Everything I’m Going to Watch in November: A Petite Feast Of Television
Welcome back to the spookiest time of year! That's right, it's election season! I hope everyone is going out to VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6th! If you don't vote, you don't get to read this blog. I know realistically there is no way for me to control that, but if you are reading this and you willfully didn't vote just imagine every sentence is tinged with my disappointment.
Anyway, remember last month when I boldly declared that there was no such thing as a consistently scary television show? Well, color me dead wrong because The Haunting of Hill House had a ghost or two to say about that. I really don't like being scared, but HoHH is such a GOOD SHOW I want to keep watching it even though I know it's going to make me scared. The ghosts are a metaphor for grief and trauma but they are also LITERALLY terrifying demon ghosts.
Speaking of demons,The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was not quite the show I expected, but it's charming and satisfyingly witchy nonetheless. Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis are my everything, and I have learned I need to start incorporating more LACE ACCENTS into my wardrobe.
Finally, I'd also like to highlight the new season of Doctor Who, which is so transcendentally good and wonderful and pure. Jodie Whitaker is luminous, she is a delight, she is charming, and FUN and crushing it. There are not enough adjectives to fully convey the width and depth of my feelings. This season is a breath of fresh air after the increasingly stuffy and overly-reflective past seasons. If you have at any time had any interest in this show, I enthusiastically invite you to return.
So while you are busy taking this all in, adding these series to your Netflix queue, as I assume every reader does after partaking of these fine pieces of television criticism, allow me to introduce you to the feast of November's offerings:
Friday, November 2nd - Homecoming (Amazon Prime)
No need to know anything about this show other than JULIA ROBERTS HAS COME TO DO TV AND THIS IS HER CHOSEN VESSEL. Honestly, with every trailer I am even more confused as to the plot, but who cares. It's based off a podcast? All I got.
Friday, November 16th - Dogs (Netflix)
This could either be the greatest idea ever, or a horrible, horrible mistake. This six-part docuseries, specifically developed to attempt to drown you in a whirlpool of your own tears, follows six stories of six extraordinary dogs. That’s it, that’s the show. If you would like to get a pre-gauge of how emotionally devastated you will be you can watch the trailer here.
Sunday, November 18th -
Escape at Dannemora (10pm on Showtime)
This is a mini-series directed by Ben Stiller (who seems to be taking himself quite seriously these days) about the real life prison break in upstate New York from 2015. The true story was stranger than fiction, it had hole-digging, manhunts, betrayal, and yes, even a love triangle. The mini-series will star Patricia Arquette, Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano and hopefully Stiller goes quirky/weird and not somber/death march with it.
My Brilliant Friend (9pm on HBO)
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, this Italian series is actually IN Italian. The show is about a lifelong friendship between two women, and it looks appropriately dreamy, literary, and most importantly Italian.
Monday, November 19th -The Little Drummer Girl (9pm on AMC)
AMC once again drinks deep from the well of John le Carre, adapting another one of his novels (last year’s was the critically acclaimed Night Manager). I could tell you about the great cast, I could tell you about the spy games, but what is most exciting to me about this mini series is that it is directed entirely by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Stoker, The Handmaiden) in his TV debut. If that name means nothing to you, please correct that, but also it means that even if this show is terrible it will be AMAZING.
Sunday, November 25th - Dirty John (10pm on Bravo)
Based on the hum-dinger of a true crime podcast, Bravo has answered the call to bring this story to life with none other than Connie Britton and Eric Bana. It seems like Bravo is going full-tilt schlock with this, and god bless them for it. If you have had no prior contact with this story, then I strongly advise you to sit down, tune in, and buckle the fuck up.
Wednesday, November 28th - A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy (10pm on NBC)
I should not need to explain to you why you must watch this.
And that's all she wrote (if only).
PS Can we talk about Naomi Watts being cast as the lead of the Game of Thrones prequel? I mean I'm not NOT about it...but also....what?
