Here is what is happening in the world of television for Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19. All times are Eastern.
The best choices
Ma Rainey’s black ass (Netflix, friday, 03:01)“It’s important to note that there wouldn’t be a show to admire without Ma Rainey’s remarkable career, which Davis recognizes and honors by portraying her from another world. However, this is undoubtedly Boseman’s show and will probably continue to be his greatest work. Witnessing him getting up to meet the vivacity of titans like Davis and Turman (who, fortunately, is given his own moment to shine with a wise monologue in the piano chair) is an unjust teasing that promises something not we will be able to enjoy it again. What makes the film unbearably heartbreaking is how well it fits the star among the seas, offering Wilson’s captive words, with the electrifying verve of someone you’d think had decades of credit in his name. ” Read the rest of Shannon Miller A- review of the movie here, which will mark the final interpretation of the late Chadwick Boseman. Viola Davis, Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts also play the lead role.
The little ax: education (Amazon Prime Video, 12:01, final): Steve McQueen’s anthology ends with Education. In her review, Jourdain Searles writes that “one cannot deny the thinking, emotional power of Education. It is a film that is right for the heart, revealing how a caring community comes together and creates its own space to thrive. Education it’s a story about the work that immigrants from the Caribbean have always done to preserve their culture and take care of each other. Sometimes you really need a village. “
Regular coverage
Mandalorianul (Disney +, 3:01 am, end of season): No one is ready to stop having Baby Yoda scenes and memes until season three, but here we are, anyway. In the last outing of season two, the Mandalorian and the Child – or, as we now know, Grogu – continue their journey through a dangerous galaxy, facing enemies and gathering allies in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire. Mike Vanderbilt will recap.
Live on Saturday night (NBC, 23:29): SNL ends the year with host and returning star Kristen Wiig and musical guest Dua Lipa. Dennis Perkins recapitulated.
Wild cards
A Creepshow holiday special (Shudder, Fri, 03:01): Somehow, in 2020, that makes sense Creepshow would give us a special vacation. Written and directed by showrunner Greg Nicotero, starring Adam Pally and Anna Camp, the one-hour special is based on a short story by JA Konrath. In “Shapeshifters Anonymous,” a restless man who fears he is a murderer seeks answers to his “unique condition” from an unusual support group. The episode will air on Shudder, AMC Network’s streaming service for horror, thriller and supernatural enthusiasts.
On Pointe (Disney +, Friday, 3:01 AM): Get ready for the unprecedented access to the famous American Ballet School (SAB) in New York in this new six-part docuserie that follows the lives of students between the ages of 8 and 18 who pursue their dreams of becoming ballet dancers. As older students from across the country train rigorously for professional careers, younger students are left in step as they rehearse and sing in the New York City Ballet holiday classic “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” on the Lincoln Center stage. . Larissa Bills will direct the show, created by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein from Imagine Documentaries and Matthew O’Neill from DCTV.
Sweet Home (Netflix, friday, 03:01): This new South Korean horror series, based on the Webtoon of the same name, is an apocalyptic-style drama appropriate for the times. Song Kang’s Cha Hyun-soo is a loner who moves into a new apartment only to have his quiet life disturbed by strange events in his new building, where people begin to turn into monsters and residents fight for survival.