Re: Selected programming for March 31-April 6, 2025

On 3/30/25 1:46 PM, Robin Miller wrote:

Note: Not noted in last week's listings, NBC's "Deal or No Deal Island" completed its second season on Tuesday, March 25.

How will I recover from this?!...  ;p

         Monday, March 31
       Broadcast and cable:
  Rescue: Hi-Surf       (season 1 finale)         (9 pm, Fox)

I never did get to this. Based on what I'm hearing, I don't think I ever will.

         Tuesday, April 1
       Streaming:
  The Last Stop in Yuma County         (movie; streaming premiere)  (3:01 am, Paramount+)
 While stranded at a rural Arizona rest stop, a traveling salesman [Jim Cummings] is thrust into a dire hostage situation by the arrival of two bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty--or cold, hard steel--to protect their bloodstained fortune. 2023 film also starring Richard Brake, Faizon Love, Jocelin Donahue, and Nicholas Logan; 1h 30m.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11674730/
[rating 6.9]

Hmmm... If this shows up on one of the Showtimes at the right time, I might sit down and watch it.

Before Dawn          (movie; streaming premiere)          (3:01 am, Paramount+)
 The journey of fictional Western Australia outback kid Jim Collins and his battalion on the Western Front during WW1. 2024 Australian film; 1h 41m.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10869956/
[rating 5.4]

Eh....

         Wednesday, April 2
       Streaming:
  Love on the Spectrum U.S.        (complete season 3)         (3:01 am, Netflix)
 The search for true love continues as newcomers and returning favorites navigate the ups and downs of dating on the autism spectrum.

Keep it classy, Netflix!

         Thursday, April 3
       Streaming:
  The Bondsman            [new; complete season 1]           (12:01 am, Prime Video)
 Kevin Bacon stars as undead bounty hunter Hub Halloran in Amazon's new series

And they just lost me. If this had been a film, I'd be all over it.

from Blumhouse Television. After being murdered, Halloran gets a new lease on life from the Devil, who employs him to seek out and capture demons who have escaped from Hell. Along the way, he'll get a second chance at life, love, and ... a country music career. All eight half-hour episodes stream today.

I liked this show much better when it was called "Brimstone", and it starred John Glover.

Pulse          [new; complete season 1]           (3:01 am, Netflix)
 This year's medical procedural renaissance continues with Netflix's first-ever take on the format. Produced by Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Zoe Robyn (The Equalizer), Pulse is set at a Miami trauma center preparing for the arrival of a major hurricane. (Don't worry: There's still enough time for the staff to juggle their personal lives, and maybe even a "secret romance" or two.) The ensemble cast includes Justina Machado, Jessie T. Usher, Colin Woodell, Willa Fitzgerald, Jack Bannon, Nestor Carbonell, and more. All 10 episodes stream today.

I like much of the cast (esp. Fitzgerald), but I'm not really interested, "The Pitt" is supposed to be leagues better in the same genre, and I don't get The 'Flix!!

     Broadcast and cable:
  SurrealEstate        (season 3 premiere)           (10 pm, Syfy)
 SurrealEstate follows real estate agent Luke Roman [Tim Rozon] and an elite team of specialists that handle the cases no one else can: haunted and possessed houses that literally scare would-be buyers away. Researching, investigating and "fixing" the things that go bump in the night, the team works to create closure - and closings - even as they struggle with demons of their own. Season 2 ran from October through December 2023. Both prior seasons had 10 episodes.

I like Rozon, but this series never "spoke to me".

         Friday, April 4
       Streaming:
  Dying for Sex         [new; complete limited series]          (12:01 am, Hulu)
 Adapted from the Wondery podcast of the same name, this FX-produced miniseries is inspired by the true story of a woman (Michelle Williams) who, after being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, decides to leave her husband (Jay Duplass) after 15 years of marriage to begin exploring her sexuality with the aid of her best friend (Jenny Slate). Rob Delaney, Sissy Spacek, David Rasche, and Kelvin Yu also star. All eight episodes stream today.

Again, I suspect I would hate this show.

Y2K       (movie; streaming premiere)          (3:01 am, Max)
 Two high school nobodies make the decision to crash the last major celebration before the new millennium on New Year's Eve 1999. The night becomes even crazier than they could have ever dreamed when the clock strikes midnight.
 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27218960/
[rating 4.8]

I'm actually interested in this - I will probably watch it at some point.

Girl You Know It's True        (movie; streaming premiere) (3:01 am, Peacock)
 Dancers Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan rise to fame in the late 80's as Milli Vanilli. The duo never sang a word in their songs nor their debut album and, when the truth was finally revealed, they started one of the biggest scandals in music history. 2023 German-French film; 2h 4m.

Why didn't this go straight to Lifetime?!...

