It’s never too late to set New Year’s intentions. These two docuseries might help
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who’s finally (maybe) ready to leap into the new year.
The first week back after the holidays is always an adjustment, so no shade if you’re starting your Dry January or new gym routine late. And whether your intentions this year are about wellness physical, psychological or both, this week’s recommendations — one about a culinary dream vacation to Spain, the other about a deeply personal quest for peak performance — may provide just the kick-start you need. Or at least an excuse to put off those resolutions a little longer.
Also in Screen Gab this week, we catch up on the mega-phenomenon of “Wednesday,” gab with the co-creator or “Mayfair Witches,” open up the mail bag and more. As always, we want to know what you’re watching too! Pretend we’re at the water cooler and give us your review of a TV show or streaming movie you’ve loved and it may be included in a future edition of Screen Gab. (Submissions should be approximately 100 to 150 words and sent to screengab@latimes.com with your name and location.)
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Turn on
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
In the Discovery+ travel and food series “José Andrés and Family in Spain,” the humanitarian chef takes a trip with his three charming daughters through the country of his birth, raising and training, its cities and countryside, its kitchens and markets. The cuisine comes high and low, in restaurants, in the streets, in backyards, from the traditional — paella in Valencia, churros with chocolate in Madrid — to the innovative. Andrés’ top-of-his-lungs tendency to be hyperbolically enthusiastic over everywhere he goes, everyone he meets — including a lot of old friends with culinary bona fides of their own — and everything he eats, combined with the fast editing common to this sort of show (and some obviously arranged stunts) can feel a little off-putting at first. But one soon surrenders to his warmth, to the sweet family dynamic and to the fact that it really is all pretty marvelous; if I could have walked through the screen to join them, I’d have done it in a shot. —Robert Lloyd
The thoroughly engaging National Geographic docuseries “Limitless With Chris Hemsworth” (Disney+) is perfect for anyone looking to make positive changes in their lives for 2023. Each of the six episodes sees “Thor” actor Chris Hemsworth interrogating how to live a longer, smarter and healthier life via various experiments: Swimming in a near-freezing Arctic fjord, walking off the edge of a 900-foot-tall skyscraper, going four days with absolutely no food. These aren’t thrill-seeking gimmicks, but methods grounded in old traditions and new research, all of which are explained via gorgeous cinematography and animated infographics. And through it all, Hemsworth — occasionally accompanied by friends and family members (brothers Luke and Liam, wife Elsa Pataky) — is openly vulnerable and refreshingly generous about his fears and frustrations, whether about the extreme task at hand or the mortality he’s ultimately training to delay. There’s something cathartic and hopeful about watching an onscreen superhero face the same worries we all have. (Then again, he has always been the best Chris.) —Ashley Lee
Catch up
Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about
Though it premiered before Thanksgiving, a week into the new year “Wednesday” (Netflix) is still the TV series I’m asked about most, give or take a week or two of obsessing over “The White Lotus” finale. With cheeky world-building, nostalgic echoes of Hogwarts and a mesmerizing lead performance from Jenna Ortega, it’s no surprise that the Addams Family update reigned supreme over the streamer’s TV top 10 for five consecutive weeks. (No surprise either that Netflix renewed the series for a second season Friday.) Though I found myself rolling my eyes occasionally at the central mystery, about a monster terrorizing the small, puritanical town near Wednesday’s boarding school for outcasts, the series’ admixture of teen drama, goth style, knockout sequences and perfectly cast guest stars (Catherine Zeta Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzman as Gomez, Fred Armisen as Uncle Lester, a CGI hand as Thing) proved plenty transporting even for this horror/fantasy agnostic. At eight episodes, it’s the perfect weekend binge in case you’re snowed (or rained) in. Just leave a light on in case it’s altogether too spooky for your taste. —Matt Brennan
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
AMC’s screen universe of Anne Rice adaptations expands Sunday with “Mayfair Witches,” which follows last fall’s “Interview With the Vampire.” This time around, the focus is Rowan Fielding (Alexandra Daddario), a neurosurgeon who discovers she’s the heiress to a powerful witch dynasty led by Cortland Mayfair (Harry Hamlin), and the target of the demon, Lasher (Jack Huston), who’s been haunting the Mayfairs since the 17th century. Series co-creator and executive producer Esta Spalding stopped by Screen Gab to discuss the series’ New Orleans setting, her horror inspirations and what she’s watching. —Matt Brennan
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
People keep telling me to shut up about “Reservation Dogs” (Hulu) but I really can’t. I loved it so much I finished it and immediately watched it again. The character work is impeccable. The show breaks your heart and makes you laugh — but most importantly, it never goes anywhere you’d expect.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
“Children of Men” (multiple platforms, VOD) might not seem like a comfort watch, but for me it is. Gorgeous to look at — all those elegant single-shot sequences — it also has utterly surprising characters. I love the deeply worn grooves of the friendship between Clive Owen’s character and Michael Caine’s. And besides, how can anyone resist a hero who runs through a war zone in flip-flops?
