What’s On Tonight: B.J. Novak’s ‘The Premise’ And The Second New ‘He-Man’ Series Launch
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Netflix series) — Kevin Smith’s recent Masters of the Universe: Revelation sequel series sparked some overwrought backlash after continuing He-Man and Skeletor’s story in a way that some nerds didn’t enjoy, given that there was plenty of focus (like the original series) on other characters. Well, here’s a kid-appealing update of the classic ’80s cartoon, and this one has a much different feel with a He-Man-focused story, so maybe that will make the angry people happy? It’s got a whole lot of dude-on-bony-dude battling, looks like, while they fight for the ultimate control of Eternia and Castle Grayskull.
The Premise (FX on Hulu series) — B.J. Novak (The Office, Inglourious Basterds) writes all of the episodes on this show, which aims to use dark comedy to tackle tough topics, including sex, social media, Black Lives Matter, police brutality, and immigration. Along the way, there’s apparently the “the worst sex tape ever,” and a lot of this show translates as satiric. It’s not the easiest show to comprehend at times, but the all-star cast includes Ben Platt, Tracee Ellis Ross, Daniel Dae Kim, Soko, Kaitlyn Dever, Jon Bernthal, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and the late Ed Asner.
Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol (Peacock series) — The international bestseller is here to translate those thrills to the small screen. Settle in for Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon’s earliest adventures, which include saving his kidnapped mentor while squashing a global conspiracy by defeating a ton of deadly puzzles.
The Harper House (Paramount+ series) — This animated show follows a female head-of-household, who wishes to raise her family’s standard of living. This, of course, an uphill battle, and everyone involved is a real oddball.
Tig n’ Seek: Season 3 (Cartoon Network series on HBO Max) — Enjoy the latest adventures of a young Tiggy with his cat Gweeweek, who happens to be an expert at building gadgets.
What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 10:00 & 10:30pm) — Well, well, well. Guillermo turned out to be a vampire killer, which sure as heck came as a surprise to Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo, and Colin. The four Staten Island roommates must figure out how to handle this conundrum, along with tackling the other challenges of this season. Those include dealing with wellness cults and gym culture, along with gargoyles, werewolves who play kickball, casinos, and more. In addition, the vamps also receive a higher level of powers while Nandor experiences an eternal-life crisis, which forces him to examine whether he should be a bachelor for eternity or embrace love. This week, it’s doomed road-trip time.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Melissa McCarthy, Lindsey Buckingham
Jimmy Kimmel Live — Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, James Blake
The Late Late Show With James Corden — Angela Bassett
Kin: (AMC+ series) — Charlie Cox stars in this new Irish series about a tight-knit crime family that’s drawn into wartime mode with a mighty drug kingpin. The family soon discovers that this is an unwinnable war, yet as the losses begin to mount, it becomes clear that the cartel is at one distinct disadvantage: they’re not bound by unbreakable blood bonds. The cartel does, however, have a host of exotic pets and some snazzy costumes and celebrity status, so this is a heck of a story.
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 2 (Paramount+ series) — This animated series from Rick and Morty writer (and Solar Opposites creator) Mike McMahan takes things to the year 2380 (after the original Star Trek beginning in 2265), where the U.S.S. Cerritos aren’t the heroes that you’re expecting. These are junior officers who are not pleased at their lack of power while confronting bizarre alien anomalies like enormous bugs and other such comedic-slanted creatures. This violent show’s got a PG-13-like feel.