Space comedy 'Moonbase 8' and four other shows our TV critic is watching this week

November 6, 2020 at 3:29PM
FOR USE WITH FYI_TV CONTENT ONLY. (L-R): John C. Reilly as Cap, Tim Heidecker as Rook and Fred Armisen as Skip in MOONBASE 8 "Rats". Photo Credit: A24 Films/SHOWTIME.
“Moonbase8” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The wrong stuff

In "Moonbase 8," John C. Reilly, Tim Heidecker and Fred Armisen play misfit astronauts assigned to a never-ending training exercise in the Arizona desert. The dialogue, which appears to be largely improvised, never really gets off the ground, but it's always a treat to watch Reilly play a blustering buffoon.

10 p.m. Sunday, Showtime

Survivor

If you've grown exasperated with "Grey's Anatomy," which returns for its 17th season Thursday, try "Industry," a workplace drama set in a British investment company. Watching the young employees jockey for position and avoid being cut will remind you of the early antics at Seattle Grace Hospital. "Girls" creator Lena Dunham directed the first episode.

9 p.m. Monday, HBO

Teenagers in love

In "Dash & Lily," Austin Abrams and Midori Francis flirt via a traveling red notebook in a sweet teenage version of "You've Got Mail." The strongest supporting players in this series are New York City landmarks, including the Strand bookstore and McSorley's Old Ale House. Whether it's the actors or the backdrops, you're bound to fall in love.

Starts streaming Tuesday on Netflix

Gonna fly now

Minnesotans not ready to forgive Philadelphia for keeping the Vikings out of Super Bowl LII will probably want to skip "Maybe Next Year," a documentary about the die-hard fans who practically willed their Eagles to a championship season. Some of their obsession gets ugly — the tailgating scenes are straight out of "Caligula" — but you can't help but root for some of these true believers.

Starts streaming Tuesday on various platforms including Apple Plus and Amazon Prime

Why we fight

War scenes have become more and more gruesome in recent years, making it hard for younger viewers to get into the genre. "The Liberator," which celebrates the 157th Regiment that spent more than a year marching toward Munich, avoids a lot of the blood and guts by going the animation route. But the approach does nothing to take away from the heroics of these patriots. John Wayne would almost certainly give it his seal of approval.

Starts streaming Wednesday on Netflix

Neal Justin

“The Liberator” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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