Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
A take on true crime: Gladstone, Keough lead ‘Under the Bridge’
WHAT’S NEW ON HULU “Under the Bridge”
Dive into a twisting, turning crime story when the biographical crime drama “Under the Bridge,” based on the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, premieres Wednesday, April 17, on Hulu. Based on a true story, the limited series follows the case of 14-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta, “The Ghost,” 2023), who went to join her friends at a party and never returned home. As the case unfolds through the eyes of Godfrey, portrayed in the series by Riley Keough (“Daisy Jones & The Six”), and Cam Bentland (Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” 2023), a local police officer, the story digs deep into the hidden world of the group of teenagers accused of Reena’s murder. Adapted for the screen by Quinn Shephard (“Not Okay,” 2022), “Under the Bridge” also stars Chloe Guidry (“The Last Tycoon”), Javon “Wanna” Walton (“The Umbrella Academy”), Izzy G. (“B Positive”), Aiyana Goodfellow (“The Outlaws”), Ezra Faroque Khan (“Doctor Strange,” 2016), Archie Panjabi (“The Good Wife”), Matt Craven (“A Few Good Men,” 1992), Michael Buei (“Bombshell,” 2019), Anoop Desai (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Ella Dixon (“The Bad Seed Returns,” 2022).
WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX “Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer” (2024)
Take a walk on the edgy side when comedian Jimmy Carr presents his new stand-up special, “Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer,” Tuesday, April 16, on Netflix. His fourth special for the streamer — following “His Dark Material” (2021), “The Best of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits” (2019) and “Funny Business” (2016) — Carr brings audiences a new slate of material from his latest tour, as he “refutes the idea that you can’t joke about anything these days with his edgy takes on gun control, religion, cancel culture and consent” (per Netflix). As announced by Netflix in its news release, “1.2 [million] people in 45 countries around the world saw the tour. Now you can see the special. ‘Natural Born Killer’ is the first special Jimmy has directed — with lighting design changes to reflect different sections of the show and fancy tracking shots and editing that rhythmically match the material — it’s a game changer.” Brian Klein (“Top Gear”) also directs.
WHAT’S NEW ON PEACOCK “Orlando Bloom: To The Edge”
Push your limits with celebrated actor Orlando Bloom (“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2001) in the new, three-part adventure docuseries, “Orlando Bloom: To The Edge,” premiering Thursday, April 18, on Peacock. As Bloom embarks on a thrilling journey of self-discovery over the course of the series’ three episodes, he pushes himself to the very limits of what is possible. Episode 1 sees Bloom take on a daring free dive in the ocean to face “The Emotional Edge,” before taking to the skies in a wingsuit to face “The Mental Edge” in Episode 2. Finally, Episode 3 finds Bloom at “The Physical Edge” as he takes on a daunting mountain face on a rock-climbing expedition. “With family, friends and his spiritual Buddhist practice guiding the way, Orlando is trained by experts who help him overcome obstacles, face his fears and discover valuable lessons about himself,” explains Peacock. The series is executive produced by Bloom, Jason Goldberg (“The Butterfly Effect,” 2004), Adam Karasick (“Zoo”), Al Berman (“The Ultimate Fighter”), Robert Simonds (“The Gentlemen,” 2019), Noah Fogelson (“Ferrari,” 2023) and Scott Weintrob (“Fastest Car”), with co-executive producers Matthew Akers (“Carrier”), Jamie Bovshow (“FBoy Island”) and Susan Hoenig (“Undercover Boss”).
WHAT’S NEW ON MAX “Conan O’Brien Must Go” - Season 1
Oh, the places Conan will go! Embarking on a brand-new adventure, Conan O’Brien, the Primetime Emmy-winning host of “Conan,” stars in the travel series “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” premiering Thursday, April 18, on Max. Based on his popular podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan,” this new series follows along with O’Brien as he visits with new friends he’s met through his podcast. Traveling around the world — with stops in Norway, Thailand, Argentina and Ireland — O’Brien surprises some of his most memorable fans and takes a deep dive with listeners while making sure to take in the local culture, cuisine and sights everywhere he goes. Written by O’Brien, who executive produces with Jeff Ross (“Conan Without Boarders”), “Conan O’Brien Must Go” is produced by O‘Brien’s production company, Conaco.
WHAT’S NEW ON PRIME VIDEO “Dinner with the Parents” - Season 1
Don’t show up empty-handed for the premiere of the new, single-camera comedy series “Dinner with the Parents,” premiering Thursday, April 18, on Prime Video’s Freevee. Every Friday, the close-knit Langer family meet up for a weekly dinner, consistently proving that “it takes those we love best to bring out our worst” (per Prime Video). Starring Michaela Watkins (“Casual”) as Jane, Dan Bakkedahl (“Veep”) as Harvey, Carol Kane (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) as Nana Rose, Henry Hall (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) as David, Daniel Thrasher (“God of Work”) as Gregg, and Jon Glaser (“Parks and Recreation”) as Donnie, Prime Video promises “lies, betrayals, pranks, schemes, unwelcome neighbors, childhood crushes, at least one felony, many very bad decisions and a scrumptious, freshly baked apple crisp” on the menu. With the series’ first four episodes streaming on premiere day, episodes drop two at a time every Thursday until the May 9 finale. Based on the U.K.’s hit show “Friday Night Dinner” from creator Robert Popper, “Dinner with the Parents” comes from creator, showrunner and executive producer Jon Beckerman (“Ed”). Season 1 guest stars include Rob Delaney (“Catastrophe”), Christine Adams (“Tron: Legacy,” 2010), and Mircea Monroe (“The Rookie”).
WHAT’S NEW ON ROKU “The Spiderwick Chronicles” Season 1
Look closer and step into a world of magic and adventure when “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” the television series adaptation of the globally acclaimed book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, premieres Friday, April 19, on Roku. In this coming-of-age story, the lives of the Grace family change forever when mom, Helen (Joy Bryant, “Parenthood”), daughter, Mallory (Mychala Lee, “Truth Be Told”), and fraternal twins, Jared (Lyon Daniels, “Patriot”) and Simon (Noah Cottrell, “Punky Brewster”), move from Brooklyn, New York, to their family’s ancestral home in Michigan. As the family adjusts to their new life at the Spiderwick Estate, the siblings soon discover that magical creatures are very much real and abundant at their new home. With the help of their greatgrandfather’s field guide, the Grace children take a deep dive into the fantastical world around them. Created for television by Aron Eli Coleite (“Heroes”), the series also voice stars Jack Dylan Grazer (“Luca,” 2021) as the brownie Thimbletack and Christian Slater (“Mr. Robot”) as the murderous ogre, Mulgarath.