NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: View of the atmosphere during a spine-chilling soirée in celebration of the launch of Disney+ and Hulu's "Goosebumps," the new series inspired by R.L. Stine's books, at Chelsea Factory on October 13, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)
Wondering what to watch this weekend? This week we have more picks for the spooky season, a classic fairy tale, plus a reality show about kids running errands.
Goosebumps - Disney+ and Hulu
Picked by Keara O’Driscoll
Recreating a classic childhood show is hard, but Disney somehow gets it right most of the time. The show takes a modern twist on the bestselling series by RL Stine, featuring stories that will be sure to take fans down memory lane. The plot follows a group of teens who experience some weird situations that all trace back to a strange connection that their parents all have with the town's most haunted house ‘Old Biddle House.” Ps, you know when there is a house that is referred to as “the old *insert surname here* house,” something is bound to be going down. The writing is smart as well and doesn't follow the cringe way writers try to make Gen Z sound in shows, but actually, in the way people of Gen Z talk. That being said, I binged the first five episodes that were dropped. The next five episodes will be released weekly.
Back when I initially recommended 'Old Enough!' I didn't think I would ever find a sweeter show. But then I checked out Season 2. The long-running reality show, which premiered in Japan back in 1991, follows young children as they purportedly run their first errand without their parents. Netflix has hand-picked a number of old episodes which subscribers can now enjoy the show way across the globe. The first set of episodes that Netflix picked to share with new audiences was adorable, but they upped the ante with Season 2. This time, every episode ends with a check-in to see where the kids ended up once they became young adults.
Continuing with the theme of Halloween, I've been seeking out horror flicks. I heard about Hereditary and decided to give it a go. I definitely enjoyed the plot of the film, which was centered around a Utah family whose connection to evil uncovers itself following a series of unbelievable events. The film has all the components of some of the most iconic scary movies like seances, conjuring the dead and gruesome death scenes. I have to admit, the finale scene of the movie left me so confused that I'm still unsure of what to make of it.
Bono and artist Gavin Friday have expanded the classic orchestral fairy tale into a half-hour mostly black-and-white animated film. The music is, of course, beautiful, and its mix of animation styles mirrors the swirl of feelings — both light and dark — that the 12-year-old Peter is going through as he deals with a major loss.
Chicago schools opened their doors again following a dispute between the teachers union and the city over as the omicron variant continues to surge, but the safety issues they fought over weren't just limited to the Windy City. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, family medicine and urgent care doctor, joined Cheddar in discussing concerns of parents, teachers, and students as schools try to operate amid COVID and noted what she's been observing as the number of infections among children rises. "I am seeing them contract the illness from so many different aspects," she said. "It could be from a fellow classmate. It could be from a parent. All of those things really play in the effect of transmission as well as contracting the illness."
One startup is working to reverse climate change one seed at a time. Terraformation is a global forest accelerator that provides tools, training, financing, and business support to help scale forest restoration projects worldwide. Forests naturally absorb carbon and Terraformation says that reforestation is a safe, low-cost, and scalable solution to the climate crisis. Yee Lee, VP of growth at Terraformation, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Tony Horton, fitness guru and creator of the famous P90X workout joins Cheddar News to discuss how people can stay focused and maintain fitness in the new year.
Meet Corrine Tan, American Girl’s 2022 Girl of the Year. Corrine is the first doll of Chinese descent from the company, debuting in response to a rise in hate crimes against the Asian American community. Jamie Cygielman, president and general manager of American Girl, spoke to Cheddar about the long development of the character. "As the pandemic began we started to see a lot of anti-Asian sentiment across the country," she said. "We sort of blended all of these stories together to create Corinne, an outline for Corinne, and then partnered with the wonderful author Wendy Shang to help tell that story to our fans." Cygielman also touched on linking up with AAPI Youth Rising, donating $25,000 for education efforts.
Janet Phan, founder of Thriving Elements and author of 'Boldly You,' joins Cheddar News to discuss the importance of being a mentor and how her organization is helping the next generation of STEM leaders.
Daniel Freedman, co-CEO of Burnalong, joins Cheddar News to talk about how Burnalong is helping companies support its staff and prevent workplace burnout.
Dave Epstein, meteorologist and contributor to The Boston Globe, joins Cheddar News to discuss the arctic blast hitting the Midwest and Northeastern area.
Decorated skier Lindsey Vonn did not hold back when touching on mental health in "Rise," her new memoir. "My mental health is definitely part of my story," she said. "Now I'm just thankful that this conversation is so much more talked about — Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Kevin Love, Michael Phelps, all have been outspoken about it." She noted that she felt happy that readers, particularly kids, get to see a vulnerable side to her in the book. The gold medalist also went on to note what she's most looking forward to watching in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day fast approaching, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C. 6th District), the House Majority Whip, talked about the importance of honoring the iconic civil rights activist. "As we consider the life and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., let's think about who and what we are as a country, and whether or not we're going to give up on the ideals of this country or continue to press forward," he said. Clyburn also discussed the push for new voting legislation, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act, as well as the fate of the Senate filibuster.
