Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Ending ‘Evil’: Paramount+ mystery series opens its final case
WHAT’S NEW ON PARAMOUNT+ “Evil” - Season 4
Investigate the extraordinary when the psychological mystery series, “Evil,” streams the premiere of its fourth and final season Thursday, May 23, on Paramount+. Looking into the origins of evil at the intersection of science and religion, the series centers on Kristen (Katja Herbers, “Westworld”), a skeptical clinical psychologist, as she teams up with a priest-in-training named David (Mike Colter, “Luke Cage”) and a technology contractor named Ben (Aasif Mandvi, “Million Dollar Arm,” 2014) to investigate supposed paranormal incidents such as miracles, demonic possessions and all kinds of other extraordinary occurrences. Now, as the series prepares to go out with a supernatural bang, Kristen, David and Ben explore cases that involve everything from “wayward technology, possessed pigs, demonic oppression and infestation,” to “a dance muse conjured by alleged witches and an evil relic” (per Paramount+). Meanwhile, Leland (Michael Emerson, “Person of Interest”) attempts to lure Kristen into raising a baby antichrist, David is recruited by the Vatican’s secret service and Ben is hit by an ion beam, causing him to see visions of a taunting jinn. But, at the end of it all, the trio will have to face down “one last confrontation with Leland and the 60 families that make up Evil in the modern world” (Paramount+). Also starring Kurt Fuller (“Psych”), Andrea Martin (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” 2002), Christine Lahti (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” 2019), Brooklyn Shuck (“Rise”), Skylar Gray (“Me, Myself and I”), Dalya Knapp (“She Said,” 2022) and new talent Maddy Crocco, “Evil” comes from creators Michelle and Robert King, the producing duo responsible for “The Good Wife,” “The Good Fight,” “BrainDead” and “Your Honor.”
WHAT’S NEW ON PRIME VIDEO “The 1% Club” — Season 1
Narrowing its contestants down to the very best and brightest, the new quiz show “The 1% Club” premieres Thursday, May 23, on Prime Video before making its linear cable debut Monday, June 3, on Fox. Hosted by actor and comedian Patton Oswalt (“The Sandman”), “The 1% Club,” based on the hit international format, takes obscure facts, finicky dates and reliance on a singular memory out of the equation. Instead, the name of the game is “applying logic, reasoning skills and common sense” to take home the win (per Prime Video). Starting out with 100 contestants, the number of players is “whittled down as they compete to make it to the end and answer a question only 1% of the country can get right, in hopes of winning up to 100,000 dollars” (Prime Video). As described by Fox in a news release: “It’s a chance to test how your brain works through a series of questions that all have a right answer but can also lead to a series of entertaining wrong answers along the way. Whether you’re a contestant vying for the cash prize or a viewer playing with your friends and family on the app, answer enough questions correctly and you could earn yourself a place in the 1% Club: an elite group of people who can honestly say they’ve outwitted 99% of the population.” Created by Andy Auerbach (“Duck Quacks Don’t Echo”) and Dean Nabarro (“The Friday Night Project”), the series is showrun by Wes Kauble (“20Q”). Auerbach, Nabarro, Ryan O’Dowd (“Weakest Link”) and Krystal Whitney (“Meet the Peetes”) are executive producers.
WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX “Tires” - Season 1
Get ready to hit the road running with the new comedy series “Tires,” premiering Thursday, May 23, on Netflix. Starring, executive produced, co-created and written by comedian Shane Gillis (“Gilly and Keeves”), “Tires” centers on Will (Steven Gerben, “Gilly and Keeves”), who is the heir to his father’s auto repair chain despite being nervous and unqualified for the job. As Will attempts to turn his father’s business around, he is constantly tortured by his cousin Shane (Gillis), who is now also his employee. Directed by John McKeever (“Gilly and Keeves”), who also writes for the series alongside Gillis and Gerben, the series sees Becky Astphan (“Shane Gillis: Live in Austin,” 2021), Brandon James (“Vice Principals”), Kenneth Slotnick (“Field Trip With Curtis Stone”) and Brian Stern (“Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs,” 2023) executive produce alongside Gillis, Gerben and McKeever. The cast also includes Andrew Schulz (“Upgraded,” 2024), Stavros Halkias (“Salesmen,” 2022), Kilah Fox (“Gilly and Keeves”), Francis Ellis (“The Rest of Your Life,” 2022), Chris O’Connor (“Depraved,” 2019) and Jace Wade (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”).
WHAT’S NEW ON DISNEY+ “The Beach Boys” (2024)
It’s gonna be “Fun, Fun, Fun” over on Disney+ when the new documentary, “The Beach Boys,” makes its premiere Friday, May 24. Celebrating the iconic band The Beach Boys — including surviving members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston — this new documentary follows their journey from their humble beginnings in Hawthorne, California, in the 1960s, through their explosion into international fame with a sound that would forever alter the pop music landscape. Using never-beforeseen footage and interviews with both the band alongside other music industry luminaries, including producer Lindsey Buckingham and artists Janelle Monáe (“I Like That”), Ryan Tedder (“Counting Stars”) and Don Was (“Roadhouse Blues”), the film “is a celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come” (per Disney+). A Kennedy/ Marshall and White Horse Pictures Production, “The Beach Boys” is directed by Frank Marshall (“The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” 2020) and Thom Zimny (“Willie Nelson & Family”) and written by Mark Monroe (“The Space Race,” 2023).
WHAT’S NEW ON APPLE TV+ “Trying” - Season 4
Get back into the daily chaos of family life with Season 4 of the British comedy drama “Trying,” when it premieres Wednesday, May 22, on Apple TV+. Featuring Esther Smith (“Cuckoo”) and Rafe Spall (“The Big Short,” 2015), the series follows Nikki (Smith) and Jason (Spall) as the couple awkwardly navigates through the adoption process following their request’s approval by an adoption panel. This initial success isn’t long-lasting, however, as children are seemingly being picked up by countless other couples, leaving the duo feeling left behind. Now, the new season fast-forwards six years, discovering that Nikki and Jason “are experienced adopters having built a lovely little nuclear family, enriched by an extraordinary support network” (per Apple TV+). But, when their teenage daughter, Princess (Scarlett Rayner, “Silverpoint”), wants to rekindle a connection with her birth mother, the couple faces the ultimate test of their parenting skills. With an ensemble cast that includes Sian Brooke (“Good Omens”), Darren Boyd (“Spy”), Phil Davis (“Bleak House”), Marian McLoughlin (“Doctors”), Roderick Smith (“Dangerfield”) and Cooper Turner (“JoJo & Gran Gran”), “Trying” is created, written and executive produced by Andy Wolton (“The Coopers vs the Rest”).