Weekend Preview: ‘Tiger King’ Arrives As A True-Crime Guilty Pleasure In A Beefed-Up TV Weekend

Social distancing continues this weekend amid the global pandemic, and Netflix has a heaping heaping of new series to fill that time. If nothing here suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (Netflix series, Friday) — This true crime series is truly stranger than fiction and serves as a welcome distraction during a weekend of self-isolation. Watch as Joe Exotic, a mulleted, gun-toting polygamist and country vocalist, uses his charismatic ways to share his passion for big cats. He’s joined, while running an Oklahoma roadside zoo, by a bizarre cast of kingpins, cult leaders, and other conmen. Naturally, there’s a murder-for-hire plot afoot.

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix series, Friday) — Octavia Wilson stars as Walker, who trailblazed a path as an African American haircare entrepreneur and first female self-made millionaire in the U.S. It’s an uplifting underdog story told in four parts, in which Walker overcomes betrayals, biases, and rivalries and also fights for social change. Blair Underwood, Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Garrett Morris, Kevin Carroll, and Bill Bellamy also star.

Feel Good (Netflix series, Friday) — Lisa Kudrow’s part of the ensemble cast for this show about a rising stand-up comic, who’s also a recovering addict and an addict of love. Mae Martin plays the protagonist, Mae, who’s juggling all aspects of her chaotic life with that love addiction threatening to bring the house down, in a bitingly funny way.

The Letter for the King (Netflix series, Friday) — A ruthless prince is up to absolutely no good for humanity, so a young knight (Tiuri, played by Amir Wilson) embarks upon an epic quest to deliver the truth to the king. All of this leads to magical prophecies and, eventually, maybe, the restoration of peace. Is Tiuri part of the greatest prophecy of all? Sure looks like it!

Little Fires Everywhere: (Hulu series, Wednesday) – The first three episodes of this series dropped on Wednesday, but there’s a fair chance that you’ve been distracted by a certain pandemic. Here’s your chance to catch up on dramatic fireworks between Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon, whose characters see their idyllic lives upended by the unleashing of family secrets.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

Batwoman (Sunday, CW 8:00 p.m.) — Kate’s questioning her instincts, Luke’s dealing with upsetting news, and Alice needs to call upon her sister for help.

Supergirl (Sunday, CW 9:00 p.m.) — A pair of Obsidian contact lenses might be the key to unlock a virtual National City, and Kelly’s helping on an investigation of Lex Luthor.

The Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Michonne and Virgil are on a quest for weapons, but no one can trust anyone in the age of the Whisperers.

Westworld (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — The confusion continues as the third season of this series causes folks to put up walls and take them down with sledgehammers. Theories abound already, so get caught up.

Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist (Sunday, NBC 9:00 p.m.) — Zoe’s confessing hard truth to Max, Moe’s having communication problems, and Tobin’s struggling with a friendship.

Homeland (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — The episode title is “F*cker Shot Me,” and I think that’s all we really need to know before tuning in for more of the final season.

Black Monday (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — Mo’s working on helping Keith get out of a bind, and Blair’s new connection has put Dawn in a compromising position.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sunday, HBO 10:30 p.m.) — Larry’s “spite store,” Latte Larry’s, might bring his confrontation with Mocha Joe’s lukewarm coffee to a head. Larry will stop at nothing until he reigns supreme in this war.

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