The It List: Shark Week kicks off with Mike Tyson fighting a Great White, Luke Bryan drops new album, Seth Rogen teams with Seth Rogen in 'American Pickle,' Lego meets Super Mario and the best in pop culture the week of Aug. 3, 2020
The It List is Yahoo’s weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. During the coronavirus pandemic, when most of us are staying at home, we’re going to spotlight things you can enjoy from your couch, whether solo or in small groups, and leave out the rest. With that in mind, here are our picks for Aug. 3-9, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
WATCH IT: Tyson vs. Jaws adds some new spice to Shark Week
We would’ve loved to been flies on the wall in the production offices of Discovery Channel as executives dreamt up ways to freshen up Shark Week, the cable outfit’s annual celebration of the sea-dwelling predators. “Just hear me out,” we imagine one producer piping up. “Mike Tyson boxes a shark.” OK, OK, so Tyson vs. Jaws: Rumble on the Reef, a real thing actually coming to Discovery this week, is likely not a man-vs.-killer fish boxing match, as much we would’ve dropped everything to watch that — and as much as its vague marketing would lead you to believe. One clear telltale to that is the press release we received for the stunt, which clarifies that “no sharks were harmed (or bitten) in the making of this episode.” So who knows how exactly Iron Mike is going to square off with a shark underwater — and yes, they do at least promise the now-54-year-old will be underwater. Either way, it’s all weird enough to tune in to out of utter curiosity. — Kevin Polowy
Tyson vs. Jaws: Rumble on the Reef airs Sunday, Aug. 9 at 9 p.m. on Discovery.
STREAM IT: Rob Lowe crosses the pond in the British cop series, Wild Bill, now streaming on Britbox
This is literally the greatest idea for a cop show ever. Parks and Recreation star, Rob Lowe, joins the British police force in Wild Bill, which arrives on Britbox after airing in England last year. This exclusive clip from the first episode sets up the pond-hopping premise: Lowe’s Bill Hixon has relocated from Florida to East Lincolnshire to protect and serve as the new chief constable, a job that no one else wanted. “My teeth are my greatest asset,” Hixon jokes to the local press, adding that — just like another famous American globetrotter — snakes are his greatest fear. Sadly, ITV canceled Wild Bill after one season, but here’s hoping we get an Avengers-style Britbox original team-up movie where Bill Hixon hangs out and cracks cases with the Midsomer Murders crew. — Ethan Alter
Wild Bill debuts on Britbox on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
WATCH IT: Jack (Ryan) is Back as Season 2 of Amazon series hits home entertainment
John Krasinski’s YouTube sensation Some Good News fell short in its bid to land an Emmy nomination last week, but at least The Office alum has a fresh reminder of how well his career is going. Season 2 of his popular Amazon Prime series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan lands on DVD and Blu-ray this week (watch a deleted scene from the release above), with the CIA analyst on a globe-trotting tour to foil the president of Venezuela’s nefarious plot. Maybe most notable at this juncture: With two seasons and 17 episodes under his belt (plus a third season on the way), Krasinski has now played the character longer than Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine combined. That’s something to feel good about. — K.P.
Buy Jack Ryan: Season 2 on Blu-ray or DVD (out Aug. 4) on Amazon.
STREAM IT: A double dose of Seth Rogen in American Pickle
Dual characters: Everyone is doing them. Fresh on the heels of Paul Rudd’s HBO series Living With Yourself and Mark Ruffalo’s HBO miniseries I Know This Much Is True, non-Avenger Seth Rogen is getting in on the action. The popular comedic actor stars in this film as both a 1920s Jewish immigrant preserved in a pickle vat for 100 years and the only living relative he finds when he finally emerges, his great grandson, a unambitious Brooklyn computer programmer. Expect lots of fish-out-of-water — er, man-out-of-pickle-vat — hijinks, with a Rogenian(s) twist. — K.P.
American Pickle premieres Thursday, Aug. 6 on HBO Max.
