Streaming puppets to courtrooms
How do you teach cooperation and collaboration? With puppets, of course. Now in its second season, “The Helpsters,” streaming on Apple TV+, entertains and educates preschoolers with lessons in sharing responsibilities through stories about party planning, magic tricks and mountain climbing.
In addition to regulars Cody, Scatter, Mr. Primm and Heart, a revolving door of celebrity guests join the adventures. This season look for Terry Crews, Danny Trejo, Gabby Douglas, Christopher Meloni, Richard Kind, Michael Ian Black, Janeane Garofalo, Michelle Buteau and Judah Friedlander, with musical guests including Talib Kweli, Matt Berninger, Jason Mraz, K. Flay, Norah Jones and Ingrid Michaelson.
“Helpsters” has been recognized with a Parents’ Choice Gold Medal Award and a Common Sense Media Award.
› Following in a long tradition of teen melodramas, the 2020 movie “Clouds” stars Fin Argus as Zach, an ardent young student on the brink of a brilliant music career who is also facing a possible fatal illness.
Neve Campbell and Tom Everett Scott play his parents. Like many films, “Clouds” will stream on Disney+ instead of getting a wide theatrical release.
› Another potential theatrical film, long in gestation, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” begins streaming on Netflix. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. In an interesting leap from farce to drama, Sacha Baron Cohen portrays farcical political provocateur Abbie Hoffman.
A historical courtroom drama, this fits right into Sorkin’s wheelhouse. “The West Wing” creator came to many people’s attention with his Broadway drama “A Few Good Men,” later adapted for the screen. The cast of “The West Wing” have assembled for a dramatic reading of a vintage episode. That streams on HBO Max.
› In a similar vein, Amazon Prime will begin streaming a filmed version of the acclaimed Broadway play “What the Constitution Means to Me,” written by Heidi Schreck, whose character appears as both an adult woman and as a 15-yearold high school debate champion.
› Survivors of a monster apocalypse make do in the third season of the animated fantasy “The Last Kids on Earth,” streaming on Netflix.
› Hulu begins streaming “Helstrom,” a 10-episode take on a Marvel comic book franchise about the children of a serial killer who are dedicated to ridding humanity of its worst elements.
› Steeped in the retro Cold War spirit of its time, “Rocky IV” (8 p.m., IFC, TV-PG) launched the career of Dolph Lundgren, the Swedish actor who portrayed mutant Soviet bad guy Ivan Drago. It also starred Sylvester Stallone’s thenwife Brigitte Nielsen. She later became a fixture on “Celebrity Rehab.” Carl Weathers, who plays Rocky’s rival Apollo Creed, can be seen in “The Mandalorian.”