Re: Selected programming for March 15-23, 2025

On 3/16/25 1:49 PM, Robin Miller wrote:

         Previously released:
  Trap       (movie)        (Netflix, March 11)
 A father takes his daughter to her favorite pop star's concert only to realize they're caught in an FBI sting operation to catch a serial killer. 2024 M. Night Shyamalan film starring Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Alison Pill; 1hr 45m.

It's already been to other streamers...

         Saturday, March 15
  Taken at a Basketball Game       (movie)         (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 Inspired by real events. Desperate to bond with his estranged 18-year- old daughter Robyn (Claire Qute), Wayne Edwards (D.B. Woodside) gets them tickets to a basketball game where he envisions the two of them cheering on their favorite team while they reconnect. However, when Robyn goes to the restroom and doesn’t return, Wayne’s worst fear is confirmed when he realizes she’s been kidnapped. On a mission to find her in a stadium filled with thousands of people, he races against the clock and will stop at nothing to find her before it is too late. Moni Ogunsuyi also stars.

I had the last half of this on as background noise, but I could not tell you what happened.

Royal-ish       (movie)         (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 Lacey is an amusement park princess who befriends 8-year-old Rose, a real-life princess, and is recruited by her handsome father to travel to their kingdom and be the new governess. Stars Nichole Sakura...

Teenage Cocktail!!

         Sunday, March 16
  Playing with Fire       (movie)         (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 After a near-fatal house fire, Natalie and Loughlin, a struggling married couple, are manipulated by an obsessive firefighter named Jack, who schemes to pit the couple against each other to win Natalie’s affections for himself. Stars Kirsten Comerford, Stephen Adekolu and Brett Geddes.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33507756/
 https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/playing-with-fire

Recorded for later viewing.

         Monday, March 17
       Streaming:
  Anora       (movie; streaming premiere)            (12:01 am, Hulu)
 A young escort from Brooklyn [Mikey Madison] meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. 2024 film; 2h 19m.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28607951/    [rating 7.6]

I will get to this at some point, though I suspect I will hate it...

The Sabrina Soto Show         [new; complete season 1]         (12:01 am, Hulu)
 Join Sabrina Soto for a vibrant and inspiring show dedicated to transforming every aspect of your life. Each episode is a delightful blend of DIY projects, delectable food segments, and insightful health and wellness tips--your go-to guide for creating a beautiful, healthy, and fulfilling life, one step at a time. Let Sabrina help you redesign your life from the inside out.

NO!!

         Tuesday, March 18
       Streaming:
  Doc         (season 1 finale; renewed for season 2)         (9 pm, Fox)

This is one series where it's probably smart to stick to just 13 episodes a season - I don't think there's enough here to fill out a 20-episode season...

         Wednesday, March 19
       Streaming:
  Good American Family         [new]          (12:01 am, Hulu)

Adam already stole my GAFfe joke...  :|

This based-on-a-true-story drama—first depicted on television in the reality series "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace"—finds Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass playing a Midwestern couple who adopt an 8-year-old girl (Imogen Reid) whom they believe to have a rare form of dwarfism. But as they raise her alongside their other children, they begin to doubt that she is who she says she is—leading to a series of twists that eventually play out in a courtroom. Christina Hendricks, Dulé Hill, Sarayu Blue, and Jenny O'Hara also star. Eight-episode limited series; the first two episodes stream today.

I've already seen the Lifetime movie inspired by this, and that was quite enough.

The Twister: Caught in the Storm         (documentary)        (3:01 am, Netflix)
 Set against a backdrop of end of the world predictions on May 22, 2011, this coming-of-age documentary is told from the perspective of a group of young people in Joplin, Missouri, as they encounter the extreme power of mother nature when a rare EF-5 monster mile-wide tornado hits their hometown, on high school graduation day...

I don't do docs...

     Broadcast and cable:
  Shifting Gears         (season 1 finale)         (8 pm, ABC)

What will Anim watch now?!?!!

