Spring TV Watch List: Horrors Abound With Sea Monsters, Firestarters and Real-Life Creeps

Spring TV Watch List: Horrors Abound With Sea Monsters, Firestarters and Real-Life Creeps No images? [Click here]( ID=167008;size=700x180;setID=556351;uid={EMAIL}5786619; ID=167008;size=600x111;setID=491988;uid={EMAIL}5786619; [- - -] [TheWrap - SPRING TV WATCH LIST] Week of May 7 – 13 Spring is fully in bloom and allergies on the rise. But if you have to lock yourself in your home to keep away from anything pollinating, there are plenty of options. From a period drama with a big-ass monster to horrors both supernatural and frighteningly real, we have got you covered. All you have to provide are the Kleenex and Zyrtec. On with the television! [Premiere of the week] “The Essex Serpent”Friday, May 13, Apple TV+ [Essex Serpent] Photo: Apple How many prestige costume dramas have you watched and thought, This would be a lot more entertaining if there was a giant monster in it? (For me, the answer is: almost all of them.) “The Essex Serpent” serves to scratch that particular (and incredibly specific) itch. Based on the acclaimed 2016 novel by British author Sarah Perry, “The Essex Serpent” stars Claire Danes (in a role originally earmarked for Keira Knightley, who left due to “family reasons”) as a London widow who moves to Essex to investigate several reported attacks by a giant serpent. In the town she encounters a handsome man of God (Tom Hiddleston) and starts to draw suspicion from the townsfolk, who begin to fear her arrival and the monster might be connected. The first two episodes of the six-episode limited series stream Friday, with additional episodes streaming weekly, which might be a problem if you love it so much and, like the titular beast, want to gobble it up all at once. [[TRAILER](] ID=167008;size=300x250;setID=492280;uid={EMAIL}5786619; [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Winning Time”Sunday, May 8 at 9 p.m., HBO [John C. Reilly and Michael Chiklis as Jerry Buss and Red Auerbach in ] Photo: HBO “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” has been one of the most compulsively watchable new shows of the year, as it follows the behind-the-scenes drama that led to one of the greatest winning streaks in NBA history. The brilliant cast, led by Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson and John C. Reilly as L.A. Lakers owner Jerry Buss, makes history come alive and the jittery stylistic flourishes, while occasionally grating, give the show a singular look unlike anything else on television (or streaming). (If you want more from this era, be sure to watch Johnson’s Apple TV+ documentary series “They Call Me Magic.” At the very least, it’ll make you realize that “Winning Time” could run for years.) The finale is a crescendo; as the first season of Johnson’s career (and Buss’ reign as owner) culminates at the NBA Finals, things reach a boiling point. Should be just as fun as watching a big ticket basketball game. [[REVIEW](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Firestarter”Friday, May 13, Peacock [firestarter-zac-efron] Photo: Universal Stephen King’s 1980 novel has been adapted once before, in 1984, for a version that starred a young Drew Barrymore. (There was also a negligible 2002 miniseries that aired on Syfy.) This new adaptation, from “Paranormal Activity” and “Happy Death Day” producer Jason Blum and his company Blumhouse, stars Zac Efron as doting dad Andy McGee and newcomer Ryan Kiera Armstrong as his pyrokinetic daughter, who runs afoul of a secret organization called The Shop. (Indigenous actor Michael Greyeyes thankfully plays Rainbird, a character essayed by George C. Scott in the original. Not a good look!) Perhaps the biggest reason to check out “Firestarter” might be its music, composed by John Carpenter and his collaborators Cody Carpenter (his son) and Daniel Davies (his godson). Carpenter was set to direct the movie in the 1980s but the critical and commercial disappointment of “The Thing” led Universal to pull him off the project. Now he’s sparking to “Firestarter” all these years later. [[TRAILER](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Our Father”Wednesday, May 11, Netflix [Our Father] Photo: Netflix Another Blumhouse horror movie of a different sort. “Our Father” follows the disgusting true story of a fertility doctor Donald Cline, who used his own sperm to impregnate countless women over decades