What's On Tonight (Friday): Don't Gorge, Let It Flow...

Flow

I was planning on making The Gorge today's Top Pick.  Some people seem down on this movie, but the director has a decent track record (Sinister, Doctor Strange, Black Phone), and I like the two leads.  Then I saw that Max has the streaming premiere of multiple-Oscar nominee, Flow, and I immediately course corrected.  

The story of an unlikely group of animals making their way together following a devastating flood, Flow has received praise from critics and audiences to such a degree that it is threatening to overtake The Wild Robot, another critical favorite, for Best Animated Feature.  A lot fewer people have seen Flow, but with it now streaming, that will soon change.  I haven't seen it yet, but I've already declared it the pick for family movie night this weekend.  I'm looking forward to it.

I'll check out The Gorge on my own time.

TOP PICK

🎥 Flow (Max, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet.'

Elsewhere...

*Max also has the streaming premiere of the live recording of Waitress: The Musical, which was a Fathom event back in 2023.  I remember finding the original film charming, but I will be forever wary of any musical based on a film.  What with Flow and The Gorge, not to mention new eps of Severance and Invincible, my dance card this weekend is probably already full.

*Netflix has five shows and films premiering today, none of which are American productions.  I assume the MAGA boycott of Netflix shall commence soon hereafter, but I hope they don't notice it.  It was bad enough when Ron DeSantis had me rooting for Disney, please don't make me root for Netflix.

*Season three of Yellowjackets premieres today on Paramount.  New eps will premiere on the streamer every Friday, followed by their debuts on Showtime on Sundays.  I enjoyed the first season but didn't catch the second due to everyone saying how much it sucked.  Juliette Lewis leaving the show didn't do anything to reignite my interest either.  I'm going to take a wait and see approach to season three.  I like the cast a lot, but I've had my fill of mystery box shows that don't know where to go after the first season.

*In case anyone is curious, my recent family movie night picks: Hundreds of Beavers, The Raid, Enter the Dragon, The Fisher King and Murder by Death.  Since my kids have become surly teens, programming family movie night has become a much more interesting job.

PREMIERES

The Gorge

🎥 The Gorge (Apple, 12:01 AM) 'Two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from an undisclosed, mysterious evil that lurks within.'

🔔 Goldie (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Inspired by Emily Brundige's award-winning 2019 short film of the same name, the 13 half-hour episodes follow Goldie, a giant girl with a big heart, as she sets off on epic adventures with her best friends in their beloved town of Boysenberg.'

🎥 Longlegs (Hulu, 12:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.'

🎥 Waitress: The Musical (Max, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Featuring composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles as Jenna Hunterson, a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When a baking contest in a nearby county offers her a chance at escape, Jenna fights to reclaim a long-forgotten part of herself.'

🔔 Silly Sundays (Max, 3:01 AM) SEASON 1A. 'In this feel-good comedy series full of heart, Sonia, Hugo and Mel create memories with Mom, Dad and Granny on days spent with family and friends.'

🎥 Dhoom Dhaam (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'On their wedding night, an oddball couple gets entangled in a chaotic chase, dodging both goons and the police as they desperately search for Charlie.'

🔔I Am Married... But! (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'After a meet-cute ends in a whirlwind romance, a couple must learn to navigate the messy reality of married life that's nothing like a fairy tale ending.'

🎥 Love Forever (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'A warm and romantic comedy about Stockholmers Hanna and Samuel, whose plans of a low-key and intimate countryside wedding are shattered by family and friends.'

🔔 Melo Movie (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'A movie buff falls for an aspiring director, igniting a romance that fizzles out too soon. When their paths cross again, can love find its way back?"

🎥`The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'A playboy stages a dating show to earn his inheritance by granting his father's last wish, for his son to marry the most beautiful girl in the world.'

🎥 Umjolo: There is No Cure (Neflix, 3:01 AM) 'After losing her title for publicly exposing a scandal, a former pageant queen works on a tell-all book -- all while her love life remains unwritten.'

🎥 The Dead Thing (Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found.'

🎥 Tempted (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'A woman with a shadowed past lures a couple into her childhood home, but as secrets unravel, deadly consequences begin to spiral out of control.'

🎥 Lethal Desire (LMN, 8:00 PM) 'When Ava and Julien discover that new neighbors Mackenzie and Theo are swingers, they decide to try out the lifestyle to spice up their failing marriage However, when Theo turns up dead, Ava becomes the prime suspect in his murder.'

🎥 Saturday Night Live: SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (Peacock, 8:01 PM) 'This one-night-only SNL homecoming event will bring together legendary Saturday Night Live hall-of-famers, iconic guests and surprise musical performances.'

Yellowjackets

RETURNING SHOWS

🦖 Dino Dex (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SEASON TWO. 

💖 Love is Blind (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON EIGHT PREMIERE.

🔔 Valeria (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON FOUR.

🐝 Yellowjackets (Paramount+, 3:01 AM) SEASON THREE PREMIERE.

