By Chuck Barney / The Mercury News
And the TV shows just keep on coming.
We’re still more than a month away from the start of the new fall broadcast season, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to watch in August.
There are still a few more days of competition in the Olympics, which wind down with the closing ceremony (Sunday, NBC). Also, the final seasons of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Aug. 12, NBC) and “The Walking Dead” (Aug. 22, AMC) both launch in the coming days.
For football fans, there’s “Hard Knocks with the Dallas Cowboys” (Tuesday, HBO). For lovers of dating shows there’s “Bachelor in Paradise” (Aug. 16, ABC). And for those of you looking for some scares, “American Horror Story” (Aug. 25, FX) is back in all its gory glory.
In addition, here are four brand new offerings that have us excited for August:
“Homeroom”
Oakland High School’s class of 2020 is the subject of this provocative and inspiring 90-minute documentary from director Peter Nicks.
Nicks takes a fly-on-the-wall approach to chronicle the resilient OHS seniors as their special year suddenly brings unprecedented circumstances and anxious uncertainty amid a rapidly developing pandemic. Meanwhile, a group of students passionately work to remove police officers from their campus against the backdrop of growing nationwide demands for systemic change. (Check out a review of the film).
“Homeroom,” executive-produced by Bay Area native Ryan Coogler, is Nicks’ final chapter in a trilogy of Oakland-based films, following “The Waiting Room” (2012) and “The Force” (2017). All three examine the challenges faced by struggling institutions, including Highland Hospital and the Oakland Police Department.
Details: Premieres Aug. 12 on Hulu. (“The Waiting Room” and “The Force” will also be available on Hulu).
“Heels”
Even people who don’t closely follow pro wrestling know names like “The Rock” and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. But megawatt superstars are the rare exception in a brutal business that finds many of its warrior hulks toiling far from the TV spotlight — for paltry pay — in the hardscrabble indie circuit.
That world is the setting for this saga about two sibling rivals (Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig) in Georgia who spar over the leadership of their family’s small-town wrestling league after the death of their father.
So which one is the “good guy,” and which one is the “heel” — the name given to ring villains?
Details: Premieres Aug. 15 on Starz.
“Nine Perfect Strangers”
The first time Nicole Kidman teamed up with screenwriter David E. Kelley and Aussie author Liane Moriarty, it resulted in the blockbuster miniseries “Big Little Lies.” Could they have another big hit on their hands?
Kelley adapts Moriarty’s novel about nine city dwellers who arrive at a secluded health and wellness resort seeking to reinvigorate their lives. They soon realize that this place — and the mysterious woman who runs it (Kidman) — are nothing like they expected.
The impressive cast includes, among others, Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans, Regina Hall and Bobby Cannavale.
Details: Premieres Aug. 18 on Hulu.
“The Chair”
Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Killing Eve”) has done plenty of drama in her career. Now she takes a shot at headlining a satirical comedy.
For this six-episode series, Oh plays Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the newly appointed chair of the English department at a university faced with declining enrollment and a host of other challenges. We’re in a “dire crisis,” she proclaims. Can she fix it? Bring on the clashes, scandals and comedic mishaps.
Jay Duplass and Holland Taylor also star. The series is written by Amanda Peet and includes former “Game of Thrones” show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss among its executive producers.
Details: Premieres Aug. 20 on Netflix.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
