As Hollywood speeds through movie awards season and the world seems to move closer and closer to the geopolitical edge over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, timing is again of the essence.
On one level, that is very true on the small screen this week with our candidates for the show you have to watch – as you can see in my video review above.
Co-created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty hits the cable court March 6 on HBO.
Spotlighting the Showtime Era of the Dr. Jerry Buss-owned team in the all-or-nothing 1980s, the 10-episode series executive produced and directed by Adam McKay is a slice of history in perpetual motion. Hyperobject Industries-produced Winning Time stars John C. Reilly as the extravagant Buss, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jason Clarke as NBA legend Jerry West, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman, Adrien Brody as Lakers coach Pat Riley, Jason Segel as that other Lakers’ coach Paul Westhead, and Sally Field as Jessie Buss. Produced without cooperation from many of the people it depicts, Winning Time is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s
With SNL MVP Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskin and John Cameron Mitchell as her arch enemy Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel, Joe vs Carole debuted on Peacock on March 3. Drawing from the Wondery podcast Joe Exotic: Tiger King, hosted and reported by Robert Moor, the eight-episode battle between the big-cat enthusiasts was penned and EPed by Etan Frankel under his overall deal with Universal Cable Productions.
For those Tiger King fans out there, the new POV on the potentially murderous tale sees McKinnon also serving as an EP along with Alex Katsnelson and Wondery’s Hernan Lopez, Marshall Lewy and Aaron Hart. Fellow EP Justin Tipping directs Joe vs. Carole with Natalie Bailey.
As Theranos CEO and founder Elizabeth Holmes awaits a potential 20-year sentence for defrauding investors, the Amanda Seyfried-starring The Dropout puts the life, career and scams of the Stanford dropout under the microscope. Originally set to feature Kate McKinnon as Holmes, the Naveen Andrews co-starrer launched on Hulu on March 3 with a trio of episodes.
Based on ABC News/ABC Radio’s podcast about the rocket-launch rise and blazing fall of Holmes and her scandal-drenched biotech company, The Dropout was created by Elizabeth Meriwether. The New Girl boss is showrunner and executive producer along with Liz Heldens, Liz Hannah, Katherine Pope, Rebecca Jarvis, Victoria Thompson and Taylor Dunn. Big Sick helmer Michael Showalter directs multiple episodes and also serves as an executive producer along with his Semi-Formal Productions producing partner Jordana Mollick. The Dropout comes to Hulu from corporate cousins Searchlight Television and 20th Television.
Sir Patrick Stewart is obviously back for Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard, but the Starfleet legend is joined this time round by some TNG vets in Whoopi Goldberg and John de Lancie as the villainous Q.
Having dropped its first episode on Paramount+ on March 3, the timeline-shifting Picard also sees Alison Pill, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Orla Brady, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, Brent Spiner and Annie Wersching on deck, so to speak. Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman is in the co-showrunner seat with Terry Matalas. Both serve as EPs along with Sir Pat, Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Doug Aarniokoski and Dylan Massin. A jewel in the Trekverse crown, Picard is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
Which one is the show you have to watch? You’ll have to watch the video above to find out.