This weekend I have … half an hour, and I like singers.
‘Praise Petey’
When to watch: Friday at 10 p.m., on Freeform.
Petey (voiced by Annie Murphy) is a New York fashion girl whose long-lost father has left her a strange legacy: the cult he founded and led. Now it’s her turn at the helm, and she finds she enjoys being honored, even if it takes some getting used to the small-town vibe. The show has the fast-paced patter of “Harley Quinn” and the entertainment industry of “The Other Two”; it’s more like “Solar Opposites” than any teen show on Freeform. Two episodes are aired each week.
… three hours, and I want a grounded drama.
‘pure’
When to watch: Now, on Amazon.
Marnie (Charly Clive) is like many recent TV heroines: smart and depressed, a bit stuck, living in London and struggling to find her way out of college. She also suffers from intrusive and unwanted sexual thoughts – a non-stop X-rated ticker in the back of her mind that makes her feel poisoned and isolated, especially before learning this is a form of OCD. However, “Pure” is not a misery parade; the characters are funny and the show is bouncy and lively, serious but not self-righteous. If you like ‘This Way Up’, ‘Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope’ or ‘Extraordinary’ then give this a try.
… a few hours, and I like it when things are the same, but different.
‘Wonderworkers’
When to watch: Now on Max (seasons 1-3) and the TBS website (season 4).
Season 1 of this inventive, absurd anthology comedy is set in a bureaucratic afterlife; Season 2 in the Middle Ages; Season 3 on the Oregon Trail and the current season in the “end times,” a warped desert where humanity clamors to exist after “the tree.” But this is a creepy post-apocalyptic world, one with the same social anxieties we have now, like a New Yorker cartoon version of “Mad Max.” Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi return, now playing a warrior trying to settle down and the junkyard baron who gives him a job. “Miracle” is clever and surprisingly whimsical, a tricky mix but magical when done right. The show has the inglorious distinction of being the last live-action scripted show on TBS, so enjoy it while it lasts.
