Summer TV Watch List: Rick & Morty Return and Thor Brings the Thunder

Summer TV Watch List: Rick & Morty Return and Thor Brings the Thunder No images? [Click here]( ID=167008;size=700x180;setID=556351;uid={EMAIL}5868078;click=summer_tv_watchlist_top [- - -] [TheWrap - SUMMER TV WATCH LIST] Week of September 3 – 9 You know what the Labor Day weekend means: an extra day to watch television! Thankfully, there is plenty to consume, both during this long weekend (hello, “Rick & Morty”!) but also in the week ahead, with a Robert Zemeckis-directed take on Disney classic “Pinocchio,” new seasons of “Central Park” and “Cobra Kai,” plus a suite of new “Cars” shorts. Oh and Chris Hemsworth and his new “Thor” sequel come home too. How’s that for an all-star lineup? Enjoy your holiday, everybody! On with the television! [Premiere of the week] “Rick & Morty”Sunday, September 4 at 11 p.m., Cartoon Network [rick-and-morty-season-6-image] Image: Cartoon Network How are “Rick & Morty” back for the sixth season already? Is this some kind of abnormality in the space/time continuum? (Think about this: the hugely popular “Pickle Rick” episode happened back in the show’s third season. In 2017.) While not much is known about this upcoming season, which is in keeping with the secrecy that usually surrounds the series (beyond marketing materials suggesting something called “Wormageddon” will be of particular importance), you can guess that Rick and Morty (both voiced by series co-creator Justin Roiland) will get up to some intergalactic high jinks. There will probably be some profound life lessons in there. A few alternate dimensions. Some wild alien races. And lots of cursing. In short: everything that you’ve come to expect and love about “Rick & Morty,” plus some stuff that you’re probably not expecting at all. As it should be. [[INTERVIEW](] ID=167008;size=300x250;setID=556895;uid={EMAIL}5868078;click=summer_tv_watchlist_2 [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “What We Do in the Shadows”Tuesday, September 6 at 10 p.m., FX [what-we-do-in-the-shadows-season-4] Photo: FX Season 4 of “What We Do in the Shadows” took some delightful left turns, as it became both a workplace comedy (with Nadja opening up a happening nightclub for vampires) and a home-renovation show (as with the exemplary eighth episode, “Go Flip Yourself!”), while also sprinkling in new elements like Guillermo’s coming-out journey and characters like the Djinn (Anoop Desai) and Nandor’s new wife, Marwa (Parisa Fakhri). (Also, praise be, Kristen Schaal getting bumped up to a nearly-series-regular.) “What We Do in the Shadows” did all of this while still maintaining its established milieu of faux documentary vampire shenanigans and giving ample time to the main characters (Colin Robinson’s metamorphosis has really been something). The fact that the show has been renewed, already, for an additional two seasons fills us with nothing but joy. Just think about all the perfect Matt Berry line readings! [[SUPER CUT](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Pinocchio”Thursday, September 8, Disney+ [Pinocchio 2022] Image: Disney Round and round we go! The latest live-action remake of a beloved Disney animated feature isn’t just any animated feature. It’s arguably the greatest Disney animated feature of all time (at the very least, it’s the best Disney animated feature that Walt himself supervised). But, you know, no pressure. This new “Pinocchio” is directed by Robert Zemeckis, who has recruited his frequent collaborator Tom Hanks to star as Geppetto, the kindly woodcarver who builds Pinocchio (voiced here by Ben Ainsworth). Keegan-Michael Key and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also provide voices, while Cynthia Erivo and Luke Evans make appearances. Based on the marketing materials, this looks like a zippy re-creation, translating much of the original’s jaw-dropping 2D animation into lush Pixar-style 3D while adding new flourishes (and probably deleting things like Pinocchio taking big puffs from a cigar). Once you get past the shock of an attempt to remake a certifiable classic, chances are “Pinocchio” will reveal its own delights. [[TRAILER](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “The Murders Before the Marathon”Monday, September 5, Hulu [murders before the marathon] Photo: Hulu This new three-part documentary series poses an uncomfortable question: Could the Boston Marathon bombing have been prevented if a Boston triple murder, timed to the 10th anniversary of 9/11, been properly investigated? On September 11, 2011, three men were found in a Boston neighborhood with their throats violently slashed. One of the suspects in the triple murder was Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Boston journalist Susan Zalkind has spent more than a decade connecting the dots and exploring the case, resulting in this documentary series. It sounds absolutely compelling and very, very