This image released by Amazon Prime Video shows Josh Brolin in a scene from "Outer Range," a modern Western with supernatural elements. The series debuts Friday on Amazon's Prime Video streaming service. (Amazon Prime Video via AP)
Take a load off before your taxes are due with a sci-fi mystery, one Barry narrating nature, another Barry navigating murder and Hollywood, a gaijin reporter in Tokyo, and couples put to the test to see if marriage is in the cards.
Outer Range - Prime Video
Picked by Digital Editor Mike Nam
I'm a bit wary of the "mystery box" genre of film and TV as they seem to be more miss than hit, but the moody, modern Wyoming setting seems to be growing on me. Outer Range is being pitched as a sci-fi/western drama mashing up Yellowstone and Lost, starring stalwart, square-jawed cowboy types like Josh Brolin and Will Patton, who are joined by the talents of Lili Taylor and Imogen Poots. Brolin stars as a rancher who discovers a mysterious void/hole/chasm on his land. A lot of pontificating and uncomfortable conversations ensue, according to the trailer.
Our Great National Parks - Netflix
Picked by Sr. News Editor Dina Ross
We don't often mention nature documentaries in this column, but I think a lot of us turn them on from time to time. The videography is always out of this world (sometimes literally) and they're filled with interesting information that doesn't hit the headlines every day. Our Great National Parks also has the addition of a famed narrator. No, not David Attenborough. Former President Barack Obama gently describes the wilderness that graces these protected areas. Throughout the series' five episodes, viewers get a glimpse of life in parks across the world, from Monterey Bay to Indonesia, set to dramatic music and filled with beautiful images. This is a great watch for a weekend afternoon when you just want to kick back and chill.
Tokyo Vice - HBO Max
Picked by Reporter Alex Vuocolo
It's been 30 years since the finale of Miami Vice, a buddy cop show set in the flamingo-pink, neon-lit streets of Miami in the 1980s. Now HBO Max has released a spiritual successor in Tokyo Vice. Based on a memoir by Jake Adelstein about his experience working at a major Japanese newspaper, the show plumbs the depths of the Tokyo underworld. Ansel Elgort plays the reporter, and Michael Mann, who directed many episodes of the original show as well as the acclaimed 2006 film version, is behind the pilot. If nothing else, check out Mann's work on the first episode. The director hasn't made a film since 2015's Blackhat, a cyberthriller starring Chris Hemsworth that some find silly and others think is a cult classic in the making. I fall into the latter camp and will take any opportunity to watch an old master return to form.
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On - Netflix
Picked by Producer Lawrence Banton
Netflix has struck gold with its reality TV category and one of its latest installments, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, has social media in a frenzy this week. Let me just say now that this show is very messy and just as chaotic. It explores how couples grapple with seeing their significant others with other potential love interests (It's really just about lust at this point). These couples have been committed to each other for years and yet marriage has been put on the backburner. Now, they're being faced with an ultimatum: marry me or let's go our separate ways, date other people, and you watch me enjoy their company. I mean, TALK ABOUT MESSY!
Barry - HBO Max
Picked by Producer Jack Gallop
Now is the perfect time to catch up on Barry before the new season drops on April 24. You can watch the first two seasons (eight 30-40 minute episodes in each) on HBO Max. That’s, give-or-take, one episode per night so you’ll be in perfect stride heading into Season 3. If you haven’t seen the Emmy-award-winning series, Barry is a show about a hitman (Bill Hader) who falls in love with acting while on a hit job in Los Angeles. Hader will shock you with his impressive dramatic chops, in addition to providing plenty of his iconic awkwardness and outrageousness. Alongside Hader is an excellent cast of characters who are equally hilarious and frightening. Many critics liken the show to Fargo, so if you like the Coen Brothers, and you like Bill Hader… you will definitely enjoy Barry. Get rolling on that rewatch, or hop on board now, before the new season.
Tire manufacturer Michelin is partnering with the popular video game "The Sims FreePlay" in order to meet teens where they are to promote driving safety. Michelin North America Chairman and President Alexis Garcin joined Cheddar News to discuss how the #GoldenGauge program integrates with the game. "If you're a gamer yourself or your kids, then while you're driving and moving on the application, you will find a Michelin billboard, and if you engage with that billboard, then you will get some advice about how tires are critical for your safety on the road," Garcin explained. *Updated with the full title of 'The Sims FreePlay' and a typo fix in the name of Alexis Garcin.*
The video game industry has come a long way from the first commercialized 3D video game in 1980, but it still has a long way to go. Video game creators have recently been called out for not having realistic Black hairstyles in their games and graphic artists are now taking matters into their own hands by creating The Open Source Afro Hair Library. Jovan Wilson, 3D artist and resident for The Open Source Afro Hair Library, joined All Hands to discuss.
Neil Young has come up with an ultimatum for Spotify: his music or Joe Rogan’s podcast. This comes over concerns that the podcast is spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation to its listeners. "The Joe Rogan Experience," which is exclusive to Spotify, is currently the number one streamed podcast on the platform.
The American Federation Teachers Union has announced its latest partnership with NewsGuard in efforts to help educators play a greater role in deciphering facts from fiction that students see online. They say the goal is to help students build critical-thinking skills while also teaching them the importance of media literacy. Executive Vice President of Partnerships at NewsGuard, Sarah Bandt, joined Cheddar to talk more.
Doctor Caroline Leaf has created a 21-day program, consisting of five simple, but mindful, steps designed to rid our minds of toxic thoughts, anxiety, and depression. This brain detox is scientifically proven to impact one's happiness and success. Doctor Caroling Leaf, neuroscientist, author, and speaker at Switch Your Brain, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
The memoir, "COMPROMISED: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump", tells a familiar story from a bit of a different source: Peter Strzok himself, former FBI Counterintelligence Agents and Agency Veteran who spent most of his very long career investigating some of the most controversial inquiries, most notably in recent American history. Those inquiries were Hillary Clinton's email to even Trump Russia investigations. Former FBI Agent and Author of "Compromised" Peter Strzok, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Foodable Labs data shows restaurants that started offering vegan options saw a 13% increase in traffic. According to this 2018 study, 51% of U.S. restaurants now offer vegan options, and we can expect that number to keep rising. This week, one plant-based, fast-casual restaurant celebrates the grand opening of their first brick-and-mortar store in New York City: PLNT Burger. Ben Kaplan, CEO of PLNT Burger, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Commercial and residential buildings account for 13% of carbon emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA, and one company says it has a solution. Runwise says it has updated the boiler and heating systems of thousands of buildings, and that its technology not only lowers carbon output but also saves landlords money. Lee Hoffman, Co-Founder and COO of Runwise, joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Kirsten Jordan, real estate broker and star of 'Million Dollar Listing New York,' joins Cheddar News to talk about the state of New York City real estate, tips for homebuyers, and season 9 of the Bravo show.
No. 2 pencils or Scantron bubble sheets are a thing of the past for the SATs. Priscilla Rodriguez, head of college readiness assessment for the College Board, joined Cheddar News Wrap to talk about the modern overhaul of the college entrance exam. On top of the change to an all-digital format and shorter time limit, the latest iteration will feature updates to help with flexibility and security. "As we've built our own digital testing platform, the app the students will do this on, we built this with security at the core," Rodriguez said. "And, in going digital we can do something we can't do today, which is, give every student who's taking the SAT, let's say in a given day, even in a given room in a school, a different version of the SAT."
