What's On Tonight (Friday): Evil Andy Sandberg Invites You to Play a Game...

 

Self Reliance

We have a few films premiering today and my choice for Top Pick is going to the Hulu comedy/thriller, Self Reliance.  Directed by and starring Jake Johnson, the film is about a regular guy who agrees to be the target for a dark web reality series, in which he will have to survive 30 days while assassins try to kill him.  The trailer is funny, the cast is great and the reviews are decent.  I'll be checking it out.

TOP PICK

⭐🎥 Self Reliance (Hulu, 12:01 AM) 'When a middle-aged man is invited into a limo by famous actor Andy Samberg, his dull life takes a thrilling turn. Johnson is offered a chance to win a million dollars in a dark web reality TV show, where assassins from all over the world attempt to kill him for 30 days. The catch? He can't be killed if he's not entirely alone, leading him to recruit an unlikely team to help him survive.  Starring Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick and Andy Samberg.'

Elsewhere...

*Self Reliance is not the film premiering with the highest Rotten Tomatoes score this week.  With an 80% fresh score, that honor goes to Shudder's Destroy All Neighbors, starring MST3K host and comic Jonah Ray and Bill & Ted's Alex Winter.  This looks like an old school 80's straight-to-video shlock-fest.  I would have made this Top Pick, but I don't have the appetite for these types of films that I used to.  

*I keep reading about "superhero fatigue" but the ailment I'm suffering from is "suburban parent/spouse is/was secretly a super assassin/spy fatigue."  This week's entry is Amazon's Role Play, starring Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo.  Perhaps if the characters in these films would familiarize themselves with some of the other films in this particular genre, they would realize that this sort of thing just never really works out for the best.

*Kevin Hart stars in the new Netflix action/comedy film, Lift.  This looks a lot like Money Plane crossed with a Fast & Furious film, which makes sense as the director made Fate of the Furious.  He also made Men in Black: International.  Proceed with caution.

PREMIERES

Role Play

🎥 Role Play (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 'Emma and Dave have the seemingly perfect life, but after seven years of marriage they find themselves in a bit of a rut. For their wedding anniversary they are looking to spice things up with a little role play. They plan to meet as strangers in a hotel bar, but before Dave arrives, Emma catches the eye of a mysterious older man who recognizes Emma as an international assassin for hire with a bounty on her head.  Starring Kayley Cuoco and David Oyelowo.'

🎥 Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple, 12:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Based on David Grann's broadly lauded best-selling book, "Killers of the Flower Moon" is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemmons.'

🎥 Lift (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'A professional thief and his expert crew attempt the ultimate heist: stealing $500 million in gold from a vault on a plane — 40,000 feet in the air. Starring Kebin Hart, Jean Reno, Sam Worthington and Vincent D'Onofrio.'

💖 Love is Blind: Sweden (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'The unique dating experiment lands in Sweden as local singles seek true love and propose marriage — all before seeing each other in person.'

🎥 Destroy All Neighbors (Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'A self-absorbed musician, determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad. Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William's accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses.  Starring Jonah Ray, Alex Winter and Thomas Lennon.'

🎥 True Justice: Family Ties (HMC, 8:00 PM) 'A law school student and her friends, set out to prove her brother's innocence but the only way to clear his name is by finding the real killer. Starring Katherine McNamara.'

💀 Vengeance in Alaska (ID, 9:00 PM) 'A chilling tale of revenge set against the backdrop of the vast Alaskan wilderness. As the story unfolds, viewers will be drawn into a web of mystery and intrigue, exploring the depths of human emotions and the lengths some are willing to go for justice.'

RETURNING SHOWS

🔔 Uninterrupted's Top Class (Freevee, 12:01 AM) SEASON FOUR PREMIERE.

🐶 Bluey (Disney+, 3:01 AM) Episodes 338-347. SEASON FINALE.

🦇 Batwheels (Max, 3:01 AM) SEASON TWO-A.

🔔 The Traitors (Peacock, 3:01 AM) SEASON TWO PREMIERE.

