Spring TV Watchlist: Ben Affleck's 'Air' Streams, Jennifer Lopez Takes Aim on Netflix and 'The Great' Returns

Plus, Brian Tyree Henry and Kate Mara solve crimes across three timelines Week of May 6 - 12 Ready to get wrapped up in some mysteries? From a sprawling FX series on Hulu (“Class of ‘09”) to a new Apple TV+ series based on a best-selling novel (“City on Fire”), plus a Disney+ movie about kids traveling on the moon to uncover a secret (“Crater”) and Jennifer Lopez uncovering her mysterious past to save her child (“The Mother”), this week is full of mysteries. And if mysteries aren’t your thing, then there’s plenty of other great options – a documentary about Michael J. Fox, the much-talked-about Ben Affleck/Matt Damon vehicle “Air,” a new Muppets series and the beginning of a new “Jeopardy!” tournament. On with the television! Class of ‘09 Wednesday, May 10, Hulu Source: FX Get ready for your new procedural obsession. But instead of a straightforward detective show (don’t we have enough of those already?), “Class of ‘09” has a twist. According to the official synopsis, the new limited series follows a group of FBI graduates (among them: Brian Tyree Henry, Kate Mara, Sepideh Moafi, Brian J. Smith and Rosalind Eleazar) and is “set in three distinct points in time who grapple with immense changes as the U.S. criminal justice system is altered by artificial intelligence.” The series comes from Tom Rob Smith, the British novelist and writer of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” (he also wrote every episode of “Class of ’09,” save for one, which he wrote with Jihan Crowther), which makes the premise, which according to the official synopsis involves “multiple decades and told across interweaving timelines,” even more intriguing. The trailer really does cast a spell on you, something that few new cop shows can do these days, and considering the talent behind and in front of the camera, should be super compelling. The first two episodes stream tonight, with new episodes streaming weekly. [[TRAILER](] Titans Thursday, May 11, HBO Max Source: HBO Max The second half of the fourth season of “Titans,” which will also be the last batch of new episodes for the series that began in 2018, is finally coming to an end. If you haven’t seen the show, which was developed for TNT and ended up premiering on DC Universe, Warner Bros.’ old comic book/video subscription service (remember that?) before transitioning to HBO Max. “Titans” was a grittier, more serious, live-action version of second-run superhero team-up shows like “Teen Titans GO!,” comprised of a bunch of sidekicks like Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Starfire (Anna Diop), Raven (Teagan Croft) and Beast Boy (Ryan Potter). The show was also emblematic of a time before the recent, streamlined DC Studios, when DC properties were being adapted willy-nilly by various channels and streaming services were cranking things out without any concern for continuity. What a beautiful, messy time. [[TRAILER](] Air Friday, May 12, Prime Video Source: Prime Video Have you ever wondered how Nike secured the rights to Michael Jordan’s likeness and created the unstoppable Air Jordan brand? Well, even if you haven’t, here’s a movie that explains it anyway. Matt Damon stars as Sonny Vaccaro, a plucky employee of upstart Nike (which was on the verge of shutting down its basketball division), who comes across a Freshman player that he thinks has what it takes – Michael Jordan (who is never fully seen, just glimpsed in archival footage and from the neck down). He’s got to convince his boss, Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), his fellow Nike colleagues (including Chris Tucker and Jason Bateman) and, most crucially, Jordan’s parents (played by real-life couple Viola Davis and Julius Tennon). Oddly charming and uplifting for a movie nakedly about the triumph of capitalism, it is smartly directed by Affleck and features a ton of winning performances. Even if you don’t care about the Air Jordan brand and how it was secured by Nike, you’ll still be utterly riveted. [[TRAILER](] Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie Wednesday, March 22, Netflix Source: Apple TV+ An absolutely wonderful documentary. “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” follows the “Family Ties” and “Back to the Future” star as he rose to success and then came crashing down, faced with the sobering reality of a Parkinson’s diagnosis. Featuring vintage clips along with new interviews with Fox (and narration by the star, cribbed from his two memoirs), this is the definitive portrait of a performer who helped encapsulate an entire decade and whose struggles in the years since have become an inspiration for us all. And while you might assume that it will make you cry, that is very much true, but the liveliness of the project – the way that it is put together, combining clips of the star on talk shows, moments from his movies, careful reenactments and new footage of the actor attempting basic tasks and spending time with his family – makes