Crazy times, eh? With every venue, theater, and public space closed due to COVID-19 concerns, our normally bustling events calendar is pretty barren. So here’s what we’ll be watching, playing, reading, and listening to at home instead. Stay safe, Milwaukee.
MONDAY, MAY 11
Have A Good Trip: Adventures In Psychedelics on Netflix
Celebrities like Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, Sarah Silverman, Sting, A$AP Rocky, Nick Kroll, and many more “share funny, mind-blowing tales” about their experiences on hallucinogens in this brand new Netflix documentary, which drops May 11.
TUESDAY, MAY 12
The Happy Days Of Garry Marshall on ABC
Even though Garry Marshall passed away almost four years ago, the visionary behind The Princess Diaries, Pretty Woman, Mork & Mindy, and beloved Wisconsin-based sitcoms like Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley still looms large in pop culture and is still remembered fondly by those who work with him. On Tuesday, many of the television and film icon’s friends and loved ones will pay tribute to him when ABC airs a special called The Happy Days Of Garry Marshall.
Over the span of four hilarious seasons, Unbreakable Schmidt brought laughs, lessons, and an apt substitute to help entertain fans of 30 Rock. Sadly, the lauded Netflix series ended in January of 2019. However, creators had one more thing up their sleeve before they officially say goodbye to the Kimmy-verse (probably) forever. On May 12, Netflix will release an “interactive special,” that pits the show’s newly-self-assured namesake against The Reverend (Jon Hamm), and brings back regulars like Titus, Lillian, and Jacqueline one more time. There also looks to be new cameos from characters played by Daniel Radcliffe, Johnny Knoxville, and many more.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
Late Night With Seth Meyers on NBC
A global pandemic can’t stop late night talk shows from doing their thing. Late Night With Seth Meyers will air new episodes—recorded at Seth Meyers’ home—this Monday through Thursday, including Wednesday night’s episode with (remote) guests Ice Cube and Sarah Kendzior.
Survivor (Season Finale) on CBS
Whoa! Survivor is still on? Tune in Wednesday for the Season 40 finale.
THURSDAY, MAY 14
Fake Doctors, Real Friends
[somber piano music plays in the background] In these strange and uncertain times, the world needs help now…more than ever to, um, remember Scrubs. With loads of extra time on their hands, two of the long-running medical comedy’s stars have decided to relive Scrubs by re-watching the series and talking about it “one episode at a time.” Join Zach Braff and Donald Faison—who are allegedly best friends in real life—as they share behind-the-scenes stories from the Scrubs set, break down episodes in depth, and interview some of their co-stars on “Fake Doctors, Real Friends.” The new-ish podcast will post a new episode on May 14.
Riverdale (Season 4) on Netflix
Do you like Archie comics but wish they were way hornier? Well, you’re in luck! For four seasons, Riverdale has combined beloved comic strip characters like Archie, Veronica, Betty, and Jughead with violent and sexy adult situations. The fourth season of the CW series will be available to stream on Netflix starting Thursday, May 14.
FRIDAY, MAY 15
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Reunions
Transcendent and affable singer-songwriter Jason Isbell has earned widespread acclaim (and four Grammy awards) with his emotional and artfully-crafted material that manages to blend elements of country, roots, folk, and Americana into something truly special. Isbell, with the help of his 400 Unit backing band, will release his highly-anticipated seventh studio album, Reunions, on May 15.
Weezer, Van Weezer
Once you’re done listening to the latest from Jason Isbell, give Weezer’s 14th studio album, Van Weezer, a spin.
Nō Studios Unplugged with LaFond at Nō Studios (streaming)
Yes, we’re missing live music like crazy, but at least some local musicians and venues are joining forces of offer some great live streams to hold us over until entertainment (hopefully) gets back to what it was in early March. One such Milwaukee music streaming series is Nō Studios Unplugged, which brings area acts to Nō Studios to perform. This Friday’s session features LaFond (née Siren).
District 9 on Netflix
This is a good movie from 2009. If you haven’t seen it, or if you want to watch it with fresh eyes (and see how many parallels the plot has with our nightmarish modern day society), you can watch it on Netflix starting May 15.
SATURDAY, MAY 16
Joker on HBO
Remember when arguing about the Joker was one of the biggest problems a noticeable portion of America’s population had to deal with? Better (though still quite bad) times! Anyway, the polarizing 2019 film makes its HBO debut starting May 16, so watch it if you think you’ll be into that sort of thing.
ComedySportz Milwaukee vs. ComedySportz Seattle virtual match
Like most other forms of live entertainment, in-person improv simply isn’t an option right now. However, this Saturday, a few regular players from Milwaukee’s ComedySportz location will partake in a virtual match against ComedySportz Seattle. The show can be streamed at 9:30 p.m. CST.
Public Enemies on Netflix
This 2009 Michael Mann-directed film about infamous banker robber John Dillinger stars Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard. It’s also worth noting that parts of the period piece were shot in Milwaukee (as well as other Wisconsin cities like Appleton and Oshkosh). While it’s not a new release, Public Enemies will once again be available to stream on Netflix starting May 16.
SUNDAY, MAY 17
Sunday Soirée with The Whiskeybelles (streaming)
Join metro Milwaukee’s favorite folk-country trio when they take the (virtual) stage (at a proper social distance from each other) and host a Sunday Soirée. Starting at 7 o’clock, The Whiskeybelles will play some of their favorite tunes. If you like what you hear, throw a tip their way via Venmo (@whiskeybelles) or PayPal ([email protected]).
Snowpiercer (Series Premiere) on TNT
Before he was winning virtually every Oscar out there with Parasite, Bong Joon-ho wrote and directed Snowpiercer, a South Korean-Czech co-production (based on a French graphic novel) that earned more-than-double its modest $40 million budget at the box office and became a post-apocalyptic cult favorite on streaming platforms in the years following its release. Between the film’s undeniable fan base and the overwhelming sense of Bong Joon-ho mania in the world post-Parasite, it makes sense that TNT opted to adapt Snowpiercer for TV. The series—which stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs—premieres Sunday, May 17.