TV Watchlist: 'Batman' Gets Animated, Zack Snyder Unveils His Netflix Director's Cuts

Plus: "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" and a "SpongeBob" spinoff movie on Netflix Week of July 27 – August 2 Where has the summer gone? And how much television have you actually watched? These are the questions we ponder as a new onslaught of exciting programming is hitting your favorite streaming services, from a new Batman animated series (“Batman: Caped Crusader” on Prime Video), to two new Zack Snyder director’s cuts (“Rebel Moon” on Netflix) to new episodes of “Futurama,” “Unsolved Mysteries” and “Unstable.” And that’s not even including a fascinating Netflix documentary (“Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa”) and a “SpongeBob SquarePants” spin-off movie (also on Netflix). On with the television! Batman: Caped Crusader Thursday, August 1, Prime Video Source: Prime Video Batman is back. “Batman: Caped Crusader,” originally planned as a flagship series for Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service and later sold to Prime Video in a fire sale, is an uncanny update of “Batman: The Animated Series,” a revolutionary series that still feels fresh today (see below). With “Batman: Caped Crusader,” Bruce Timm, one of the original “Batman: The Animated Series” creators, along with new executive producers like J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves (director of “The Batman”), has maintained much of what made that earlier series so special – the art deco 1940s aesthetic, the “world’s greatest detective” characterization of the title character (now voiced by Hamish Linklater) and the general atmosphere. But the new series updates the look of the show, too, with fresh designs and more mature content. This isn’t exactly R-rated, but it is more sophisticated, more violent and more adult. (There is an actual gay relationship between two characters that feels genuinely revolutionary.) And the episodes, written by comics luminaries like Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker, nicely oscillate between standalone, villain-of-the-week adventures and a larger, overarching story about the struggle for the soul of Gotham City. It’s one of the best new shows of the year and, along with “X-Men 97,” proves that there is much to mine from classic animated series of the 1990s. He is vengeance. He is the night. He is “Batman: Caped Crusader.” [[TRAILER](] Criminal Minds: Evolution Thursday, August 1, Paramount+ Source: Paramount Network Another year, another “Criminal Minds” in the books. “Criminal Minds: Evolution” was an, er, evolved version of the original series, this time centered around the glut of serial killers who emerged during the pandemic. (Technically this was the seventeenth season of the show.) Will the show, which streams on Disney+ overseas, return for another season? That’s something that not even Joe Mantegna, A. J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster can solve! [[TRAILER](] Rebel Moon – Chapter One: Calice of Blood, Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness Friday, August 2, Netflix Source: Netflix That’s right, baby. “Rebel Moon” is back. And this time it’s extremely adult. Netflix released Zack Snyder’s two-part space opera back in the winter of last year and spring of this year. And they were relatively straightforward, streamlined affairs, a kind of “Seven Samurai” meets “Star Wars” yarn about a young woman (Sofia Boutella) who recruits warriors from across the cosmos to save her peaceful planet against an evil governmental entity. But they definitely felt restrained, especially by Snyder standards, which is why it’s nice that we’re now getting the off-the-leash director’s cuts of both films. (They even have new titles!) And honestly, they are a total blast. The first film clocks in at almost three-and-a-half hours; the second one almost three. But there’s a real expansion of scope, and the more extreme flourishes (including a pair of fairly graphic sex scenes and more exploding heads than you can properly count) contribute a sense of verisimilitude while also distancing itself from more known, family friendly properties. It’s cooler, weirder, sexier and more fun. Set some time aside and go on a journey to a galaxy full of exploding gremlins, sentient engines, sex-bots and more. This is the Snyder-verse we desperately need to continue. [[TRAILER](] Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa Wednesday, July 31, Netflix Source: Netflix If this logline doesn’t get you to watch, we don’t know what will: “The first Nepali woman to summit and descend Mount Everest, now a single mum working at a Connecticut Whole Foods, heads back to Everest to make a better life for her two daughters.” Directed by Lucy