The It List: TNT's 'Snowpiercer' finally premieres following wild ride to the small screen, 'Survivor' crowns its first $2 million winner, 'Fame' turns 40 and the best in pop culture the week of May 11, 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 May 11-17, 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: The apocalypse comes to television with the belated arrival of TNT’s Snowpiercer
It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for Snowpiercer — the TV adaptation of the 2013 thriller directed by recent Oscar-winner, Bong Joon-ho. After the original pilot was filmed in 2017, the series endured three years of behind-the-scenes drama, including crew departures, a network switch (from TNT to TBS and back to TNT) and various other delays. But Snowpiercer is finally on track to hit the airwaves, bringing a post-apocalyptic chill to the summer TV season. Set eight years before the events of the movie, the show takes place aboard the titular train, which runs long loops across a frozen Earth carrying humanity’s dwindling number of survivors, who are kept separate from each other by a rigidly-enforced class structure. While the poor are housed in Snowpiercer’s prison-like tail, the elite reside in more comfortable surroundings. Former detective — and currently one of the “tailies” — Layton Well (Daveed Diggs) hopes to better his family’s living situation by agreeing to investigate a murder further up the train. That brings him into contact with more well-off citizens, including the enigmatic Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly), who keeps the train’s engine (and economy) running smoothly. Before boarding TNT’s Snowpiercer, be sure to check out the movie, currently streaming on Netflix. — Ethan Alter
Snowpiercer premieres Sunday, May 17 at 9 p.m. on TNT.
STREAM IT: The Orphan Black cast reunites for a charity table read
The Clone Club is getting back together... for a good cause. Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany, and the rest of the cast of the cult BBC America favorite, will participate in a table read of two Season 1 episodes — “Variations Under Domestication” and “Parts Developed in an Unusual Manner” — on May 17 on the show’s official Facebook page. Besides delighting fans in a difficult time, the reunion will call attention to Mental Health Awareness in May and International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and benefit two charities, CenterLink and Sistering. “It felt exciting to think of coming back with the cast and giving something back to Clone Club and back to charity,” Maslany tells Yahoo Entertainment. “The reason we picked these two episodes was not only because they were iconic, but there were also these important moments that we felt would be exciting for the fans to see again.” The cast loved seeing each other again as well, even if it had to be remotely. “We did a video chat the other day in preparation for Sunday and we didn’t want to hang up! We still love each other so much.” — E.A.
The Orphan Black reunion table reading will be streamed from the official Orphan Black Facebook page on Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.
WATCH IT: Survivor crowns its first $2 million winner on the Winners at War finale
And then there were five… actually, make that six. In the season finale of Survivor: Winners at War, the exiled Edge of Extinction players will compete to rejoin the quintet of Tony, Sarah, Michele, Ben and Denise that’s gunning for that $2 million prize. Will Tyson win his way back into the game — only to be voted out again? Or is Boston Rob not going to let a second chance pass him by? And don’t forget about Natalie, who was the first to end up on Extinction and would love to come roaring back and win it all. The two-hour Season 40 finale will be followed by a virtual reunion with host Jeff Probst and the cast, which will have to have enough fireworks to tide us over through our Survivor-less fall. Production on Season 41 remains halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. — E.A.
The Survivor: Winners at War finale airs Wednesday, May 13 at 8 p.m. on CBS.
WATCH IT: The Happy Days of Garry Marshall takes you back
Nearly four years after the beloved producer/director/writer/actor died at 81, ABC is paying tribute to him in a two-hour special. Many of the stars he worked with in his storied 50-plus-year career, including Julia Roberts, Ron Howard and a deep bench of friends and family members, will remember him and his unforgettable work, from Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley to Pretty Woman and Overboard. His wife Barabara and their adult children will be on hand, too, to tell stories about how he got his start. — Raechal Shewfelt
The Happy Days Of Garry Marshall airs Tuesday, May 12 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
WATCH IT: The Photograph worth looking at on Blu-ray and DVD
It seems like eons ago that movies were opening in theaters — and while Hollywood's 2020 slate was grounded to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic, there were still a few nice surprises to hit cineplexes the first 10 weeks of the year. One of those was The Photograph, Stella Meghie's quiet and poetical time-jumping romance about a New York art curator (Insecure's Issa Rae) who develops feelings for the journalist (Atlanta's LaKeith Stanfield) profiling her late mother. It's a major studio release so tender and subdued, in fact, that it feels far more like a Focus Feature than a Universal Picture, which speaks to the indie aesthetic Meghie has nurtured in previous work like Jean of the Joneses and The Weekend. Plus, this is the closest we'll probably ever get to an Insecure-Atlanta crossover episode. — Kevin Polowy
The Photograph is available on Blu-ray, DVD or digital on Amazon.
