Welcome to What to Watch, in which we cover the best shows, movies and series out right now, both on networks and streaming services.
Cash Cab (Discovery)
Before there were a million different game shows, the worst of which now get their premise from apps, there was Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Deal or No Deal, and Cash Cab. After five years off the air, Discovery is reviving the last one, giving 8 million New Yorkers the slim chance to pay off their cab fare by answering trivia questions. Celebrities who were also more famous when the show premiered in 2005 — including Brooke Shields and Matthew Perry — will hop in the cab to help contestants with the questions. Ben Bailey, one of the best game show hosts to balance being both stern yet affable, is also returning.
Orange is the New Black Season Six (Netflix)
Season 6 sees all of our favorite female convicts transferred to maximum security after the three-day riot that consumed all of season 5. While the series hasn’t managed to completely return to the strength of earlier seasons, the change of setting introduces a slew of new characters and the return of a few old ones (chiefly Nicki played by Natasha Lyonne).
The Bleeding Edge (Netflix)
This is the sort of documentary that relies more on pathos than facts to draw a response from viewers. It’s still an eye-opening look at the medical device industry—think artificial hips and contraceptive implants—that allows for far too many companies to slip through Food and Drug Administration loopholes. Testimonials about lives permanently ruined by tech corporations and chilling imagery drive home director Kirby Dick’s call to see the harmful effects of poorly regulated medical devices. Stories of wiry mesh stuck in bodies like “bubble gum in hair” and colons falling out due to faulty robotic surgery systems will leave you horrified.
Castle Rock (Hulu)
The latest and long-awaited Stephen King adaptation, Castle Rock is set in King’s interconnected universe and features tons of Easter eggs referencing the author’s extensive body of work. In fact it’s more of an anthology set in King’s Cinematic Universe than a clear adaptation. If you’ve been enjoying Sharp Objects you’ll be enthralled by this small town drama. Henry Deaver (Andre Holland) returns to his hometown as a death row lawyer to come to terms with his own father’s death while investigating the mysterious circumstances around a girl’s suicide. The list of parallels between Castle Rock and any number of shows runs long, but Holland’s performance along with power house actors Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under), Scott Glenn (The Leftovers), and Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures) make this series must watch television.
Eat. Race. Win. (Amazon Prime)
Get a behind the scenes view of the Tour de France through Chef Hannah Grant. Grant leads the team of chefs preparing daily meals for Australia’s pro-cycling team as they race the 2200 miles along the Tour. Spending six hours a day biking for three weeks requires serious fuel, and this Amazon docuseries offers a fascinating look at the teams behind pro athletes.
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