PREVIEW PICKS
1. ‘All Creatures Great and Small’
This six-episode “Masterpiece Classic” series arrived quietly (very quietly) last fall on PBS. Timed to the 50th anniversary of the first book in veterinarian James Herriot’s beloved series, it tells sweet, sad and funny stories about Herriot’s work with a sexually inactive bull and an overfed long-hair Pekingese in Yorkshire. If it sounds understated, well, that’s of the charm. This reboot — Herriot’s stories have been done on TV before — is televised comfort food at its most comforting.
Where: Streaming on PBS. Andrew Dansby
2. Monte Warden
Last year should have seen Austin singer-songwriter Monte Warden as a fixture on stage, considering he has been juggling two bands and two new albums. Monte Warden and the Dangerous Few allowed him to write and sing in a torch jazz style that he found creatively fruitful. And he also has a new album by his beloved honky-tonk band, the Wagoneers, in the can; the band’s first new set of songs in over 20 years. The downside is, touring nearly came to a halt last year. The upside is, for the few shows he’s been able to do, Warden has a deeper well of songs from which to draw.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk
Where: $120 for a table of four; 713-528-5999, mcgonigels.com. Also streaming on YouTube.
Andrew Dansby
3. Bob Marley
It’s hard to think of another musician as poorly but ubiquitously represented as Bob Marley is by “Legend,” a very good greatest hits album that could be found in every dorm room in the States during the ’80s and ’90s. But Marley’s rich body of work runs far deeper than 14 songs. And while his actual albums are all worthy of time, “Songs of Freedom: The Island Years” offers a more expanded view of his songbook than “Legend,” with three times the songs stretched across three CDs or six LPs. The anthology is just part of a heavy slate of repackaged music — including a lot of small batch LPs for collector types — by the reggae legend celebrating what would’ve been his 75th birthday.
Where: shop.bobmarley.com Andrew Dansby
4. ‘The Little Things’
The pulpy thriller “The Little Things” is elevated by its cast, which includes Oscar winners Denzel Washington, Jared Leto and Rami Malek. It centers on the clash between two lawmen in pursuit of a serial killer.
The film is getting a simultaneous release in theaters (including a wide Houston opening) and on HBO Max. Steven Speilberg was originally attached to direct in the early ’90s but it’s now directed by John Lee Hancock of “The Blind Side” and the 2004 “The Alamo.”
Where: In theaters Jan. 29 throughout Houston and on HBO Max.
Joey Guerra
5. Sundance Film Festival
One of the country’s prime showcases for new indie films is accessible to everyone this year, as most of its programming is virtual. However, there are in-person, Sundance satellite events being held in outdoor venues all across the country, including Houston’s Moonstruck Drive-In. Screenings include the 1920s-set racial drama “Passing,” with Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga (7:30 p.m. Jan. 30); the female-led action adventure “Mayday” (7:30 p.m. Jan. 31); and the political drama “Judas and the Black Messiah,” starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield (8 p.m. Feb. 1). The grounds of the DeLuxe Theater will host a screening of the acclaimed 2020 Texas film “Miss Juneteenth” (7:30 p.m. Jan. 31).
Where: Moonstruck Drive-In, 100 Bringhurst; DeLuxe Theater, 3303 Lyons; cinemahtx.org, sundance.org