Celebrities are convinced that we care about their vacations. They're delusional. I like the work of Norman Reedus in "The Walking Dead" and Ewan McGregor in "Fargo" but the TV shows that chronicled their motorcycle rides left me wanting to slash their tires.
Same goes for "On the Roam," the eight-part series in which Jason Momoa gets his motor runnin' and heads out on the highway.
"Roam," premiering Thursday on Max, indulges the movie star's pleasures, which include restoring classic motorcycles and guitars. That's great — if you enjoy those sorts of things. If you don't, you'll feel like someone has locked you in a mechanic's garage.
Momoa, who dresses like "A Clockwork Orange" hoodlum auditioning for "Easy Rider," seems to think everyone shares his passions. In the premiere, he coos over 100-year-old bikes that look like they couldn't sputter around the block. In the second episode, he tags along with photographer Todd Hido, treating him like he's bigger than Marlon Brando. I give Hido credit for not conking the over-enthusiastic movie star over the head with a tripod.
I'm not against hitting the road with a familiar face. "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy" leaves my mouth watering. I highly recommend "Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime," in which the Monty Python legend visits places everyone should check out before they die. But that says more about those shows' itineraries than the star wattage of the hosts. If I want to spend time with Momoa, I'll wait for the next Aquaman flick.
Also this week...
'Role Play'
Kaley Cuoco continues to distance herself from her "Big Bang Theory" character in this engaging new thriller, playing an assassin-for-hire trying to protect her oblivious family. The fight scenes are second-rate, but the chemistry between Cuoco and David Oyelowo is electric. You'll savor the scenes in which a rival killer (Bill Nighy) wrongly assumes his opponent is as harmless as a sweet girl living across the hall from a couple of nerds. Prime Video
'American Nightmare'
The title may lead you to believe this is a new anthology series from Ryan Murphy. It's not; it's better. The docuseries revisits a 2015 case in California in which a woman insists she was kidnapped and raped by a mysterious man in a wet suit. Police believe she lifted the tale from "Gone Girl." Viewers unfamiliar with the story may think the same. You have to stick through all three episodes to discover the truth. Netflix
'Lift'
Kevin Hart has had a lot of success when channeling Richard Pryor. He's less effective when he's trying to be George Clooney. He just doesn't have the goods to play a lovable thief in this poor substitute for "Ocean's Eleven," although director F. Gary Gray does a nice job with the picturesque action scenes. Netflix
'Death and Other Details'
Locked-room murder mysteries are all the rage these days, thanks to stellar whodunits like "Knives Out" and "Murder on the Orient Express." "Death" isn't in their league. Mandy Patinkin heads a fairly unrecognizable cast of suspects on a posh cruise. You'll want to get off at the nearest port. Hulu
