Peacock announced this week that it has ordered a 10-episode TV adaptation of "Ted," the Seth MacFarlane comedy about a naughty teddy bear. |
This weekend I have … a half-hour, and I've been patient. |
 | | A scene from "Tuca & Bertie."Adult Swim |
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When to watch: Sunday at 11:30 p.m., on Adult Swim. |
Netflix rudely canceled this whimsical dramedy after one season back in 2019, but Adult Swim brought it back from the dead, and now new episodes are finally here. Start at the beginning, though — a lot of the story this season revolves around Bertie's ongoing psychological unraveling, which is the fallout from her experiences in Season 1. Even though the show has a pop-hallucinatory look, its themes lean toward the serious and realistic, like if "Busytown" explained cognitive behavioral therapy. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" fans, watch this. |
… a few hours, and I want a comedy. |
 | | A scene from "Timewasters."IMDb |
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If you like those wink-wink historical comedies like "Another Period," "Quacks" or "Miracle Workers," try this British series about a modern-day jazz quartet from London that gets transported through time in a magical, filthy elevator, back to the 1920s in Season 1 and to the 1950s in Season 2. "Timewasters" is smart and silly, and it taps into some of the fun "Drunk History" used to have with old timey people saying the darnedest things; there's plenty to ridicule about racism, both historical and contemporary. Sadly there are only two seasons, but there's an American adaptation in the works. |
… a few hours, and I like when something goes wrong at a black-tie event. |
 | | Omar Sy in a scene from "Lupin."Netflix |
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The first batch of "Lupin" episodes came out all the way back in January — fully 100 lifetimes ago — and ended on a cliffhanger. Now there are another five episodes, and they pick up right where we left off, just as juicy and stylish as ever. "Lupin" (in French, with subtitles or dubbed) follows a chic thief (Omar Sy) who models himself on the classic literary figure Arsène Lupin, pulling off heists and sticking it to the rich people who've done him dirty. The show has a clever trickiness to it, and it is dangerously bingeable, with a vibe somewhere between the Oceans franchise, "Sherlock" and the good, early parts of "Money Heist." |
Your newly available movies |
 | | Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera in "In the Heights," directed by Jon M. Chu.Macall Polay/Warner Bros. |
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The streaming wars rage on this week with two major studio releases. By far the better of the two, "In the Heights," a splashy and exhilarating adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning musical, comes to HBO Max and theaters Friday. The Mark Wahlberg sci-fi thriller "Infinite," on the other hand, is skipping theaters for a reason. It premieres exclusively on the upstart service Paramount+. |
All movies not linked to a specific service can generally be rented on the usual platforms, including Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube. SCOTT TOBIAS |
There is no getting around it: Mark Raso's "Awake" is bad. But at least it's so bad that it's often ludicrously laughable: Netflix may well have a cult turkey on its hands. — Elisabeth Vincentelli (Read the full review here.) |
This sports underdog story, which is based on true events, has several features endemic to the genre. But "Dream Horse," an unabashed crowd-pleaser directed by Euros Lyn, earns its smiles and cheers. — Glenn Kenny (Read the full review here.) |
There's a joke to be made here about the oppressive déjà vu of a movie about endless reincarnations, but I'd feel like a broken record for making it. To demand originality from these algorithmic franchise-starters is to miss the point. But the problem with Antoine Fuqua's spin on the formula is that it's mostly formula and hardly any spin. — Devika Girish (Read the full review here.) |
A dream can be a fantasy or a goal, an escape or an aspiration, a rejection of the way things are or an affirmation of what could be. "In the Heights," adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes's Tony-winning Broadway show, embraces all of these meanings. After more than a year of desultory streaming, anemic entertainment and panicky doomscrolling, it's a dream come true. — A.O. Scott (Read the full review here.) |
John Cho, who voices Long, the dragon, does his best impression of Robin Williams, who lent his voice to the fast-talking Genie in the 1992 Disney animation "Aladdin." But without the catchy songs and intergenerational appeal, this movie can only wish to measure up to that classic. — Natalia Winkelman (Read the full review here.) |
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