Q Wave’s Watchlist: May 2023
"There's nothing to watch" is not a phrase that should exist in a world drowning in content. Join us every month to get curated content - from the latest and greatest to revisiting oldies - we'll help you avoid the dreaded “Netflix Block” and find something to watch!
FUBAR (Netflix)
Canadians may see the title of the newest Netflix series and think they are getting more of their favourite beer-swilling, hard-rocking Albertans from the 2002 original - but in fact, FUBAR is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first starring role in a television series.
Arnie plays Luke, a CIA agent who, upon his retirement, discovers his daughter is also working for the CIA in secret. The father-daughter duo must team up on an undercover mission, which sees their secret lives collide, and they realize that they genuinely don’t know one another at all.
At 75 years old, Schwarzenegger is put at the center of the action and proves he’s still got it. The show is part comedy as well, as evidenced by the rest of the cast which includes such comedic actors as Jay Baruchel (LOL: Last One Laughing Canada), Adam Pally (Sonic the Hedgehog), Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall) and stand-up comedian, Fortune Feimster.
The series debuts on Netflix on May 25th.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Bullet Train, Peacemaker
Runtime: 8 episodes
Genre: Action, Comedy
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (Amazon Prime)
When he isn’t revving up in the Fast & Furious franchise, there is a good chance action star Jason Statham is starring in a Guy Ritchie movie. The sixth collaboration between the pair is Operation Fortune.
Statham plays super spy Orson Fortune, who must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology being helmed by billionaire arms broker, Hugh Grant (The Gentleman). Working with some of the world’s best operatives, Orson and his team must recruit one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Josh Hartnett (Wrath of Man), to aid their mission and help save the world.
It’s been a long, winding road to get this movie in front of audiences. The film’s release date was initially moved because the antagonists portrayed on screen were of Ukrainian nationality. The studio thought releasing the movie in light of the Russian-Ukranian War would be in poor taste. Eventually, the film hit theatres a full year later than originally planned.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is currently available on Prime Video.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Gentleman, Den of Thieves
Runtime: 114 minutes
Genre: Action, Comedy
White House Plumbers (Crave)
As strange as the American political landscape seems today, it’s important to remember that it’s been like this for a long time. HBO’s newest miniseries, dubbed a ‘slapstick tragedy,’ is set to go behind the curtain on one of the most famous White House scandals of all time: Watergate.
Based on a true story, Woody Harrelson (Champions) and Justin Theroux (False Positive) play two high-ranking political operatives under President Richard Nixon. The series begins in 1971 when the pair are hired to investigate the Pentagon Papers leak. Their failures continuously trend upward, eventually toppling the very presidency they were trying to protect when their actions inadvertently culminate in the Watergate scandal.
The miniseries boasts a talented cast along its two leads; Domhnall Gleeson (The Patient), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors), Judy Greer (Reboot), Kathleen Turner (The Estate), and more.
The series premieres May 1st.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Show Me a Hero, Veep
Runtime: 5 episodes
Genre: Drama, Comedy
The Muppets Mayhem (Disney Plus)
The Muppets have been entertaining fans since 1955 and show no signs of slowing down, as they are set to appear in their third live-action series since Disney acquired the franchise.
The Muppets Mayhem differs slightly from its successors, shifting focus from the more prominent names like Kermit and Miss Piggy to Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band. The series follows the band as they attempt to record their first-ever album, but during the process, they quickly learn that the music scene nowadays isn’t what they were expecting. Now they face the modern music scene in their quest to record a platinum album.
In true Muppet fashion, the series features a slew of A-List guest stars, including many musicians, given the show’s premise. Paula Abdul, Steve Aoki, Billy Corgan, Tommy Lee, Lil Nas X, Ziggy Marley, “Weird AL” Yankovic, Kesha and Chris Stapleton, just to name a few.
The series is set to debut on May 10th.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Muppets, Muppets Now
Runtime: 10 episodes
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Silo (Apple TV+)
Foundation, For All Mankind, Hello Tomorrow!, Severance - Apple has carved out a nice little niche as the home of prestige Sci-Fi television. That’s what makes us excited for their latest entry into their library: Silo.
Based on the similarly-titled series of novels by Hugh Howey, Silo is set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future on Earth. The planet has become so toxic that there are only 10,000 humans left alive, and they have survived by living in a giant silo buried a mile beneath the surface. The silo has been a way of life for so long that they cannot remember who built it or why, and anybody who tries to find out doesn’t live long enough to tell. Naturally, several survivors begin to peel away at the layers of the mystery.
The rights to the series have been kicking around since 2012, initially owned by 20th Century Fox and then AMC for a brief time before landing on Apple. If the show is a hit, there’s no shortage of source material to draw from, with nine books currently comprising the series and a future book that’s been announced.
The first season of Silo premieres May 5th with two episodes, and one episode will be released weekly after that until the finale on June 30th.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Walking Dead, The Stand
Runtime: 10 episodes
Genre: Science ficiton