TV Watch List: Stephen Curry Makes His Acting Debut, Matt Damon Takes Apple TV+

This week in TV is chock full of exciting new series and streaming features, plus the Season 2 finale of "House of the Dragon" and the return of "TMNT" Week of August 3– 9 With heat waves roiling parts of the country (and storms soaking the other parts), we have truly reached the “it’s probably better to stay indoors” portion of the summer. And thankfully, the streamers understand this beautifully. There are high profile new sitcoms like “Mr. Throwback” (Peacock), starry new movies like “The Instigators” (Apple TV+) and some big-time documentaries like “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” (HBO), “Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?” (Max) and “Inside the Mind of a Dog” (Netflix). Plus, the return of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and the end (for now) of “House of the Dragon.” On with the television! Mr. Throwback Thursday, Aug. 8, Peacock Source: Peacock “Mr. Throwback,” a new comedy on Peacock from “Happy Endings” vets David Caspe and Daniel and Matthew Libman, features the acting debut of NBA superstar Stephen Curry. This is but one of the many reasons you should be excited for the new series. Curry plays a fictionalized version of himself, which he basically did on his beloved competitive minigolf series “Holey Moley!” (RIP), who reconnects with his childhood best friend (“Happy Endings” alum Adam Pally), an in-over-his-head sports memorabilia dealer. This turn of events causes the documentary crew that had been following Curry (led by the director, played by Tien Tran) to follow this new story of friendship. The series itself, then, takes on the look and feel of a sports documentary (think ESPN’s “30 for 30”) in a fresh update on the faux documentary style of something like “The Office.” Another reason to get excited: the slam-dunk of a supporting cast, which includes Ego Nwodim, Ayden Mayeri, Layla Scalisi and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts. From the looks of it, “Mr. Throwback” is the rare sitcom that is both hilarious and heartwarming. We need more of those. [[TRAILER](] House of the Dragon Sunday, Aug. 4, HBO Source: HBO Sadly, “House of the Dragon” Season 2 is two episodes shorter than the first season. You’re not happy about it. We’re not happy about it. But we have to accept the early ending for the season and make peace with it. As to what the season finale will bring, well, that’s anybody’s guess. This season has been a bit unwieldy, with Daemon (Matt Smith) trapped in the haunted mansion and the search for worthwhile, if amateurish, dragon riders ongoing. The battle between the green and black is getting more and more fraught. It leaves us with two questions: Who will be left at the end of the finale? And what will be left of them? [[TRAILER](] The Instigators Friday, Aug. 9, Apple TV+ Source: Apple TV+ Doug Liman’s second direct-to-streaming movie of the year is just as entertaining as his first (Prime Video’s “Road House” remake). In “The Instigators,” Matt Damon and Casey Affleck play lovable lowlifes who are recruited for a job that they are already ill-equipped to handle – they’re going to rob the mayor (Ron Perlman) on election night. Of course, things go sideways, secrets are revealed, and one thing leads to another in an increasingly dangerous series of escalations. It’s a ton of fun, the kind of light, frothy caper that Hollywood used to churn out fairly regularly but are now few and far between. The entire cast knows what kind of movie they are in and acts appropriately, from Michael Stuhlbarg and Alfred Molina as mid-level hoods to Ving Rhames as the dogged detective out to solve the case. But Hong Chao really steals the movie as Damon’s psychiatrist, who winds up being the duo’s inadvertent hostage. The action sequences are briskly staged, the Boston location photography adds a lot of texture and life and Damon and Affleck are a hugely enjoyable mismatched pairing. This one is a delight. [[TRAILER](] Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes Saturday, Aug. 3, HBO Source: HBO This new Elizabeth Taylor documentary sounds fascinating and illuminating, with several outlets already running stories about the revelations that spill out. According to the official synopsis, the new documentary “allows Elizabeth Taylor’s own voice to narrate her story, inviting audiences to rediscover not just a megastar of Hollywood’s Golden Age but a complex woman who navigated lifelong fame, personal