The streaming arms race shows no signs of slowing down, with three high profile theatrical films hitting the small screen this weekend: Cannes opener Annette, sci-fi flick Reminiscence and Jason Momoa’s Sweet Girl.
Plus, Sandra Oh headlines the new Netflix dramedy The Chair, The Walking Dead kicks off its extended final season on AMC, and the entertainment community comes together for this year's multi-network Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser. Here’s what’s new and noteworthy on TV this weekend:
FRIDAY AUGUST 20
Reminiscence: Original film. Hugh Jackman plays a solitary veteran living in a near-future Miami who's made a career out of helping people relive any memory they desire, but his life changes forever when he meets a mysterious new client (Rebecca Ferguson). The sci-fi thriller also stars Thandie Newton, Cliff Curtis, Marina de Tavira and Daniel Wu. Watch trailer. Premiering in theaters and Streaming on HBO Max
Annette: Original film. When a stand-up comedian (Adam Driver) falls in love with a renowned opera singer (Marion Cotillard), they form a passionate and glamorous couple, but the birth of their first child promises to turn their lives upside down. The divisive Cannes opener first hit theaters two weeks ago. Watch trailer. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Sweet Girl: Original film. A devastated husband (Jason Momoa) vows to bring the people responsible for his wife’s death to justice while also protecting his daughter (Isabela Merced) in this Netflix original action flick. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix
The Chair: Complete first season. Sandra Oh stars as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman to be named Chair of the English Department at prestigious Pembroke University. Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor and Bob Balaban also star. Read our review. Streaming on Netflix
PAW Patrol: The Movie: Original film. Ryder and the rest of the PAW Patrol are called to Adventure City to stop Mayor Humdinger from unleashing chaos. The animated film features voice performances from a host of stars, including Kim Kardashian, Dax Shepard, Jimmy Kimmel, and Marsai Martin. Watch trailer. Streaming on Paramount+
The Loud House Movie: Original film. Lincoln Loud, his 10 sisters, and their parents head to Scotland for an unforgettable family adventure in this feature-length spinoff from the Nickelodeon series. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix
Truth Be Told: Season 2 premiere. Podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) dives into a new case involving her childhood friend and media mogul Micah Keith (Kate Hudson). One new episode drops every Friday through late October. Watch trailer. Streaming on Apple TV+
NFL Preseason: The reigning AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs travel west to take on the Arizona Cardinals in a preseason game. 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT on ESPN
The Greatest #AtHome Videos: Season 2 premiere. Emmy and Grammy winner Paula Abdul joins host Cedric the Entertainer to surprise a college-bound babysitter with singing skills that went viral in a secretly-recorded video. 9:00 PM ET on CBS
Cold Case Files: Season premiere. As Primetimer's Sarah D Bunting writes, the return of this iconic Bill Kurtis-narrated A&E series should be catnip to fans of true crime TV. 9:00 PM ET on A&E
American Justice: Season premiere. A&E’s true crime revival double-header continues with a new season of its landmark docuseries, now narrated by Dennis Haysbert. Watch trailer. 10:00 PM ET on A&E
Bring Your Own Brigade: Twice Oscar-nominated documentarian Lucy Walker directs this feature-length film looking at California's devastating 2018 Camp Fire and its broader-reaching implications. Watch trailer. Streaming on Paramount+
SATURDAY AUGUST 21
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) 2021: Special presentation. Anthony Anderson, Ken Jeong & Tran Ho, and Sofia Vergara serve as co-hosts for the seventh biennial TV fundraise supporting cancer research and new treatments. Brittany Howard and Common with Stevie Wonder are set to perform, while Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Kyle MacLachlan, and others will participate in video chats with donors. Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, HBO, and various other networks and streaming services
Godzilla vs. Kong: Premium cable premiere. The two legends go toe to toe in Warner’s epic monster mash. Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, and Brian Tyree Henry. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on HBO
A Little Daytime Drama: TV movie. Hallmark goes behind-the-scenes of a daytime soap in this drama about a head writer (Jen Lilley) who must convince her fan-favorite star and ex-boyfriend (Ryan Paevey) to return to the show in order to stave off cancellation. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on Hallmark Channel
Saturday Night Live: Encore presentation. Chris Rock hosted the Season 46 opener with musical guest Megan Thee Stallion, but Jim Carrey arguably stole the show as he debuted his wirey Joe Biden impression. 11:30 PM ET on NBC
SUNDAY AUGUST 22
The Walking Dead: Season premiere. The show’s disparate groups come together to rebuild what the Whisperers took from them as the zombie drama kicks off its eleventh and final season. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on AMC
Naked and Afraid of Love: Series premiere. 16 naked strangers travel to the Philippines for an extreme dating experience that asks them to find true love while also surviving the elements. Read our review. Streaming on Discovery+
Major League Baseball: Cleveland hosts the Los Angeles Angels in an exciting Sunday night matchup. 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT on ESPN
Big Brother: New episode. 8:00 PM ET on CBS
NYC Epicenters 9/11 - 2021 1/2: Docuseries premiere. Spike Lee directs this four-part eight-hour doc weaving together the stories of New Yorkers who were witnesses to the city's greatest challenges. Watch trailer. 8:00 PM ET on HBO
Gossip: Docuseries premiere. Showtime delves into the world of tabloid reporting in this four-part docuseries about legendary New York Post columnist Cindy Adams. Watch trailer. 8:00 PM ET on Showtime
History of the Sitcom: Docuseries finale. CNN closes out its retrospective docuseries with a reflection on escapism and sitcom culture. 9:00 PM ET on CNN
Dead Pixels: Season finale. As Nicky (Will Merrick) prepares to meet his love interest IRL, Meg (Alexa Davies) reboots an old version of Kingdom Scrolls so that the three of them can play together. 9:30 PM ET on The CW
100 Foot Wave: Season finale. The surfers face some of the largest, most unpredictable waves they’ve ever seen as HBO’s docuseries wraps its first season. The doc has already been renewed for Season 2, which will introduce new big wave surfers who share Garrett McNamara’s goal of conquering the 100-foot wave in Nazaré. 10:00 PM ET on HBO
Chapelwaite: Series premiere. Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek) star in this 1850s-set Stephen King adaptation about a sea captain who is forced to confront his family’s sordid history when he moves his three children to the sleepy town of Preacher’s Corners, Maine. Watch trailer. 10:00 PM ET on EPIX
Work in Progress: Season premiere. Fresh off a breakup, Abby (Abby McEnany) struggles to get her head above water, but just as she’s starting to turn things around, a global pandemic converges with a family emergency and forces her into uncharted territory. Two episodes of the acclaimed comedy are set to air back-to-back Sunday nights through late September. Watch trailer. 11:00 PM ET on Showtime
Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.
TOPICS: Annette, Reminiscence, Sweet Girl, Jason Momoa