What's On Tonight (Friday): Dave & Jonesie vs. the Multiverse of March Madness...

       

Dave & Jonesie's Locker

Who watches College Basketball?  If you are an avid fan of collegiate hoops, then this is a great day for you!  There are over 30 NCAA Men's and Women's games playing across multiple channels and streamers!  Normally I would make basketball Top Pick for sheer volume alone, but then Hulu (don't believe the GIF above, it's on Hulu in the US and Prime everywhere else) decided to debut their new sci-fi/comedy series, Dave & Jonesie's Locker.

Dave & Jonesie isn't necessarily anything we haven't seen before.  The concept for the series, two teenage girls discover a locker that is a gateway to the multiverse and hijinks ensue, could easily be the concept for a Disney or Nickelodeon kids' series.   

To be honest, I know nothing about any of the creative talent on this series so I'm taking a chance on this one.  I'm going off of my gut reaction to the trailer, and my gut has been wrong before, but I think this one could be good.  Hopefully it does well enough for Hulu to renew it.  The cancellation track record for female-centric supernatural/sci-fi series hasn't been great lately (RIP Paper Girls, Warrior Nun* and The Peripheral).

*I know we're supposed to get another season, but I'm not assuming anything until it actually gets released.

TOP PICK

⭐🔔 Dave & Jonesie's Locker (Hulu, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Follows Davey and Jonesie, two lovably eccentric best friends who have always felt out of step with their peers and the banal backdrop of their high school existence. So, when they discover their locker is actually a portal to the multiverse, they're more than ready to escape their teenage prison of mediocrity in favor of new horizons.'

Elsewhere...

*Speaking of female-centric supernatural series, today Amazon gives us the premiere of My Undead Yokai Girlfriend.  I know even less about the people behind this series than Dave & Jonesie, which is why that got Top Pick over this one.  The trailer is fun, if a little seizure-inducing, and felt very much like an anime take on Buffy.  I'll give it a shot.

*Normally Shudder is the streamer with the critically top rated (according to Rotten Tomatoes anyway) films and today they are putting forward a strong contender with the Australian thriller, You'll Never Find Me. It's 93% Fresh rating would normally be enough to grab the ring, but this week we also get Oscar winning French film, Anatomy of a Fall. Those with both Shudder and Hulu will have a decision to make.

*For some reason The Casagrandes Movie is premiering on Netflix today, even though it is a Nickelodeon production based on a Nickelodeon series that is currently on Nickelodeon.  Nickelodeon did the same thing a few years back with The Loud House Movie.  I'm guessing they are under some sort of contract with Netflix that predates the creation of Paramount+.  

*Netflix also has a biopic of first Black congresswoman Shirley Chisholm called Shirley.  The film covers her historic run for President.  Not too many reviews out for this one yet, though the ones that are out are mostly positive.  If anything, it has to be better than the Wanda Sykes led sketches on History of the World Part 2.  I was up and down on that show, but those fake sitcom sketches were painfully unfunny.  I didn't see much in the way of jokes in the Shirley trailer, and I still guarantee I'll get more laughs out of the film than all of the sketches combined.

*Tubi has a new film called Slay that appears to be a cross of From Dusk Till Dawn with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.  FINALLY.

PREMIERES

My Undead Yokai Girlfriend

🧟‍♀️ My Undead Yokai Girlfriend (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 'Shot in Kyoto, this series depicts the extraordinary Japanese folklore of 'Yokai' and 'Otaku', as a strange relationship of love and mystery is sparked between a lonely college student Tadashi who wants nothing more than to find a girlfriend, and Izzy, a Yokai girl who accidentally finds herself bonded to him through a magical hex.'

🎥 Anatomy of a Fall (Hulu, 12:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel live a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. Samuel's death is presumed murder, and Sandra becomes the main suspect. What follows is not just an investigation into the circumstances of Samuel's death but an unsettling psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel's conflicted relationship.'

🎥 The Casagrandes Movie (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'After a surprise family trip to Mexico derails Ronnie Anne's birthday plans, she is determined to prove that she's old enough to do her own thing, even if it means confronting an ancient preteen demigod whose angst has apocalyptic potential.'

🎥 Shirley (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'The story of the first Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, and her trailblazing run for president of the United States. Starring Regina King, Lance Reddick and Terrence Howard.'