and the “children” of this monster who banded together to fight back. What made this crime even more upsetting was the position of power that Cline had in the community, he was viewed as an upstanding citizen and was an elder in his church. This documentary looks shocking and eye-opening and what is even more repulsive is that several doctors have committed crimes like this – just think about how many were never caught or prosecuted. [[TRAILER](] [- - -] ID=167008;size=300x250;setID=492280;uid={EMAIL}5786619; [Premiere of the week] “Castle Rock”Hulu [Castle Rock] Source: Hulu If “Firestarter” has you hungry for more Stephen Kingy goodness, look no further than “Castle Rock,” Hulu’s ambitious, sadly short-lived series that served as a kind of remix/compendium of some of his best-known stories, re-contextualized in some new ways. Season 1 saw the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, a frequent setting for King tales, shaken by the arrival of a supernatural figure known as The Kid (Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd), who had been locked away in Shawshank Prison for years. (Now you’re getting it.) Season 2 followed a pre-“Misery” Annie Wilkes (a terrific Lizzy Caplan) and folded in elements of “’Salem’s Lot.” “Castle Rock” was scary and intriguing, adding in meta layers like having King regulars Tim Robbins and Sissy Spacek play key roles. Frustratingly, we’ll never know where the show could have gone had it continued. [[WATCH](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Candy”Monday, May 9, HuluJessica Biel is back! In “Candy,” Biel plays Candy Montgomery, an unassuming woman in 1980s Texas who is accused of killing her best friend Betty (the amazing Melanie Lynskey) after having an affair with Betty’s husband (Pablo Schreiber). While the title role for this based-on-a-true-story drama was originally meant for Elisabeth Moss, it’ll be good to see Biel bite into such a meaty part. And the behind-the-scenes talent on “Candy” is formidable; creators Nick Antosca and Robin Veith are veterans of “Hannibal” and “Mad Men,” respectively. [[TRAILER](] “Hacks”Thursday, May 12, HBO MaxThe Emmy-winning comedy is back for its second season. So if you aren’t on the “Hacks” bandwagon, now is the time to jump in. Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, a once-legendary Las Vegas stand-up comic who recruits a young comedy writer (Hannah Einbinder) to freshen her act. The series, created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, made a splash when it premiered last year. And unlike most sophomore seasons made in the pandemic times, we didn’t have to wait years for the follow-up! Huzzah! [[TRAILER](] “The Kids in the Hall”Friday, May 13, Prime Video“The Kids in the Hall” last aired on April 15, 1995. Now one of Canada’s most famous comedy troupes is back with eight brand-new episodes on Prime Video. All five original members are back (Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson) and they look to be up to their old tricks again. Incredibly, this is Amazon’s first Canadian original series – and what a series it is. [[TRAILER](] “The Lincoln Lawyer”Friday, May 13, NetflixOriginally developed for CBS with an entirely different cast, this Netflix original series is based on the character created by bestselling thriller writer Michael Connelly (this season is based on his novel “The Brass Verdict”). TV dynamo and series creator David E. Kelly made additional adjustments, from dropping the episode order from 13 to 10 and updating the cast. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo replaces Logan Marshall-Green as a rumpled criminal defense lawyer who takes cases out of the back of his Lincoln — a role that Matthew McConaughey took in a 2011 feature film that disappointed at the box office. [[TRAILER](] “Senior Year”Friday, May 13, NetflixThis looks like fun. A cheerleader (Angourie Rice, from the most recent “Spider-Man” movies) suffers a head injury and falls into a coma before her senior prom. Twenty years later, she wakes up (and is now played by Rebel Wilson) and decides to finish high school. This is the kind of high-concept, low-stakes comedy that used to get made all the time but rarely does anymore. Plus, Wilson is a singular comedic force of nature. Even if it’s in the background while you’re folding clothes, “Senior Year” should get a few LOLs out of you. 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