Next Week in TV 5/21: The Flash’s Final Run and American Born Chinese Dazzles.
By DRWHO42 & Scott C.
The week ahead is unlike any other with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s foray into series television and the proverbial end of the Arroverse on The CW with the series finale of The Flash.
Season final season is in full swing, with several series wrapping up their seasons, including FBI, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, The Simpsons, and The Equalizer.
A few notable series finales hit this week, with The Flash and NCIS: Los Angeles ending their runs. The finale for our beloved Scarlet Speedster, The Flash, is a not-to-miss episode that will include many memorable moments and provide closure for fans after a landmark nine seasons. There is a lot to admire, including the connection to the Arrowverse, as well as the legacy of the Flash television series with the inclusion of many of the series cast, and guest stars of John Wesley Shipp, Amanda Pays, Alex Desert, and Mark Hamill. The conclusion of this series will also signify the proverbial end of the Arrowverse on The CW, which heralded a golden age of hero television for the past decade. As such, we bid you farewell.
Looking ahead to the fall for The CW, the recently announced lineup does not include information or details on Gotham Knights and Superman & Lois. As such, this fall will be the first time since the series finale of Smallville that there is no superhero series on the network. We are hopeful Superman & Lois will get a series pickup on the new Max streaming platform.
Aside from the finales, there are a few new offerings this week to add to your viewing list: the visually stunning prehistoric family-friendly documentary series Prehistoric Planet returns for a second season this Monday on Apple TV+. Also, on Monday, the popular British drama, Happy Valley, returns for its third and final season on BBC America.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is following his pal Sylvester Stallon into the realm of streaming television with his Netflix series, FUBAR. The trailer of the series was enjoyable and sets up the stage for a True Lies-styled action series with Schwarzenegger’s character, a veteran CIA agent, and his daughter Emma, played by Monica Babaro (Tom Gun: Maverick), finding out that they are each working as secret agents for the CIA.
We are looking forward with anticipation to the premiere of American Born Chinese, premiering on Disney Plus. The family-themed mythical adventure will feature a who of notable Asian screen and film talent both in front and behind the camera, including Michelle Yeoh, Lucy Liu, Ke Huy Quan, and James Hong.
If you are looking for some laughs, we recommend adding Platonic, starring Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne, to your viewing list. It tells the story of two old friends reconnecting after being years apart and exploring the complications of a male-female platonic friendship, balancing personal obligations between work and family. This limited series was created by Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, and Rogan and Byrne also starred together in the comedic movie Neighbors, directed by Stoller. Both stars are also executive producers of this new limited series.
In television news, Disney Plus made a few waves this week as it moves to consolidate content with its Hulu partner platform. The strategy has led to the decision to remove content from both platforms, including the first and only season of Willow. So, if you haven’t seen the lone season yet, now is the time before it goes.
As always, don’t forget to follow the blog on Facebook and Twitter.
DRWHO42’s picks:
New: FUBAR, American Born Chinese, Platonic.
On-going: Fear the Walking Dead, Class of ’09, Silo, Rabbit Hole.
Binge / Re-watch: Jack Ryan, Warrior Nun, The Witcher, Lost in Space, Strike Back (Finished and Re-Watching the Greatness).
Mario Wario’s picks:
New: Shazam! Fury of The Gods, American Born Chinese.
On-going: The Flash, From.
Binge / Stack: [Nothing at the Moment]
Editor’s note: All times listed below are Eastern and nerd/geek interest are highlighted in AMBER.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
7:00 pm
ABC America’s Funniest Home Videos [33rd Season Finale]
8:00 pm
HBO 100 Foot Wave: Chapter VI – Force Majeure [2nd Season Finale]
CBS The Equalizer: Eye for an Eye [3rd Season Finale]
FOX The Simpsons: Homer’s Adventures Through The Windshield Glass [34th Season Finale / Animated]
8:31 pm
FOX The Great North: For Whom The Smell Tolls Part Two [3rd Season Finale]
9:00 pm
FOX Bob’s Burgers: Amelia [13th Season Finale / Animated]
DISNEY Bunk’d: Learning The Ropes: Desperate Treasures [6th Season Finale]
CBS NCIS: Los Angeles: New Beginnings, Part Two [Series Finale on Special Time]
SHUDDER Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 2023
PBS Tom Jones [1st Season Finale]
10:00 pm
SHOWTIME Ghosts of Beirut: Emergence [Series Premiere]
A young CIA targeter, Lena Asayran, connects a 2007 attack on US forces in Iraq to the CIA’s greatest adversary, Imad Mughniyeh. Lena manipulates a defector from Iran into revealing the murky origins of Imad’s rise at 19 years old. In 1983, CIA officer Robert Ames believes he can force Israel to withdraw and implement a regional peace plan. But young Imad senses an opportunity and plans the first suicide bombing in the Middle East. Ames’ optimistic vision clashes with Imad’s determination to remake the Middle East. Series premiere. Click here for more information.
