Supervillains and parenting in new series ‘Superman & Lois’
Arevealing docuseries explores a hip-hop star’s notoriety, the war on drugs hits the fourth season of “Snowfall” and Superman takes on fatherhood.
Contenders: Shows to keep on your radar
• “Flora & Ulysses” premieres on Disney+. The film, based on an award-winning children’s novel by Kate DiCamillo, is about 10-yearold Flora, a comic book fan and self-proclaimed cynic who rescues a squirrel she calls Ulysses. No ordinary squirrel, Ulysses has superhero powers and he and Flora embark on an adventure that will change her life.
• Docu-series “Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine” (Feb. 21, Showtime, 10 p.m. ET) focuses on how a New York City deli clerk named Daniel Hernandez transformed himself into the tattooed-face, viral hip-hop sensation and controversial internet troll Tekashi 6ix9ine. Narrated by Giancarlo Esposito (“Better Call Saul,” “The Mandalorian”), it’s a thought-provoking examination of manufactured celebrity and the impact of social media.
• Five-episode Swed
ish-language series “Beartown” (Feb. 22, HBO, 9 p.m. ET) follows a community in Sweden that places all of its hopes for revitalization on its junior ice hockey team. Thanks to the boys’ hard work, the town’s fortunes are rising. But the team’s chance at winning a national title is derailed by a violent act. The show explores themes of family trauma, the nature of truth, and the courage required to stand against a group and demand justice.
• New series “Superman & Lois” (Feb. 23, The CW, 8 p.m. ET) takes The Man of Steel into marriage and fatherhood. In the 90-minute premiere, Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and intrepid journalist Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) discover that facing supervillains is maybe not the most stressful part of their day. The pair are working parents to two sons who may or may not have inherited their dad’s superpowers. The
story follows the family as they return to Smallville, become reacquainted with old friends and meet a mysterious stranger. Immediately following the premiere is behindthe-scenes special “Superman & Lois: Legacy of Hope,” which features interviews with the cast of the new show.
• Business is good in the fourth season of “Snowfall” (Feb. 24, FX, 10 p.m. ET).
It’s 1985 and the demand for crack cocaine is soaring but successful drug dealer Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) is starting to realize the damage the drug is doing to the community he loves.
Melissa Crawley is the author of “Mr. Sorkin Goes to Washington: Shaping the President on Television’s ‘The West Wing.’” She has a Ph.D. in media studies and is a member of the Television Critics Association. To comment on Stay Tuned, email her at staytuned@outlook.