to remind everybody of a better time when Helen would have been the help. (Netflix)
Premieres Friday:
Sharksploitation — Shudder’s documentary department explains how the original Jaws set the stage for the shark-flick craze that has reached fruition with the likes of Sharknado, Sharktopus and Cocaine Shark (yes, that’s a thing). If Steven Spielberg were Scrooge, the Ghost of Summers Yet to Come would show him this doc to scare him into making The Sugarland Express II instead. (Shudder)
Stephen Curry: Underrated — Learn the life story of the Golden State basketball great, who spurred the sport to recognize the usefulness and validity of three-point shooting. Oh sure, but when Lee Harvey Oswald did it, everybody had a problem with it. (Apple TV+)
They Cloned Tyrone — The Jordan Peele-led revolution of Black genre films continues apace, with Jamie Foxx, John Boyega and Teyonah Parris investigating a government conspiracy with sci-fi overtones. I’m sold from the title alone, especially because it rolls more trippingly off the tongue than their first attempt, They Gene-Spliced Homeslice. (Netflix)
Premieres Sunday:
Special Ops: Lioness — An actual U.S. military program inspired this series that casts Zoe Saldaña as an anti-terrorism operative who gets her marching orders from boss Nicole Kidman. Order No. 1: Get out and see a movie in the theater, because we come to that place for magic. (Paramount+)
Premieres Monday:
Futurama — Back again after a 10-year hiccup, Fry and the gang encounter a host of fresh obstacles in Season 11, with new host Hulu promising riffs on “vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture and streaming TV.” Good to hear there’s Bitcoin in the future, because it sure as hell isn’t an actual thing now. (Hulu)
Jim Gaffigan: Dark Pale — In his 10th standup special, the hard-working comic reflects that having five kids may have been an unwise decision. Cheer up, Jim! There are guys with only three specials who have kids in every city. (Or maybe I’m just making an unfair assumption about Matt Rife.) (Prime Video)
Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine — A documentary about the Unknown Comic? No, you read that too fast, but I understand your disappointment. Instead, the final installment of Unknown depicts the development and use of the James Webb Telescope, our window into the universe. “Hey, Chuckie baby! Did I ever tell you I’ve got a window into your wife? It’s why she calls me the Hard-On Collider!” (Netflix)
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This article appears in Jul 19-25, 2023.