Walker, the documentarian behind “The Crash Reel” and “Buena Vista Social Club: Adios,” this documentary premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival (where it was second runner-up for the audience award for best documentary) and was promptly picked up by Netflix. Now we finally get to see it. Cannot wait. [[TRAILER](] Batman: The Animated Series Prime Video Source: Warner Bros. Before you watch “Batman: Caped Crusader,” why don’t you revisit the original, groundbreaking series that started it all? “Batman: The Animated Series,” released in the wake of Tim Burton’s darker “Batman” movies, was an artistic and creative triumph. The show’s look was established early on as being devoid of brightness or light; backgrounds were airbrushed onto black sheets of paper. Bruce Wayne/Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) was as complicated and nuanced as he’s ever been, surrounded by a group of equally compelling villains, including Harley Quinn, who was created for the show. (How about that?) There are so many iconic episodes that reverberate through DC Comics lore even today, and the series led to the theatrical movie “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm,” which many consider to be one of the best Batman movies ever. There’s just so much to love about this series and re-watching it always reminds you what a titanic achievement it was. [[WATCH](] Source: Netflix “Futurama” Monday, July 29, Hulu Here it is, the second half of “Futurama’s” new season, which began in the fall of 2023. That’s right – 10 more episodes, beamed directly into your brain. Considering how many times “Futurama” has been canceled and resurrected, do we really think this is the end? Or will it be unthawed several years from now for even more fun? Who can say? But we’ll enjoy every minute we get to share with Fry, Bender, Leela and the gang. Cue the theme music! [[TRAILER](] “Unsolved Mysteries” Wednesday, July 31, Netflix First, the bad news: we only get five new episodes of Netflix’s updated “Unsolved Mysteries.” Now, the good news: these episodes are wild. They cover everything from Jack the Ripper (yes, a truly historic unsolved mystery) to a bizarre case involving a woman who might have fallen but who might also have been killed (big “The Staircase” energy) to the first ever revisiting of an original “Unsolved Mysteries” mystery – that of the Mothman, a mysterious creature said to appear before natural disasters. (They made a pretty cool Richard Gere movie out of the legend.) There’s also a candidate for one of the great “Unsolved Mysteries” episodes period, which involves the discovery of a decapitated head and the weirdo who might have been involved. Turn down the lights and get ready to be thoroughly creeped out. [[TRAILER](] “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” Thursday, August 1, Netflix Based on the best-selling YA novel of the same name by Holly Jackson, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” stars Emma Myers, who co-stars alongside Jenna Ortega in Netflix’s breakout “Wednesday.” The six episode series adapted by Poppy Cogan and directed by Dolly Wells, “follows 17-year-old Pip as she investigates the murder of a high school student who was killed five years prior,” according to the official synopsis. Sounds like it’ll scratch that “Riverdale” itch. [[TRAILER](] “Unstable” Thursday, August 1, Netflix If you’ve never heard of “Unstable,” well, it’s back for a second season. The series, created by star Rob Lowe, his son John Owen Lowe and Victor Fresco, “follows eccentric entrepreneur Ellis as he reconnects with his estranged son, Jackson (John Owen Lowe), who moves back home to help pull his father out of an emotional freefall. At the end of Season 1, a last-minute technological breakthrough saw Ellis narrowly avoid being removed from the board of his own company. Instead, he ousted his friend turned rival, Jean (Christina Chang)... and then blew up her car,” according to an official Netflix synopsis. Intrigued? We are! Time to catch up before the new season starts. [[TRAILER](] “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie” Friday, August 2, Netflix Netflix is making a series of spin-off films based on classic characters from “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Next year will see the release of “The Plankton Movie.” This year? Sandy Cheeks, SpongeBob’s squirrel bestie, gets the spotlight. In “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie,” she teams up with SpongeBob to stop an evil CEO from exploiting their idyllic undersea community. Carolyn Lawrence returns as Sandy, alongside new characters voiced by Johnny Knoxville and Craig Robinson. We’re sure it’ll be a hoot. 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