TV Watchlist: Michelle Yeoh Runs an Empire, Y2K Gets a Doc and the Golden Bachelor Gets Hitched

Plus Netflix has J.A. Bayona's "Society of the Snow" and Ryan Seacrest rings in 2024 Plus Netflix has J.A. Bayona's "Society of the Snow" and Ryan Seacrest rings in 2024 Week of December 30 – January 5 As we say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024, there is plenty to watch, before or after you ring in the New Year. This week has something for everyone, no matter your resolutions, including a new action series starring Michelle Yeoh (“The Brothers Sun”), documentaries about Y2K (“Time Bomb Y2K”) and bit coin scammers (“Bitconned”), plus a dramatic retelling of a horrible plane crash (“Society of the Snow”), the directorial debut feature film from Daniel Levy (“Good Grief”) and, of course, a Ryan Seacrest-led New Year’s countdown (“Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024”). And if that wasn’t enough, the Golden Bachelor is getting hitched! On with the television! The Brothers Sun Thursday, January 4, Netflix Source: Netflix Ready to meet “The Brothers Sun?” This new series, from Ryan Murphy cohort Brad Falchuk and Byron Wu, follows a Los Angeles-based Taiwanese crime family led by Eileen "Mama" Sun (recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh). When the family comes under attack, the two Sun sons have to band together to save their empire. Of course, that’s easier said than done. That’s because there’s bad-ass son Charles (Justin Chien), who has been aware of the family’s underworld ties, and meek, stand-up comic son Bruce (Sam Song Li), who had no clue that he comes from a family of gangsters and who can’t fight for beans. With direction from Kevin Tancharoen, a veteran of “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Warrior” and “Titans,” this show looks like the kind of action-packed, low-calorie post-New Year’s fun we love. And if the trailer is any indication, Yeoh gets to chew scenery like nobody’s business. “The Brothers Sun” looks like a kick. [[TRAILER](] Marvel’s What If … ? Saturday, December 30, Disney+ Source: Disney+ This year instead of releasing “What If… ?,” Marvel Studios’ animated series that imagines alternate worlds within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, weekly (or all at once), Disney+ decided to release an episode a day for nine days, as a fun holiday treat. And it has been fun, with early episodes putting a Marvel Studios spin on classics like “Blade Runner” and “Die Hard” (thanks to a very satisfying Christmas episode). With the final episode ("What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?"), will it connect the entire season together, as it did with the first season’s finale ("What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?")? And will there be another season of the beautifully animated series? Only time will tell. But the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) probably already knows. [[TRAILER](] Society of the Snow Thursday, January 4, Netflix Source: Netflix J.A. Bayona, the extremely talented Spanish filmmaker behind “The Impossible” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” is back with a based-on-a-true-story survival tale that follows the survivors of the Uruguayan 1972 Andes flight disaster. (Yes, this is the story where the survivors wound up eating each other to stay alive.) Bayona is a rare filmmaker who understands visceral action set pieces as well as he understands the nuances of performance and the underlying emotionality of the piece. It’s tough stuff, for sure, but is wonderfully told. And if you’re worried that it’s too much like Frank Marshall’s “Alive,” which told the same story back in 1993, don’t fret. While that movie is terrific, it’s clearly a Hollywood-ized version. “Society of the Snow” sets the tone early, with one of the most graphic, jaw-dropping plane crashes in cinema history. Also, “Society of the Snow” just made the Oscar shortlist for the Best International Feature Oscar. Watch it now to get ahead of the curve. [[TRAILER](] Time Bomb Y2K Saturday, December 30, Max Source: HBO Remember when we were all worried about the year 2000 and all of our computers shutting down on New Year's Eve? Well, they made a documentary about it! What makes this doc fascinating is that, according to the official synopsis, the movie was “crafted entirely from archival footage and featuring first-hand accounts from computer experts, survivalists, scholars, militia groups, conservative Christians, and pop icons.” There couldn’t be a more perfect movie to watch on New Year’s Eve. Let the nostalgia flow! [[TRAILER](] Only Murders in the Building Hulu Source: Hulu While three seasons have already aired (they are all available on Hulu), the reason we’re putting “Only Murders in the Building,” the charming, kooky comedic murder mystery starring Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, is that it is hitting linear television this week. That’s right, you can watch the first three episodes on ABC on Tuesday, January 2. We imagine that they will continue airing additional seasons after the first, if the blockbuster success of the linear repeats of various Taylor Sheridan “Yellowstone”-universe streaming series is any indication. And you know what? This isn’t a bad model. If you don’t have Hulu, this is a little holiday treat. And if you have already watched the first season, it’s kind of fun to watch with ads for your local Toyota dealership in between scenes. Everybody’s a winner! And somebody is a killer! [[WATCH](] Source: Netflix “Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024” Sunday, December 31 at 8 p.m., ABC Ready to count down to 2024 with Ryan Seacrest, along with special guests Rita Ora, Megan Thee Stallion, Jelly Roll, Sabrina Carpenter and Tyla? Tune in for another year-ending/year-beginning celebration! [[TRAILER](] “Bitconned” Monday, January 1, Netflix According to the official synopsis, in “Bitconned,” a true-crime documentary, “three guys exploit the freewheeling cryptocurrency market to scam millions from investors and bankroll lavish lifestyles.” Judging by the trailer, get ready to be introduced to the three most loathsome tech bros you’ve ever met in your life. The memes will certainly flow. [[TRAILER](] “Fool Me Once” Monday, January 1, Netflix Netflix loves its Harlan Coben adaptations. And in its latest, an adaptation of the 2016 novel “Fool Me Once,” a woman whose husband is murdered and her niece and nephew are trying to figure out what happened to their mother and father. How are the killings connected? And who is next? Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, Joanna Lumley and Adeel Akhtar star in this eight-part series, a British co-production. Blimey! [[TRAILER](] “The Golden Wedding” Thursday, January 4 at 8 p.m., ABC “The Golden Bachelor,” the surprise hit of the season (and source of much controversy, if you pay attention to that sort of thing) concludes with the marriage between star Gerry Turner and the winner of the season. While the wedding will air live on ABC, it will hit Hulu and Disney+ the next day. Join Gerry for his special day, won’t you? [[TRAILER](] “Good Grief” Friday, December 29, Netflix “Good Grief” stars "Schitt's Creek" actor and co-creator Daniel Levy, who also wrote, produced, and directed the film. What a renaissance man! Levy plays a man who has just lost his mother and husband (Luke Evans) and who travels to France with his two BFFs (Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel). While in Paris he discovers that his perfect marriage maybe wasn’t so perfect. This could be just the kind of well-made holiday weepie that we all need this time of year. Just remember the Kleenex. 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