There’s nostalgia and memories of prom to be channeled for anyone of a certain age, of course. But this lead ep of This is Pop and what’s to follow are also offering fresh takes on a pretty wide subject.

It won’t really make sense of you haven’t already seen I Hate Suzie season one. If you’ve already seen that, you’re definitely going to want to STREAM IT. (If you haven’t seen it, I suggest you binge all the available episodes this weekend.) This new Christmas-ish extension of the show dives deeper into Suzie’s turmoil and tragedy and it’s a marvel to watch Piper toggle between her emotions so seamlessly.

Clips along at an entertaining pace and turns an upsetting story into comic tragedy. You likely haven’t seen this saga told with such crisp clarity before.

Devil In The Family: The Fall Of Ruby Franke is interesting because of the participation of Franke’s ex-husband and their two oldest children. Yes, it’s a tale of a family vlogger whose real family life was pretty dark. But the viewpoint of Kevin, Shari and Chad Franke really brings home just how horrible Ruby Franke was.

If you find Hallmark’s holiday movies to be a little too sappy for your taste, With Love will scratch that itch you may have for a warm family-oriented romcom, with just a bit more representation and edge.

It does seem like Naomi is going to take its sweet time to explore its main character’s story. And that’s just fine with us, especially if it gives us more time to get to know what seems like an anomaly on TV these days, which is a teenager with her head on straight and a strong desire to find out more about herself.

Losing Alice is setting up to be an interesting erotic thriller. But, more than most shows, it hinges on its main character. And Ayelet Zurer absolutely hits the right notes as Alice.

The Girl From Plainville is a nuanced look at a sensational case that played out with the usual media-induced broad strokes. It may be too nuanced for people looking for a show that utilizes those broad strokes, but the approach will probably be appreciated by those tired of campy true-crime scripted series.

The spectacular cinematography on Tiny World is more than enough to tune in, but the storytelling and Paul Rudd’s narration support the cinematography well.

Secrets Of Sulphur Springs is a smart mystery thriller that just happens to star teenagers. But it doesn’t try to insult the intelligence of the parents who are watching, which is always a plus.

If the show does start to lose you, it won’t be for long. (Unless, perhaps, you’re a real therapist.) Breezy episodes and clever writing ripe with undeniable jokes and razor-sharp relatability help anchor Shrinking‘s effective execution. But its greatest strength lies in a charming cast with excellent chemistry and characters you can’t help but root for.

Lockwood & Co. is a lively adaptation of the book series, helped along by good chemistry between its leads.

Snowfall is full of great acting from top to bottom, with family politics, big money crime, violent disputes, and power shifting intrigue to spare.

In The Know is a quirky, funny series that works on a few different levels, and it effectively combines animation and live action.

Here in season three the very real challenges faced by Diddly Squat give him true pause, and that creates an effective balance against the usual gripes and galavanting. We’re invested in how Clarkson’s going to solve his farm’s host of problems, and particularly enjoy it when the solution as he sees it meets real world whammies.

The Comedy Store is looking like a pretty comprehensive history of stand-up comedy over the last 50 years, especially comedians who made their name on the west coast. The fact that it’s directed by someone who went through the grind himself makes it all the more intimate and surprising.

Booster retains his command of the stage and the audience throughout. ... You will laugh, even if you’re not gay or Asian.

Long Story Short is a warm family comedy that will hit home to some degree to anyone who has a loving but complicated relationship with their families.

Sweet Tooth continues to be an engaging and fun story, which is pretty impressive for a show about the human race being quickly wiped out.

Warrior, whose fans once mobilized a petition for its third season return, rewards them with tightly-choreographed action sequences that don’t skimp on the bloodshed and visceral death blows. But it also offers political and interpersonal dramas set in an interesting historical time period, and writing that crackles with the energy of a contemporary action movie.

While it feels like a 101-level course in LGBTQIA+ representation in TV, Visible: Out On Television is still a good overview of just how far the medium has come in this regard, and how far it has to go.

[Reacher] doesn’t live in anything resembling a rules-based society, either. It’s more like a closed loop existence. And if you’re inside, he’s either helping you or killing you. Everything else gets sorted out in between, which makes for a refreshingly simple, satisfyingly trashy viewing experience.

#1 Happy Family USA is a bit uneven in the comedy department, but we’ll forgive that because whatever humor that comes out of the Hussein family’s attempts to blend into American society should be funnier than just one-off gags.

