ONE DAY TRANSFORMATION
Netflix's new renovation show INSTANT DREAM HOME shows just how completely a single home can be transformed in just 12 hours if you have enough people, proper planning, and, we can guess, the massive budget of a streaming service. With tear-jerking stories of families who've given back to their communities at the heart of each surprise renovation, the single-day home flips are as emotional as they are impressive. Orange is the New Black's Danielle Brooks hosts alongside a team of four almost-too-attractive-to-be-believable project managers who plan everything from landscaping and new siding to flooring, furniture, kitchens and more. The show keeps you hooked with each feel-good surprise as you find yourself cheering for solutions to every unexpected problem. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
FULL-TIME PERFORMER
J.Lo aka Jennifer Lopez aka Mrs. (Ben) Affleck is having a moment. Again. With 30 years in the biz, this former In Living Color "fly girl" has had a lot of moments as a dancer, singer, actress and even as producer. But it's her 2019 SuperBowl halftime appearance that prompted the title of Netflix's new biopic, HALFTIME. The movie is a referendum on the social and political issues of the day, issues that intersect the Venn diagram of a Bronx-born Puerto Rican who has been dissed more than once throughout her career — she was the first-ever performer to be asked to co-host a halftime show — and soldiered on. This is a modern-day Horatio Alger story with lots of glam and glitz, behind-the-scenes interviews and footage, and an inspiring message to rise above and work even harder to achieve your dreams. (CARRIE SCOZZARO)
THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online Sept. 9:
BUILT TO SPILL, When The Wind Forgets Your Name. Idaho's greatest musical export delivers more guitar-shredding indie rock jams with the aid of Doug Martsch's Brazilian pals from the band Oruã.
JOHN LEGEND, Legend. The gifted soulful pianist and singer-songwriter unleashes another barrage of songs to make hearts melt on this double album.
KANE BROWN, Different Man. The singer who rose from viral sensation to country superstar, by adding a little R&B mix, looks for even more crossover success on his third LP. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
