Welcome to What To Watch, your weekly guide to recommendations for television viewing. There is so much broadcast on the small screen these days, it can sometimes be daunting to figure out how to spend your hard-earned time. Well, worry no more! We at JoBlo.com are TV fanatics and have prepped a handy guide for you to follow over the next seven days. Each week, we will bring you picks catered to your viewing mood. If you have recommendations you think we missed, let us know in the comments below or email your selections to alexmaidy@joblo.com.
OUR PICKS FOR November 12th – November 18th
Wanna watch something….that gets your ass to Mars?
MARS (Premieres November 12th on Nat Geo) – There are a few ways you can tell the story of a manned mission to Mars. First, you can go Ridley Scott and make it into a survival story (THE MARTIAN). Or, you could go artsy like Hulu's The First. This National Geographic series combines a documentary approach intercut with dramatized sequences to make the most realistic vision of what our astronauts will encounter when that mission finally takes place. Season one was good and I expect the second to be even better.
Wanna watch something….for fans of Lost?
ORIGIN (Premieres November 14th on YouTube Premium) – The trailers for this series have been building buzz since San Diego Comic Con and yet I still cannot tell if this is a show that will be good or another generic SYFY style pulp drama.The plot is basically an Agatha Christie mystery in space, which sounds promising. With HARRY POTTER veterans Natalie Tena and Tom Felton in the leads, this could have some potential.
Wanna watch something….for fans of The Coen Brothers?
THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS (Premieres November 16th on Netflix) – If you don't get excited every time the Coens have a new film, I feel sorry for you. Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the most original and fun filmmakers working today. I was incredibly excited when this project was first announced as an anthology series but I will still take it as a single feature film. It looks absolutley hilarious and the freedom that Netflix provides means this could be their weirdest project since THE BIG LEBOWSKI.
Wanna watch something….that will make you laugh, cry, and then laugh some more?
THE KOMINSKY METHOD (Premieres November 16th on Netflix) – I am no fan of cliched sitcoms and Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre makes some of the worst ones on TV. His new series starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin does away with the multi-camera formula and delivers a poignant story about what it is like getting older. Even if you don't think you are the target demographic, I have a feeling you will laugh frequently at this show.
Wanna watch something….that takes drug dealing to the next level?
NARCOS: MEXICO (Premieres November 16th on Netflix) – I never joined the buzz train for the original Narcos but the critical acclaim has always intrigued me. After multiple seasons focused on Pablo Escobar, the show shifts focus and location to Mexico. With the great Michael Pena and Diego Luna in the cast, this series could carry on the mantle of the Narcos brand while distinguishing itself as it's own quality series.
Wanna watch something….for fans of Dreamworks Animation?
KUNG FU PANDA: PAWS OF DESTINY (Premieres November 16th on Amazon Prime) – The KUNG FU PANDA films have always been some of the most fun and well written family films. At the same time, Dreamworks small screen spin-offs have failed to live up to the same quality. With this new spin-off shifting to Amazon Prime, that could signal an improvement in the quality we were not seeing on basic cable. Just look at how much the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON shows got when they moved to Netflix.
Wanna watch something….for fans of reimagined 1980s cartoons?
SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER (Premieres November 16th on Netflix) – When She-Ra was first announced, there was an outcry at the change in the animation style that is as far from the original series as you could get. While the show does look a little lighter than I remember, if this show does well it could signal a resurgence for He-Man. There is nothing wrong with having quality animated fare for all ages and genders as long as the product is actually good.
Wanna watch something….from director Ben Stiller?
ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA (Premieres November 18th on Showtime) – Ben Stiller has done some good work behind the camera (see THE CABLE GUY, THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY) but for his first foray into television event series, he chose a project that looks and feels like nothing he has done before. A starkly dramatic retelling of a real life prison escape, this series looks like it will have some dark comedy at the edges but will also be a showcase for the great talents of Benicio Del Toro, Patricia Arquette, and Paul Dano.
And check out the JoBlo TV Show Trailer channel on YouTube for the latest trailers and clips from your favorite shows!