READ IT: The Man of Steel battles for social justice in Superman Smashes the Klan
For more than eight decades now, Superman has been fighting for truth, justice and the American way — and despite all those memorable tussles with Lex Luthor, General Zod, Braniac and Doomsday, Supes’s most significant battle has largely been forgotten through the years… until now. Writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Gurihiru have reimagined the seminal 1940s Adventures of Superman radio show storyline “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” which featured the Man of Steel, the most iconic immigrant in comic-book history, taking down the Ku Klux Klan. The serialized play (listen below) shed light on the group’s secretive, horrific intolerance, and helped turned public sentiment against the Klan.
The new YA-aimed graphic novel, which collects the three-issue DC Comics run, is set in 1946 and focuses on an Asian family engulfed in racist attacks after they move to Metropolis, and who ultimately team up with Superman to thwart the Klan’s reign of terror in a story that is as relevant as ever. — Marcus Errico
Superman Smashes the Klan is available in digital and paperback on Amazon.
STREAM IT: Fame lives forever — and celebrates its 40th birthday
You want Fame? Well, Fame costs. Luckily, Alan Parker’s gritty, groundbreaking musical movie about the dreamers of New York’s High School of Performing Arts can be streamed for a reasonable price. So sing the body electric, get your hot lunch jam going and let this cinematic classic light up your screen like a flame. — Lyndsey Parker
Fame, which celebrates its 40th anniversary on Saturday, May 16, is available to stream on Amazon.
STREAM IT: Alamo Drafthouse launches streaming service
It could be at least two months until we're back in movie theaters — and let's face it, that might be optimistic — as exhibitors are hoping Christopher Nolan's Tenet will revive the business. And while it's a popular narrative to pin movie theaters against the streamers now currently thriving amid the coronavirus pandemic, one popular chain is bridging the gap. The tastemakers at Alamo Drafthouse have launched a new streaming service with Alamo on Demand. The partnership with ScreenPlus and studios like Lionsgate, NEON and Sony Pictures Classics features a carefully curated lineup that includes Best Picture champ Parasite and other indie faves like Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Burning (what, no Man on Fire while we're at it?). It can't help to have too many viewing options right now. — K.P.
Alama on Demand is available now.
BUY IT: Great Scott! Build your own DeLorean with a Back to the Future Playmobil anniversary set
It won’t actually send you back in time, but Playmobil’s new Back to the Future-inspired DeLorean playset is a great way to spend an afternoon… and celebrate the comedy’s 35th anniversary. The car body comes intact out of the box, and then little (and big) hands can add on all the time-travel tech, from a flux capacitor to that hooked lightning rod. The set also includes a skateboard-riding Marty McFly, as well as Doc Brown and his trusty mutt, Einstein — all of whom can be placed behind the wheel to head back to 1955… or forward to 2015. Just don’t bring any sports almanacs back with you. — E.A.
Playmobil’s Back to the Future DeLorean set is available on Amazon.
WATCH IT: Behind Closed Doors offers a lesson on Beverly Hills, 90210
Delve into the blockbuster teen drama through rare footage and never-before-seen photos in this installment of Reelz’s behind-the-scenes series. There should be plenty of material around, because the young stars (though not as young as the characters they played) seemed to be on every other magazine cover at the show’s mid-’90s height. The network promises to look back at how Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley, the late Luke Perry and the rest of the gang were cast, 90210’s early struggles in the ratings and significant cast departures as the series continued for 10 seasons and, eventually, several reboots. — R.S.