identity, and public scrutiny on a global stage from an early childhood. Through newly recovered interviews with Taylor and unprecedented access to the movie star’s personal archive, the film reveals the complex inner life and vulnerability of the Hollywood legend while also challenging audiences to recontextualize her achievements and her legacy.” It is directed by Nanette Burstein and produced by J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot company (among many others). Sounds like appointment viewing. [[TRAILER](] Happy Endings Hulu Source: Hulu If “Mr. Throwback” has you hankering for more Adam Pally fun, why not watch “Happy Endings,” the beloved, all too short-lived sitcom that featured Pally and was made by many of the folks behind Peacock’s new series. The show is about a bunch of besties living in Chicago and bumbling along in life. The cast also includes Eliza Coupe, Elisha Cuthbert, Zachary Knighton, Casey Wilson and Damon Wayans Jr. But what might have been a simple “Friends” knockoff is so much more, thanks to inventive direction from folks like Joe and Anthony Russo, future “Fantastic Four” director Matt Shakman and “Mr. Show” veteran Troy Miller, fantastic writing and occasionally surreal asides, like the episode where Pally has essentially transformed into a hibernating bear. Hilarious and heartwarming, “Happy Endings” is a hoot. [[WATCH](] Source: Paramount+ “Are You Sure?!” Thursday, Aug. 8, Disney+ Well this sounds insane. This is the official synopsis for this reality series: “Whenever BTS's Jimin and Jung Kook meet, chaos and excitement ensue! In the summer of 2023, they embark on an unforgettable trip before their military enlistment. Their unpredictable adventure, ‘Are You Sure?!’ is full of surprises. Will Jimin and Jung Kook complete their journey safely?” Sure! [[TRAILER](] “One Fast Move” Thursday, Aug. 8, Prime Video This R-rated action movie feels like the motorcycle version of “Days of Thunder” (or fill-in-the-blanks sports story), with KJ Apa (“Riverdale”) playing a troubled motorcycle rider and Eric Dane (“Euphoria”) as his gruff coach. When cast members from popular teen shows collide! Throw in a truly bonkers-looking Edward James Olmos and you’re cooking with gas. Looks like some very loud fun indeed. [[TRAILER](] “Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?” Thursday, Aug. 8, Max This three-part documentary, directed by first-time filmmaker and one of the news photographers on the case Dylan Sires, will probably be your new true-crime obsession. According to the official synopsis, the series “dives into the haunting 2012 double abduction of two cousins, 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins, in Evansdale, Iowa. With over seven years of exclusive access and insider interviews conducted by Sires, including an additional young girl who escaped her kidnapper against all odds, compelling footage of the two victim’s families over a crucial passage of time and new information around the case,” the doc “offers a searing and unforgettable lens on this unimaginable crime.” [[TRAILER](] “Inside the Mind of a Dog” Friday, Aug. 9, Netflix Without hyperbole, this might be the most important documentary of the year. A follow-up to 2022’s “Inside the Mind of a Cat,” this documentary, narrated by Rob Lowe, will “explore the ancient and complex human-dog relationship, reveal cutting edge research and offer at-home tips for dog owners everywhere. Following our main characters – a brilliant, super trained border collie; a precocious pug and a lovable rescued mutt – our team of elite canine experts from across the globe, dive deep into our best friend’s hidden mind, to answer everyone’s biggest canine questions” (according to the official synopsis). Doggone it, we’re in. [[TRAILER](] “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Friday, Aug. 9, Paramount+ Last summer “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” was released theatrically and blew pretty much everyone away with its winning art style and charming coming-of-age storyline (that also involved a mutant fly trying to destroy New York City). “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is a follow-up to the film, taking place in the same universe and featuring much of the same voice cast (including Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon and Ayo Edebiri), along with a similarly sketchy art style (this time in 2D). We cannot wait. [[TRAILER](] 2034 Armacost Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Unsubscribe](