Week of July 5 – 11

Now that you’ve been rejuvenated by the holiday weekend, you’re really ready to get back to your primary concern – watching the very best television. And thankfully, this week there is plenty of that. We’ve got everything from the return of Lena Dunham (“Too Much” on Netflix) to a new David Cronenberg classic (“The Shrouds” on Criterion), to new spinoffs of “Bosch” (“Ballard” on Prime Video) and “Dexter” (“Dexter: Resurrection” on Showtime). Plus a new “Jaws” documentary (“Jaws @ 50” on Disney+), another “Zombies” sequel (on Disney+) and the end (maybe forever?) of “Poker Face” (on Peacock).

On with the television! 

Too Much

Thursday, July 10, Netflix

Source: Netflix

Lena Dunham is back. The “Girls” creator, described early in her career as a multihyphenate wunderkind, hasn’t developed a series since 2018’s “Camping” with Jennifer Garner, which only lasted for a single season. Since then, she’s gone through a pair of highly public breakups (one with her former creative partner Jenni Konner, the other with her boyfriend Jack Antonoff), appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and made a pair of films (“Sharp Stick” and “Catherine Called Birdy”). But now she’s back with a brand-new show. “Too Much,” which Dunham co-created with Luis Felber, is the autobiographical tale of a young woman (played by Megan Stalter), who moves to London after a breakup and soon falls in love with a new man (played by Will Sharpe). “Too Much” was produced by Working Title, the company behind British rom-coms like “Notting Hill” and “About a Boy,” and the series certainly seems to be channeling that energy. With Dunham writing or co-writing each of the 10 episodes and an all-star supporting cast that includes Emily Ratajkowski, Richard E. Grant, Rita Wilson, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Andrew Rannells, Rhea Perlman, Stephen Fry and Andrew Scott, and “Too Much” might be “just enough.” [TRAILER] 

Poker Face

Thursday, July 10, Peacock

Source: Peacock

For two seasons Natasha Lyonne has played Charlie Cale, a woman with the innate ability to tell when someone is lying, as she’s bumbled through a series of hilarious and dangerous mysteries, all while staying one step ahead of some Las Vegas hoods who want her dead. But will her crime-solving come to an end with the conclusion of season 2? Our evidence: the episode is called “The End of the Road.” It was directed by Lyonne. Maybe it’s better to cut and run than to stick around and push your luck? Only one way to find out. [TRAILER]

The Shrouds

Tuesday, July 8, The Criterion Channel

Source: Janus

Every new David Cronenberg movie is cause for celebration, but “The Shrouds” is among the Canadian filmmaker’s very best. Based on an idea that he had initially developed as a Netflix series, “The Shrouds” stars Vincent Cassel as Karsh, a mysterious entrepreneur who, after the death of his beloved wife, develops a new technology that allows the living to watch their loved ones decompose. (The titular shrouds are a cutting-edge cocoon that facilitates the viewing.) One day, Karsh discovers that the graves have been vandalized, leading him on an investigation of who is responsible – and why. Diane Kruger plays Karsh’s sister-in-law, the spitting image of his dead wife, and Guy Pearce plays a man who helps Karsh with the technology. But can he be trusted? Don’t let the concept of “The Shrouds” scare you away. The story is creepy, for sure, but also quite moving; it was based, in part, on Cronenberg losing his wife in 2017 and the desire that overtook him of wanting to climb inside the casket with her. There are enough autobiographical details and stylistic embroidery to make “The Shrouds” one of the best films of his entire, enviable career. Climb inside, won’t you? [TRAILER]

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

Thursday, June 10 at 9 p.m., National Geographic

Source: Amblin

“Jaws” is, perhaps, the most well-documented film production of all time. Not only was there “The Jaws Log,” an indispensable book chronicling making of Steven Spielberg’s eventual classic, but there have been countless television specials, books and documentaries about exactly what happened during the troubled production and everything that came after. That’s what makes “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story” such a tantalizing proposition – could this documentary, produced for the new anniversary and directed by Spielberg’s longtime chronicler Laurent Bouzereau, actually uncover something new? Well, yes and no. The documentary is certainly fun and full of details and there are new things to be mined, particularly from Greg Nicotero, who was responsible for restoring the original model of Bruce the shark for the Academy Museum in Los Angeles (he is also, perhaps unsurprisingly, an executive producer of the doc), but there are also some notable omissions – Richard Dreyfuss doesn’t appear and the footage of John Williams is from Bouzereau’s recent “Music by John Williams.” Yes, it’s absolutely a thrill to hear from filmmakers like Jordan Peele, Guillermo del Toro and, in particular, Steven Soderbergh, who beyond being one of the world’s most exciting directors is also a foremost “Jaws” scholar. All in all, you’ve got to take the good with the bad. And any new “Jaws” documentary is worth watching. [TRAILER]

Girls

Max

Source: HBO

With Lena Dunham’s new show “Too Much” debuting on Netflix this week (see above), why not revisit her first major series? If, for some reason, you missed out on the “Girls” phenomena, the series debuted in 2012 and instantly captured the zeitgeist. It followed a group of young women in New York City (comprised of Dunham, Allison Williams and Zosia Mamet) as they navigated the increasingly complex landscape of dating and, really, living in the modern world. The series ran for six seasons and 62 episodes, with each week prompting debate, think pieces and tons of online discussion. All this from a half-hour comedy series by a young creator who, before the show started, nobody had ever heard of. It was pretty incredible. The show’s approach, using realistic dialogue and frank depictions of sexuality, felt genuinely cutting edge and, if anything, Dunham had an unparalleled knack for casting (Adam Driver and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were early breakouts). Sharply written and incredibly funny, it would be interesting to go back and rewatch it. Will it be horribly dated? Somewhat cringe? Just as good? Maybe all of the above. [WATCH]

Source: Prime Video

“Ballard”