The Behind Closed Doors episode on Beverly Hills, 90210 airs Sunday, May 17 at 8 p.m. on Reelz.
WATCH IT: Amy Schumer gets at-home cooking lessons in Food Network’s Amy Schumer Learns to Cook
With a new baby in the house and nowhere to go during quarantine, comedian Amy Schumer has opted to pass the time by signing up for at-home cooking classes with her husband, professional chef Chris Fischer. Filmed on location in their home kitchen, each episode of the series features the couple rustling up themed meals from breakfast fare, to movie night dishes to leftover casseroles. Expect the occasional cameo from their 1-year-old son, Gene, who will probably have a hard time getting to sleep with all those pots and pans clanging around. — E.A.
Amy Schumer Learns to Cook premieres Monday, May 11 at 10 p.m. on Food Network.
HEAR IT: Jason Isbell’s class Reunions
The accoladed American auteur’s seventh album with his band the 400 Unit, Reunions, was released a week early to independent record stores, in order to help small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, however, it becomes available for downloading and streaming. Featuring contributions from David Crosby and Rival Sons’s Jay Buchanan, the record will be worth the wait for lock-downed fans who couldn’t make it to a local shop. — L.P.
Download/stream on Apple Music.
WATCH IT: Stella and Co. offers a sweet respite from quarantine
If you’re looking for something sweet and funny to watch during the coronavirus quarantine, then Stella & Co: A Romantic Musical Comedy Documentary About Aging is for you. Just imagine the between-scene stories told by couples during When Harry Met Sally… strung together over 50 minutes. Inspired by her late, 103-year-old mother, filmmaker Robin Leacock spent nearly two years following eight people who lived in the same place where her relative once did. The subjects, who range in age from their 70s to their 100s, offered candid insight on what they’ve learned over the course of their lives and how they spend their time today, at least before the coronavirus pandemic. — R.S.
Stella & Co: A Romantic Musical Comedy Documentary About Aging airs throughout May on PBS. It’s available anytime on the movie’s website.
HEAR IT: Moby gives back
Moby is another artist paying it forward via his latest musical project. Each track from his 17th studio album, All Visible Objects, will benefit a different animal-rights or human-rights charity, including Brighter Green, Mercy for Animals, Rainforest Action Network, Extinction Rebellion, the American Civil Liberties Union, Animal Equality, the Indivisible Project, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Humane League, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation and the Good Food Institute. — L.P.
Download/stream on Apple Music.
BUY IT: Get your Scooby snacks — and other Scoob! goodies — at Walmart
Scooby-Doo and the whole Scooby Gang are back in the Mystery Machine for the new animated feature, Scoob!, which is bypassing theaters for an on-demand engagement on May 15. And Walmart has all the in-demand Scooby-Doo merchandise you’ll need to celebrate the digital release, starting with a complete set of Scooby figurines from Basic Fun that includes new versions of classic Hanna-Barbera characters who also appear in the film like Mark Wahlberg’s Blue Falcon and Tracy Morgan’s Captain Caveman. You can also snuggle up with plush version of the canine sleuth and his Funko vinyl collectible, while snacking on Keebler graham cracker cinnamon sticks that double as Scooby snacks. (Make sure to dip them in a milk-filled Scooby mug.) And leave it to Scooby to look out for his fellow dogs. Buckle-Up has an exclusive Mystery Machine Pet Carrier that can transport your pet on the go and allow them to roll up on Scoob! drive in theater-style. — E.A.
Scoob! merchandise is available at Walmart, and the Mystery Machine Pet Carrier can be ordered at Buckle-Down.
HEAR IT: Perfume Genius is on fire
The fifth album by Mike Hadreas, a.k.a. baroque/indie/cabaret/generally uncategorizable singer-songwriter Perfume Genius, is another startlingly confessional work that stays true to its title, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately. And you should download it immediately. — L.P.
Download/stream on Apple Music.
— Video produced by Gisselle Bances
