New Must-See on Netflix — Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
The new Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker on Netflix, based on the life of America’s first self made female millionaire, is a four part limited series starring Octavia Spencer that is a joy to watch. Sure, it gets a little hokey at times, as period pieces often do (the story ends in 1918), but the costumes, the acting, and especially the story, are not only entertaining, but but also inspiring. If you have a moment (and who doesn’t these days?) Take a peek.
All About the Dogs on Disney+
Bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yay! Is there any such thing as too much dog content on TV? I think not. For our own puppy pleasure, Disney+ has kindly provided us with a list of dog friendly movies available on the streaming service. Disney+: It’s not just for kids.
- 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians
- 101 Dalmatian Street
- Because of Winn Dixie
- Bluey
- Bolt
- Cesar Millan: Dog Whisperer
- Dog: Impossible
- Kitbull
- Lady and the Tramp (Live Action)
- My Dog The Thief
- Old Yeller
- Pick of the Litter
- The Shaggy D.A
- The Ugly Dachshund
- Togo
- Turner & Hooch
- World’s Greatest Dogs
Your Favorite Hospital Shows are Donating Medical Supplies!
How cool is this? ABC’s Station 19, Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor (my personal favorite) are donating medical supplies, including N95 masks, to medical workers and hospitals. And they’re not alone in their efforts: Fox’s The Resident donated protective equipment in Atlanta where it’s shot, and NBC’s New Amsterdam (my husband’s favorite) also started a supply donation operation.“We are all overwhelmed with gratitude for our healthcare workers during this incredibly difficult time,” said Krista Vernoff, executive producer of Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19. Thanks guys!
The HBO List of Feel Good Movies and Series Has Arrived — Just in Time!
This week I’ve received the HBO List of Feel Good Movies and Series, which highlights some warm and fuzzy entertainment that offers perfect ways to cheer up and find a bit of comfort. From timeless flicks like Love Actually and The Little Rascals to signature series like Sex and the City, all of the below films and shows are available to stream on HBO NOW and HBO GO. See them all here.
Name that movie…
See the New Billy Crystal Movie at Home
Betcha didn’t even know a new Billy Crystal movie exists, did you? Well it does, it’s called Standing Up, Falling Down, and it’s actually quite sweet. Starring Crystal and Ben Schwartz (House of Lies) and directed by Matt Ratner, it’s about a comedian who washes up in L.A. and returns home to Long Island to find himself. Crystal plays his feisty dermatologist with some baggage of his own. Available for streaming or on DVD.
Do We Really Need a Little Christmas Right This Very Minute?
Hallmark Channel says YES!!! And so do I. While neighbors are outside hanging Christmas lights to cheer us all up during lockdown, er, shelter in place, the Hallmark channel is running a “We Need A Little Christmas” marathon, with programming featuring Countdown To Christmas movies beginning today, March 20 at 12 pm and running through Sunday, March 22. Thanks!
Netflix Has A Couple Fun Original Movies for You
If you like fun, relatively mindless entertainment — and these days, we can all use some of that, Netflix has a couple of wild action flicks that my husband and I found highly watchable:
Spenser Confidential — Starring Mark Wahlberg and Alan Arkin, it’s a 2020 reboot of the old TV classic Spenser for Hire with Robert Urich. Wahlberg plays a cop turned ex-con, trying to make his way when he’s released from prison, when he’s drawn back to trying to right the wrongs of dirty cops.
6 Underground — Ryan Reynolds plays a billionaire who faked his own death and created a band of gorgeous men and women with super skills who all forsake the world and their families to fight international crime and corruption.
More New Movies to Watch at Home
By now you’re kids have probably made you aware that Frozen II is available on Disney+ three months early, but there are also a number of grown up pics coming much sooner to a screen (very) near you, because of all our sequestering.
On Friday March 20, you’ll be able to stream The Invisible Man, The Hunt and Emma, all currently playing in theaters that are still open, on demand services such as Comcast (CCZ), Sky, Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN), for $19.99 per film for 48 hours.
On March 24, you’ll be able to buy Birds of Prey, The Gentlemen, a few weeks earlier than a typical VOD release. Moving forward, DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls World Tour will be also on demand starting April 10, the same day it’s set to be released in North American theaters. A big thank you to the studios for being so accommodating about entertaining us!
Chris Harrison’s Last Hurrah (in Public) For Now
What a difference a week makes! Just last Wednesday I was partying with Chris Harrison a the hClub, in honor of his new Seagram’s Escapes Tropical Rosé. That was the day after Bachelor Peter shocked Bachelor Nation by dumping Hannah and going for Madison instead. It was also the day before Peter and Madison split up, as foreseen by Peter’s outspoken mom (Go Barb!).
In any case, it was fun schmoozing with all the Bachelor and Bachelorettes in attendance — that’s the last time they’ll all be together for who knows how long, and the last public gathering I’ll be attending for awhile. It was also interesting sipping Harrison’s new liberation— he told me he had quite a bit of input on it. It’s actually the closest thing to The Bachelor you can enjoy at home, for the foreseeable future, now that we’re all self-sequestered and production on the new season of The Bachelorette has been postponed. Cheers!
What? More Property Brothers?
Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott seem to have achieved HGTV domination, with yet another new series. This one’s called Celebrity IOU, and it debuts Monday, April 13 at 9pm. It features Hollywood A-listers expressing gratitude to the individuals who’ve impacted their lives by surprising them with big, heartwarming home renovations. The celebrities include Brad Pitt, Melissa McCarthy, Viola Davis, Rebel Wilson and Michael Buble—pretty big deals.
Melissa McCarthy (looking petite) and me (looking not-so petite) at the Critics Choice Awards.
If You Liked “Nashville,” You’ll Love This
Creator/executive producer Callie Khouri, her husband T Bone Burnett and producer Michael Lohmann are reteaming after Nashville for another music-driven drama series, this time based on Jake Brennan’s Disgraceland music and true crime podcast. The series will be written, of course by Khouri, Lohmann and Brennan, with Burnett overseeing the music. I’m loving the soapy premise: musicians getting away with murder and over savory sins. How can this not be a hit? Can’t wait to see who they cast!
Up Next for Modern Family’s Julie Bowen
Now that Modern Family is ending, what’s a not-so-poor girl to do? Julie Bowen is already lined up to star in the CBS comedy pilot Raised By Wolves, which revolves around a crisis manager who adopts an 11-year-old girl. Will that premise be enough?
