Raphael Bob-Waksberg is the mind behind "Bojack Horseman," the animated comedy about, well, a horse/man dealing with life as a washed-up TV star. His new series, "Long Story Short," is a fast, delightful chronicle of the Schwooper family, told through different time frames and very much concerned with Jewish American identity. Featuring the voices of Paul Reiser, Dave Franco, Abbi Jacobson, and many others, it premieres Friday on Netflix, and has already been renewed for a second season.
The Legoization of the world continues with the premiere of "LEGO Masters Jr.," the young folks' version of the "LEGO Masters" game show. Hosted by Kelly Osbourne (daughter of the late Ozzy), the show pairs LEGO-mad kids with adult celebs, including Andy Richter and Porsha Williams. It also recalls a time when kids were pretty much the only ones who played with LEGOs. It premieres Monday on Fox
It's been many years since the Dallas Cowboys were dominant, but they make for juicy storytelling as long as Jerry Jones is in charge. The Netflix series "America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys" tells the story of the Jones era, from the Arkansas oilman's controversial decision to fire beloved head coach Tom Landry in 1989, through the glory years of the 1990s, and up to the mediocre present. The series premieres Tuesday.
Are we not men? The new wave band that preached "de-evolution" gets a new moment in the sun with "Devo," a documentary directed by Chris Smith ("Tiger King," American Movie"). With a Netflix bow on Tuesday (after premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival), the doc looks at how Devo took inspiration from the 1970 Kent State massacre and later became early adapters to the music video world. Whip it good.
Do you subscribe to the Criterion Channel? If you're serious about movies, you should. There's enough there to ensure a cinephile never sleeps. Among the movies now streaming but leaving at the end of the month are "The Graduate," "Heat," "Sexy Beast," and one of my favorite oddities, "The Swimmer," the 1968 adaptation of the John Cheever story starring Burt Lancaster. It's about suburban complacency, but it's also one of cinema's most devastating portraits of alcoholism.