Week of July 12 – 18

The days are hotter and much, much longer. It can be 8:30 before the sun goes down. What to do with all that time? Watch more television of course. And this week we’ve got something for everyone, from a “Yellowstone”-ish mystery, actually set in Yellowstone (“Untamed” on Netflix) to a new Billy Joel documentary (“And So It Goes” on HBO) to a new Stephen King series (“The Institute” on MGM+) to the long-awaited return of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (on Prime Video) and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (on Paramount+).

On with the television! 

Untamed

Thursday, July 17, Netflix

Source: Netflix

The sub-“Yellowstone” subgenre, which has sprung up since that Paramount Network series became the most popular show on television, has reached its natural apex – a “Yellowstone”-type show set in actual Yellowstone National Park. We knew it was coming. Now it is here. Created by Mark L. Smith, whose recent “American Primeval” was also chasing that “Yellowstone” high (but in the rugged frontier) and Elle Smith, “Untamed” follows an Investigative Services Branch agent of the National Parks Service (played by Eric Bana) who hunts for a killer, “one who knows Yosemite National Park as well as he does” (according to Netflix). For some reason, this very American subject matter is anchored by a pair of Australians, as Bana is joined by Sam Neill, who plays a fellow investigator, along with Rosemarie DeWitt. (Wouldn’t you know it? Bana is tortured by his own dark past.) Great cast, fantastic premise, killer trailer. We think we might be looking at a summer word-of-mouth hit. Lord knows we can’t wait to get sucked into the mystery of “Untamed.” [TRAILER]

Love Island

Sunday, July 13 at 9 p.m., Peacock

Source: Peacock

The American “Love Island,” based on a British format, has been running for seven seasons. But for some reason, this season has taken hold of the cultural conversation like never before, beginning a trend that started with last season (when it broke reality show records). Part of this has to do with the increased exposure the show has gotten on Peacock and part of that is, undeniably, the desire to get away from the never-ending hellscape of reality and spend a little time with hunks and babes on a tropical beach. Given the show’s oversized success, we’re betting a return to the beach will be in the cards sooner rather than later. Love that. [TRAILER]

The Amateur

Thursday, July 17, Hulu

Source: 20th Century

We love when Rami Malek is being a twitchy weirdo that has something to do with computers. And “The Amateur” certainly scratches the same itch that made “Mr. Robot” so compelling. The recent Oscar winner plays a CIA analyst whose wife is killed in a terrorist incident. He urges the agency to find her killer and, when that fails, takes it upon himself to right the wrongs. The movie, based on a 1981 novel by Robert Littell (it had been adapted, that same year, into a Canadian film, with John Savage in the Malek role), occasionally becomes too cumbersome and tripped up by its own knotty plot machinations (there’s an unnecessary bit where Malek is blackmailing the CIA). But more often than not, it’s a clean and effective thriller for adults, something that doesn’t happen so often anymore. “The Amateur” is buoyed by a terrific supporting cast that includes Lawrence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg and Holt McCallany and some inventive set pieces, like when Malek’s character kills a guy swimming in a pool that connects two high rises. It’s enough to make you want the further adventures of this twitchy weirdo. [TRAILER]

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

Friday, July 18 at 8 p.m., HBO

Source: HBO

Grab some takeout from Mr. Cacciatore’s (down on Sullivan Street) and sit back for this new, two-part documentary about the life and career (both extremely complicated) of Billy Joel. The sprawling chronicle, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin (“Jane Fonda in Five Acts”), features new interviews with Joel (who recently canceled a tour due to ongoing health issues), along with never-before-seen archival performance footage. Sounds absolutely gripping. Points will be deducted, of course, if they don’t bring up Joel’s sole film role – as Dodger in Disney’s animated “Oliver & Company.” But hey, why should I worry? The concluding installment airs at the same time next Friday. Don’t miss it. [TRAILER]

Outer Range

Prime Video

Source: Prime Video

Of all the son-of-“Yellowstone” series, the very best (and by far the strangest) was “Outer Range.” The show’s first season aired in the spring of 2022 on Prime Video, in weekly installments. This helped get you into the mystery of Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin, in extra-gruff mode), a rancher who, one day, discovers an undeniable void has opened up on his property. This leads to an increased rivalry with his neighbor (Will Patton), who has designs on the pit, and an uneasy alliance with a strange young woman (Imogen Poots) who has arrived on the ranch. The first season was the brainchild of New York playwright Brian Watkins and teased some very big reveals. But when the show returned last year, it had a new showrunner (Charles Murray), less deliberate (and intricately plotted) storytelling, which alienated fans of the first season and didn’t attract new ones. Also, Amazon dumped the whole thing at once, which was a mistake. Sadly, it was canceled last year. It deserved more – and better – but you can enjoy both right now. Take the leap. [WATCH]

Source: Paramount+

“The Institute”

Sunday, July 13 at 9 p.m., MGM+

“The Life of Chuck” is in theaters now. “The Long Walk” hits theaters in a few weeks and “The Running Man” returns to the big screen this fall. And his new novel, “Never Flinch,” just hit bookstores. But if you need even