Week of August 9 – 15

After a sleepy couple of weeks, we’re back with one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the entire year – FX’s “Alien: Earth,” an extension of the big screen franchise this time set on a planet you are all very familiar with. Beyond that, we’ve got a new sports documentary series from the folks who made “The Last Dance” (“The Kingdom” on ESPN), an animated R-rated comedy (“Fixed” on Netflix) and a new drama starring Vanessa Kirby (“Night Always Comes”). All of that, plus the end of “And Just Like That…” Could the “Sex and the City” saga finally be over? Only one way to find out!

On with the television! 

Alien: Earth

Tuesday, August 12 at 8 p.m., FX

Source: Netflix

The teaser for “Alien 3,” released in 1991 ahead of the movie’s 1992 debut, featured an indelible twist on the original tagline: “In 1992, we will discover that on Earth, everyone can hear you scream.” The implication was clear – the “Alien” franchise, which began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece – would be headed to Earth. Of course, the movie that was released in 1992 had nothing to do with Earth. But that all changes with “Alien: Earth,” the first television series based on the franchise and the first to take a Xenomorph to Earth. The new series, which hails from “Fargo” creator Noah Hawley, is set before the events of the first movie. Another Weyland-Yutani ship, the Maginot, crash lands on Earth, in a city controlled by another corporation (Prodigy). Prodigy sends a group of hybrids (human children who have had their consciousness uploaded to a robot body) to investigate the crash. The Maginot was a research vessel retrieving deadly species from across the galaxy. So beyond the Xenomorph we know and love, there are other critters they have to contend with. The show is extremely gripping, led by Sydney Chandler as Wendy, the oldest of the hybrids, and Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh, a synthetic who trains Wendy. The show features some terrific performances and moments that will both enrich your understanding of the series and make you excited about what’s to come. Ready to scream? [TRAILER]

And Just Like That…

Thursday, August 14, HBO Max

Source: HBO

It was just announced that the third season of “And Just Like That …,” the continuation of “Sex and the City” that was made during the great streaming goldrush, would also be its last. This will be the conclusion of the “Sex and the City” franchise, which returned Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis to the Big Apple. (Kim Cattrall decided not to return, besides a very brief cameo in season 2.) Will you miss the gals? Or is it time they hung up their ridiculously expensive heels for good? And how long will it be until yet another revival comes along? [TRAILER]

Fixed

Wednesday, August 13, Netflix

Source: Netflix

For a while it seemed like nobody would ever see “Fixed.” The R-rated, traditionally animated dog comedy from legendary animator Genndy Tartakovsky, was co-produced by Sony Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema. But when the movie was completed a couple of years ago, New Line (a division of Warner Bros. Discovery) backed out of their distribution deal, leaving Sony to search for a new home for the dog comedy. After initially passing, Netflix came back around and adopted “Fixed,” giving it a splashy premiere at this year’s Annecy International Film Festival and a prime spot on the summer schedule. And it is deserving of all of this – the movie is an absolute hoot, full of gross out humor you probably never thought you’d experience in a film (animated or otherwise) but also a fair amount of heart and emotion. It sneaks up on you. It’s the story of a dog (Adam Devine) on the eve of getting fixed, who embarks on a debaucherously unhinged nocturnal odyssey – think “The 25th Hour” meets “Lady and the Tramp.” Gorgeously animated, deeply funny and so unique, “Fixed” will now be seen by the entire world. It really escaped the pound in the biggest, best way possible. Thankfully, Netflix took the chance and gave “Fixed” its forever home. [TRAILER]

The Kingdom

Thursday, August 14 at 9 p.m., ESPN

Source: ESPN

For those of us not fluent in sports, this new, six-episode documentary series produced by Words + Pictures in association with Skydance Sports, NFL Films, 2PM Productions, and Foolish Club Studios is centered around the Kansas City Chiefs and, according to the official release “will explore the franchise's indelible and distinctive place in the NFL's landscape for more than six decades of history while offering an exclusive, revealing chronicle of the team's extraordinary 2024 season.” There you go. It’s directed by Kristen Lappas of Words + Pictures and produced by much of the team behind “The Last Dance,” perhaps the greatest NBA documentary series ever (about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls). Sounds like a home run. No, wait, a touchdown. [TRAILER]

Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien: Romulus

Hulu

Source: 20th Century

Why not brush up on your “Alien” lore before the arrival of “Alien: Earth?” All of the movies are currently streaming on Hulu and all are well worth your time. (We’re discounting the lousy “Alien vs. Predator” crossover movies – and so should you.) Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece made him a household name, as he introduced the world to the slithering, acid-blooded Xenomorph and the plucky crew of the Nostromo. Sole survivor Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) returned for James Cameron’s hellzapoppin' 1986 sequel, which turned the haunted house movie into a full-on war picture. David Fincher’s debut movie “Alien 3” was a somber prison film, while “Alien Resurrection,” from French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, went for a more absurdist tone. Scott returned for a pair of prequels – 2012’s “Prometheus” and 2017’s “Alien: Covenant,” which were interested in the intersection of alien species and artificial intelligence. And last year’s “Alien: Romulus,” from Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Álvarez, was set in between the first and second films, with much reverence for both. All are essential, especially before embarking on “Alien: Earth.” [WATCH]

Source: Netflix

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