TV Watchlist: 'The Idol' Is Over, WHAM! Gets a Doc and the Guardians of the Galaxy Hit Streaming

Plus a meaty new horror comedy series hits Prime Video and Netflix goes retro Week of July 1 – 7 It’s the Fourth of July, which means that we have a couple of days off of work and plenty of time to catch up on TV (while looking forward to the future). And this week you can celebrate Independence Day and then settle down on the couch, with an intriguing horror comedy (based on a podcast) called “The Horror of Dolores Roach,” a documentary devoted to “WHAM!,” and a new season of “The Lincoln Lawyer.” We’ll also say goodbye to “The Idol,” welcome the “Guardians of the Galaxy” home and will undoubtedly become obsessed with a new home makeover show called “Hack My Home.” Don’t make us go back to work! On with the television! The Horror of Dolores Roach Friday, July 7, Prime Video Source: Prime Video We are now in an age when a scripted podcast (based on a one-woman play) can inspire a scripted series. And that is certainly the case with “The Horror of Dolores Roach,” a “Sweeney Todd”-ish tale that is mostly based on the Gimlet Media podcast of the same name. In the new streaming show (another buzzy title for Prime Video) Justina Machado stars as the titular Dolores Roach, out in Washington Heights after a lengthy prison stay. Turning to doing massages in the basement of a dingy empanada joint, she soon starts murdering her clients and turning their meat into empanada stuffing (yes really). The new show comes from Aaron Mark, who also created the stage version and the podcast, with a supporting cast that includes Alejandro Hernandez, Kita Updike, K. Todd Freeman, Jean Yoon, Cyndi Lauper, Judy Reyes and Marc Maron. And the best part is that all eight episodes stream July 7 – just remember to pace yourself, you don’t want to fill up too fast. [[TRAILER](] The Idol Sunday, July 2 at 9 p.m., HBO Source: HBO Surprise! The sleazy show that is both more and less provocative than everyone is making it out to be is actually only five episodes long. You know, the typical length of an HBO series that has never had any behind-the-scenes drama or sparked public outrage. A bigger shock than the truncated episode order (weird even by the admittedly odd standards set by this show) will be if the show comes back for season 2. Can “The Idol” weather all of that bad buzz and still have HBO wanting more? We will probably know sooner rather than later. Until then, enjoy “The Idol” in all of its decadent, over-the-top, nudity-filled glory while you still can. [[TRAILER](] The Out-Laws Friday, July 7, Netflix Source: Netflix In the 1980s and 1990s the cinematic landscape was littered with high-concept R-rated action comedies – think “48 Hrs.,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Lethal Weapon” and the like. These days they are few and far between. Anytime one comes along, we must celebrate. And so we will celebrate “The Out-Laws,” which stars Adam Devine as a nerdy bank manager who finds out that his fiancé’s (Nina Dobrev) parents (played by Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) are notorious bank robbers. Honestly, the trailer is pretty fun and it looks like everybody is having a grand time (including Michael Rooker as the cop in pursuit and Lil Rel Howery as the bank security guard). Is it going to change your life? Probably not. But it looks like a ridiculously entertaining way to spend a Friday night on the couch. [[TRAILER](] WHAM! Wednesday, July 5, Netflix Source: Netflix Wham was, of course, the band that launched the career of George Michael. But they were also a potent force in the 1980s, with Michael and Andrew Ridgeley churning out some of the most ear-worm-y pop ditties of the decade. (Try listening to “Everything She Wants” and not sing it for the rest of the day. It’s impossible.) Under the capable direction of documentary filmmaker Chris Smith, who made “American Movie,” “Fyre” and “Bad Vegans,” the progressiveness of Wham (and the demons that Michael battled so intensely) will undoubtedly be explored alongside all of the high camp. Just get ready to have “Club Tropicana” on repeat for weeks afterward. [[TRAILER](] Twin Peaks: The Return Hulu Source: Hulu Six years ago, “Twin Peaks: The Return” premiered on Showtime and became the sensation of the summer (at least for a certain clientele). Since they first debuted, the 18 episodes that made up the third season of the cult series (which originally ran for two seasons in 1990 and 1991), all directed by David Lynch and written by Lynch and Mark Frost, have been endlessly picked apart and pontificated upon, riling up debate and outrage. And for good reason – the show was not what anybody expected, hardly resembling the original run of episodes at all, instead taking on an odd, free-association feeling that piled on the mystery and mood without any explanation. It was unlike anything anybody had seen and we were all the better for it. (In particular, “Part 8,” a largely wordless, black-and-white episode about the birth of evil, is one of the best things Lynch has ever done.) If for some reason you were a fan of the original series and missed “The Return,” time to make up for that. Make it your summertime obsession. [[WATCH](] Source: Marvel Studios “Brandi Carlile: In the Canyon Haze - Live From Laurel Canyon” Saturday, July 1 at 8 p.m., HBO In this special six-time Grammy Award-winning musical artist Brandi Carlile performs reimagined versions of songs from her album "In the Canyon Haze.” Originally broadcast to IMAX theaters nationwide, the special (according to the official synopsis) “ takes place in Los Angeles’ storied Laurel Canyon neighborhood with rearrangements meant to invoke the spirit of early ‘70s canyon folk-rock.” Sounds fun. [[TRAILER](] “The Lincoln Lawyer” Thursday, July 6, Netflix The Lincoln Lawyer is back. And he’s parked in a tow-away spot. For the second season of the streaming series (created for television by David E. Kelley and developed by Ted Humphrey) Manuel Garcia-Rulfo returns as the titular car-bound counselor. Only this time the storyline is based on the 2011 Michael Connelly novel “The Fifth Witness.” Also of note is the fact that this season will be split into two parts – the first part debuts today while the second part hits Netflix on August 3. [[TRAILER](] “My Adventures with Superman” Thursday, July 6 at midnight, Adult Swim on Cartoon Network Superman is now headed to someplace he’s never been before – the after-hours animation block known as Adult Swim. “My Adventures with Superman” is an anime-influenced Superman story developed by Jake Wyatt, with the Man of Steel voiced by Jack Quaid. It looks very, very fun. And it will at the very least take the sting out of knowing that we have to wait until 2025 for the James Gunn-directed live-action “Superman Legacy” to hit the big screen. [[TRAILER](] “Hack My Home” Friday, July 7, Netflix According to the official synopsis “Hack My Home” is an unscripted series about “a team of four design wizards dreams up space-maximizing solutions and ingenious engineering ideas to transform families' homes in inventive ways.” Say no more. We’re in. [[TRAILER](] “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” Friday, June 7, PVOD Those tut-tutting about superhero fatigue and the demise of creativity and liveliness within Marvel Studios probably haven’t seen “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” writer/director James Gunn’s farewell to his ragtag bunch of outer space renegades. This entry delves deep into the past of Rocket (once again voiced by Bradley Cooper) as the rest of the Guardians (led once again by Chris Pratt) go up against an evil villain known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). There’s a bunch of other stuff going on including the introduction of some new Guardians like Cosmo the talking telepathic space dog (voiced by Maria Bakalova). Touching, hilarious and very entertaining, it’s worth shelling out the extra bucks for (it’s unclear when it will be touching down on Disney+, but likely sometime in August). Do it for Rocket. [[TRAILER](] 2034 Armacost Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Unsubscribe](