Weekend Watch — 1/20/23

"Genius of the South" Zora Neale Hurston’s radical authenticity + why this week's new releases are giving us ALL the throwback feels...

Hey there, TueNighters! As you know, the TueNight team publishes an ah-mazing list of movie releases, series drops, and tv shows in our weekly TueDo List newsletter.

Here in the Weekend Watch, we’re able to take a deeper dive into our recommendations and chat a little more about what we’re watching — so let’s go!

Here are this week’s picks:

Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space (PBS) — an in-depth biography of the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Also a trained anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean — reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms.

Did you know: In 1975 novelist Alice Walker was shocked to discover that this profoundly important artist had been buried in an untended, unmarked grave. Walker had a headstone placed there inscribed with the epitaph “A GENIUS OF THE SOUTH.”

Night Court (NBC) — rather than a reboot of the original, the new Night Court will be a continuation of the original story, this time starring Judge Harry Stone's daughter, Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch), taking the reins as Judge in the courtroom. Episodes will follow a similar formula to the original Night Court as Abby and her courtroom staff tackle the day's most complicated and kooky cases that make their way to the night shift. 

Seconding a commenter on YouTube: “This is a show I never expected to see a return - especially after Harry Anderson's passing — I kind of hope we'll see Richard Moll and Marsha Warfield eventually pop up.”

That ‘90s Show (Netflix) — the That ’70s Show spinoff is once again set at the Foreman house in Wisconsin, where Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and Red (Kurtwood Smith) are now empty nesters, their son Eric (Topher Grace) long gone and married to his longtime love, Donna (Laura Prepon). But one summer in the ’90s, Eric and Donna's daughter Leia (yep, named after the Star Wars character) comes to visit, hanging out in the basement with a new group of friends including Jay Kelso (Mace Coronel), the son of Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) and Jackie (Mila Kunis).

Matilda: the Musical (Netflix) — a brand new take on the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical tells the story of an extraordinary girl, with a vivid imagination, who dares to take a stand to change her story with miraculous results. Starring Alisha Weir as Matilda, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey and Emma Thompson who is unrecognizable (still brilliant) as Miss Trunchbull.

Audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes: “Some viewers will still prefer the first film adaptation, but with catchy songs and impressive choreography, Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is plenty of fun in its own right.”

And, as a musical theater geek from way back, I am here for it!

What else should we be watching? Let us know in the comments below.