         Thursday, March 20
       Streaming:
  Tyler Perry's Duplicity         (movie)           (12:01 am, Prime Video)
 High-powered attorney Marley (Kat Graham) faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the shooting of her best friend Fela’s (Meagan Tandy) husband (Joshua Adeyeye). With the help of her boyfriend (Tyler Lepley) ­ a former cop turned private investigator ­ Marley’s search for what really happened leads her down a treacherous maze of deception and betrayal.

As it's a movie, this is a "maybe"...

O'Dessa          (movie)             (12:01 am, Hulu)
 A farm girl in search to recover a cherished family heirloom. She travels to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love. To save his soul, she must put the power of destiny to the ultimate test. An epic rock opera starring Sadie Sink, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Regina Hall and Murray Bartlett. 1h 46m.

I might have watched this, had they not made Sadie Sink appear unattractive...

The Residence           [new; complete season 1]       (3:01 am, Netflix)
 A brilliant, eccentric detective [Uzo Aduba] must solve a murder in the White House residence--where the staff and guests at a state dinner are all suspects. An adaptation of Kate Andersen Brower's novel of the same name, the series also stars Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito (taking over a role originally played by Andre Braugher, who died midway through production; Esposito also once replaced Braugher in the cast of Homicide: Life on the Street), Edwina Findley, Ken Marino, Jason Lee, Molly Griggs, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Bronson Pinchot, Mel Rodriguez, Jane Curtin, Al Franken (playing a senator, naturally), and more. 8 episodes.

It's on Netflix, so how good can it be?...
And the only thing I ever want to see Franken doing is Stuart Smalley.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera        (movie)          (3:01 am, Netflix)

Um, *no* - Pantera is a metal band!!  :p

Big Nick (Gerard Butler) is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange. Released in January 2025; 2h 24m.

Of course this goes to Netflix! So I will never see it.

Happy Face        [new]           (3:01 am, Paramount+)
 Dennis Quaid stars as the real-life serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson —aka the "Happy Face Killer"—in this eight-episode Paramount+ original. The series also stars Annaleigh Ashford as his daughter Melissa, whose podcast and autobiography inspired the series and who in the show finds herself investigating whether an innocent man may be headed for death row for a murder her father committed.  Eight episodes; two stream today, followed by single episodes weekly through May 1.

No, and esp. not as a series...

     Broadcast and cable:
  Farmer Wants a Wife         (season 3 premiere)           (9 pm, Fox)

NO!

         Friday, March 21
       Streaming:
  Sing Sing        (movie; streaming premiere)         (3:01 am, Max)
 Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art. 1h 47m.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28479262/    [rating 7.7]

Not even Colman Domingo is going to get me to watch this!!

Wicked     (movie; streaming premiere)         (3:01 am, Peacock)
 Elphaba, a young woman ridiculed for her green skin, and Galinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads. 2h 40m.

Bah!
I'm sure I will get to this eventually, though I may just wait until the sequel comes to streaming...

Wicked Sing-Along Alternate Feature-Length Version     (movie; streaming premiere)         (3:01 am, Peacock)

NO!!

Bloody Axe Wound          (movie)          (3:01 am, Shudder)
 Abbie Bladecut's family business, a video store, has thrived by disposing of teenagers to mimic horror movies. As the first female slasher, she battles gender bias while realizing the harsh realities behind the mass murders. 1h 23m.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975842/        [rating 4.8]

I doubt I would like this, so it's a good thing it's going to Shudder.

Invasive 2: Getaway      (movie)       (3:01 am, Tubi)
 Kay survived once. Now, trapped on a secluded island, she and her father face a deadly new hunt. Sequel to "Invasive" from last year, but Tubi hasn't yet posted a trailer, and the movie isn't on Tubi's website.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35684711/
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31777631/    ["Invasive"; rating 5.6]

Even Alex McGregor didn't get me to watch the original, so there's pretty much no chance I'm watching the sequel...

     Broadcast and cable:
  Happy's Place       (season 1 finale; renewed for season 2)        (8 pm, NBC)

Oh, Hell, NO!

