TV Watchlist: Kate Winslet Leads a New Prestige HBO Show, Millie Bobby Brown Battles a Dragon

Plus a hefty dose of documentaries and Zac Efron returns to R-rated comedies Week of March 2 – 8 How is it already March? Thankfully, there is so much great television this week that you won’t have time to think about how quickly the year is passing us by – we have a new HBO limited series with Kate Winslet (“The Regime”), new movies with Millie Bobby Brown (“Damsel”) and John Cena (“Ricky Stanicky”), a Guy Ritchie spin-off series (“The Gentlemen”) and a bunch of killer documentaries (“Queens,” “A Revolution on Canvas,” “The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping” and “ARA San Juan: The Submarine That Disappeared”). Plus the end of “The Traitors!” By the time you get through all of this, it’ll be July. On with the television! The Regime Sunday, March 3 at 9 p.m., HBO Source: HBO Kate Winslet returns to HBO but sadly this is not the continuing saga of “Mare of Easttown.” Instead, Winslet stars in “The Regime,” a six-episode comedic drama from “Succession” writer Will Tracy (who also penned “The Menu”) that is set inside an unnamed, present day European country. She stars as the country’s chancellor, alongside Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts, Hugh Grant and Martha Plimpton. The promotional materials have made “The Regime” look like a worthy successor to, um, “Succession,” with a similar brand of gallows humor (the show takes place in a totalitarian regime) and, of course, some of the best acting you’re probably ever going to see. So far critics have been mixed on the show (it is currently sporting a 62 on Metacritic), but the combination of Winslet, HBO, Tracy and directors Stephen Frears and Jessica Hobbs make this must-watch television, no matter how you slice it. May Winslet’s reign over prestige television never end. [[TRAILER](] The Traitors Thursday, March 7, Peacock Source: Peacock If you are a reality show junkie, then “The Traitors” is probably the greatest show on television (perhaps ever). Following the format of the first season (which is adapted from an international variation), which put contestants in a heightened game of “Mafia” (or “Werewolf”) in an old Irish castle, season 2’s cast is made up entirely of reality show mainstays – folks who have appeared on everything from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” to “Big Brother” to “The Real World” to “Survivor.” And presiding over it all is Alan Cumming, who makes a dashing and witty master of ceremonies. And don’t worry, the show has already been renewed for season 3. There’s more backstabbing to be done. [[TRAILER](] Damsel Friday, March 8, Netflix Source: Netflix Ready for a fractured fairy tale? Millie Bobby Brown plays a young noblewoman who marries a handsome prince. But there’s a catch – she discovers that his family means to sacrifice her to a fearsome dragon in order to repay an ancient debt. But she’s no “Damsel.” Judging by the trailers, she not only survives, but she gets revenge on the kingdom in the most satisfying way possible. This new feminist fantasy epic boasts an impressive cast, which includes Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson and Shohreh Aghdashloo, with direction from Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (“28 Weeks Later”). Originally part of Netflix’s 2023 slate, it got bumped by the strikes and is now finally coming out, with the full promotional might of the streamer and its homegrown star Brown, who not only anchors “Stranger Things” but also two “Enola Holmes” movies. (She’ll also be in the upcoming sci-fi epic “The Electric State” from the Russos.) Truly, she is Netflix’s princess. Hopefully they don’t throw her to the dragon … or Demogorgon. [[TRAILER](] Queens Monday, March 4 at 8 p.m., Nat Geo Source: Nat Geo There are tons of terrific documentaries out this week – see below – but most of them are very serious and might be sort of a bummer. That’s why we chose “Queens,” coming to Nat Geo and Disney+/Hulu, a new nature documentary narrated by the great Angela Bassett, which looks like a complete and utter joy. According to the official press release, “Queens” “brings the natural world into focus through the female lens for the very first time. Four years in the making and helmed by a female-led production team from around the world – groundbreaking in the natural history space – the seven-part series leverages cutting-edge technology to reveal surprising insights into how females in the natural world rise to power, often relying on cooperation and wisdom over brute strength to get ahead.” Sounds great right? [[TRAILER](] Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds Hulu Source: Hulu Stealth-released onto Hulu, this captivating documentary about video game designer Hideo Kojima and his one-of-a-kind approach to the art of game design, will fascinate you even if you’ve never