6 things you have to watch on TV this weekend
The Sandman hits the small screen, two Apple TV Plus finales drop, and more
Welcome to the weekend edition of What’s On. Here are the big things happening on TV from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekly What’s On will publish on Sundays.]
1. The Sandman comes alive on Netflix
Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: Neil Gaiman’s iconic DC Comics series The Sandman finally arrives on Netflix. This live-action adaptation follows Morpheus, a.k.a. the King of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), who escapes captivity after 106 years and wants to restore order in his kingdom of Dreaming. The ensemble includes Gwendoline Christie, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjay Bhaskar, David Thewlis, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste. Here’s an excerpt from The A.V. Club’s review:
Sandman, thank the Endless, is not as dopey or mindless as anything that Zack Snyder has put his name on, but how much praise can you really give something for doing what is essentially the bare minimum in replicating an acclaimed work of art and transferring it into a different medium?
2. Hulu drops Prey
Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Prey is a prequel to all four films from the Predator franchise. This one is set in the Comanche Nation in 1719, where a highly skilled warrior, Naru (Amber Midthunder) learns what she’s stalking is a highly evolved alien species. Dakota Beavers and Michelle Thrush also star. As our positive review puts it:
It’s clear that while the filmmakers are taking the property seriously, they’re also having fun. Alongside their respect for the Comanche, to whom the film is dedicated (and producer Jhane Meyers is a Comanche and Blackfeet American Indian, ensuring respect and authenticity in its depictions of their culture), there is a giddiness in the filmmaking that suggests that the film was a passion project for all involved.
3. Journey with Jagger & Co. in My Life As A Rolling Stone
Sunday, Epix, 9 p.m.: The docuseries My Life As A Rolling Stone celebrates the band’s 60th anniversary and focuses each hourlong episode on a particular member of the Stones: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and the late-great Charlie Watts. Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club’s review:
Seeing the band early in its career, particularly in bits from the fantastic tour-of-Ireland doc Charlie Is My Darling, is always arresting, and dismissing big storylines and memorable bits from other Stones docs would do a disservice. What forced us to groan, though, was the narration, which pops in far too often, neatly transitioning between eras and setting up story arcs and generally building to the theme that every trial, no matter how dark, has only made the band stronger and more triumphant.
4. Black Bird wraps up its run
Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: One of the streamer’s most exciting new dramas, Black Bird wraps up its run with its sixth episode. The show follows a crooked criminal, Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), who tries to get rid of his jail time by getting alleged serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) to confess to his crimes. Ray Liotta, Greg Kinnear, and Sepideh Moafi also star. Keep an eye out for The A.V. Club’s interview with Hauser on Friday afternoon. (And psst: Apple TV+ also ends the second season of Physical on August 5.)
5. Yes, The Outlaws is already back with season 2
Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Created by Stephen Merchant and Elgin James, The Outlaws follows seven strangers who are stuck together completing their community service sentence. However, their luck changes when they discover a bag full of money, unaware that its true owners are very dangerous.
6. It’s crime time in Netflix’s Darlings
Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: Led by RRR’s Alia Bhatt—who makes her Hollywood debut opposite Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan in Heart Of Stone next year—this Hindi-language dramedy is set in Mumbai, following Badru (Bhatt) and her mother as they seek revenge against Badru’s abusive husband.