From the return of Billy Bob Thornton’s Landman to Ed Sheeran’s inventive new musical special, we round up our top 10 shows to watch this week
1. Three Wisest Men – Saturday, November 15, W Network
The saga of the wacky Brenner brothers continues in Hallmark’s new sequel, a continuation of previous holiday romps Three Wise Men and a Baby and its follow-up, Three Wiser Men and a Boy. This time, as Luke (Andrew Walker) expects twins, Taylor (Tyler Hynes) debates a monumental job opportunity out-of-state and Stephan (Paul Campbell) attempts to plan for his upcoming nuptials, everyone’s stress heightens when they learn their mom (Margaret Colin) has put their childhood home up for sale. The pressure is on as the bros go all out to ensure that their final Christmas together in the Brenner family home will be a memorable one. Click here to watch trailer.
2. Landman – Sunday, November 16, Paramount+ | Season Premiere
Another of Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s gritty, soapy dramas is back in the saddle. After a season-one finale that saw the death of West Texas crude baron Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), season two opens to find M-Tex Oil in the hands of the late billionaire’s chosen successor, the company’s longtime fixer Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), as well as Monty’s widow, Cami (Demi Moore).
Alas, straight-talkin’ Tommy is nowhere near as suited for the boardroom as he is for the oil field. “Tommy’s kind of a reluctant executive and still acting in his old role too, because he’s the kind of guy who can’t really give up what he knows and where he feels the most comfortable,” Thornton told Entertainment Weekly. “But since Cami has been left with this company she’s never run before, he’s got to be there to show her the works.”
Complicating matters even further are ruthless drug lord Galino (Andy Garcia), who’s set to play a larger role in season two after arriving with a literal bang at the end of season one. Plus, one of Sheridan’s previous leading men, 1883 alum Sam Elliott (pictured above) joins the cast as Tommy’s estranged dad. Click here to watch trailer.
3. June Farms – Sunday, November 16, Prime Video | Series Premiere
Every couple looks to start their domestic bliss off with a picture-perfect wedding day. That’s where Matt Baumgartner comes in. The owner of June Farms in New York’s Hudson Valley, this detail-oriented entrepreneur specializes in bespoke weddings that cater to his clients’ every whim. The problem? He’s got a staff of not-always-reliable 20-somethings who require even more upkeep than the lush property itself.
Bringing a little Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck energy to Prime Video, this series follows Baumgartner amidst one bustling wedding cycle as he does his best to make matrimonial dreams a reality. Alas, “with a young, vibrant staff of varying personalities — at times more focused on their love lives than their jobs — and inclement weather, this wedding season turned out to be the hardest in June Farms’ history.” Click here to watch trailer.
4. The 59th Annual CMA Awards – Wednesday, November 19, CTV2 & ABC
Country music’s finest crooners gather at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to showcase and celebrate the genre’s top hit-makers from the year that was. Leading the nominees with six nods apiece are Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson.
Regardless of who lands the hardware, Wilson will — quite literally — take centre stage tonight. After co-hosting last year’s gala alongside National Football League legend Peyton Manning and fellow country star Luke Bryan in a very well-received triple team-up, she’ll man the mic solo on Wednesday.
“I grew up watching the CMA Awards like it was the Super Bowl, so to be hosting for a second year is a true honour,” Wilson beamed in a statement. “I’m humbled that CMA has trusted me with this role, and I can’t wait to love on this genre that has given me so much.”
Given that she’s a nine-time former CMA winner and owner of the Association’s vaunted Entertainer of the Year award from 2023, we’d imagine the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer will be just fine and dandy if she goes home without an armful of trophies.
Other nominees include Zach Top with five; Riley Green and Cody Johnson with four each; and Kristian Bush, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen with three apiece. Click here to watch trailer.
5. Gerry Dee: Funny You Should Say That – Tuesday, November 19, Netflix
Gerry Dee is certainly no stranger to Canadian television viewers. His CBC sitcom, Mr. D, ran for an impressive eight seasons until ending in 2019, and he can currently be seen in his sixth season as host of Family Feud Canada.
Truly, Dee is one funny guy, and that’s something that comedy aficionados outside our home and native land will be discovering this week with the debut of his first-ever standup comedy special for Netflix, Gerry Dee: Funny You Should Say That.
Dee spent nine years as a teacher in a private school prior to launching his comedy career, an experience that not only formed the basis of his autobiographical sitcom, but is also at the heart of his standup. After exiting the classroom, Dee distinguished himself by winning the prestigious San Francisco International Comedy Competition and making it to the finals in NBC’s Last Comic Standing.
“With dry wit, Canadian comic Gerry Dee explores his perilous years as a schoolteacher, the pitfalls of open marriages and the truth about Santa,” reads the logline for the special. Filmed in Montreal during this summer’s Just for Laughs festival, the hour-long special “mines the shared experience of middle-age, parenting pitfalls, and navigating the complexities of modern life.”
