weekend warrior
featuring a watchlist, two playlists & more
like many of us in this rapidly expanding streaming age, i’ve watched more TV series and indulged in more movies than i can realistically count. i have a lot of favorites that i’ve seen every episode of. what follows is a current watchlist of shows, movies, and docuseries. i've also linked my music playlists from last month towards the end :)
David Byrne’s American Utopia
for fans of: music, musicals, Talking Heads, joy, life in general
i still need to finish this special presentation of singer David Byrne’s musical American Utopia as directed by Spike Lee, but what i have watched filled me with glee. musical theatre is in my background, as is an affinity for Talking Heads so it’s a win-win for me.
Law & Order: SVU
for fans of: procedural cop/workplace dramas
i know it’s copaganda, but i’ve already seen every episode. last night, NBC aired a crossover episode that brought Detectives Benson and Stabler back together for the first time in ten years. this show is honestly the equivalent for me to what soap operas have been for my grandma. and if that implies that i often watch in disbelief, then the answer is yes.
Static Shock
for fans of: Batman Beyond, Justice League, socially aware kids’ TV
i remember this show being on TV back in the day, but i’m currently watching it for the first time start to finish. i’m enjoying this chance to suspend my disbelief and understand the fantastical world of Static Shock. it’s very urban Y2K afterschool special with the requisite PSAs, but the original music is highly entertaining.
mixed-ish
for fans of: black-ish, grown-ish, (maybe black AF — i didn’t love that one but i still watched every episode.)
this show is admittedly a lil corny but if you’re still invested in the Kenya Barris TV universe (i’ve fallen off of black-ish tbh), then you might be interested in this show that dives into the perspective of black-ish main character Rainbow and her experience as a biracial child in the 1980s. also Mariah Carey did her ~thang~ on the theme song.
Genera+ion
for fans of: Skins, Misfits, We are Who We Are
at times, it’s hard to unsee Justice Smith as Zeke from Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down while watching Genera+ion. but the music in the series is great and i’m happy to see more content that shows a diverse understanding of gender and sexuality. i also grew up watching Misfits, so it’s nice to witness Nathan Stewart-Jarrett in a more adult role. and despite my love for coming-of-age tales, there does come a point where you “age out” of finding certain teen hijinks plausible, so there’s that to consider before watching.
Shangri-La
for fans of: music, meditation, history
this was a thoroughly entertaining miniseries that dived into the mystique and history of famed music producer Rick Rubin. more than that, it explores his role as a virtually absent, but highly impactful presence in various artists’ recording sessions and unpacks the ethos behind the Malibu studio Shangri-La.
Random Acts of Flyness
for fans of: variety shows, Afrofuturism, surrealism, social commentary
i recently revisited this brilliant, avant-garde variety show by actor and filmmaker Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty) and i cannot recommend it enough. for me, the randomness of this series is like taking a peek into the creator’s mind. i attended a virtual conference earlier this year where Nance had a chance to explain his process and while the talk was very insightful, it was also expectedly abstract.
i also recently compiled this art documentary list for NBGA if that’s more your speed.
finally, i’m sending off last month with two playlists: march magic//madness, with 31 songs each for the days of that month. and here’s a brief introduction to ~deep cuts~ which will be exclusive content for subscribers beginning on April 7th and the first Wednesday of the month thereafter. i’m excited for what i’m putting together. happy weekend!