Re: Selected programming for April 11-13, 2025

On 4/8/25 6:34 PM, Robin Miller wrote:

         Friday, April 11
       Streaming:
  Got to Get Out          [new; complete season 1]           (12:01 am, Hulu)
 Simu Liu hosts a new competition series that finds reality TV veterans and newbies living together in a mansion while competing to escape the house with some or all of a cash prize—but the longer they stay in the house, the more prize money is added to the pot. Eight episodes.

Pass.

Your Friends & Neighbors       [new]        (12:01 am, Apple TV+)
 Jon Hamm plays a hedge fund manager who, recently divorced and then fired in disgrace, finds himself resorting to a life of crime by breaking into his wealthy neighbors' homes. But their doors conceal secrets and affairs that leave him in even greater danger. Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Hoon Lee, and Mark Tallman also star. The first two episodes (of 9) stream today, followed by weekly installments through May 30, and Apple has already renewed the series for a second season.

Another show that, if I had time, I'd probably watch, but I'm sure I will never find the time.

The Abyss 4k        (movie; streaming premiere)         (3:01 am, Disney+)
 Approved by director James Cameron, The Abyss - Special Edition is an extended director's cut of the 1989 underwater science fiction epic, reinstating nearly a half hour of footage removed from the original release under studio pressure.

Too bad my brother isn't still around to see this.

CheckMate       (movie)         (3:01 am, Tubi)
 A detective teams up with her estranged father, a chess master, to stop a serial killer who uses the game to select his victims. Stars Joyce Glenn, Dorien Wilson, Lorenzo Lamas, Andra Fuller, and Sarah Pribis. 1 hr 35 min.

Meh. (Though this is the second TV movie with Lorenzo Lamas in about a year...)

Shadow of God         (movie)        (3:01 am, Shudder)
 When several of his fellow Vatican exorcists are simultaneously killed, Father Mason Harper returns to his childhood home, only to find his supposedly dead father is back… and possessed by something less than holy. Stars Mark O'Brien and Shaun Johnston; 1h 27m.

Canadian. Meh.

     Broadcast and cable:
  There's No Way Out           (movie)         (8 pm, LMN)
 When two extremely underfed and seemingly parentless teenage girls, Juniper and Briar, the younger of which is gravely ill, arrive in the picturesque wooded town of Buellesberg, local nurse Shannon and her husband Rob go out of their way to take in the at-risk siblings. Unable to have children of her own, Shannon sees the girls as a personal miracle and jumps at the chance to be a mother. But as she opens her life up to the new arrivals, the biological parents the girls left behind arrive with the deadly intention to take their girls back by whatever means necessary. Elizbeth Longshaw, Stafford Perry, and Marcus Rosner star.

Will watch, though I'm not sure I'm necessarily going to like this one.

         Saturday, April 12
       Streaming:
  RoboForce: The Animated Series      [new]        (3:01 am, Tubi)
 In 2089 Detroit, RoboForce is obsolete and has no hope of becoming heroes. That is until a mysterious code virus infects the UA101 bots, and no one besides RoboForce can stop them.

This seems like an odd choice for Tubi...

     Broadcast and cable:
  Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story         (movie)         (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 In this inspiring "Ripped from the Headlines" story, Monique Smith endured a horrific childhood, only to eventually discover that her abusive family … wasn’t even her family at all! From a young age, Monique always felt out of place in her family. Living in constant fear of abuse from her mother and others, she dreamed of finding people who loved her and a place that truly felt like a home. Because of the abuse she suffered, she felt she could never embrace her family and especially wanted to know her origin story once she became a mother herself. After realizing she didn’t have proper documentation, including a birth certificate or social security card, she goes on a decades-long search to discover who she really is. Yaya DaCosta, Robert Hamilton III, Solace Kimbro Jones, Kadeem Isaiah, Morgan-Rose Jordan and Djassi DaCosta Johnson star.

Probably skipping this.

Hearts Around the Table: Kiki's Fourth Ingredient    (movie)     (8 pm, Hallmark Channel)
 Kiki is overjoyed, and then overwhelmed, when she agrees to cater a big wedding. She turns to Clay for support and together, Kiki and Clay prove that the best ingredient is love. Stars Kathryn Davis, Torrance Coombs and Mindy Cohn.

[roll]

         Sunday, April 13
  The Thorn        (movie)        (7 pm, UPtv)
 The Thorn tells the epic story of God’s love for the world and the spiritual battle for all humanity. The story of Jesus Christ is presented in an immersive show with live music, drama, aerial acts, movement arts, modern dance, and big visual effects.
 https://uptv.com/movies/the-thorn/

Gah!

The Americas        (season 1 finale)        (8 pm, NBC)

Come on - gotta be a "series finale", right?

Sins of the Bride      (movie; linear premiere)         (8 pm, Lifetime Channel)
 When her fiance Jack fails to show up on their wedding day, Cassie looks for comfort with Greg, the best man and former roommate. Moments after their intimate encounter, Cassie learns that Jack has turned up in the hospital after a bad accident. Cassie is torn when Greg moves in to help with Jack’s recovery, but their infidelity is far from her biggest problem: Greg has made his way back into their home and has no plans to leave ever again. Stars Kyle Kankonde, Charlie N. Townsend, Titus Makin Jr., Anissa Felix, and Donna Winfield. A June 2024 Tubi original.

Is Lifetime even trying anymore? It seems like lately all they've been doing is picking up Tubi originals for (re)airing on broadcast.

Yellowjackets       (season 3 finale)          (8 pm, Showtime)

Hard pass - it sounds like season #3 may have even been worse than season #2!

The Last of Us        (season 2 premiere)          (9 pm, HBO)
 Returns for its highly anticipated second season, though there will be just seven episodes this year (compared to nine in season 1). The new season is set five years later and mainly pulls elements from the second game of the series.

I'll wait until all the episodes drop and binge this.

United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper         (season 2 finale)     (9 pm, CNN)

Oh, puke.

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