As Dee pointed out in a statement, bringing his act to a streaming service that boasts more than 300 million subscribers worldwide will expose him to his largest audience to date. “To finally have my first Netflix special is truly a highlight of my career,” he said. “After 25 years of standup and years on television, there is no bigger platform to share my comedy. The energy of performing in Montreal for Just for Laughs was incredible, and I can’t wait for people around the world to see the special.”
6. Canada’s Drag Race – Thursday, November 20, Crave (Stream) | Season Premiere
Twelve more aspiring queens compete for one crown (and $100,000K) in season six of Canada’s deliciously unpredictable catwalk melee. That includes a pair of fierce and fab contenders to the throne from right here in B.C. Click here to watch trailer.
7. Bif Naked – Friday, November 21, Super Channel Fuse
The amazing story of Canadian rocker Bif Naked unfolds in what’s described as “the definitive documentary,” with director Pollyanna Hardwicke-Brown utilizing rare footage, intimate interviews and unforgettable performances to celebrate an iconoclastic performer who’s always insisted on playing by her own rules.
Born in New Dehli and adopted by American missionaries before coming to Canada, the estwhile Beth Torbert’s rise in the rock world did not come without leaving scars. Her journey has included sexual assault as a teen, along with surviving breast cancer, heart surgery and kidney failure — all while overcoming the challenges she faced as a pioneer in the male-dominated rock music industry.
“I am so overwhelmed by the reaction my documentary is receiving from audiences and reviewers,” she said in a statement. “Our director, Pollyanna Hardwicke-Brown is truly my guardian angel. Not only has she followed my career, but I feel she truly understands me and really captured my story. This film is about my journey and ultimately I want the audience to be able to transcend what they think they know about me and feel, so that by the end of the film, they will be inspired to overcome any obstacle, any hardship, and believe that they too will come out on the other side even stronger.”
8. The Family Plan 2 – Friday, November 21, Apple TV
Like many Hollywood A-listers over the past few years, Mark Wahlberg has been splitting his time between the silver screen and the small — with multiple pricey blockbusters debuting on streamers like Prime Video and Apple TV.
This week sees him return to the latter with a sequel to 2023 action comedy The Family Plan. If you need a refresher, the first film cast the Oscar nominee as Dan Morgan, a seemingly average suburban dad who, before he was dealing cars for a living, dealt death as a highly trained secret agent. When Dan’s past came knockin’, he was forced to let his incredulous wife Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) and teen offspring Nina (Zoe Colletti) and Kyle (Van Morgan) in on the secret as they fought to evade a team of assassins amidst a road trip.
In this follow-up, another of Dan’s former enemies emerges, spoiling what was shaping up to be a nice little European getaway. (Luckily, Jess and the young’uns won’t be caught quite so off-guard this time around.)
As the synopsis teases: “It’s the holiday season and Dan has planned the perfect vacation for his wife Jessica and their kids to celebrate overseas — until a mysterious figure from his past shows up with unfinished business. An international game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Dan and his family battle, bicker and bond their way through a series of bank heists, holiday hijinks and car chases.” Playing that “mysterious figure” is Game of Thrones heartthrob Kit Harington. Meanwhile, returning behind the camera we have director Simon Cellan Jones, who told People: “We loved the tone and feel of the first movie and definitely didn’t want to fix what wasn’t broke. It’s still a super-normal, grounded family getting into dangerous scrapes with ruthless killers. But this time they go to Europe, and it’s great to see them out of their comfort zone.” Click here to watch trailer.
9. Sebastian Maniscalco: It Ain’t Right – Friday, November 21, Disney+
Among the most successful and acclaimed standup comics of the past decade, Sebastian Maniscalco takes a break from expanding into TV and film with a new special that finds the Illinois native going “all-in on family chaos, aging and the little things that drive us all nuts.” Click here to watch trailer.
10. One Shot with Ed Sheeran – Friday, November 21, Netflix
Director Philip Barantini famously shot each episode of acclaimed British drama series Adolescence in one continuous shot, with no cuts or retakes.
That was no mean feat, and Barantini is now using that same process while following singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran during a day spent in the streets of New York City. “Sheeran will take viewers along as he spends one afternoon traveling the streets of the Big Apple while performing his greatest hits — playing impromptu gigs on sidewalks and the subway, interacting with fans and unsuspecting passersby, and more. And it’ll all be captured in a single take,” notes the Netflix synopsis.
Fans of Sheeran will be treated to some unforgettable moments, highlighting the pandemonium and excitement that erupts when he pops into a subway car, whips out his guitar and starts to sing one of his greatest hits like a street busker. Click here to watch trailer.