CBS NCIS: Los Angeles: A Salute to NCIS: Los Angeles
Monday, May 22, 2023
12:01 am
APPLE TV+ Prehistoric Planet [2nd Season Premiere]
3:01 am
NETFLIX The Creature Cases [3rd Season Premiere / Animated]
AMC+ Happy Valley [3rd Season Premiere]
8:00 pm
CBS The Neighborhood: Welcome to the Opening Night [5th Season Finale]
8:30 pm
CBS Bob (Hearts) Abishola: Uncharted Waters of Mediocrity [4th Season Finale]
9:00 pm
ABC 20/20: Prisoners of The Snow: A Special Edition of 20/20
CBS NCIS: Black Sky [20th Season Finale]
10:00 pm
BBCA Happy Valley: [3rd Season Premiere]
CBS NCIS: Hawai’i: Dies Irae [2nd Season Finale]
TV ONE Payback [2nd Season Premiere]
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
12:01 am
HULU How I Met Your Father [2nd Season Summer Premiere]
3:01 am
MAX Clone High [Series Premiere / Animated]
A modern refresh of the hit series of the same name, CLONE HIGH follows a high school for clones of the greatest minds in history. Twenty years after the original experiment was put on ice, Joan, JFK, Abe, and Cleo have been thawed out to resume school with their new clone classmates – all while navigating a new set of cultural norms and overly dramatic teen relationships. Click here for more information.
MAX Gremlins: Secrets of The Mogwai [Series Premiere / Animated]
Magic is all around us. Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, from executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tze Chun. Click here for more information.
MAX Shazam! Fury of The Gods [Movie / Streaming Premiere]
The film continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam. Click here for more information.
MAX What am I Eating? With Zooey Deschanel [Series Premiere]
8:00 pm
CBS FBI: God Complex [5th Season Finale]
9:00 pm
CBS FBI: International: Fencing The Mona Lisa [2nd Season Finale]
10:00 pm
CBS FBI: Most Wanted: Heaven Falling [4th Season Finale]
11:30 pm
TNT Rich & Shameless: Basketball Murder For Money [2nd Season Finale]
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
12:01 am
HULU The Clearing [Series Premiere]
When a local girl goes missing, a woman is forced to face the demons from her traumatic childhood. Click here for more information.
AMAZON James May: Oh Cook [2nd Season Premiere]
APPLE TV+ Platonic [Series Premiere]
“Platonic” follows a platonic pair of former best friends approaching midlife (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) who reconnect after a long rift. The duo’s friendship becomes all consuming—and destabilizes their lives in a hilarious way. Click here for more information.
3:01 am
DISNEY+ American Born Chinese [Series Premiere]
Jin Wang is an average teenager balancing high school and home life. When he meets a new foreign student on the first day of the school, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled in a battle with Chinese mythological gods. Click here for more information.
DISNEY+ Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life [2nd Season Premiere / Animated]
NETFLIX Mother’s Day [Movie]
When the son she’s never known gets kidnapped, former special agent Nina dusts off her deadly skills to bring him home — no matter who gets in her way. Click here for more information.
8:00 pm
NBC Chicago Med: Does One Door Close And Another One Open? [8th Season Finale]
THE CW The Flash: A New World [Series Finale]
ABC Jeopardy! Masters: The Finals [1st Season Finale]
9:00 pm
NBC Chicago Fire: Red Waterfall [11th Season Finale]
ABC The Prank Panel: Family Love / Repo Revenge (#101) [One-Hour Special Presentation]
10:00 pm
NBC Chicago PD: A Better Place [10th Season Finale]
FX Mayans M.C.: I Hear The Train A-Comin / Lord Help My Poor Soul [Two-Hour 5th Season Premiere]
Thursday, May 25, 2023
3:01 am
NETFLIX Fubar [Series Premiere]
When a father and daughter discover they both secretly work for the CIA, an already dicey undercover mission turns into a dysfunctional family affair. Click here for more information.
MAX Love and Death [1st Season Finale]
Friday, May 26, 2023
12:00 am
TNT The Lazarus Project: Episode 1: Sneak Peek
12:01 am
AMAZON Citadel [1st Season Finale]
AMAZON The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel [Series Finale]
APPLE TV+ Prehistoric Planet [2nd Season Finale]
3:01 am
NETFLIX Blood & Gold [Movie]
At the bitter end of WWII, a German deserter and a young woman are drawn into bloody battle with a group of Nazis hunting for hidden gold. Click here for more information.
NETFLIX Tin & Tina [Movie]
After a traumatic miscarriage, a young couple adopts two peculiar twins from a convent whose obsession with religion soon disturbs the family. Click here for more information.
SHUDDER Influencer [Movie]
Influencer tells the story of Madison (Emily Tennant, Riverdale), a popular social media influencer who is having a lonely and uneventful trip in Thailand despite what she tells her followers on Instagram. While reflecting on her boyfriend canceling the trip, she meets CW (Cassandra Naud, See), a fearless and enigmatic traveler who offers to take her to some of the most Instagram-worthy locations. Together they share authentic meals and drinks with locals, discussing the differences between Madison’s online presence and CW’s lack of one. After showing Madison all of the amazing sights, things take a different turn when CW brings her to a surprise location – a deserted island that is completely off the grid. Click here for more information.
NETFLIX Turn of The Tide [Series Premiere]
When a boat loaded with cocaine sinks off his home island, Eduardo sees a risky but exciting opportunity to make money and fulfill impossible dreams. Click here for more information.
8:00 pm
HBO Being Mary Tyler Moore [Special]
STARZ Power Book II: Ghost: Divided We Stand [3rd Season Finale]
9:03 pm
STARZ Blindspotting: Return To Ithaca [2nd Season Finale]
9:37 pm
STARZ Run The World: A Dream Deferred [2nd Season Premiere]
10:00 pm
FX The Secrets of Hillsong: Sins of The Father / False Prophets [1st Season Finale]
Saturday, May 27, 2023
8:00 pm
NBC Byron Allen Presents: The Comedy and Music Superfest
