Coronavirus lockdown TV: 5 shows to watch today
It's not that time where we can actually say "Thank God It's Friday!" and the Coronavirus is to blame.
Dates and discos. Nada.
Movies. Nope.
A cold one with your pals? Keep dreaming.
However, what you can do is spend the time with family and friends by asking them to pop over to catch some shows on TV and those much-awaited series on streaming networks. In our list of top five shows for March 20, we lean a little towards the streaming chaps as there's some great stuff they're releasing to help cope with social isolation and make sure it's not a wasted Friday. So here goes.
'Shahs of Sunset' (Bravo)
'Shahs of Sunset' follows the journey of a group of wealthy Iranian-American friends living it up in Beverly Hills. They are closely-knitted and like any other family, get into occasional tiffs, of which some are explosive. This season has mostly been about Reza Farahan and his fractured friendship with Mercedes 'MJ' Javid. They have been friends for 30 years but that bond went South when he learned it was her who made wild allegations against his husband Adam Neely and that he had been sexually harassing people. Catch all the new episodes on Bravo every Friday at 9/ 8c.
'Blow The Man Down' (Amazon Prime)
'Blow the Man Down', a mystery drama, which had its release at the Tribeca Film Festival, released on Amazon on March 20. It stars Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Annette O'Toole, Marceline Hugot, Gayle Rankin, Will Brittain, Skipp Sudduth, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, June Squibb and Margo Martindale.
The movie's official synopsis reads: "Mary Beth (Saylor) and Priscilla Connolly (Lowe) attempt to cover up a gruesome run-in with a dangerous man. To conceal their crime, the sisters must go deep into the criminal underbelly of their hometown, uncovering the town's darkest secrets."
And here's a bit of a description from our review: "An icy night called for immediate reflexes, setting in action, sequences of events that brought the secrets residing in the underbelly of Easter Cove into the inquisitive spotlight. After the loss of their mother, who had been involved in mysterious messes herself, the Connolly sisters are left with debt, a dead body, and a murder weapon. The movie's thriller antics jolted shocks through media excellence and even though predictable, it will have you sitting tight, eyes wide, till the credits run. The death of Mary Margaret Connolly surfaced more than just the secrets of the town, it also heeded outsiders to the grotesque loyalty of its residents."
'Disney Insider' (Disney +)
This docuseries promises to provide longtime Disney fans with an in-depth look at the inner workings of the House of Mouse. In the first episode, fans can join Katy Perry as she takes us behind-the-scenes on the Hawaiian set of 'American Idol', which is taking place at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa. Following that, Grace VanderWaal opens up about making her acting debut in Disney+’s 'Stargirl'. And best of all, longtime Pixar producer Kori Rae will provide fans an in-depth look at the development of Disney-Pixar's 'Onward'.
'The Black List' (NBC)
The NBC drama returns tonight from hiatus tonight at 8/7c. When the show returns, viewers would remember that Elizabeth Keen is hiding the truth about her mother, superspy Katarina Rostova still being alive from Raymond Reddington who is convinced that his imposing rival is dead.
This means that the drama will feel lighter during its second half of the current season compared to the tense first half. Tonight’s episode will see Red embroiled in a complex art forgery scheme involving a family that vaguely resembles the Sacklers, the controversial opioid-pushing pharmaceutical magnates who fund many arts and cultural institutions.
'Margaret Atwood: A Word after a Word after a Word is Power' (Hulu)
Margaret Atwood has wowed readers with her literary prowess for decades. Hulu's 'The Handmaid's Tale', based on Atwood's book of the same name, is perhaps the streamer's best offering. The series follows the Canadian literary star and her late partner Graeme Gibson on literary events across the world. It also conducts interviews with 'The Handmaid's Tale' stars Elisabeth Moss, Sarah Polley and Volker Schlöndorf among others. Tatiana Maslany (of 'Orphan Black' fame) reads Atwood's poetry and prose. Atwood's novels will also be explored, including her latest, 'The Testaments', the highly anticipated sequel to 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
And while that's five, here's something for the F1 fans.
'A Life of Speed: The Juan Manuel Fangio Story' (Netflix)
Formula One has seen some extensive mileage. Roughly 70 years of high-octane racing has seen legends dominate the tracks across the world and one of them was Juan Manuel Fangio, an Argentine racing champion, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing, winning the World Drivers' Championship five times. And less than a month after streaming giant Netflix released the second season of 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive', it is now set to roll out a docuseries on Fangio titled, 'A Life of Speed: The Juan Manuel Fangio Story'
Netflix's official description reads: "Juan Manuel Fangio was the Formula One king, winning five world championships in the early 1950s — before protective gear or safety features were used."
A Futon Critic's report's description reads: "Based on a study conducted in 2016 by the University of Sheffield that determined that Juan Manuel Fangio is the best F1 driver in history, 'A LIFE OF SPEED: THE JUAN MANUEL FANGIO STORY' seeks to get inside the mind of the legend throughout his career and personal life to understand what led him and other drivers to risk their lives racing in cars that flew at the same speeds as today, but with minimal safety precautions and where many do not make it to the end of the season."
Let us know what are the other shows you're watching right now.