What to Watch This Weekend

Dear Evan Hansen

Watch in Theaters

This musical about the realities of teen mental health and the universal longing to fit in became one of Broadway’s biggest hits in recent memory. Now it is hitting the silver screen with the show’s original lead, Ben Platt, in tow. It tells the story of an anxiety-ridden high school student who gets launched on a journey of self-discovery after a writing assignment he did is found by a grieving couple whose son took his own life. Pack your tissues for this one!

The Wonder Years

Watch on ABC

Don Cheadle narrates this reimagined version of the nostalgic coming of age series from the late ‘80s! This time, the story is set in Alabama in the 1960s and follows Dean, a Black middle-class kid, whose experiences (needless to say) don’t necessarily align with the nostalgic past that Kevin Arnold, the white original lead character from the original experienced. This reboot makes clear that these characters cannot experience history as the background noise that the characters in the original did. This sitcom still manages to be charming and entertaining while pointing at the fact that, for many people, traveling to the past can look less like a vacation.

Dear White People

Watch on Netflix

For its final season, Dear White People has transformed itself into a musical. The satirical series (which originally started as an indie film) follows a group of Black students who speak out against racism at their prestigious, and mostly white, university. Did we mention that all of the music is from the 90s? Prepare yourself for some Salt-N-Pepe jams and tune into this one for an epic musical finale.

Further Viewing:

LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM Season 2 (Watch on Netflix)

Netflix’s feel-good dating show is back for a second season. Just don’t expect the sex, scandal, and skin you might associate with other dating shows. The series focuses on young adults who are on the autism spectrum and are looking for love. This one will have your heart soaring.

STAR WARS: VISIONS (Watch on Disney+

This anthology series is comprised of nine anime-inspired short films created by seven Japanese animation studios who all shine a different perspective on the Star Wars universe.

FOUNDATION (Watch on AppleTV+)

Based on the sci-fi book series by Isaac Asimov, this large-scale epic chronicles a band of exiles who strive to preserve their culture as the galaxy crumbles around them.

MIDNIGHT MASS (Watch on Netflix)

Things are about to get spooky on the seaside! Created by Mike Flanagan (creator of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor”) this series follows the terrifying goings-on in a small seaside community after the arrival of a new priest.

THE BIG LEAP (Watch on Fox)

If you loved “Unreal” this one might be for you! The scripted series is set behind the scenes at a reality show in which a diverse, down-on-their-luck group of dancers have been gathered together in a competition that culminates in them performing “Swan Lake.”

74th ANNUAL TONY AWARDS/ BROADWAY’S BACK (Watch on Paramount+/CBS)

At long last, the Tony Awards for the truncated 2019/2020 Broadway season will be presented… in 2021. This Tony ceremony will be unlike any other in history in that essentially all of the actual awards will be given out during a pre-show hosted by QUEEN Audra McDonald and will stream on Paramount+. At 9 pm, Leslie Odom Jr. will host a two-hour-long “Broadway’s Back” special meant to highlight the industry at large which has taken a tremendous beating throughout the pandemic.

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