🎥 On Fire (Peacock, 3:01 AM) 'Tells the story of an ordinary man that finds his world suddenly torn apart as devastating wildfires rip through the surrounding countryside. With precious moments ticking by, he must flee with his son and pregnant wife if they have any hope of surviving the rapid forces of mother nature. Inspired by a true story.'

🎥 You'll Never Find Me (Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'An isolated man living at the back of a desolate caravan park is visited by a desperate young woman seeking shelter from a violent storm. As the savage storm worsens, these solitary souls begin to feel threatened -- but who should really be afraid?'

🎥 Slay (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'After a booking mistake, four drag queens find themselves performing for a mostly unwelcoming crowd, but when vampires attack, the crowd looks to the queens to save the day.'

🍴 Menus-plaisirs: les Troisgros (2023) (PBS, 9:00 PM) 'A 93-year-old director reveals the inner-workings of a French restaurant that's held three Michelin stars for more than 50 years.'

RETURNING SHOWS

🏠 Buying Beverly Hills (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON TWO.

👽 The Unexplained Special Presentation (History, 9:00 PM) SEASON TWO PREMIERE.

Anatomy of a Fall

STREAMING

🔔 Apartment 404 (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

🔔 The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Tommy Silversides" 

🔔 Manhunt (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Let the Sheep Flee" 

🔔 The Reluctant Traveler (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Germany: The Health Resort" 

⚖ Judy Justice (Freevee, 12:01 AM) 

🔔 Who's Talking to Chris Wallace (Max, 3:01 AM) 

👮‍♂️ Flex X Cop (Hulu, 9:31 AM) 

🔔 Undead Unluck (Hulu, 2:01 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

2024 NCAA MENS' BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TODAY/TONIGHT

🏀 Northwestern vs. Florida Atlantic (CBS, 12:00 PM)
🏀 Colgate vs. Baylor (TruTV, 12:30 PM)
🏀 Alabama-Birmingham vs. San Diego State (TNT, 1:30 PM)
🏀 Western Kentucky vs. Marquette (TBS, 2:00 PM)
🏀 Stetson vs. Connecticut (CBS, 2:30 PM)
🏀 New Mexico vs. Clemson (TruTV, 3:00 PM)
🏀 Yale vs. Auburn (TNT, 4:00 PM)
🏀 Colorado vs. Florida (TBS, 4:30 PM)
🏀 Texas A&M vs. Nebraska (TNT, 6:45 PM)
🏀 Vermont vs. Duke (CBS, 7:00 PM)
🏀 Grambling State vs. Purdue (TBS, 7:15 PM)
🏀 College of Charleston vs. Alabama (TruTV, 7:30 PM)
🏀 Longwood vs. Houston (TNT, 9:15 PM)
🏀 James Madison vs. Wisconsin (CBS, 9:30 PM)
🏀 TCU vs. Utah State (TBS, 9:45 PM)
🏀 Grand Canyon vs. Saint Mary's (TruTV, 10:00 PM)

The Casagrandes Movie

LIVE 2024 NCAA WOMENS' BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP  TODAY/TONIGHT

🏀 Michigan State vs. North Carolina (ESPN2, 11:30 AM)
🏀 Maine vs. Ohio State (ESPN, 12:00 PM)
🏀 Middle Tennessee State vs. Louisville (ESPN2, 1:30 PM)
🏀 Presbyterian at South Carolina (ESPN, 2:00 PM)
🏀 Richmond vs. Duke (ESPNW, 2:30 PM)
🏀 Drexel vs. Texas (ESPNU, 3:00 PM)
🏀 Marshall vs. Virginia Tech (ESPN2, 3:30 PM)
🏀 Rice vs. LSU (ESPN, 4:00 PM)
🏀 Portland vs. Kansas State (ESPNW, 4:30 PM)
🏀 Florida State vs. Alabama (ESPN2, 5:30 PM)
🏀 Vanderbilt vs. Baylor (ESPNU, 6:00 PM)
🏀 Drake vs. Colorado (ESPNW, 7:00 PM)
🏀 Maryland vs. Iowa State (ESPN2, 7:30 PM)
🏀 Eastern Washington vs. Oregon State (ESPNU, 8:00 PM)
🏀 Norfolk State vs. Stanford (ESPN2, 10:00 PM)
🏀 Eastern Texas A&M vs. Nebraska (ESPNU, 10:30 PM)