it ultimately uplifting. (And if you grew up with the star, seeing all of the old clips is a lot of fun.) The movie, directed by “An Inconvenient Truth” filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (who is married to Fox’s “Back to the Future: Part II” co-star Elisabeth Shue) premiered at Sundance earlier this year to rapturous reviews and should be a big hit on Apple TV+, home to other terrific documentaries like “The Velvet Underground,” “Boys State” and “Beastie Boys Story.” [[TRAILER](] The Great Hulu Source: Hulu The third season of “The Great” finally premieres on Hulu on May 12, after a very long wait. (The second season streamed on November 19, 2021.) This is both cause for celebration and a great excuse to re-watch the first two seasons. Everybody wins! In “The Great,” created by Tony McNamara, the Australian playwright and screenwriter behind “The Favourite” and “Cruella,” Elle Fanning plays Catherine the Great and Nicholas Hoult plays Peter III of Russia (since season 2 he’s also played Yemelyan Pugachev), in a wry, satirical historical comedy drama. Everybody returns for season 3, with every episode written or co-written by McNamara. And like previous seasons, every episode will be available starting on May 12. Now that’s really great. [[WATCH](] Source: Disney “Jeopardy! Masters” Monday, May 8 at p.m., ABC How much “Jeopardy!” can you handle? The show and its various incarnations have weathered controversy and the sad passing of longtime host Alex Trebek. Now, the gameshow franchise has never been stronger. Exhibit A is “Jeopardy! Masters.” This new primetime spinoff is a three-week tournament, with episodes airing three or four times per week and centered around the six highest-earning recent winners Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio and Mattea Roach. What is: we can’t wait to watch? [[TRAILER](] “The Muppets Mayhem” Wednesday, May 10, Disney+ Disney’s latest attempt to reintroduce the classic Jim Henson characters in the past ten+ years is “The Muppets Mayhem,” a half-hour series that follows the infamous Muppet rock band as they attempt to record their debut album and maneuver the machinations of the modern-day recording industry. Lilly Singh plays Nora, an underling at an aging record company who sees the Electric Mayhem as her ticket to the big-time. But the band is really all about the music and teaches her how to loosen up and enjoy life. Many legendary Muppet performers, including Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson and Matt Vogel all return. And, given that this is a Muppet project, there are cameos galore (everybody from Billy Corgan to Morgan Freeman). This is a ton of fun. [[TRAILER](] “City on Fire” Friday, May 12, Apple TV+ Ready to get drawn into a mystery? "City on Fire" hails from the “Gossip Girl” and “O.C.” team of Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and is based on a bestselling novel from 2015 by Garth Risk Hallberg. The team behind the new series made some adjustments; the 1970s setting of the 927-page novel is replaced by New York City in the early-aughts. But the series is still about the murder of a young girl on New Year’s Eve and the various uncomfortable truths that are drawn to light in the wake of her death. The series stars Chase Sui Wonders, Wyatt Oleff, Jemima Kirke, John Cameron Mitchell, Nico Tortorella and Ashley Zukerman. The first three episodes stream today, with additional episodes streaming weekly. Fire! [[TRAILER](] “The Mother” Friday, May 12, Netflix Because this Mother’s Day, don’t you want to see a mother kicking an unholy amount of ass? Us too! “The Mother” stars Jennifer Lopez as a former assassin who comes out of retirement to save her estranged daughter. If that wasn’t cool enough, the movie comes from “Lovecraft Country” mastermind Misha Green (the final script is credited to Green, Andrea Berloff and “The Batman” writer Peter Craig) and “Whale Rider” and “Mulan” director Niki Caro. Additionally, the movie features a colorful supporting cast (including turns by Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick and Gael Garcia Bernal) and music by “Encanto” composer Germaine Franco. Time to make a reservation with “The Mother.” [[TRAILER](] “Crater” Friday, May 12, Disney+ A young boy (Isaiah Russell-Bailey) loses his father (played by Scott Mescudi aka Kid Cudi) and sets off on an adventure with a bunch of his friends (including “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” breakout Mckenna Grace, Billy Barratt, Orson Hong and Thomas Boyce) to a mysterious crater. So basically a moon-set “Goonies?” “Moonies,” if you will? There have been worse pitches. And considering “Stranger Things” producer Shawn Levy and his 21 Laps production company are behind “Crater,” along with director Kyle Patrick Alvarez (“The Stanford Prison Experiment,” the second season of “Homecoming”), we’re in very good hands. This could be a fun sleeper – and one you can watch with the whole family. [[TRAILER](] 2034 Armacost Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Unsubscribe](