Play Dirty       (movie)        (3:01 am, Tubi)
 With Internal affairs on his back, a corrupt cop moonlighting for a crime boss must take out a rival if he wants to live long enough to leave town. Stars Theo Rossi, Teresa Celeste, Thomas Q. Jones, Ron Perlman and Nick Principe; 1 hr 25 min.

Meh.

825 Forest Road          (movie)            (3:01 am, Shudder)
 After a family tragedy, Chuck Wilson hopes to start a new life in Ashland Falls with his wife Maria and little sister Isabelle, but he quickly discovers that the town has a dark secret. Stars Joe Bandelli, Brian Anthony Wilson, Mike Sutton, and Monica Fleurette. 1 hr 41 min.

I don't know this cast, which is not a great sign...

     Broadcast and cable:
  Grosse Pointe Garden Society       (new time slot)        (8 pm, NBC)
 Moves from Sunday 10 pm.

Despite the PR fluff to the contrary, this is likely dead as a result.

Secrets in the Foundation        (movie)         (8 pm, LMN)
 Widow Elena, her daughter Sadie and her dad Jim move into a new house for a fresh start. But when Sadie’s classmates tell her that her new house is haunted, she learns that the ghost of Silas Crane--patriarch of the infamous Crane family--haunts the house. As Sadie hears odd noises, she becomes convinced that Silas is trying to force her family to move out. Determined to uncover what’s really happening, Elena and Sadie search the house and find a descendant of Silas Crane living in the walls. Now, Elena and Sadie must rid their home of Nathaniel if they ever hope to live in peace. 2024 film starring Kristi Murdock, Julia Terranova and Mark Speno.

I will plan to watch this.

         Saturday, April 5
  Give Me Back My Daughter        (movie)          (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 "Give Me Back My Daughter" tells the story of Renee (Gabourey Sidibe) and her daughter Imani (Cadence Reese), who are left homeless after Renee loses her job and they are evicted from their home. Determined to stay independent, Renee refuses any public assistance, but her desperation leads to a difficult decision: leaving her daughter, in the car during a job interview, which results in her arrest and Imani being taken by Child Protective Services. As Renee navigates family court, she discovers the support of those around her and comes to understand that she can’t do it all on her own. With the help of new friends, she starts to see a glimmer of hope in her situation and remains steadfast in her determination to do whatever it takes to be reunited with her daughter.

Gah! I think this is a pass from me...

Hearts Around the Table: Josh's Third Serving       (movie)          (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 When after-school programs see their funding cut, teachers Josh and Ella turn to fundraising before banding together in search of a larger donation, falling hard along the way. Stars Jake Epstein, Stephanie Bennett and Mindy Cohn.

Damn. I like Stephanie Bennett, but with the premise?! - Not for all the tea in China!!

         Sunday, April 6
  An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile        (special) (8-9 pm, CBS)
 https://www.krbe.com/news/an-evening-with-elton-john-and-brandi-carlile- concert-special-will-air-on-cbs/

Who?!!

Sinister Surgeon        (movie)          (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 A young doctor’s dream job with a top cosmetic surgeon becomes a nightmare when she fears that he may secretly be murdering his patients. Stars Anthony Montgomery, Samantha Neyland Trumbo, Alisa Allapach, and Helena Mattson. A Tubi Original from July 2024.

Pass - this one I never intended to watch on Tubi, so I'm not going to watch it off Lifetime. Also, I think I now have a backlog of about half a dozen Lifetime flicks on my DVR, so I'm not adding another marginal one!

When Hope Calls         (season 2 returns)           (8 pm, Great American Family)
 "When Hope Calls" is a spinoff of "When Calls the Heart" and followed a pair of sisters, Lillian Walsh (Morgan Kohan) and Grace Bennett (Jocelyn Hudon), to the town of Brookfield, Canada, circa 1916. Hudon left after season one, which streamed on Hallmark Movies Now in 2019 and later on Hallmark Channel. GAF acquired the rights and aired the first two episodes of season 2 in December 2021. Season two has now resumed with six more episodes.

*Six* episodes?! That doesn't even qualify as a "TV season" in my book!!

In addition to Kohan, the series stars Cindy Busby,

Since when?!!

Christopher Russell, Nick Bateman, Wendy Crewson, Hanneke Talbot, and Ryan-James (RJ) Hatanaka.

I totally lost interest when Hudon left.
The irony is, I'm getting the impression that Kohan herself may leave either during or after season #2 (she's already the star of "Sullivan's Crossing" as well) - doesn't bode well for any potential season #3 if both original leads have left the show!!

The White Lotus         (season 3 finale; renewed for season 4)       (9 to 10:30 pm, HBO)

Adam says it stinks!!

 (end)

Well, there's a horror movie or two in here, but not much else...  :|