Premieres
The Hills: That Was Then, This Is Now
Can you believe that it has been 10 years since the seminal “reality” show The Hills debuted on MTV? Yes, that means you are old. In this special, star Lauren Conrad catches us up on where her life is now and goes back to revisit some of the show’s classic moments and see how she feels about them now. Over the past decade, the curtain has been ripped back repeatedly to expose just how scripted the show really was, so this should be interesting. And maybe we’ll find out why she and Heidi Montag have been beefing all these years. MTV, Tuesday 2 August, 9pm.
New to streaming
The never-ending cultural dominance of the Beatles requires each generation to initiate subsequent ones into the music of the Fab Four. Netflix just made it a whole lot easier with this new cartoon, where a bunch of cute animated bugs learn life lessons via 26 of the band’s classic hits, with the likes of Sia doing Blackbird and Pink warbling Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. However, Netflix isn’t going to tell kids what that second song is about, so that part of the initiation is up to parents. Netflix, Wednesday 3 August.
If you have ever said, “I could literally watch someone knitting for hours,” well, now is your chance to prove it. For the past several years, Norway’s public television has pioneered the art of “slow TV”, where someone is filmed doing a mundane task – like knitting, chopping wood, or fishing – for what seems like an eternity. It’s a huge hit in Scandinavia and supposed to be relaxing, but there is a fine line between relaxation and boredom. Let’s see if you can find it when a dozen of these programs are available on your computer screen. Netflix, Friday 5 August.
Catch up now
There’s a trend these days toward shows about awful people in Los Angeles falling in love, such as Flaked, Togetherness and Love. However, the only one of them that really works is the sometimes goofy, often insightful and always daring You’re the Worst. Gretchen (Aya Cash) and Jimmy (Chris Geere) aren’t looking for a relationship and hate romance but they like each other so much they can’t help themselves. The second season, which gets much darker as it explores Gretchen’s clinical depression, is finally available so you can binge the whole thing before the show’s third season debuts on FXX on 31 August. Awfully entertaining. Hulu, Monday 1 August.
Around the web
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo
Since we’re talking about Angelenos falling in love, my current web series obsession fits right in. This series of 20-ish minute episodes follows Caleb (writer, director, and star Brian Jordan Alvarez) as he tries to navigate a long-distance relationship, the straight guy he’s in love with, a friend who’s decided to go bi and a best friend who’s in love with the same straight guy. Things get hilariously messy but also incredibly real. This is exactly the sort of polyamorous insanity you think happens among unemployed actors in LA. Please, someone give Alvarez a whole bunch of cash so he can make more than four episodes and deliver them a lot more regularly.
TV news
Game of Thrones to end after season eight
Seriously, watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend already
Stephen Colbert banned from being Stephen Colbert
