Welcome to What to Watch, a series where we tell you the best shows, movies and series out right now, both on networks and streaming services.
Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller (Showtime)
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. To honor the occasion, Showtime Sports is premiering their latest documentary about Canadian MMA/WWE broadcaster Mauro Ranallo and his lifelong battle with bipolar disorder. You’ll probably recognize Ranallo for his play-by-play duties for Showtime Boxing, most notably from last year’s Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight. It’s a fascinating look at how one man turned his struggle with mental illness into a ringside seat; today, Ranallo is the only broadcaster to have called boxing, kickboxing, MMA and professional wrestling on U.S. national television.
The Fourth Estate (Showtime)
The Fourth Estate– HBO’s new four-part miniseries about how The New York Times handled covering the first year of the Trump administration–is not your parent’s documentary. In fact, the whole thing plays out like a David Fincher film, what with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross providing the soundtrack. Liz Garbus, director of the amazing true crime doc Girlhood, is behind this new series as it takes a look at how a 165-year-old paper with 125 Pulitzer Prizes covers a hostile administration whose policy is to refer to the venerable news outlet as “fake.”
Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life (Netflix)
Two out of three amigos ain’t bad (especially if that last one is more of El Guapo anyway), and this Netflix special reconnects the young-at-heart Steve Martin with his best friend, the banjo. Oh, and also his former co-star, Martin Short. Expect a night of kinetic comedy, music and
hopefully no deep delves into the practical wisdom of art collecting. Extra points for some surprise special guests…I’m keeping my fingers crossed for drop-ins by Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland, otherwise known as the Oh, Hello alter-egos for Nick Kroll and John Mulaney.
Phil Hartman: Behind Closed Doors (Reelz)
He spent eight seasons on Saturday Night Live and in the 90s, there were few comedians as beloved–or more prolific–than Phil Hartman. On May 28, 1998, the actor’s life was cut tragically short when he was murdered by his wife, Brynn Hartman, who committed suicide shortly after.
On Sunday, friends, fans and collaborators speak about the warmth, generosity and humor of Phil Hartman in this tribute to the Emmy winner.
Streaming App of the Weekend: fuboTV
Tired of paying for a whole network television bundle when all you really want are the sports channels? Than fuboTV might be the solution for you: it’s a streaming subscription service with two-tiered options for enjoying your favorite games. (Last year’s Superbowl found over 150,000 subscribers watching via the service.) fuboTV focuses on channels that distribute live sports, including NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and international soccer, though it also covers news, network television series and movies. (And it’s partnering with new networks and franchises all the time.)
The service’s mascot is the fictional Fubo Chávez, a brand spokesman marketed as “The World’s Greatest Fan.” Feel free to prove him wrong by investing in fuboTV, which carries a steep price of either $44.99-49.99 after a first month trial at $19.99.
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