WEEKEND CALENDAR
FRIDAY, APRIL 7
SCHMIGADOON! The fantasy-comedy series -- set in a magical town where everything unfolds as in a Broadway musical -- returns for a second season. While Season 1 parodied 1940s shows, the new episodes update the references to the 1960s and '70s, including send-ups of "Chicago," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Sweeney Todd." Cecily Strong, Keegan Michael-Key, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Dove Cameron, Jenny Banks, Ariana DeBose, Aaron Tevit, and Tituss Burgess co-star. [Apple TV+]
BOOM! BOOM! THE WORLD VS. BORIS BECKER: Documentary feature profiling the controversial tennis champion, featuring interviews with the man himself, plus contemporaries John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic, Björn Borg, and others. Alex Gibney ("Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley") directed. [Apple TV+]
JEREMY RENNER: THE DIANE SAWYER INTERVIEW – A STORY OF TERROR, SURVIVAL, AND TRIUMPH: Hour-long ABC News special featuring Renner's first on-camera interview since his New Year's accident, when he was seriously injured after being pulled underneath a 14,000-pound snowplow. The special also looks at the specifics of Renner's recovery process, including use of an anti-gravity treadmill and electric stimulation workouts. The special aired Thursday night on ABC and hits Disney+ on Friday. [Disney+]
TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS: Debut comedy-drama series, based on the Cheryl Strayed novel, starring Kathryn Hahn as a writer who accepts a job writing a popular advice column, even as her own personal life falls apart. Quentin Plair, Tanzyn Crawford, and Merritt Wever co-star; Liz Tigelaar ("Little Fires Everywhere") created the series and worked on the scripts. [Hulu]
THE NEW YORK TIMES PRESENTS: THE LEGACY OF J DILLA: The latest episode of the investigative docuseries looks into the life and career of late producer, rapper, and songwriter J Dilla, who died in 2006 at age 32 from a combination of TTP and lupus. "Summer of Soul" producers Joseph Patel and Darby Wheeler directed. [Hulu]
MEDIEVAL: 2022 English-language historical drama following the early life and adventures of 14th Century Bohemian military commander Jan Žižka (Ben Foster), prior to his infamous exploits in the Hussite Wars. With a budget of $20 million, it's the most expensive film ever produced in the Czech Republic. Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, and William Moseley co-star; Petr Jákl wrote and directed. [Hulu]
THE HONEYMOON: 2022 comedy about newlyweds whose romantic getaway to Venice is ruined when the groom's obnoxious best friend decides to tag along. Pico Alexander, Maria Bakalova, and Asim Chaudhry co-star; Dean Craig ("The Estate") wrote and directed. [Hulu]
JURY DUTY: Unscripted comedy-prank series in which one unsuspecting real juror -- Ronald Gladden -- unknowingly participates in an entirely fictional trial populated by actors, including James Marsden presenting himself as a fellow juror. "The Office" vets Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky co-created the series. [Freevee]
PRAISE THIS: Musical comedy feature following an Atlanta choir praise team as they attend a cutthroat national competition. Chloe Bailey, Tristan Mack Wilds, Crystal Renee Hayslett, Loren Lott, and Quavo co-star; Tina Gordon ("Little") co-wrote and directed. [Peacock]
TRANSATLANTIC: Seven-part historical drama limited series about the Emergency Rescue Committee, which helped artists, writers, and other refugees -- particularly Jews -- escape the Nazi regime in France during WWII. "Unorthodox" vets Anna Winger and Daniel Hendler co-created the series, based on the novel "The Flight Portfolio" by Julie Orringer. Gillian Jacobs, Lucas Englander, Cory Michael Smith, and Ralph Amoussou co-star. [Netflix]
CHUPA: Family fantasy-adventure film about a teenage boy (Evan Whitten) who befriends a mythical young chupacabra during a trip to visit his grandfather in Mexico. Demián Bichir and Christian Slater co-star; Jonás Cuarón ("Gravity") directed. [Netflix]
HOLY SPIDER: 2022 Persian-language crime thriller, inspired by the true story of serial killer Saeed Hanaei (Mehdi Bajestani), who killed 16 women in Iran between 2000 and 2001. The film stars Zar Amir Ebrahimi as Tehran journalist Arezoo Rahimi, who faces opposition from police and religious authorities as she pursues her investigation; she received the Best Actress Award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Ali Abbasi ("The Last of Us") co-wrote and directed. [Netflix]
