Oh, thank god, Holey Moley’s back
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Thursday, May 21. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Holey Moley (ABC, 9 p.m., second-season premiere): Sometimes it’s not about being the best, the smartest, or the most accomplished. Sometimes it’s just about being the right show for the moment. Friends, this is the moment for Holey Moley. Come on, just look at this ridiculous perfection:
Perhaps you’re in the mood for something more substantial. Fair! If that’s the case, maybe you never got around to The Americans or The Leftovers, or maybe you’ve been putting off the latest season of Better Call Saul. Those things are great, you should use this time to watch them! But if you’re at all like us, you’re also in the mood to watch “course pro” Steph Curry smile down on competitors as they battle their way through the mini-golf-course equivalent of American Ninja Warrior. There’s a shark that they have to jump! Can you honestly say that’s not just a little bit appealing?
Can you binge it? Alas, you cannot, but trust us, it’s not that kind of show. Just jump in.
Prop Culture (Disney+, complete first season available): If Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us and The Toys That Made Us had a little docuseries baby, it might look a bit like this new eight-episode offering hosted by collector Dan Lanigan. Each episode centers on a different film and sees Lanigan traveling the world to visit shooting locations and speak with the former designers and stars of some of Disney’s most celebrated titles. Not only does Lanigan snag a rare interview with Honey We Shrunk The Kids! star Rick Moranis, he also reunites some of the movie’s former teen actors with their animatronic ant, Antie. In other episodes Lanigan gets emotional with the actress who played young Jane in Mary Poppins, has some real talk with the Tron director, visits the costume designer who decided to stay in the Caribbean after filming the first Pirates movie, and poses an original Jack Skellington figurine with Danny Elfman. [Patrick Gomez]
Can you binge it? Indeed you can. The complete first season dropped on May 1.
Regular coverage
On stage At home
A Streetcar Named Desire (National Theatre Live via YouTube, 1 p.m. through May 28): We cannot imagine this one will need a particularly big sell from us. The Young Vic’s 2014 production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire begins streaming today. It stars Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby, Ben Foster, and, oh yes, did we mention Gillian Anderson? Because Gillian Anderson plays Blanche DuBois. Just watch this clip of Gillian Anderson.
See? It’s Gillian Anderson. This is well worth your time.
Wild card
Celebrity Escape Room and The Red Nose Day Special (NBC, 8 p.m. and 9:01 p.m.): NBC’s annual Red Nose Day programming begins a little differently this year, as Adam Scott, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and Ben Stiller try to escape from a room in the Jack Black-hosted Celebrity Escape Room.
Afterward, Comic Relief’s annual special will air, once again raising money to combat child poverty.