Adult Material (HBO Max) — Hayley Squires stars as a well-known British porn star who lives in the spotlight while also juggling motherhood. Rupert Everett plays her old colleague, with whom she navigates the Internet’s porn revolution, and they search for innovative ways to put a fresh spin on all things erotic. WarnerMedia’s streaming service acquired this drama series, which is currently airing on the U.K.’s Channel 4, from Banijay Rights.
The Prom (Netflix film) — Ryan Murphy’s relationship with Netflix keeps on giving, this time with a neon-bedazzled Broadway adaptation, which stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden. The three help shake up the prom at a small Indiana town after a teen faces bigotry while attempting to attend her high school’s biggest dance with her girlfriend. Also, glitter, glitter, and more glitter, all in service of inclusion.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 11 (Disney+ series) — The bounty-hunting Star Wars series does something that it’s never done until now: give Baby Yoda a break. Don’t worry, the little guy will be back in action soon, but people still have mixed feelings.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special (Disney+) — Based upon High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, this special features all-new musical numbers for Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve/Day. Stick around for a sneak peek at Season 2.
Ava (Netflix film) — Jessica Chastain stars in this spy action-thriller, along with Colin Farrell, who plays her character’s handler. Chastian is a globe-trotting assassin who is somehow attempting to reunite with estranged relatives, and everything gets to be a bit too much. Oh, and John Malkovich is along for the ride.
Small Axe (Amazon film collection) — It’s week four of five for this batch of Steve McQueen-directed movies. The stories, set in London’s West Indian community, will explore the endurance of the human spirit despite setbacks from discrimination and rampant racism, all set from the late 1960s to the 1980s.
Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:
SNL (Saturday, 11:29 p.m.) — Host Timothée Chalamet and musical guest Bruce Springsteen.
Supermarket Sweep (Sunday, ABC 8:00 p.m.) — Leslie Jones and every bit of her enthusiasm will host contestants in this revival of the grocery-shopping game show.
Pandora (Sunday, CW 8:00 p.m.) — Can Jax save the entire universe from utter destruction before it’s too late? Xander’s also pursuing some redemption while the Ancients prepare for final judgment time.
The Outpost (Sunday, CW 9:00 p.m.) — Tobin’s loyalty isn’t looking so great while Yavalla’s tested by a confrontation, and Talon and Zed must carry out an assassination.
Your Honor (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — Bryan Cranston’s intense (although uneven) limited series faces inevitable comparisons to Breaking Bad, and for sure, Cranston’s character executes his most Walter White-like maneuvers since Heisenberg left the building with AMC’s 2013 “Felina” finale. This week, his character is Panic-Cranstoning over an alibi for his son and pulling off unorthodox favors in the process.
Shameless (Sunday, CW 9:00 p.m.) — The Gallaghers are dealing with the pandemic in their own way on Chicago’s South Side, and this week, Kevin and V are trying to breathe new life into their pot business while Carl’s first day as a cop isn’t anything like he expected it to be. (I’m still holding out for these things to happen, by the way).
In case you missed these recent picks:
Euphoria Part 1: Rue (HBO Max) — Need a little Zendaya to tide you over before the show returns (at an undetermined date) for Season 2? The Emmy award winner returns for the first of two special episodes. This one officially lands on HBO on Sunday, but you can catch it early already, only on HBO Max. Rue’s relapsing and ends up in a diner whilst contemplating life after Jules leaves her along at the train station following their winter formal.
Big Mouth: Season 4 (Netflix) — One of TV’s funniest shows is back to drum up anxiety, courtesy of Tito the Mosquito (who will be voiced by Maria Bamford), in addition to all the hormone monsters that you dearly love. Newcomer voices on the series include Ayo Edebiri replacing Jenny Slate as Missy, along with Zach Galifianakis, Seth Rogen, Josie Totah, Lena Waithe, Quinta Brunson, John Oliver, Sterling K. Brown, Paul Giamatti, Maya Erskine, and Anna Konkle.
Hardy Boys (Hulu series) — The beloved detective book series gets the reboot treatment with Frank (Rohan Campbell) and Joe (Alexander Elliot) leaving the city for their parents’ hometown following a tragedy. What seems like a quiet summer grows more intriguing when they stumble upon some key evidence.