‘Mayfair Witches’ joins the acclaimed ‘Interview With the Vampire’ as part of AMC’s Anne Rice “universe.” What would you say is the most important element that links them together on screen as being part of the same fictional world?
As with the books, New Orleans is the great common thread that runs between the two shows. The architecture, the music, the trees, the light, the people, the vibe — they are unlike those of any other city. Both shows, though set a century apart, are love letters to the place.
What is the movie or TV series outside of those inspired by Rice’s work that you look to for inspiration most?
In the writers’ room we talked a lot about psychological horror films. There were many we drew inspiration from, but “Hereditary” (HBO Max), “Get Out” (VOD, multiple platforms), “Fever Dream” (Netflix), “The Witch” (HBO Max) and, of course, “The Shining” (VOD, multiple platforms) were films we discussed again and again.
Mail bag
Recommendations from Screen Gab readers
“Litvinenko” (AMC+) is based on the true story of the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko (David Tennant), a former member of Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, who became a critic of corruption his home country, immigrated to England with his family and was poisoned with polonium 210 in November 2006.
Years of work by the British police ultimately identified the culprits, though they could not be extradited from Russia. In January 2016 two Russian agents with possible backing by Russian President Vladimir Putin were charged with the crime in the British courts.
This four-part series carries the tone of a modern whodunit, with excellent story line, acting and production values. A must-see presentation.
Steve Cherry
La Quinta
What’s next
Listings coordinator Matt Cooper highlights the TV shows and streaming movies to keep an eye on
Fri., Jan. 6
“The Pale Blue Eye” (Netflix): A 19th-century detective (Christian Bale) enlists West Point cadet Edgar Allan Poe to help him solve a series of murders in this stylish 2022 mystery.
“Pressure Cooker” (Netflix): Can’t stand the heat? Too bad! Aspiring chefs co-habitate in this new culinary competition.
“Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” (HBO Max): Jessica Alba, Brian Cox, Ina Garten and Hugh Jackman, that’s who, in Season 2 of the journalist’s interview program.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV, 8 p.m.): A record 16 queens compete for 200 large and the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” in the competition’s 15th cycle.
“Boys in Blue” (Showtime, 8 p.m.): This new docuseries takes the field with a high school football team coached by North Minneapolis police officers following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
“BMF” (Starz, 8 p.m.): The Black Mafia Family is back in business in a second season of this fact-based crime drama.
“All the Single Ladies” (OWN, 9 p.m.): Black women spill the tea about romance and relationships in this new reality series.
Sat., Jan. 7
“The Wedding Veil Expectations” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): Autumn Reeser, Alison Sweeney and Lacey Chabert reunite in the latest entry in this TV movie franchise.
“Reba McEntire’s The Hammer” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): All rise! The country music star plays a traveling circuit judge in this new fact-based TV movie.
“Rico to the Rescue” (HGTV, 9 p.m.): A contractor lends his expertise to hapless homeowners in Denver in this new renovation series.
Sun., Jan. 8
“A Year on Planet Earth” (Fox Nation): The wonders of the natural world are on display in this new six-part series.
“Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” (TCM, 5 p.m.): A two-film birthday salute to the King of Rock ’n’ Roll kicks off with this 1970 concert documentary set in Las Vegas.
“Alert: Missing Persons Unit” (Fox, 8 p.m.; also 9 p.m. Monday): Scott Caan and “Devious Maids’” Dania Ramirez head the cast of this new Philadelphia-set procedural.
“My Sister’s Serial Killer Boyfriend” (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): A reporter has suspicions about her sibling’s latest crush in this new TV movie.
“Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science” (KCET, 9 p.m.): MIT professor Alan Lightman asks the big questions in this new three-part special.
“All Creatures Great and Small” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): Return with us now to 1930s Yorkshire in new episodes of this rebooted drama.
“Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches” (AMC, 8 p.m.): Alexandra Daddario (“The White Lotus”) is one of them in this new supernatural drama based on the author’s bestselling trilogy.
“Vienna Blood” (KOCE, 9 p.m.): The mystery drama set in the Austrian capital in the early 1900s is back for a third season.
“Giuliani: What Happened to America’s Mayor?” (CNN, 9 and 10 p.m.): This new four-part series charts the rise and fall of the former New York mayor turned Trump loyalist.
Mon., Jan. 9
“Detectorists” (Acorn TV): The treasure-hunting BFFs (Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones) from the hit 2014-17 Britcom are back in an all-new special.
“Koala Man” (Hulu): He’s like Batman, if Batman was a middle-aged Aussie fighting petty crimes in the ‘burbs in this new adult animated sitcom.
College Football Playoff National Championship (ESPN, 4:30 p.m.): The Georgia Bulldogs take on the TCU Horned Frogs in the title game at SoFi Stadium.
“NCIS,” “NCIS: Hawai’i” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS, 8, 9 and 10 p.m.): Team members from across the franchise assemble for a three-part crossover event.
“POV” (KOCE, 10 p.m.): A disabled filmmaker in Oakland hits the streets in his wheelchair in the powerful 2022 first-person documentary “I Didn’t See You There.”
Tue., Jan. 10
“Andrew Santino: Cheeseburger” (Netflix): The comic cracks wise about politics, climate change, etc., in this new stand-up special.
“The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker” (Netflix): A viral video star’s 15 minutes of fame end with a 57-year prison sentence in this new documentary.
“Golden Globe Awards” (NBC, 5 p.m.): Eddie Murphy collects career kudos at the return of the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s annual shindig in Beverly Hills.
“Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” (KOCE, 8 p.m.): Jeff Daniels and Claire Danes are the professor’s next subjects in this new episode.
“Sex Before the Internet” (Vice, 9 p.m.): This new documentary series recalls a time when access to — ahem — adult entertainment wasn’t just a simple mouse-click away.
“Frontline” (KOCE, 10 p.m.): The two-part investigation “Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus” concludes.
Wed., Jan. 11
“Chasing Waves” (Disney+): Everybody’s gone surfin’, surfin’ in Japan in this new docuseries about the sport’s rise in popularity in the wake of the Tokyo Olympics.
“Gina Yei” (Disney+): An aspiring songwriter (Didi Romero) lands a spot at a prestigious music academy in Puerto Rico in this new coming-of-age comedy.
“In With the Old” (HBO Max, Discovery+): More historic but neglected buildings get the TLC they deserve as this renovation show returns.
“Willow” (Disney+): The adventures of the titular wizard (Warwick Davis) and his band of heroes conclude — for now — in the fantasy drama’s finale.
“Lingo” (CBS, 9 p.m.): Contestants struggle to find the right words in this new game show hosted by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star RuPaul Charles.
Thu., Jan. 12
“The Climb” (HBO Max): “Don’t … look … down” is the best advice we can give to contestants in this new globe-trotting rock-climbing competition.
“How I Caught My Killer” (Hulu): This new true-crime series examines homicide cases solved by the clues the victims themselves inadvertently left behind.
“The Makery” (Peacock): Youngsters try their hand at arts, crafts and cooking in this new short-form series.
“The Traitors” (Peacock): Trust no one in this new competition hosted by “The Good Wife’s” Alan Cumming.
“Riotsville, USA” (Hulu): This 2022 documentary revisits the model towns built as training grounds for police and the U.S. military to practice putting down civil unrest here at home.
“Velma” (HBO Max): The bespectacled “Scooby Doo” sleuth (voice of Mindy Kaling) is ready for her close-up in this new adult animated comedy.
“Variety Studio: Actors on Actors” (KOCE, 8, 8:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m.): Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh are among the thespians talking shop in new episodes of this awards season series.
“Christina in the Country” (HGTV, 8 p.m.): “Christina on the Coast’s” Christina Hall decamps for Tennessee in this new home-reno spinoff.
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
