Worth Watching: ‘ABC Murders,’ ‘Russian Doll,’ ‘Dateline’ Revisits O.J. Bronco Chase
A selective critical checklist of notable Friday TV:
The ABC Murders (streaming on Amazon Prime Video): Forget cozy. The latest Agatha Christie adaptation by Sarah Phelps (And Then There Was None, Witness for the Prosecution, Ordeal By Innocence) has a penchant for the sordid and grotesque, often feeling more like a post-Dickens True Detective that puts fabled sleuth Hercule Poirot (a peculiar John Malkovich) and his cloudy past under the microscope. A tall drink of dour water, Malkovich’s goateed Poirot is melancholy and tortured, and yet his perceptive insights into the human condition help him track a serial murderer who’s working his way through the alphabet.
Russian Doll (streaming on Netflix): Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black) is to die for — literally — in this darkly comedic fantasy fable about a prickly New York bohemian caught in a fatalistic Groundhog Day-style time loop. When she discovers another lost soul (the poignant Charlie Barnett) on the same mind-bending trajectory, the metaphysical layers multiply — not unlike the titular stacking doll. And unlike many Netflix series, it’s a brisk binge: eight fast-paced episodes clocking in at under 30 minutes each.
Netflix’s top new movie of the weekend: Velvet Buzzsaw by Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler), starring Jake Gyllenhaal in a dark satirical thriller set in the contemporary art world.
Dateline NBC (10/9c, NBC): In “Chasing O.J. Simpson: The Untold Stories,” the sensationalist newsmagazine revisits the infamous L.A. Bronco chase, 25 years ago this June, during which police trailed O.J. Simpson, then a suspect in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, in a live-on-TV standoff riveting viewers nationwide for three hours. The report includes eyewitness accounts, excerpts from Simpson’s deposition tapes, audio from a cell phone inside the Bronco, and new interviews from key participants in the investigation by correspondent Josh Mankiewicz.
Into the Dark: Down (streaming on Hulu): The latest installment in the monthly holiday-centric horror anthology depicts a claustrophobic Valentine’s Day encounter between two handsome strangers (Friday Night Lights’s Matt Lauria and Under the Dome’s Natalie Martinez) trapped over a long weekend in an office building’s elevator. What begins as a rom-com meet-cute inevitably becomes more sensual and sinister as secrets are exposed, and escape becomes imperative. For the restless viewer as well.
For those with more exotic tastes, HBO’s On Demand and streaming services (HBO GO and HBO NOW) present the six-part Folklore, described as Asia’s first original horror anthology series, with each episode based on the supernatural myths and folk legends of a different region: Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Inside Friday TV: ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat (8/7c) celebrates Chinese New Year with the Huangs inviting the Lees (Ming-Na Wen, Reggie Lee and Jimmy O. Yang) over for dinner, which includes side dishes of father-son “tussling” and power plays between Jessica (Constance Wu) and Grandma (Lucille Soong)… Sitcom veteran Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Funny in Philadelphia, The Grinder) visits Fox’s The Cool Kids (8:30/7:30c) as Margaret’s (Vicki Lawrence) daughter, MJ, who’s jobless and homeless, so this probably isn’t just a courtesy call… PBS’s Great Performances at the Met presents Nico Muhly’s new opera version of Marnie (9/8c, check local listings at pbs.org), the romantic Alfred Hitchcock thriller inspired by Winston Graham’s novel about the title thief (Isabel Leonard) who’s blackmailed into marrying her boss (Christopher Maltman).
Conversation11 Comments
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MacGyver, Hawaii 5-0, and Blue Bloods. I'm going to ignore the incessant Super Bowl promos as best I can.
BTW, someone mentioned a while back how Dateline seems to be stuck in the past lately, rehashing decades-old crimes, and this episode follows that trend. Maybe ABC figures that on this ultimate "football weekend," people might want to read about a once-popular former football star. I simply find it pathetic.
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Yes, I mentioned recently how ABC's 20/20 is constantly digging up old crimes and the ratings have been a success.
Now NBC's Dateline is revisiting the "Chasing O.J. Simpson" sensation of the 90's. I feel like the vast majority of viewers know that scenario inside out.
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Oh, I see, the comment was about 20/20, and not Dateline. My bad. Anyway, both networks seem to be dredging up the past for titillating ratings.
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For me its all about Last Man Standing, The Cool Kids and Fresh off The Boat. I recently picked up Blue Bloods on WGN and am really digging It but I can't really watch the current season with only having watched the series for a few months and mostly bits and pieces. Tom Selleck just excels in everything he's in don't he? Lol
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I miss not having WGN. My cable company deleted it from my already expensive package. Now I read in the TV GUIDE that WGN will air season 2 of Carter (one of my favorite summer shows). I previously read it will be on Bravo. I'm so confused!
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My cable co. was in a dispute w/ WGN a while back, and blacked it out. They must have come to terms, though, since WGN is back now. As for Carter, it may air on Bravo as well as WGN. Don't despair!! 😀
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I was going to watch MacGyver, Cool Kids, Speechless, The Hendersons, and Graham Norton, but I'm thinking about watching Fantastic Beasts on USA. Decisions, decisions!
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Fantastic Beasts might be available Free On Demand this month in your area. Mentioning only because if you get USA , their shows and movies are usually On Demand for free but you probably have to watch some commercials.
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I've already checked, and it's not available free here.
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I had to sit through the Fantastic Beasts movie. I think I fell asleep.
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I never read any articles about Walking Dead because they all spoil something...if not with text then with pictures that you can tell things from. But thanks for the warning anyway!
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