Welcome to What to watch. Introducing February’s featured items.
As we firmly enter the new year, streaming is starting to heat up, with multiple series returning and show premieres arriving weekly.
From new stories to reboots, here are this month’s highlights.
dog park
Leon Ford and Celia Pacuola appear on ABC’s Dog Park. (ABC/Matchbox Photo: Jane Chan)
starring: Leon Ford, Celia Pacuola, Brooke Satchwell and lots of cute puppies
What is it? Crazy Roland (Leon Ford) hates almost everything. Small talk, noisy supermarkets, a crumbling marriage, but he has a special aversion to the mundane act of owning a dog.
After his estranged wife (Brooke Satchwell) leaves their Melbourne residence for a temporary job, he is left in charge of depressed teenager Mia and fluffy puppy Beatty.
Overwhelmed and overstimulated, the TAFE professor reluctantly joins a dog-walking group informally led by the cheerful Samantha (Celia Pacuola), who, along with her similarly uplifting canine friends, tries to break Roland out of his hard shell.
Touted as a comedy, Dog Park has some laughs, but the plot lies in the bait-and-switch as it delves deeper into Roland and Samantha’s lives. Come see the cute dogs and stay for some poignant ruminations on relationships and what we owe to each other.
Perfect for: People who want to invest in the story and characters
Where to watch: All six episodes are currently streaming on ABC iview
muppet show
Kermit and Miss Piggy have a shining moment on the Muppets’ 50th birthday.
starring: The Muppets, Sabrina Carpenter, Seth Rogan, Maya Rudolph
What is it? It’s time to play the music, it’s time to turn on the lights. The Muppets are back in the box celebrating their 50th birthday. And now that it’s been confirmed that this one-off special is actually a Backdoor pilot, be sure to check it out. If it does well, we’ll be getting a whole new series.
That’s a lot of pressure for a half-hour TV show, but lucky screenwriters Albertina Rizzo, Gabe Liedman, and Neder Swiss have managed to capture the essence of what makes The Muppet Show so special, while also updating it for modern tastes.
Expect classic Muppet shenanigans and celebrity guests like Seth Rogan and Maya Rudolph, but the real (human) MVP is Sabrina Carpenter. This super-feisty pop star is a perfect fit as host, and every moment she spends on screen with Miss Piggy is TV gold.
Welcome to the full season!
Perfect for: Uniting fans of stupidity across generations
Where to watch: Now available on Disney+
strip method
Adam Scott and Janelle James’ masterful voice work adds some excitement to Striptease Act. (Provided by: Netflix)
starring: Adam Scott, Janelle James, Stephen Root
What is it? For years, Netflix has explored the seedy, pun-filled underworld of Hollywood through the eyes of anthropomorphic horses.
Now they’re pinning their hopes on an even slimier part of the United States: Las Vegas, with a new animation venture called “Strip Row.” There are no talking animals here, but Adam Scott from Parks & Rec plays Lincoln Crum. Crum is a failing lawyer who was kicked out of the firm due to the untimely death of his mother, a veteran lawyer (her head popped out after being run over by a truck).
Strip magician Sheila Flambe (Janelle James of Abbott Elementary School) brings Lincoln’s failed new practice to life. He teaches the sad Sack that winning cases in a morally bankrupt place like Las Vegas is more about blinders than legal facts.
Created by Karen Crawford (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), the joke may be more elevated on Big Mouth than on BoJack, but the background pun gags and great voice work (the rhythms in James’s music were made for animation) make it worth watching.
Perfect for: People who have a hole in their hearts for vulgar adult anime
Where to watch: Stripping method premiere Netflix February 20th
Australia’s biggest scammer?
Mark Fennell delves into the myth of John Friedrich in ‘Australia’s Biggest Fraud?’ (Provided by: SBSonDemand)
starring: mark fennell
What is it? Since SBS’s The Feed left our TV screens a few years ago (rest in peace), the former youth current affairs show’s super talented team, including presenter Mark Fennell, have continued to produce top-notch historical documentaries.
Their latest work – Australia’s Biggest Swindler? – is no different.
This time, Fennell and colleagues focus on John Friedrich, former executive director of the Australian National Security Council.
In 1988, Mr Friedrich was awarded the Order of Australia for his role in rebuilding parliament with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of loans. Years later, Friedrich’s fraud was exposed, resulting in a nationwide manhunt and national embarrassment for the Australian Defense Force.
All of this is etched through creative visualization, fascinating talking head interviews, and masterful editing in a not-so-proud chronicle of Australian history.Australia’s Biggest Fraudster? It makes this cautionary tale feel fresh and new.
Perfect for: People who whip up a little domestic true crime
Where to watch: Premiered on Australia’s Biggest Swindler? SBSonDemand on February 24th
scrub
Turk (Donald Faison) and JD (Zach Braff) are two familiar faces that will welcome fans back to Sacred Heart. (Provided by: Disney+)
starring: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes
What is it?
No show is safe from the massive reboot boom of the 2020s. Even the popular hospital drama “Scrubs.” Creator Bill Lawrence had been toying with the idea for a 10th season starting in 2022 (following the disastrously misguided Scrubs: Med School), but things only really started to take off last year with the announcement of a new season and the return of most of the original cast.
Season 10 of Scrubs returns to Sacred Heart Hospital. Long-time favorites JD (Zach Braff), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), and Turk (Donald Faison) are now among the hospital’s most seasoned doctors.
But the show hasn’t forgotten its roots in teaching baby deer to walk, and it’s introducing a number of new interns. SNL alum Vanessa Bayer will also join the crew as a dedicated hospital administrator, while comedian Joel Kim Booster will star as Dr. Eric Park.
Perfect for: Indulge in (or be enraged by) early 2000s nostalgia
Where to watch: Scrubs Season 10 premieres on Disney+ on February 26th