picked up a controller (or haven’t done so in years). Kojima has become a mythic figure in the industry and the talking head interviews in the documentary – everybody from filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Nicolas Winding Refn and George Miller to musicians like CHVRCHES and Grimes – speak to how far and wide his influence is. As we watch Kojima design the game “Death Stranding” (heralded as a new classic by many), we are drawn into his process and into his philosophical stance, which has seemingly evolved since working on more action-oriented titles like the “Metal Gear Solid” series. It's a really wonderful little documentary and will make you appreciate the man and his work even if you’ve never had the opportunity to play one of his games. [[WATCH](] Source: Prime Video “A Revolution on Canvas” Tuesday, March 5 at 9 p.m., HBO “Seminal Iranian modern artist and pro-democracy activist Nicky Nodjoumi fled Iran in 1980, joining his wife, Nahid, and daughter, Sara, in New York City. Forty years later, Sara begins an investigation to track down and reclaim her father’s lost artwork from Tehran,” according to the film’s official press release. “A Revolution on Canvas” “chronicles her search while examining religious and political extremism, the sacrifices of creative freedom and activism, and the enduring power of art.” The documentary premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival to raves, where it was described as part introspective journey and part political thriller. [[TRAILER](] “The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping” Wednesday, March 6, Netflix “The Program” chronicles The Academy at Ivry Ridge, a facility that claimed to use therapy and recreational activities to help troubled teens. Surprise! It was actually even darker than you could have ever imagined, with the teens (inmates?) suffering from mental and physical abuse in a program that openly operated like a cult. It was eventually exposed but the damage, for many, had already been done. This documentary features interviews with survivors of the program, along with archival footage, to paint an eerie, haunting portrait of how innocent children were harmed in sometimes irreparable ways. [[TRAILER](] “ARA San Juan: The Submarine That Disappeared” Thursday, March 7, Netflix In 2017 an Argentinian submarine ARA San Juan, disappeared with more than 40 men on board. While an acoustic anomaly suggested an implosion, the government gave up the search after only a few weeks. (The wreckage of the submarine was eventually discovered more than a year later.) What really happened? And why was the government so keen to cover it up? This documentary digs into all of it. Talk about a documentary that will leave you breathless. [[TRAILER](] “The Gentlemen” Thursday, March 7, Netflix Everything is coming up Guy Ritchie. The director has had a superb recent run at the big screen, releasing six movies since 2019 (including the $1 billion grossing live-action “Aladdin” and the upcoming “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”). And now he’s ready to conquer streaming as well, with a spin-off series based on his 2019 film “The Gentlemen.” (Fun fact: there have been TV versions of “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch.”) In this new series Theo James (from “The White Lotus”) stars as a young man who has inherited a large real estate from his father, which he soon learns is part of the weed-growing empire established by Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey’s character from “The Gentlemen” movie). Ritchie developed the series, co-writing and directing the first episode of the initial eight-episode run. Does this guy ever sleep? [[TRAILER](] “Ricky Stanicky” Thursday, March 7, Prime Video Peter Farrelly, one half of the Farrelly Brothers duo that gave us “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary,” has spent the last few years making respectable tear-jerkers, including the Best Picture-winning “Green Book.” But now he’s returning to his goofy roots with “Ricky Stanicky,” a movie that has been around so long that it landed on the Black List of best unproduced screenplays back in 2010. Between then and now, a handful of prominent actors have been courted to play the character, a washed-up actor who agrees to play the role of Ricky Stanicky, a made-up person that a bunch of friends would use interchangeably to get out of something. Before John Cena, the character was nearly played by James Franco, Jim Carrey and – unbelievably – Joaquin Phoenix. Cena seems like the perfect lovable dolt, supported by Zac Efron (in his post-“Iron Claw” glow), Jermaine Fowler and William H. Macy. The poster proudly proclaims this an “R-rated comedy.” Make sure the little ones have left the room before spending time with “Ricky Stanicky.” [[TRAILER](] 2034 Armacost Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Unsubscribe](