COMMENTARY
I know a ton of people are still reeling over the end of “Game of Thrones.” I am not one of those people.
Aside from the finale — seen only because I happened to be in the room when it was playing — I never watched a single episode. So, unlike many of my friends (and, it seems, most of humanity), I’m not actively on the hunt for a new show in which to lose myself at least once a week.
To have the time and attention span to devote to television is a luxury I only vaguely recall experiencing.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not excited about some of the programming lined up for the summer. Case in point: “Luther” returning for a fifth season today (8 p.m. on BBC America). Because I don’t care how overworked, under-rested or inattentive I am, I’m never too anything to enjoy a dose of Idris.
And who knows, maybe I’ll get another day off this month sometime and can put off cleaning long enough to binge a little something. There’s always hope.
To that end, here are a few I’m most excited about. Maybe one of them will be even be good enough to cure your “GoT” jones.
— “Good Omen,” started May 31 on Amazon Prime. David Tennant stars alongside Michael Sheen and John Hamm, in this story of demons, angels, a missing antichrist and the battle for good and evil. Based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, “Good Omens” looks pretty promising, so long as it doesn’t go off-course. Six episodes, all available to watch now.
— “When They See Us,” Netflix. This true-crime drama tells the unfortunately-true story of the Central Park Five — a group of Harlem teenagers (all people of color), who were wrongly accused and imprisoned for raping a white jogger in New York City in 1989. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the cast boasts some major star power. I’m most jazzed to watch Michael K. Williams, who plays the father of one of the accused boys, return to the screen. His portrayal of Omar on “The Wire” is legit iconic, and Chalky White on “Boardwalk Empire” was pretty cool, too. Four episodes, all available to watch now.
— “His Dark Materials” HBO, release date TBA, eight episodes. This BBC/HBO partnership, based on the super-popular YA fantasy book series, seems like the likeliest replacement for “Thrones” fans — the trailer has all the requisite fantasy trappings: Giant bears, fantastical creatures, period costumes, dark and cold-looking rooms. It also has a heavy-hitting cast and crew — Ruth Wilson, Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Tom Hopper (“The King’s Speech”) are all attached.
— “Catfish,” season 8 starts June 12 on MTV, airs weekly, on Wednesdays. OK, it’s not new, but I’ve mentioned before that this is my ultimate guilty-pleasure show, so I’m including it. And yes, I’m as baffled by my obsession with it as anyone, since nearly everything else on MTV gives me hives. I first got into it because I dug host Nev Schulman’s documentary of the same name, where he shared the story of himself falling in love with a girl online — only to find out the person on the other end of the internet connection was very different than the woman in the photos. On the show, Nev helps others track down their online loves — often with similar results. It can be wildly frustrating to watch (how these people can be so gullible?), but it’s addictive nonetheless and I love/hate it. Mush-mouthed teenagers and all.
Katie McDowell is a lifestyles writer/copy editor/ashamed fan of “Ink Master,” which starts yet another season with Cleen Rock One on June 11. Email her at kmcdowell@dominionpost.com.
