Hello, friends. We made it to Friday. It's been another long, emotional week. I hope you're making some time for self-care this weekend.
This week, I am sharing a fresh list of TV and movie recommendations, as I have been every week of quarantine (this is week 14, in case you lost count). You can find all of the previous suggestions on my TV recaps page.
Before we dive in, here's a look ahead at two new shows coming your way:
- Tuesday, June 16: The new season of Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles premieres on Bravo
- Friday, June 19: Padma Lakshmi, host of Bravo's Top Chef, has a new show called Taste the Nation, which will be available on Hulu
Ok, let's get to this week's picks.
1. American Son (Netflix) - I've had this on my Netflix watch list for a while, but the events of the past two weeks made me want to watch immediately. It's a film adaptation of the Broadway play, written by Christopher Demos-Brown. It co-stars Kerry Washington and Steven Pasquale as parents of a Black teenager who has gone missing.
The entire play (and now movie!) takes place in the waiting room of the local police station as Kendra and Scott try to find out what's happening with their son. Their anxiety and fear leads to an intense conversation about race. This movie originally debuted in November 2019, but it feels like it could have been written yesterday.
If you're looking for things to watch to continue your anti-racism education, I highly recommend American Son.
2. Queer Eye, Season 5 (Netflix) - For weeks I was counting down to the premiere of the new season of Queer Eye and it did not disappoint! Normally, I binge the entire season as fast as I can, but this time I decided to ration it. I only allowed myself to watch two episodes at a time.
In this new season, the Fab Five head to Philadelphia, PA to help 10 heroes. They are the most diverse group the show has ever featured, which was noticeable and welcomed in this present moment.
My favorite episodes were:
- Groomer Has It - The story of Rahanna and her mobile dog grooming business, Stylish Pooch
- The Anxious Activist - The story of Climate Change activist Abby and her quest to be taken more seriously
- Father Knows Fish - The story of Marcos the fish monger and his American dream to open a restaurant
- Paging Dr. Yi - The story of newly minted pediatrician Lily and her struggle to balance work and motherhood
I am so hopeful that season six can be filmed, edited and premiere before the end of 2020.
3. Last Chance U (Netflix) - It's no secret that I love football shows - Friday Night Lights, All American, QB1: Beyond the Lights - but it look me a while to try Last Chance U. The show focuses on a junior college football program designed to help players make it back onto a Division 1 team.
The first season takes place in Scooba, MS at East Mississippi Community College. The team has won three national championships and has a 24-game winning streak.
The show centers around head coach Buddy Stephens, but my favorite person to watch is Brittany Wagner, the athletic academic advisor. It's her job to make sure every single one of the team's players has the GPA they need to be considered eligible.
As is true with many other shows in this genre, the most compelling moments are the ones that focus on the players' lives off the field.
I'm one season in and excited to keep going.
4. The Baker and the Beauty (Hulu) - This winter ABC debuted a new version of the Israeli TV show The Baker and the Beauty. The American rendition centers around the Garcia family, who lives in Miami, FL and runs a bakery. They are Cuban immigrants and it is very much a family-run business.
In the first episode, their eldest son, Daniel, meets a stunning fashion brand CEO, Noa Hamilton. Daniel is played by Victor Rasuk and Noa is played by Nathalie Kelley. They have great chemistry and are very fun to watch.
There are several additional storylines - Daniel's parents thinking about expanding the bakery, his brother Mateo's DJ career and his younger sister Natalie coming out to the family.
I watched all nine episodes in two days. The show is vibrant, fun and very sweet. Warning: there is one episode where Daniel and Noa travel to Puerto Rico and it is absolutely going to make you want to take a vacation.
5. Dirty Dancing (Amazon) - If you've never seen Dirty Dancing, please do yourself a favor and watch it this weekend. The 1987 classic co-stars Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze.
Grey plays Frances (though everyone calls her Baby), returning for a summer at Kellerman's with her family. Swayze plays Johnny, the camp's dance instructor. What begins as Baby filling in for a ballroom dancing competition becomes so much more.
After you finish, watch The Movies that Made Us: Dirty Dancing on Netflix. It gives a ton of information about the casting, filming and marketing of the movie.
6. The First Wives Club (Amazon) - Amazon is really delivering on the movies from my youth. In 1996, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and a very young Sarah Jessica Parker co-starred in this movie about, you guessed it, first wives.
The three older women are each going through divorces and they band together to keep each other sane. There's an iconic scene where they sing and dance to "You Don't Own Me."
I loved this movie then and I still love it now.
There you have it! This week's top six. I'll be back next Friday with a fresh round.
*Images courtesy of Unsplash, Netflix, Elite Daily, USA Today, TV Insider, Empire Online and Movie Hole.
