Ariana Grande says thank u Netflix
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Monday, December 21. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
ariana grande: excuse me, i love you (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., premiere): It’s been quite a year for music documentaries. The Go-Gos, The Bee Gees, the Beastie Boys, and the Boss. Freestyle Love Supreme, David Byrne’s American Utopia and two, two, from Taylor Swift. That’s merely a partial list. And we’re not done yet, because 2020 is as long as… well, as Ariana Grande’s ponytail, which figures prominently in this trailer for Ariana Grande’s ariana grande: excuse me, i love you.
We assume the lowercase styling of that title means this documentary is part of the i’m thinking of ending things cinematic universe, and thus that Charlie Kaufman, too, will now self-identify as flossy with gloss that’s poppin’.
Regular coverage
His Dark Materials (HBO, 9 p.m.)
Wild card
Industry (HBO, 10:52 p.m., season-one finale): “The story of proving yourself is a timeless one, but Industry grounds its narrative in our current, confounding times, where political chasms are the norm and romance (which, in Industry, is near-anonymous sex) is facilitated by apps. Donald Trump, Jeremy Corbyn, and their failures in leadership are name-checked, along with a string of 21st-century financial crises. Greed is still good, as far as Eric and the rest of the Pierpoint staff are concerned, but those capitalizing on it are no longer just white men. That latter point helps set Industry apart from similar series about the world of finance and high-stress workplaces. [Mickey] Down and [Konrad] Kay, who wrote half of season one’s episodes, do consider what the capitalist rat race looks like for those who have historically brought up the rear, including women of color like Harper and Yasmin. When a (white, male) potential roommate tells Harper it’s “gauche to judge success with money,” she responds, “Not if you never had any.” Read the rest of Danette Chavez’s pre-air review of this series, which has been renewed for a second season.
The Bachelorette (ABC, 8 p.m.): It’s a double Bachelorette week and the week of the finale, which means tonight is “fantasy suites,” or the episode where they have the option to bang. Feel free to head over to our sister site The Takeout for their suitably surreal coverage.