It’s time for Small Axe and Animaniacs, those are the facts
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Small Axe: Mangrove (Amazon, Friday, 3:01 a.m., anthology series premiere): “A story like the one that pilots Mangrove is something that could have easily devolved into awards season fodder, a half-hearted play for ‘timely’ content (a cursed phrase in this context, as any insinuation that insidious racism is somehow limited to a product of the moment is laughable) in the midst of an already cooling global reckoning with systemic racism. In Steve McQueen’s hands, Frank Crichlow’s (Shaun Parkes) journey is handled with appropriate complexity, specificity, and care, as this Small Axe starter avoids toothless reverence and inspiration porn in favor of a story that feels both real and familiar to those who understand this brand of strife intimately. As McQueen and this stellar cast demonstrate, the trial of the Mangrove Nine aligns with an experience shared by Black citizens across the diaspora. More importantly, it’s an integral part of British history and a story that should be considered exclusively from the perspectives of the people most affected by the deeply entrenched racism at its core.” Read the rest of Shannon Miller’s pre-air review.
Can you binge it? You cannot. Installments of McQueen’s five-film series will arrive weekly on Fridays through December 18. You can find the trailer for the anthology, rather than this first installment, below.
Between The World And Me (HBO, Saturday, 8 p.m., premiere): “With history at his back and the events of his own Black life embedded in his memory, the journalist could not have predicted our current state when he first published his manuscript. Still, the author ended up pretty spot-on. [Ta-Nehisi] Coates was brutally realistic about Black life, even then. In HBO’s film adaptation of the New York Times best-seller, his words echo across the screen, burrowing into our past and leaving hints about the future of Black America and this country.” Read the rest of Aramide Tinubu’s pre-air review.
More from TV Club
Animaniacs (Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m., complete first season): “Given the meta-commentary of shows like BoJack Horseman and the colorful surreality of series like The Amazing World Of Gumball, it’s no wonder someone at Hulu thought it was time once again for Animaniacs… The reboot strives for the same mix of satire and silliness, but the balance is off in the five episodes (of 13) screened for critics. Just as in the original, nothing is off limits for sending up, but this reboot is fairly itching for a fight. Pinky and the Brain, the only other Animaniacs characters to return (sorry, no Chicken Boo), end up mired in a toothless social media riff and some election satire. Russia, girlbosses, streaming services, apps, the overreliance on smartphones, fancy doughnut shops, and the current president all come under the line of parodic fire.” Read the rest of Danette Chavez’s pre-air review.