It’s tough to highlight who’s the best interview — Wheaton, Bridges, Jovovich, Thomas, Wood and Wilson are all insightful and forthcoming. ... We should all know by now that Hollywood glamour is a phony facade. Showbiz Kids digs deeper into that truism, Winter piecing together a collage of stories adding up to one big cautionary tale.

When viewed as its own entity with intriguing, at times touching, ties to a world we know and love, The Paper is a skillfully-crafted mockumentary with heaps of heart and potential.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power ups the ante in Season 2, but still takes its time to explore various sets of characters. It’s rare when a show gets five guaranteed seasons, and the show’s producers and writers are taking advantage of this expanded time to make the stories as good as they can be.

Abraham Lincoln is a bit more ambitious and bigger in scope than recent Lincoln-centric docuseries, but it treats its audience with respect, both via well-done reenactments and fantastic interviews.

Only Murders In The Building, unlike the true crime podcasts the show satirizes, doesn’t go into a sophomore slump after a great first season. Now that its comic rhythms are well-established, it actually feels like the show may be even better in Season 2.

A winning chemistry between all of the members of the family thrives at the center of Joe Pickett, a neo-Western with its own take on the various troubles that weave their way into the mountains and grand vistas of Wyoming.

With a fresh premise and a delightful cast, Is It Cake? quickly charms and earns its place among some of Netflix’s most entertaining baking shows.

Solar Opposites Season 4 is another round of madcap, nihilistic comedy that doesn’t stop at anything to make you laugh. It’s irreverent, foul, and unmistakably Adult Swim fodder that’s found a home on Hulu, but that’s part of what makes it so good.

Although there are laughs to be had in this hour-plus, this is as much church revival as it is comedy special.

Despite the fact that the first two episodes of Dying For Sex try too hard to lean on the funny side of Molly’s story, the elements are there for a moving story of life, death. love and desire.

Peacemaker continues to be a funny but emotional superhero drama, with a surprisingly effective performance by Cena at its center, with a fun-to-watch ensemble around him.

With our lives still in quarantine mode, this show is a mighty fine substitute for gabbing and gossiping with your BFFs over drinks.

Obviously the series will be of interest to anyone familiar with the playable characters. But we feel like this Devil will work just as well for those who’ve never played the video game on which it’s based.

Can the show be hagiographic at times, and a bit pretentious at others? Sure. .... But the episodes’ directors and the show’s producers do make sure they provide a complete picture of the episode’s featured chef.

This new take on Mr. & Mrs. Smith is funny and full of surprises, with great chemistry between Glover and Erskine that may lead to some interesting sexual tension as the series goes on.

It plays fast and loose with history and political ideals, sure, but more than anything, it’s a fantasy – and a spooky one at that. La Révolution is indulgent, bloody, and mysterious. What more could you want?

It’s A Sin is an emotionally resonant look at how the young gay community in London lived their lives with the constant threat of AIDS over their heads. The cast has great chemistry with each other, which will help strengthen their stories.

Kevin works because it’s not just leaning on gags. It really tries to put its characters and stories in a position to be funny without leaning on gags, which makes the gags funny instead of fatiguing to watch.

Duncanville is a show where normal things happen to a regular kid. Maybe the fact that it’s not trying too hard is what makes it so funny.

We’re lucky that we get to watch this woman on the court, but this interesting, insightful, and inspiring documentary also shows how lucky we are to get to know her in this way.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians tells a straightforward quest story with good writing and well-defined characters, but takes its time to set up Percy’s story without dragging the show to a halt.

Despite its occasional tonal inconsistency, Japan Sinks: 2020 is a frequent visual wonder.

It has a little bit of everything for a variety of viewers, and serious drama that’ll undoubtedly keep us on the edge of our seats. If you’re ready for something a little different, you should absolutely give Unicorn a try.

There’s no magic bullet in this hour to change your mind about Minhaj. As he even jokes in reference to his foibles: “breaking news: comedians aren’t wizards.” But his thoughts about class and race and how our relationships to boundaries have deep meanings both inside the family home as well as on the global map, those are illusions worth shattering.

The frothiness of the first season is replaced by real grief and adult emotions, but it’s a welcome change in Belly’s journey to adulthood.

Star Trek: Prodigy gives Trekkers a real adventure with canonical implications to wrap their minds around while providing action and characters kids can relate to. It’s a combination that we rarely see in kids’ extensions to existing franchises.

Fanning and Hoult are as winning as ever, and the series wastes no time diving back into its playful retelling of one of Russia’s most famous monarch couples.

