Wondering what to watch this weekend? This week we suggest the secrets to aging gracefully, life after boxing, a serious criminal drama and classic John Steinbeck.
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones - Netflix
Picked by Senior Editor Dina Ross
To live a long and healthy life is a worthy goal and pockets of people throughout the world seem to have found the secret. So-called blue zones are regions where people tend to live longer than the average human. Explorer and best-selling author Dan Buettner, who has long studied these populations, now hosts a beautiful new docuseries that tries to show viewers how living life differently can change their lives for the better.
For someone who has never watched a boxing or MMA fight, it's definitely weird that this is my second documentary pick on a fighter. However, after watching this series, you will see why.
As you can imagine, with my limited background in the sport, I’m embarrassed to say that I didn't know who Tyson Fury was. However, I found myself interested when I realized the show also featured his half-brother Tommy and sister-in-law Molly-Mae Hague, contestants from Love Island U.K. The dynamics in this show are unreal. First, you have Tyson navigating his mental health challenges after retiring from boxing. Then, the journey of Molly-Mae’s pregnancy. And to top it all off, a glimpse into Irish Traveller culture. Needless to say, I'm absolutely sold.
I found this little gem of a show on Hulu and pretty much binged the entire first season. Each episode opens with a courtroom scene focused on a character standing trial for committing an egregious crime. These ordinary, everyday people find themselves in the most improbable predicaments and fighting for their freedom. Morally, many of them are in the right but we all know the law doesn't operate on moral values. No one episode is connected to another so feel free to skip around
The Grapes of Wrath - Rentable on YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, Vudu
Picked by Newsletter Writer Graison Dangor
This feels like a timely watch ahead of Labor Day and the start of a new school year, when untold numbers of kids will get the novel as assigned reading. (Maybe watching this could be extra credit?
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.