💖 Ready to Love (OWN, 8:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

The Traitors

STREAMING

😂 LOL: Last One Laughing Quebec (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

😂 LOL: Last One Laughing Norway (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

😂 LOL: Last One Laughing Denmark (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

💖 My Man is Cupid (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

🔔 Reacher (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

🚀 For All Mankind (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "Perestroika" 

👹 Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "Beyond Logic" 

🏠 The Established Home (Discovery+, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 The Curse (Paramount, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "Green Queen" 

😈 My Demon (Netflix, 8:01 AM) 

🔔 Undead Unluck (Hulu, 2:01 PM) 

LIVE SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

⛸ Figure Skating: European Championship, Men's Free (E, 1:00 PM)

⚽ Bundesliga Soccer: FC Bayern Munich vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (ESPN2, 2:25 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Buffalo at Akron (CBSSN, 7:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Dayton at Duquesne (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Rice at South Florida (ESPNU, 7:00 PM)

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Tour Golf: Sony Open, Second Round (Golf, 7:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Sacramento Kings at Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN, 7:43 PM)

🥊 One Fight Night 18: Superlek vs. Mahmoudi (Amazon, 8:00 PM)

⚽ 2024 NWSL Draft (Ion, 8:00 PM)

🏒 College Hockey: St. Cloud State at Denver (CBSSN, 9:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Wright State at Youngstown State (ESPN2, 9:00 PM)

🥍 NLL Lacrosse: Toronto Rock at Las Vegas Desert Dogs (ESPNU, 10:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets (ESPN, 10:05 PM)

Destroy All Neighbors

🕗 EARLY PRIMETIME 🕗

🔔 Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes (Disney Jr, 4:00 PM) 
💲 Blank Slate (GSN, 6:00 PM) 

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🦈 Shark Tank (ABC, 8:00 PM) 'Sprinkles Cupcakes founder Candace Nelson returns as a guest shark; a modern tinned seafood company; a diaper-changing helper; a brake for skateboards; lightweight packable meals.'

🔔 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (CW, 8:00 PM) 'Featured magicians include Blake Vogt, Marc DeSouza, AnnaRose and Willy Monroe.'

🔔 Powerbook III: Raising Kanan (Starz, 8:00 PM) 'Dangerous secrets are revealed as Famous unburdens himself to Kanan, and Raq finally tries to make amends with Lou; Marvin struggles with his role as stage dad, and Howard attempts to get closer to the Task Force.'

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (Fox, 8:00 PM) 
👨‍⚕️ Transplant (NBC, 8:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery, 8:00 PM) 
🎥 True Justice: Family Ties (HMC, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 8:00 PM) 
💖 Ready to Love (OWN, 8:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 'Guy Fieri digs into hearty handfuls of major flavor; he grabs pizza at a funky joint in Memphis, Tenn.; tasty tacos at an authentic Mexican spot in Calgary, Alberta; elevated empanadas at an Argentinian place in St. Simons Island, Ga.'

👽 Ancient Aliens (History, 9:00 PM) 'Giorgio Tsoukalos takes a look back at the top 10 reports of encounters with strange and mysterious beasts that have been investigated on "Ancient Aliens."'

🔔 Masters of Illusion (CW, 9:00 PM) 'Featured magicians include Anna DeGuzman, Christian Mascia, Joel Meyers, Jeffrey Wang, Lioz, Alexandra Duvivier and Reza.'

💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 My Lottery Dream Home (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Vengeance in Alaska (ID, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation (Magnolia, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Untucked: RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 9:30 PM) 
🔔 Belle Collective (OWN, 9:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
💖 Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup (WE, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM) 
😂 World's Funniest Animals (CW, 9:30 PM) 

Lift

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👽 Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd (History, 10:04 PM) 'Human bones as a "miracle cure" for gout; living mummies buried alive; a truly bizarre Victorian way to lose weight -- with tapeworms; from daily rites to once-in-a-lifetime rituals, the stranger side of human nature is revealed in these rituals.'

🤼‍♂️ All Elite Wrestling: Rampage (TNT, 10:00 PM) 
💰 Outback Opal Hunters (Discovery, 10:01 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 'Actor Kevin Hart; actor Dan Levy; comic Zarna Garg.'

🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:35 PM) 'Actor Jeremy Allen White; actress Hannah Waddingham; Carter McLean sits in with the 8G Band.'

🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 12:05 PM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM)

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Living Single (TVOne, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); South Park (Comedy Central, 10:10 AM - 2:00 PM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); Seinfeld (Comedy Central, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); Archie Bunker's Place (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM); Three's Company (Antenna, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TVLand, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 8:00 PM -9:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antennae, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); The King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Designing Women (Antenna, 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM); Becker (Antenna, 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM); The Drew Carey Show (Antennae, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM); Alice (Antenna, 2:00 AM - 3:00 AM); Mom (TVLand, 2:00 AM - 4:00 AM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actress Dyan Cannon; comic Brian Haley.'

Killer of the Flower Moon

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; Zap2it; Netflix; Wikipedia; Horrornews.net; Sysfy.com; hollywoodreporter.com

⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included