Unless you're an acclaimed TV reviewer like myself, there's no money in watching television. So, should you quit your so-called "career" in order to keep up on Peak TV? Of course.
Now that you're unemployed, here are five killer series you missed this summer. But, since they're new and mostly only available on pay platforms, you might want to pick up a part-time gig. Hey, I don't make the rules of capitalism.
On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Season 1 on Showtime)
Kirsten Dunst's wild and weird film career has always been leading up to a dark Showtime dramedy, and '90s-set On Becoming a God in Central Florida doesn't disappoint. Orlando everywoman Krystal (Dunst) is out to infiltrate and destroy the multilevel marketing company that screwed her over, and Dunst seethes rage and determination — hilariously, somehow.
The Righteous Gemstones (Season 1 on HBO Now)
Following up Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals, Danny McBride's latest HBO series takes on the easiest comedy target of all: televangelist megachurches. The Gemstone siblings (McBride, Edi Patterson and Adam Devine) live in the larger-than-life shadow of their famous father (John Goodman); they're also complete idiots. God loves this show (he told me).
The Boys (Season 1 on Prime Video)
Superheroes are managed, marketed and monetized by a megalomaniacal corporation — no, I'm not talking about Marvel/Disney. Not in this case, anyway: The Boys paints a dark world where "supes" are power-mad assholes indifferent to collateral damage, and the "Boys" (led by a deliciously profane Karl Urban) are going to end them. Rated MV for Mothereffing Violent.
Sherman's Showcase (Season 1 on IFC)
Like Spinal Tap meets Soul Train, Sherman's Showcase is a parody retrospective about the greatest 40-year musical-variety TV series that never existed. Host Sherman (creator Bashir Salahuddin) doesn't care for white people, political correctness, or ever removing his shades indoors, and the musical guests (including a perfect Prince ringer, Charade) throw down.
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (Movie on Netflix)
Invader Zim, a 2001-02 cartoon about a diminutive alien hell bent on enslaving the earth, remains one of the most bizarre and beloved series Nickelodeon ever produced. Even more unlikely than Zim airing in the first place was a revival, but here we are — obey the fist! Enter the Florpus delivers dementedly, and the last 15 minutes are the best drugs you'll take all year. ♦
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