There’s plenty to enjoy about the series, which is warm and inviting and fun. Belly proves herself to be a great protagonist.

Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels tells a compelling story filled with fine performances.

If you liked Quarterback, then Receiver is a perfect follow-up–and if you didn’t, it’s got a roster far more interesting than the quarterbacks offered. For an avid NFL fan, it’s a great way to kill some time until the fall.

Kathryn Hahn makes Tiny Beautiful Things a compelling watch, mainly because she’s so good at playing someone barely holding things together. But the rest of the series, especially the flashback sequences, give us a pretty full picture of why her character continues to spiral.

One of the things we appreciated about the first episode of The Lazarus Project is that writer Joe Barton (Giri/Haji, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) doesn’t torture George with dozens of time jumps before being introduced to The Lazarus Project. But what we also appreciate is that the first episode does just enough time jumping to set up what’s really going to happen in the series.

It’s Dave Chappelle. This special really is geared toward people who have been paying attention to his previous performances. ... Chappelle clearly wants to go out with a bang. If he meant his YouTube special (8:46) as his own rallying cry that Black Lives Matter, and his IG videos as a way to show other entertainers how to fight for their own rights, then he intends for The Closer to blaze a path for other stand-up comedians to survive and thrive in this moment when anyone and everyone feels they can try to “cancel” you over your words.

Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age is not only great to look at, but is well-paced and provides some scientific context to the era known as the “Ice Age”.

One Hundred Years Of Solitude manages to do justice to the ambitious and sprawling novel it is based on, with good performances and expert writing and directing.

It may seem like black-ish with f-bombs, but #blackAF is still a funny, meta introduction to what Barris will be able to do with the creative freedoms Netflix brings.

Under the Banner of Heaven turns Krakauer’s sprawling look at the roots and evolution of Fundamentalist Mormonism into a well-made detective drama. It’s not as transcendent as its source material, but it is a gripping watch, full of fantastic performances and horrifying reveals.

There’s so much detail here that even “Piano Man” – which is easily one of the most overexposed, wrung-dry songs on the planet – sounds new again. That’s a real feat for a doc, and proof that the giant-sized run-time of So It Goes is more than warranted.

The Swamp‘s biggest strength, its nuance, is potentially its weakness. Viewers are so accustomed to super biased storytelling when it comes from contemporary political docs that The Swamp‘s extremely sensitive portrayals of three controversial Republican politicians as people might actually upset some viewers.

For all of the seriousness of his revelations, Carmichael does manage to keep things from getting too dark.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is smart without being overly precious, but is just weird enough to keep kids’ attention. It helps that the writing and acting help keep things from flying off into Tweeland.

As with the first season, Survival Of The Thickest rides on the effervescent confidence of Michelle Buteau, with Mavis now knowing that she took the big swing she never did before.

Five Bedrooms won’t make you laugh out loud, but as you get to know the people who have bought into this massive mess of a house, you’ll likely start rooting for their ersatz family to function like a real one.

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story takes a pretty familiar story and makes it compelling by shifting the narrative slightly and through some excellent performances.

The second season of Deadloch continues to be a darkly funny series with a fun pair of mismatched detectives who strangely work very well together.

I found myself streaming the whole season in a day, in part just to find out where the second season was heading. Because the second episode made that even less clear, somehow. Eventually, several of the characters you’d come to know and love from the first season to make their way back into the lives of Julio and Luis.

Sanditon Season 3 is the show at its soapiest, smartest best and it’s well worth the wait for long-time fans.

Extraordinary continues to mine humor from well-written characters and a finely-tuned ensemble, using its superhero conceit only occasionally.

Based on this episode alone, there’s definitely no shortage of shocking reveals, big laughs, and moving moments to come in Upload: Season 4, so it feels safe to say that if you’ve invested in this show thus far, you absolutely will want to see how it all ends.

The Recruit is a mostly silly show, but Centineo has more than enough charm to carry viewers through the more absurd parts of the season’s ongoing plot, and there are enough veteran actors in the supporting cast to make us think the comedy-thriller tone of the first episode will be able to be sustained for the entire season.

A worthy and interesting follow-up. Vox Machina, as powerful as each of its members are, can’t tackle everything on its own. And while it might seem like a somewhat lazy premise to saddle the Vox Machina with fetch quests, there’s nothing quick or simple about finding the Vestiges.

The Penguin is compelling because of the very different but equally riveting performances of Ferrell and Milioti.