LIVE EVERYTHING ELSE SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🤼‍♂️ Men's College Wrestling: NCAA Championship: Quarterfinals (ESPNU, 12:00 PM)

🥊 Bellator Champions Series Belfast (Max, 1:00 PM)

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Tour Golf: Valspar Championship, Second Round (Golf, 2:00 PM)

🏒 College Hockey: NCHC Tournament, First Semifinal: Teams TBA (CBSSN, 5:00 PM)

🏌️‍♀️ LPGA Tour Golf: Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Second Round (Golf, 6:00 PM)

⚽ NWSL Soccer: Orlando Pride vs. Angel City FC (Amazon, 8:00 PM)

🤼‍♂️ Men's College Wrestling: NCAA Championship: Semifinals (ESPNU, 8:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Cleveland Cavaliers at Minnesota Timberwolves (NBATV, 8:00 PM)

⛸ Figure Skating: World Championships: Women Free Skate (USA, 8:00 PM)

🏒 College Hockey: NCHC Tournament, Second Semifinal: Teams TBA (CBSSN, 8:30 PM)

🏎 Formula 1 Racing: Australian Grand Prix, Practice 3 (ESPNW, 9:25 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers (NBATV, 10:30 PM)

🏌️‍♂️ DP World Tour Golf: Porsche Singapore Classic, Third Round (Golf, 12:00 AM)

🏎 Formula 1 Racing: Australian Grand Prix, Qualifying (ESPN, 12:55 AM)

Shirley

🕗 MIDNIGHT 🕗

🔔 Royal Crackers (Adult Swim, 12:00 AM) 'Darby can't make time to hang out with Theo because he's got a new girlfriend whom he's infatuated with, even though she might want to murder him.'

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🔔 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (CW, 8:00 PM) 'Featured magicians include Ben Jackson, Juan Luis Rubiales, Harry Keaton and Shoot Ogawa.' 

🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 8:00 PM) 'The queens star in the hot new design show “Bathroom Hunties,” decorating and showcasing over-the-top powder rooms. Actress Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) guest judges.'

🔔 BMF (Starz, 8:01 PM) 'Meech returns to Detroit upon Colombian connect Loco's request to pick up weight for BMF; the amount of weight is insurmountable for him to handle alone, thus he solicits help from Terry and the Detroit team.'

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (Fox, 8:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush: White Water (Discovery Channel, 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 & Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 'Starting in Caguas, Puerto Rico, with churrasco steak, risotto and ropa vieja dumplings; grabbing tandoori chicken and samosas in Middleton, N.J., and next-level Filipino dishes in Cleveland.'

👽 The Unexplained Special Presentation (History, 9:00 PM) 'Is it possible that other intelligent species exist in the universe? If so, is there evidence of these extraterrestrials hiding in plain sight? From UFO sightings, to strange structures on Mars, the evidence is mounting that we may not be alone.'

😂 Totally Funny Animals (CW, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🍴 Menus-plaisirs: les Troisgros (2023) (PBS, 9:00 PM) 
💰 America's Backyard Gold (Discovery Channel, 9:00 PM) 
🚗 Wheeler Dealers (Motortrend, 9:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🤮 Mama June: From Not to Hot (WE, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM) 
😂 Totally Funny Kids (CW, 9:30 PM) 
🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked (MTV, 9:30 PM) 

You'll Never Find Me

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👽 The Proof is Out There (History, 10:03 PM) 'Did a Swedish teenager photograph some of the most convincing UFO evidence ever? Is a video posted online showing a pterodactyl-like creature flying over Idaho the real deal? Why are headless goats repeatedly being dumped in an Atlanta River?'

🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 
🚗 Graveyard Carz (Motortrend, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 'Singer Alicia Keys; actor Tony Goldwyn; actress Maleah Joi Moon; a performance from "Hell's Kitchen."'

🔔 After Midnight (CBS, 1:37 AM) 'Comic Taylor Ortega; comic Jon Gabrus; comic Megan Gailey.'

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

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 5:02 AM - 12:00 PM); Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); Futurama (Comedy Central, 7:00 AM - 10:10 AM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM); South Park (Comedy Central, 10:10 AM - 2:00 PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 2:00 PM - 11:00 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); 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 - 4:15 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actor Teri Garr; comic Paul Provenza; actor Jennifer O'Neill; The Mighty Carson Art Players.'

Slay

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

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