It's inauguration weekend in America, and the mood is pretty bleak. Regardless of how you're going about keeping your head about you, eventually, you'll probably want to watch some TV. Here's what we're into this weekend: Something relevant, something not, something funny, and something weird.
A Series of Unfortunate Events. I'll admit it: This one's mostly here for the wordplay. But the adaptation of Lemony Snicket's beloved series of children's books does seem rather charming, and comes chock full of wonderful performances from Neil Patrick Harris and Patrick Warburton. It looks like Tim Burton's movies used to feel, and could make for a pretty solid binge, even if you don't have kids to consider in your weekend TV plans.
One Day At A Time. A remake of a classic '70s Norman Lear sitcom about a divorced mother and her two daughters, this 2017 update is one of Netflix's first great successes of the year, and a surprising return for Norman Lear, who's still involved as an executive producer. The new series is classic in it's approach: Small, everyday issues facing working-class people, with lots of humor and heart. The biggest change is that it's about a Cuban-American family now, the Alvarez clan. Thanks to this, we all win, because Rita Moreno stars as grandma Lydia Reira, and she is hysterical. Perfectly watchable all at once or parceled out one at a time,
The West Wing. While the desire to keep your entertainment escapist is understandable, sometimes hewing close to the zeitgeist is worthwhile. The West Wing is a show that's mostly about the ideal of politics, one that's been far removed from reality for a while now. If House of Cards is a dime-store pulp about government, The West Wing is comfort food—and a reminder that government can work, in a fashion, at a time when it seems unsalvageable .
__Twin Peaks.__You've seen Twin Peaks right? Twin Peaks holds up incredibly well, and is coming back for a new season this May. It's not very long—season one is about eight episodes in length ("about," because the first one is 90 minutes long) followed by a 22-episode second season. Watch it for the first time to understand how influential it was on TV, or watch it again to get ready for the revival. Either way, you'll probably want a damn fine cup of coffee, and possibly some donuts, by the time you're done.
