Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Feeling the force: Pedro Pascal returns in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3
WHAT’S NEW ON DISNEY+ “The Mandalorian” - Season 3
The force is strong on Disney+ once again, as the long-awaited third season of “The Mandalorian” premieres Wednesday, March 1. Episodes are set to air weekly on the streaming platform. The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue in this new season, with the bounty hunter, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”), reunited with Grogu (affectionately known by the internet as “Baby Yoda”). As the pair cross paths with old allies and make new enemies on their journey, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. With the writing team led once again by series creator Jon Favreau (“Chef,” 2014), “The Mandalorian’s” eight-episode third season is directed by Rick Famuyiwa (“Dope,” 2015), Rachel Morrison (“Black Panther,” 2018), Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari,” 2020), Carl Weathers (“Rocky,” 1976), Peter Ramsey (“SpiderMan: Into the Spider-Verse,” 2018) and Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World,” 2015).
WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX “Cheat” - Season 1
Fake it till you make it with the brand-new British game show, “Cheat,” when it makes its debut Wednesday, March 1, on Netflix. Liars and trivia masters are on equal footing in this series, as contestants use everything in their arsenal to take home a hefty cash prize. The stakes are high, as four players put their knowledge to the test across three rounds of competition. It may pay to know the answers, but for those who don’t, it pays to cheat — as long as they don’t get caught. Hosted by Danny Dyer (“EastEnders”) and Ellie Taylor (“Ted Lasso”), “Cheat” is based on an original idea by Giles Boden and developed for television by Boden, Laura Gibson and Charlie Bennett, all of whom are writers on “Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow.” The series comes from Talkback productions.
“Too Hot To Handle: Germany” - Season 1
Lana is putting a brand-new group to the test: the hit reality series. “Too Hot to Handle” expands its franchise with the new spinoff, “Too Hot To Handle: Germany,” which premieres Tuesday, Feb. 28, on Netflix. As some of the hottest, commitment-phobic, Germanspeaking singles come together on the shores of paradise looking for love (or, realistically, just a good time), they are greeted by an unwelcome surprise: if they want a piece of the €200,000 grand prize (which is shared between the remaining contestants at the end of the season), they’ll have to abstain from any and all sexual contact. Breaking the rules means heavy financial penalties, as the house’s all-knowing supercomputer, Lana, tries to get them to form deeper emotional connections and learn to build relationships beyond the physical. “Too Hot To Handle: Germany” is produced by Ute Biernat (“Take Me Out”) and new producers Helena Sauer and Katharina Sciuk.
WHAT’S NEW ON PARAMOUNT+ “True Lies” - Season 1
The brand-new CBS series “True Lies” makes its premiere on network television and the Paramount+ streamer Wednesday, March 1. Inspired by James Cameron’s (“Avatar,” 2009) hit action-comedy film of the same name, it follows Harry (Steve Howey, “Shameless”) and Helen (Ginger Gonzaga, “I’m Dying Up Here”), a seemingly-normal couple working as a computer consultant and a language professor. Until, one day, Helen discovers that her husband is actually a first-class international spy for U.S. intelligence agency Omega Sector. With the secret out, Omega recruits Helen to work with Harry and his team of operatives, as the couple embarks on top-secret missions around the world — all while keeping their real careers a secret from their teenage children. Based on the original story by Didier Kaminka, Simon Michael and Claude Zidi (all of “True Lies,” 1994), the series is written by Matt Nix (“Burn Notice”) and Marc Guggenheim (“Arrow”) and directed by Anthony Hemingway (“American Crime Story”), Jay Karas (“Acapulco”) and McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” 2000). The series cast is rounded out by Erica Hernandez (“Bridge and Tunnel”), Omar Benson Miller (“Ballers”), Mike O’Gorman (“Vice Principals”), Annabella Didion (“Beast Beast,” 2020) and Lucas Jaye (“Driveways,” 2019).
“Transformers: Earthspark” - Season 1, new episodes
Season 1 of the action-comedy series “Transformers: Earthspark” continues with eight new episodes, available to stream Friday, March 3, on Paramount+. The series, set in The Transformers universe, introduces a new breed of Transformers: the first Transformers robots to be born on Earth, called Terrans. Together with the human family who welcomes them in and cares for them, they’ll redefine what it means to be a family as they search for their place in the world. As the battle between Autobots and Decepticons rages on, the Terrans continue to uncover their powers and learn to protect themselves. The series voice cast includes Sydney Mikayla (“Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts”), Zion Broadnax (“Day Shift,” 2022), Benni Latham (“Cornerstones: Founding Voices of the Black Church”), Jon Jon Briones (“Ratched”), Keith David (“The Princess and the Frog,” 2009), Alfie Alan (“Game of Thrones”), Roger Craig Smith (“Regular Show”), Kathreen Khavari (“Avengers Assemble”), Zeno Robinson (“Big City Greens”), Danny Pudi (“Community”), Alan Tudyk (“Resident Alien”), Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”) and Jecobi Swain (“Home Economics”).