HEAR IT: Luke Bryan is Here and now
American Idol judge, six-time CMT Artist of the Year winner and ACM Album of the Decade Award recipient Luke Bryan is back with his seventh studio album, Born Here Live Here Die Here. The album was originally scheduled to come out on April 24, but was delayed due to COVID-19; with tracks like "One Margarita,” “Knockin' Boots” and “For a Boat,” it seems like the album came just in time for the final weeks of summer, just when we need it most. — Lyndsey Parker
Download/stream Born Here Live Here Die Here on Apple Music.
WATCH IT: Amy Seimetz’s She Dies Tomorrow is a provocative and timely head trip
Shot well before the coronavirus pandemic, She Dies Tomorrow is perfectly timed to our current moment. The second feature film written and directed by actress Amy Seimetz is a unique spin on a viral thriller where an idea — rather than an actual virus — infects a small community. Patient Zero in this case is Amy (Kate Lyn Shell), a troubled young woman who is absolutely convinced that she has one day left to live. That irrational fear soon jumps from Amy to her friend Jane (Jane Adams), who in turn passes it along to her brother and sister-in-law (Chris Messina and Katie Aselton) and it continues to spread outward from there. Seimetz and her editor, Kate Brokaw, create a mesmerizing visual collage that incorporates flashbacks, hallucinatory sequences and moments of deadpan comedy. It’s the kind of movie you’ll find yourself wanting to watch multiple times to crack the emotional mystery at its core. — E.A.
She Dies Tomorrow is currently playing at drive-in theaters and will be available on demand Friday, Aug. 7 on Apple Movies.
STREAM IT: Netflix’s Immigration Nation series takes viewers inside ICE detention centers
The immigration debate has taken a backseat to coronavirus news and Black Lives Matter protests, but Netflix’s six-part documentary series, Immigration Nation, offers a stark reminder of what’s at stake for individual families and America in general. Directors Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau transport viewers to a different part of the country in each episode — including New York, North Carolina and Arizona — showing how local events both respond to and influence national law. Some of the series’ most controversial material is bound to be its startlingly up close and personal conversations with ICE agents, many of whom are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump’s harsh immigration policies. Immigration Nation even ventures inside detention centers, where immigrants share heart-wrenching stories of dangerous border crossings and being separated from their children as they await deportation. — E.A.
Immigration Nation premieres Monday, Aug. 3 on Netflix.
BUILD IT: It’s Super Mario time for Lego and Nintendo
Lego and Nintendo are the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of playtime — two great brands that go great together — and it’s hard to fathom why it took until now for the entertainment juggernauts to team up. But the end result is worth it. Lego’s new Super Mario line launched this week and features 16 Super Mario Adventures sets that you can build and then play, either as a typical analogue Lego experience or ramped up a notch via a free smartphone app. The 231-piece starter pack ($59.99) includes an interactive bricky Mario that reacts with light and sound effects to sensors in the customizable game course and can be enhanced with additional sets starring classic characters like Bowser, Toad, King Boo and Yoshi.
And for those who really want to get retro, there’s the insanely detailed 2,646-brick Lego Nintendo Entertainment System kit. Geared towards nostalgic adults (with an adult-sized $229.99 price tag), this set includes the console, controller, cartridge and an old-school TV complete with an 8-bit scrollable Mario game. Best of all, the interactive Lego Mario figure from the gaming sets will react to the action on the TV. — Marcus Errico
Lego’s full line of Super Mario Adventures is now available at Amazon, while the Lego NES kit is exclusively available at Lego.com.
STREAM IT: Spinster finally gives Chelsea Peretti her own star vehicle
If you’ve been missing Chelsea Peretti’s wry comic stylings on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, rest assured that she’s at the top of her game in the indie comedy, Spinster. Coming off a break-up with her longtime boyfriend and facing that dreaded 40th birthday, Peretti’s Gaby is in serious life re-evaluation mode, which, of course, gives the star plenty of opportunities to be funny. Although the movie follows a familiar narrative path, it builds to a finale that’s sweetly surprising and shows off Peretti’s range. So when is she getting her own HBO Max series? — E.A.
Spinster is available on demand Friday, Aug. 7 on Vudu.