Trapped in Her Dorm Room       (movie)        (8 pm, LMN)
 When a classmate’s adoration turns into a dangerous obsession, college student Erin finds herself held captive in her own dorm room during Spring Break. Stars Ciara Hanna, William Sparks, Aja Hinds, Ishika Muchhal, and Nicole Dionne.
 https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/trapped-in-her-dorm-room
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35676708/

Planning to watch this.

         Saturday, March 22
  Single Black Female 3: The Final Chapter       (movie)       (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 After being wrongfully convicted of murder, Monica (Raven Goodwin) has finally been exonerated ­but freedom comes at a price. Though the charges against her have been dropped, the stain of suspicion lingers, and reclaiming her life, her career, and the trust of those around her is proving to be an uphill battle. Meanwhile, the real threat has yet to vanish. Simone (Amber Riley), now a fugitive, has fled to a convent in Mexico, having no choice but to abandon Houston, along with the one thing she truly cared about--her daughter Joy (Kennedy Chanel). When a terrifying nightmare shakes her to the core, Simone becomes convinced Joy is in danger and returns to Houston, for a final reckoning between the estranged half-sisters. It’s only a matter of time before old grudges resurface and Monica and Simone come face to face. K. Michelle reprises her role as Monica’s best friend Bebe. Not listed on IMDb.
 https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/single-black-female-3
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30970553/    ["Single Black Female 2: Simone's Revenge"]
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15726046/    ["Single Black Female"]

How can I not watch something called "The Final Chapter"?!!  ;p
I'm not sure I ever saw "Single Black Female 2" - if I did, I remember absolutely nothing about it...
Maybe Lifetime will reair "2" before the finale?...

Hearts Around the Table: Jenna’s First Love      (movie)        (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 Jenna plans a charity event for Billionaire Tom Redlands. But working with Tom's right hand Andrew is proving difficult, especially since Jenna and Andrew have a romantic history. Stars Ashley Newbrough, Steve Lund and Mindy Cohn.
 To be followed by "Hearts Around the Table: Shari's Second Act" (March 29), "Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving" (April 5) and "Hearts Around the Table: Kiki's Fourth Ingredient" (April 12). Seriously.
 https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hearts-around-the-table-jennas-first-love
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35660830/

Do they all star Newbrough?! That's a lot of Newbrough... Actually, it's very likely too much Newbrough!
(Looking at the titles, I'm guessing each movie has a different cast...)

         Sunday, March 23
  My Husband's Baby      (movie; linear premiere)        (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 A famous married couple's life is turned upside down when a mysterious pregnant woman shows up claiming to be carrying the husband's child. Moni Ogunsuyi, Samantha Brown, and Eddie G. star. [Tubi Original that premiered in February 2024.]
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30222091/

Meh. A likely "pass" from me...

When Calls the Heart        (season 12 finale)        (9 pm, Hallmark Channel)

It's already been renewed for season #13, yes?...

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light        [new]        (9 pm, PBS)
 The sequel to the excellent 2015 historical drama "Wolf Hall" adapts the final novel in Hilary Mantel's trilogy and picks up where the previous show ended (in 1536, just following the death of Anne Boleyn). Mark Rylance returns from the first series as Thomas Cromwell, as do Damian Lewis (as King Henry VIII), Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Lilit Lesser, among others. They are joined by Harriet Walter and Timothy Spall. Six episodes; limited series.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8PNmomC1Ms
 https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wolf-hall/season-2/    [score 91]
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Hall:_The_Mirror_and_the_Light
 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/everything-we-know- now-about-wolf-hall-the-mirror-and-the-light/

As I said in another post, I still need to see the original.

Marie Antoinette     (season 2 premiere)       (10 pm, PBS)
 14-year-old Marie Antoinette (Emilia Schüle) is married to future Louis XVI (Louis Cunningham) and must learn to navigate the French court. 8 episodes. [Season 1 aired from March-May, 2023, on PBS.]
 https://www.pbs.org/articles/marie-antoinette-season-2-everything-you- need-to-know
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15384074/    [rating 7.3]

Bah! Bah, I say!

 (end)

Tubi is letting us down again...  :(