It goes without saying that Evan Rachel Wood’s story is a tough one, and the fact that she’s decided to put it all out there in Phoenix Rising makes the docuseries all the more worth watching.

Mystery Road: Origin continues to give viewers compelling mysteries combined with Jay Swan’s determination to make his work speak for itself despite the racism that he faces on a daily basis.

How To With John Wilson is a show that’s perfect for streaming when you’re in the mood for something with a little weirdness, a little optimism, and a lot of funny.

It’s Ortega’s star power alone that helps drive this series from the very beginning into something that could have been mediocre into a totally watchable and exciting twist on a familiar franchise. ... While this adaptation makes some strange decisions, it ends up working in a weird way, which will interest both old and new viewers.

Over 20 years later, this series does a good job of stripping away the excess and offering the essentials of the case and the evidence against Scott. Most of all though, the series provides the narrative that, despite his best attempts to seem like a man in mourning, Scott Peterson knew what he was doing all along and was pretty bad at concealing it.

In the grand television tapestry of manipulative teen girls, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin isn’t revolutionary. But it is fun. Original Sin reworks the central themes and mysteries of the first series just enough to turn this tried-and-true premise into an all-out horror romp. No lie.

Human brings the science behind the study of the history of homo sapiens down to, well, a human level, thanks to the enthusiastic storytelling of Ella Al-Shamahi.

The Charles and Diana soap opera shines in part because of its built-in cache, but mostly because Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin are the season’s standouts. ... Less impressive is Gillian Anderson’s Margaret Thatcher. ... But it’s a credit to showrunner Peter Morgan and Emma Corrin herself that Princess Di doesn’t takeover the entire show. There are still standalone episodes devoted to peculiar moments for the monarchy.

We have to give credit to Matt Lopez for making Promised Land an enjoyable, soapy show that doesn’t insult the intelligence of its viewers. Its messaging is tightly weaved into its multigenerational plot, and the direction and acting are refreshingly nuanced.

Animal Control has a strong ensemble, and characters that are inherently funny without the need to spew gags. That is very evident in the second season, even after you get past the very funny view of drunken raccoons.

Fifteen years after we last saw the Hills, King Of The Hill basically picks up where it left off by doing what it does best: Telling funny and warm stories about the Hills and the people in Arlen.

Even though we know that Red Eye is going to have some ridiculous plot turns, with Nolan and Li doing things that make them look like superheroes instead of regular Brits, the performances of the four main characters have us excited to see where this story goes next.

The Other Two is so dense with jokes, even if not every single one hits, it’s consistently, reliably funny. Between the industry humor, the gifted physical comedy, and the characters who are ever-evolving, the show is still reliably sharp, dark, and full of surprises.

Nothing in Ahsoka matches the level of technical proficiency we got to lap up in Andor. Nevertheless, it is a must-watch for true Star Wars stans. It’s not just that Dave Filoni has finally brought his most beloved animated characters to life; he is potentially rewriting the rules of the Star Wars universe with them.

Surviving Black Hawk Down is an engaging docuseries because it goes over the Battle of Mogadishu in an amount of detail that most people have never been exposed to before. .... While we generally rail against reenactments, the ones in this series are very well-done, so no complaint from us.

Shows like How To Die Alone completely depend on the charm of the star and the cast. And Natasha Rothwell is definitely charming. But she has also built a cast around her that we want to see more of.

Season 2 of Why Women Kill surpasses the first season by concentrating on one story and one set of interconnected characters, boosted by an excellent cast.

There’s a ton of stuff going on in the first episode of Power Book II: Ghost. But Power garnered big audiences because, despite being a bit soapy and unbelievable at times, it carried lots of fine performances and more than enough quality writing to overcome its flaws. That trend continues with the first sequel.

Killing Eve Season 3 is deeper, darker, and bigger in its scope than ever before.

Mr. Corman has the potential to become something truly great and powerful, a modern-day mirror to the glorifying of perceived trauma that has come to define so many narratives. You just have to give it space to get there.

Mr. McMahon isn’t the whole story, and it’s not reasonable to expect it to be given the financial conflict of interest between Netflix and WWE. It’s still a fascinating story, though, and there’s a lot to be taken from Mr. McMahon, even if you take it with a grain of salt on the side. (Or perhaps in the eyes.)

With some funny moments, well-researched information, and an entertainingly fast pace, The G Word With Adam Conover entertainingly tells people about how various government agencies help Americans, but isn’t afraid to call them out if they work against our interests.