STREAM IT: Critically acclaimed comedy Upright lands stateside
This Australian import, which no less than beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer mastermind Joss Whedon said was his favorite show since Fleabag — a high compliment indeed! — is finally available for the rest of us. Comedian Tim Minchin, who’s well known down under, stars alongside actress Milly Alcock in this miniseries about two misfits who team up to move precious cargo in the form of a piano across the country. The ride is rocky, but it’s never boring either! — Raechal Shewfelt
Upright premieres Thursday, Aug. 6 on Sundance Now.
WALK IT: Grab some Scooby snacks and get moving with a new Scooby-Doo virtual walk
Too much time on the couch got you going, “Ruh-roh”? Get some mileage on your family’s feet with the first-ever Scooby-Doo Family and Pet Virtual Run/Walk. Scooby’s owners at Warner Bros. have partnered with Rugged Races for this event, which you can register for by or before October 4. Sign up on the official website to receive a gift bag full of Scooby goodies — including a lightweight tech tee, a water bottle and optional dog collar — and log your 5K or 10K walk, jog or run on your preferred date, time and route. Like the song goes, you can count on Scooby-Doo to keep you healthy. — E.A.
Register for the Scooby-Doo Family and Pet Virtual Run/Walk now.
WATCH IT: Endeavour sniffs out a seventh season
Couldn’t we all use a cozy British crime caper right about now? Fortunately, PBS’s MASTERPIECE Mystery is welcoming Detective Sergeant Endeavour Morse back into the fold. Now in its seventh season, this prequel to the ‘90s U.K. series Inspector Morse is moving the action to 1970. But while the times are changing, Oxford’s propensity for dastardly murders hasn’t let up, paving the way for our trusty smarty-pants sleuth to piece it all together in between pints. — Erin Donnelly
Endeavour’s seventh season premieres Sunday, Aug. 9 at 9 p.m. on PBS.
PLAY IT: Get Footloose and fancy free with new tabletop fun from Funko Games
Let’s hear it for Funko Games! The tabletop division of the collectibles company has a slate of new board games to enliven your August, starting with a Footloose-inspired party game. Put pint-sized versions of Kevin Bacon’s sneakers or Lori Singer’s high heels on your fingertips and sashay your way through famous scenes like the prom finale or a game of Tractor Chicken. More musical fun can be had with Yacht Rock, where players experience the style and sounds of the SoCal soft-rock lifestyle. If you’re in need of a quick mental workout, Funko’s Pop-Tarts card game is a delicious (and fast) substitution for Uno or Exploding Kittens, and Last Defense offers lightning round pacing as you try to save your city from a host of invading threats, from aliens to spider robots, in a mere 20 minutes. More time — and strategy — is involved with the Game of Thrones edition of the ever-expanding Funkoverse Strategy Game line, which comes with adorable vinyl versions of Daenerys, Arya, Jon Snow and the Night King. — E.A.
Funko Games’s latest releases are available at Amazon and Walmart.
STREAM IT: Work It dances into living rooms
Somewhere between Pitch Perfect and Bring It On is this film, which is being advertised as a production from the studio that brought you To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth. Starring Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World), Liza on Demand star Liza Koshy, comedian Michelle Buteau and Jordan Fisher (from the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel), it’s the story of a not-so-graceful high school senior (Carpenter) inspired to bust a few moves at the end her high school career for academic reasons. “Senior year, I needed to join the dance team, because the more extracurricular activities you do, the higher your chances are of getting into a top-tier college,” she reasons. Cue the rehearsal montage and the rom-com fun. — R.S.
Work It premieres Friday, Aug. 7 on Netflix.
BUILD IT: Lose yourself in a pretty puzzle created by a female artist
When you inevitably need to take a break from TV and movies, turn to a soothing piece of art, in the form of a puzzle. The designs are chosen for featuring colors and patterns that relax, designed by female artists in the United States. Lemonade Pursuits is offering two new ways to occupy your mind: “Four Ferns,” a 1,000-piece puzzle created by Savannah, Ga.-based finger painter and muralist Juliana, and “Forest Walk,” a 500-piece creation by children’s book author and illustrator Meental Patel. Perhaps the best part in these tough times is that 10 percent of every dollar spent goes back to the artists. — R.S.
Lemonade Pursuits puzzles are available at LemonadePuzzles.com for $24.99.
— Video produced by Gisselle Bances