dark. [[TRAILER](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Perfect Strangers”Freevee [Perfect Strangers] Photo: ABC Maybe it’s because Mark Linn-Baker showed up on “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” maybe it’s because [the theme song]( has a way of randomly popping into your head on a sleepy Tuesday afternoon (that’d be “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now,” performed by David Pomeranz – not to be confused with the Starship banger), but for whatever reason we’ve been feeling very nostalgic about “Perfect Strangers.” The sitcom aired from 1986 to 1993, for a whopping 150 episodes. And really, is it ever a bad time to revisit Bronson Pinchot and that ridiculous accent? Did you remember that, at least at the beginning, they lived above and worked inside a weird junk shop run by Ernie Sabella, future voice of Pumbaa the warthog? Or that, when Larry and Balki had pregnant wives at the same time, they went up in a hot air balloon to induce labor? Ah, memories. Anyway, it’s on Freevee. [[WATCH](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Cars on the Road”Thursday, September 8, Disney+Pixar’s “Cars” franchise still has gas in the tank! The latest iteration of the popular franchise is a series of connected short films (each runs between eight and nine minutes) called “Cars on the Road.” It follows Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) as they embark on a cross-country road trip before Mater’s sister’s wedding (her name is Mato, naturally). Each episode is visually inventive and a ton of fun (they’re written and mostly directed by Steve Purcell, an animation legend and longtime Pixar secret weapon). From a haunted motel to a run-in with Bigfoot to a trip back in time, “Cars on the Road” has everything you could possibly want from a new exploration of the “Cars” universe — and a theme song that will probably be stuck in your head for weeks. [[TRAILER](] “Thor: Love and Thunder”Thursday, September 8, Disney+Ready to feel the thunder? Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” follows the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) palling around with the Guardians of the Galaxy (led by Chris Pratt) and attempting to figure out his place in the universe. All of his soul-searching is first interrupted and intensified by the reappearance of Jane (Natalie Portman), who is now wielding the power of Thor (and also dying of cancer). Together, they embark on an intergalactic journey to stop Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) from wiping out all the gods (and throwing everything into chaos). Once again directed by “Thor: Ragnarok” filmmaker Taika Waititi, the emphasis is on comedy and outrageousness (there are some truly outsize visuals), only this time with a lovely emotional undercurrent. It barely hangs together, but it’s still a wild ride. [[TEASER](] “Wedding Season”Thursday, September 8, HuluHow’s this for a killer (pun intended) premise? Rosa Salazar and Gavin Drea star as two people who meet at a wedding and begin having an affair (even though she’s already engaged to someone else). Two months later, her husband and family are poisoned to death at her wedding and he’s the prime suspect. Together, they team up to find out who really did it. Even better is the fact that it was created by former film journalist Oliver Lyttelton (late of The Playlist). All eight episodes stream today. Get ready to binge. [[TRAILER](] “Cobra Kai”Friday, September 9, NetflixWho would have guessed that “Cobra Kai,” which started as a low-budget legacy play during YouTube’s attempt to develop scripted original content, would now be on its fifth season on Netflix? Seen as a direct continuation of the four original “Karate Kid” movies (and starring Ralph Machcio and William Zabka), “Cobra Kai” continues to deliver new twists, dig into the rich mythology of the original films and deliver that much-needed rush of warmhearted nostalgia. Wax on, wax off. [[TRAILER](] “Central Park”Friday, September 9, Apple TV+“Central Park” is back for Season 3! The best show you probably aren’t watching, “Central Park” is an animated musical about a family living in a castle in Central Park (he’s the manager of the park, it’s not exactly glamorous) and the various characters they encounter, including an egomaniacal old woman (voiced by Stanley Tucci) and a good-natured busker (voiced by co-creator Josh Gad). The songs are excellent, the characters are extremely lovable and the animation is terrific. If you aren’t watching, no time like the present to start watching! [[TRAILER](] [- - -] [Update your profile]( | [View our privacy policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Sent from: TheWrap | 1808 Stanford Street | Santa Monica, CA, 90404 | attn: Email Coordinator [TheWrap]( ID=167008;size=700x180;setID=556352;uid={EMAIL}5868078;click=summer_tv_watchlist_bottom This email was sent to {EMAIL}. If you are no longer interested you can [unsubscribe instantly](.