This weekend I have… a half hour, and I’m going through it.
‘Shrink’
When to watch: utilities, Peacock.
Tim Baltz co-created and stars in this endearing comedy about a newly graduated medical school who finds himself offering free therapy from his mother and stepfather’s garage, mentally crushed by $500,000 in student loans and socially adrift. If “The Bear” hasn’t satisfied your hunger for shows about exhausted white dudes shaped by grief who sneak into Chicago to do something smaller than they planned, only to find that this apparent detour offers something they crave, try this then once. It has spicier dialogue and less yelling; more sweet than salty.
… an hour, and I like adventure.
‘Edge of the Earth’
When to watch: Now on HBO Max.
Each episode of this new four-part series follows adventurous athletes on majestic, dangerous quests: skiing and snowboarding down a remote mountain in Glacier Bay National Park, kayaking in an Ecuadorian jungle, free-climbing in Kyrgyzstan, and surfing off the west coast of South Africa. The cinematography is breathtaking, the equipment surreptitiously fascinating, the determination both inspiring and mind-boggling. No one is forcing you to do this! If the conditions are so treacherous, just stay home! Play Boggle! The river doesn’t care and the mountain won’t know! Aaah! The first episode is streaming now and new episodes are coming on Tuesdays.
… several hours, and I like sports shows.
‘Sunderland Till I Die’
When to watch?: Now on Netflix.
Sadly, there are only two seasons of this documentary about Sunderland AFC, a once mighty British football team struggling to hold onto its place in the league. On many fronts, this looks like a real “Ted Lasso”, with coaches and players adapting (or not) to each other’s styles, but the scope of “Sunderland” is wider and includes more passions and critiques from the fans. Like all great sports stories, this isn’t really about sports: this is a story about community and collective identity, and it’s told in a way that really makes the viewer feel part of it. If you enjoy storing all your emotions for years and years and then letting them come out in a big scream once in a generation or so, check it out.