KINGS OF MULBERRY STREET: LET LOVE REIGN: 2023 adventure-comedy film from South Africa, a sequel to 2019's "Kings of Mulberry Street." In the new film, streetwise kids Ticky and Baboo (Aaqil Hoosen and Shaan Nathoo) must save their beloved Granny Chetty (Kogie Naidoo) by posing as Bollywood celebrities. Writer/director Judy Naidoo returns from the first film. [Netflix]
OH BELINDA: 2023 comedy-drama feature from Turkey, a remake of a popular '80s comedy, starring Neslihan Atagül as a young actor who finds herself transported into an alternate reality after portraying a housewife in a TV shampoo commercial. [Netflix]
THICKER THAN WATER (JUSQU'ICI TOUT VA BIEN): Crime thriller series from France about a journalist (Nawell Madani) who becomes entangled in a drug lord's web when she attempts to protect her brother from criminal charges. Djebril Zonga and Paola Locatelli co-star. [Netflix]
JASON ISBELL: RUNNING WITH OUR EYES CLOSED: Music documentary -- part of HBO's "Music Box" series -- following singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and his wife Amanda Shires as they record the 2019 album "Reunions" and promote it during the early stages of the pandemic. The intimate film captures the duo's personal life and marriage as well as their in-studio collaborations. Sam Jones ("Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off") directed. [HBO Max]
CATCHING LIGHTNING: Four-episode true crime docuseries, combining interviews with scripted re-enactments to relate the true story of British MMA fighter "Lightning" Lee Murray, a UFC veteran who took part in one of the largest bank heists in history. Pat Kondelis ("Outcry") directed. [Showtime]
ON A WING AND A PRAYER: 2023 drama feature, inspired by a true story, starring Dennis Quaid as a private plane passenger who must take over the controls himself after the pilot suddenly dies mid-flight. Heather Graham and Jesse Metcalfe co-star; Sean McNamara ("Soul Surfer") directed. [Amazon]
THE BOARDING SCHOOL: LAS CUMBRES: The Spanish-language YA mystery-drama series, a remake of the popular 2007 show "El Internado," takes place at a boarding school for troubled youth, housed within an ancient monastery that holds a number of dark, occult secrets. It's back for a third and final season. [Amazon]
GANGS OF LAGOS: Crime drama from Nigeria -- Amazon's first-ever original film from Africa -- about a the criminal exploits of a group of childhood friends from one of Lagos' toughest neighborhoods. Jáde Osiberu wrote and directed. [Amazon]
SATURDAY, APRIL 8
THE PORTABLE DOOR: Fantasy-comedy feature from Australia, based on the novel by Tom Holt, about a young professional (Patrick Gibson) who secures an internship at a mysterious London corporation that specializes in ancient magic. Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, Sophie Wilde, and Christoph Waltz co-star. The Jim Henson Company produced; "Modern Family" vet Jeffrey Walker directed. [MGM+]
CELL 8: Six-episode crime drama series -- produced in a combination of Swedish and English -- chronicling the strange events that unfold after a man who was presumed dead is found and arrested on a ferry between Sweden and Finland. Mimosa Willamo and Leonard Terfelt co-star. [Viaplay]
HUNGER: Thriller film from Thailand about a young woman who exits her family noodle shop after she receives an invitation to work for a brilliant but infamously demanding celebrity chef. Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Nopachai Jayanama, and Gunn Svasti co-star. [Netflix]
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
A GRAMMY SALUTE TO THE BEACH BOYS: Concert special, recorded at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, featuring a star-studded line-up of musicians paying tribute to the classic rock band. Performers include Fallout Boy, Hanson, Norah Jones, Beck, Brandi Carlile, My Morning Jacket, Mumford and Sons, LeAnn Rimes, Charlie Puth, Weezer, and others. The special airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+ Sunday night at 8 pm ET. [Paramount+]
TOTALLY WEIRD AND FUNNY: Comedy clip show in which a panel of young commentators watch wild and unexpected viral videos, attempting to determine which ones are real and which are fake. Brian Cooper, Mikalah Gordon, and Noah Matthews co-host. New episodes air Saturday night on TV and hit the app and website on Sundays. [CW]
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