Hello, friends. It's pandemic week 34 and this one was a doozy. It's 8:00pm on Friday night and I am just sitting down to write this.
There are 10 days until the election. Please make a plan to vote! Vote early, vote by mail, vote on November 3 - whatever you have to do to ensure your voice is heard.
This week, as I have every week since mid-March, I'll be sharing a few recommendations for what to watch this weekend. In case you missed any of the previous lists, you can find all of them on my TV recaps page.
Before we dive in, here are a few upcoming things to look forward to:
- Tuesday, October 27 - This Is Us comes back to NBC with a two-hour premiere. I can't wait to be reunited with the Pearsons.
- Wednesday, October 28 - A new holiday movie starring Emma Roberts hits Netflix called The Holidate. You can watch the trailer here.
- Thursday, October 29 - Southern Charm comes back to Bravo! This show has been off the air for so long that I sort of forgot about it. I was planning a trip to Charleston, SC this year (which was thwarted by COVID) so this is as close as I'll get.
- Friday, October 30 - My favorite gourmand, Phil Rosenthal, returns with season 4 of Somebody Feed Phil. Revisit my review if you haven't seen the show before!
- Wednesday, November 11 - The is the premiere date for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City on Bravo. This is a completely new city for the franchise and the trailers are bananas!
- Sunday, November 15 - Put this date on your calendar, The Crown returns to Netflix! Town & Country's November cover story is all about the three major stars of this season, written by royal fashion commentator Elizabeth Holmes. Read it here.
Onto this week's list!
1. The Bachelorette (ABC) - After months of delays, The Bachelorette has finally premiered with Clare Crawley as the star of this peculiar, COVID-adjusted season. There have been two episodes so far and already there is major drama. Clare booted a guy while he was mid-sentence because she didn't like his reason for being interested in meeting her.
This show is exactly the escapism we need right now. Maybe without the Love Languages-themed date, though.
The Bachelorette airs at 8:00pm on Tuesday nights on ABC. Be sure to check out Kristen Baldwin's weekly recap for Entertainment Weekly. Some weeks, reading that is even more fun than watching the show.
2. Black Pink: Light Up the Sky (Netflix) - One of my besties recommended this documentary about the making of an all-female K-Pop group. Admittedly, I had never heard of Black Pink (yes, even though they performed at Coachella and have a song with Lady Gaga).
The film is 80 minutes long and takes you behind the scenes of the creation of this global sensation. Interestingly, only one of the four girls grew up in Korea. The other three members are from Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.
You learn the back story of each girl and how they spent years training, in the hopes of being drafted by YG Entertainment.
By the end of the movie you'll find yourself wanting to download their music.
3. Song Exploder (Netflix) - My mom recommended I watch Song Exploder, which is inspired by the podcast of the same name. The show, hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, features musicians dissecting their hit songs and sharing the inspiration behind the track.
There are currently four episodes on Netflix and the one I loved the most was with Lin-Manuel Miranda, where he takes the viewer through the process of writing "Wait For It" from Hamilton. I have been listening to the cast album in the car for months, so I was thrilled to nerd out about this song's genesis.
If these four episodes leaving you wanting more, consider listening to the podcast too. I downloaded episodes featuring Dua Lipa and Selena Gomez and I can't wait to listen.
4. My Next Guest with David Letterman, Season 3 (Netflix) - Whether you were a fan of David Letterman's late night talk show or not, it's undeniable that he has scored A-list guests for his Netflix series. Season three was just released and I already devoured the episodes with Kim Kardashian West and Lizzo.
Letterman has a way of making his guests feel comfortable immediately. He gets them to talk about incredibly personal things, all while keeping it light with his humor.
Each episode if 45-50 minutes, but they go by quickly. Season three also includes Robert Downey Jr. and Dave Chappelle.
There you have it! This week's list. I'll be back next Friday with a fresh round.
*Images courtesy of Unsplash, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Entertainment Weekly, New York Post and Today Show.