STREAMING

⚖️ Tribunal Justice (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

🔔 Severance (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Trojan's Horse" 

🔔 Newtopia (Amazon, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Übel Blatt (Amazon, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 The Eastern Gate (Max, 3:01 AM) "Episode Three" 

🔔 How I Left the Opus Dei (Max, 3:01 AM) 

💀 Dexter: Original Sin (Paramount, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "Born This Way"

🦸 DC Studios Showcase: The Official Podcast (Max, 3:01 PM) 

💖 Love Island All Stars (Peacock, 9:01 PM) 

🔔 The Graham Norton Show (AMC+, 11:00 PM) 

Goldie

SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌️ PGA Tour Champions Golf: Chubb Classic, First Round (Golf, 12:00 PM)

🥎 College Softball: Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational: Kentucky vs. Clemson (ESPN2, 1:00 PM)

🥎 College Softball: Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational: Oklahoma State vs. UCLA (ESPN2, 3:00 PM)

⚽ Premier League Soccer: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Chelsea (USA, 3:00 PM)

🏌️ PGA Tour Golf: The Genesis Invitational, Second Round (Golf, 4:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Ohio at Kent State (CBSSN, 7:00 PM)

🏀 2025 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (ESPN, 7:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Saint Louis at Loyola-Chicago (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Quinnipiac at Sacred Heart (ESPNU, 7:00 PM)

🏀 Unrivaled Basketball: 1v1 Tournament (TNT & TruTV, 7:30 PM) 

🏀 College Basketball: UCLA at Indiana (Fox, 8:00 PM)

🏒 College Hockey: North Dakota at Denver (CBSSN, 9:00 PM)

🥊Boxing: Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis (ESPN, 9:00 PM)

🤸 Women's College Gymnastics: Oklahoma at LSU (ESPN2, 9:00 PM

🏀 2025 NBA Rising Stars (TNT & TruTV, 9:00 PM)

🥍 NLL Lacrosse: Saskatchewan Rush at Calgary Roughnecks (ESPNU, 9:30 PM)

Longlegs

EARLY PRIMETIME

🧽 SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon, 7:00 PM) 'Squidward's new life is threatened; stuck in her dome, Sandy suspects Plankton's up to no good and gets Patrick to investigate.'

🧽 Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years (Nickelodeon, 7:30 PM) 'Plankton recruits Sandy to help in his lab; SpongeBob's new friend proves unpopular at camp.'

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🦘 NCIS: Sydney (CBS, 8:00 PM) 'When a young girl finds the body of a former U.S. Navy officer floating in the harbor, the team is led to an 18th-century sailing ship hosting a pirate-themed wedding, where DeShawn and Evie go under cover to investigate.'

🔔 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (CW, 8:00 PM) 'Featured magicians include Juan Luis Rubiales, Anja, Luke Osey and Joshua Kenneth.'

🔔 Happy's Place (NBC, 8:00 PM) 'When Isabella accidentally implies she doesn't trust Steve's work on the tavern's taxes, Bobbie and Steve decide to have some fun and teach her a lesson; Gabby goes on a health kick enlisting Takoda as her personal trainer.'

🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 8:00 PM) 'The queens impersonate celebrities in the classic quick-fire comedy game show. Global All Stars winner Alyssa Edwards drops by the werkroom; actress and comedian Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) guest judges.'

💰 Gold Rush (Discovery Channel, 8:00 PM) 
🧙 Wizards Beyond Waverley Place (Disney Channel, 8:00 PM) 
🎥 Lethal Desire (LMN, 8:00 PM) 
💖 Ready to Love (OWN, 8:00 PM) 

👮 On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (USA, 8:00 PM) 
💖 Love After Lockup: Crime Story (WE, 8:00 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🔥 Fire Country (CBS, 9:00 PM) 'The crew responds to a call from the local renaissance fair after a fire breather loses their balance and sets off a tent filled with fireworks.'

🔔 The Way Home (Hallmark, 9:00 PM) 'The Landrys and Elliot reach difficult decisions and come to key realizations, as each sees that they may need to say goodbye to an aspect of their life.'

👽 Ancient Aliens (History, 9:00 PM) 'Ancient Aliens is counting down the world's top ten most mysterious monoliths.'

🔔 The Couple Next Door (Starz, 9:02 PM) 'An ultimatum from Pete deepens Evie's obsession with Danny; Danny's plan to get Spencer out of his life is thwarted by Pete and Sophie's front page scoop.'

🔔 Masters of Illusion (CW, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🐟 Harpoon Hunters (Discovery Channel, 9:00 PM) 
🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
👮 On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Toya & Reginae (WE, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM) 
🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked (MTV, 9:30 PM) 

The Dead Thing

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👮‍♂️ S.W.A.T. (CBS, 10:00 PM) 'The squad races to find a missing child who was abducted from her front yard; Hicks is faced with a difficult decision concerning Gamble.'

🔔 Mysteries from Above (History, 10:03 PM) 'A Nazi weapon designed to turn the tides of WWII in Northern France; a secret Russian military tower in the shadow of the Chernobyl disaster; a forgotten Australian tunnel rumored to hide a nuclear lab; something shocking buried under Alcatraz.'

💰 Outback Opal Hunters (Discovery, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Graham Norton Show (BBC America, 11:00 PM) 'Joining Graham on his sofa are Robert De Niro, Mikey Madison, Alan Carr and Holly Willoughby. Brandi Carlile and Sir Elton John give a special performance in the studio.'

🔔 After Midnight (CBS, 12:37 AM) 'Drag queens BenDeLaCreme, Jinkx and Peaches Christ.'

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 12:05 PM) 
🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:37 AM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 1:07 AM)

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Futurama (Comedy Central, 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM); Living Single (TV One, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM); South Park (Comedy Central, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 11:50 AM - 4:00 PM); Seinfeld (Comedy Central, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); The Drew Carey Show (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); Becker (Antenna, 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Wings (12:00 AM - 1:00 AM); Designing Women (Antenna, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 11:00 PM) 'Actor Tom Hanks; actress Lynn Redgrave; Franklyn Ajaye.'

Waitress: The Musical

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

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