What to Watch This Week: February 5 to 10

From an Ashton Kutcher-Reese Witherspoon rom-com to the return of stalker drama 'You,' we round up our top 10 shows to watch this week

From an Ashton Kutcher-Reese Witherspoon rom-com to the return of stalker drama ‘You,’ we round up our top 10 shows to watch this week

1. American Pain – Sunday, February 5, CNN | Series Premiere

American PainCNNA new film traces the rise and fall of Florida-based identical twins Chris and Jeff George, who trafficked more than $500 million in opioid pills, in just a few short years creating one of the largest “pill mill” empires in the nation. Weaving together hundreds of hours of FBI wiretap recordings, undercover videos and exclusive jailhouse interviews with the twins themselves, this fast-paced thriller details the corruption and violence that ruined countless lives, including those of the George brothers themselves. “American Pain is the story of the greatest drug racket to hit the Sunshine State since the cocaine cowboys of the 1980s,” said director Darren Foster.  

2. Dogs in the Wild: A Nature Miniseries, Wednesday, February 8, WTVS & PBS | Series Premiere

Dogs in the Wild: A Nature MiniseriesPBSFollowing the format of previous Nature miniseries Super Cats and Primate, this three-part event travels the globe to provide an in-depth look at the most successful carnivore on the planet: the canid. It’s a species that encompasses both domesticated dogs and their feral cousins. In fact, there are 37 species of canid, from the recognizable and familiar like foxes, wolves and coyotes, to the lesser-known like the Japanese raccoon dog, New Guinea singing dog, dholes and dingoes. As this program makes clear, wild dogs are every bit as fascinating as their domestic cousins—one fact viewers will learn, for example, is that there are 10,000 wild foxes roaming London, having long ago adapted to an urban environment. The series profiles the world’s vast array of wild dogs, from the biggest—the wolf—to the smallest, the fennec fox, native to the Sahara Desert. As producer Jo Shinner explained during a session at the Television Critics Association press tour, fennec foxes have impressively adapted to life in the Sahara. “They’re about four million years old and they sort of arrived with the arrival of the deserts. So, they’ve had plenty of time to adapt to these really crazy, 40-degree conditions. And they’re the only dog that doesn’t need to drink,” she said, pointing to the foxes’ specially adapted kidneys. “It’s just like one big superpower.”

3. A Million Little Things – Wednesday, February 8, ABC | Season Premiere

A Million Little ThingsABCSometimes family isn’t blood but the people you choose to surround yourself with. That’s a message this series has broadcast repeatedly since its 2018 debut, and it is, of course, a central theme to the ABC hit’s fifth and final season.  

According to the creatives, this instalment feels like a bookend to season one, when the group of friends rallied together following the death of Jon Dixon (Ron Livingston). This year, however, they’ll come together for Gary (James Roday Rodriguez), whose cancer returned last year.  

To tell that story while bringing the show to the conclusion that creator DJ Nash always envisioned, we can expect some familiar faces from the past to resurface—including Livingston. “We’ll explore the depths of friendship, love and sorrow as we bid this special family of friends goodbye,” promises a press release. “Once again proving that friendship really is a million little things.” 

4. The Real Housewives of New Jersey – Tuesday, February 7, Slice | Season Premiere

The Real Housewives of New JerseySliceAnother round of N.J. Housewives is here, and no one should be surprised that the ongoing drama between Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga takes centre stage.  

This year, the cameras follow Teresa as she plans her wedding to Luis Ruelas, all while working overtime to sabotage her brother Joe’s relationship with Melissa. As we already know from between-season headlines, neither Joe nor Melissa attended the wedding. Now, we’ll get to see the cold war leading up to that suburb-shaking decision.  

Meanwhile, Dolores Catania is all about her new Irish boyfriend Paulie, but her love bubble comes at the expense of her relationship with ex-husband Frank. Jennifer Aydin is also amply occupied in matters of love, following last year’s reveal that her husband Bill had an affair. This year, the stay-at-home mom is feeling the pressure and trying to put her marriage back on track, but with different parenting styles and hurt feelings, that may be easier said than done. Margaret Josephs is also back and Jackie Goldschneider returns in a downgraded role as a Friend. She won’t be the only Friend this season, however. Joining the crew in that very same capacity are Danielle Cabral, Jennifer Fessler and Rachel Fuda. Cabral is a mom and businesswoman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, especially when it comes to the fractured relationship between Teresa and the Gorgas. Fessler, meanwhile, is Margaret’s old pal, who also comes with an unfiltered mouth that leads to plenty of trouble. And then there’s Fuda, a mother-of-three and businesswoman who immediately gets off to a rough start with Jennifer and ignites all sorts of sparks.  

Watch the trauma start to unfold in this week’s 75-minute premiere. 

5. Kindred – Wednesday, February 8, Disney+ | Series Premiere

KindredDisney+Adapted from the novel Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, a new drama centres on Dana James, a young Black woman and aspiring writer who has uprooted her life of familial obligation and relocated to Los Angeles, ready to claim a future that, for once, feels all her own. But before she can settle into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time, emerging in a 19th-century plantation, a place intimately linked with Dana and her family.

6. Empire of Light – Wednesday, February 8, Disney+

Empire of LightDisney+This film from director Sam Mendes (Skyfall) takes place in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, following manager Hilary (Olivia Colman), who struggles with her mental health, and new employee Stephen (Micheal Ward), who longs to escape the small provincial town. 

7. Super Chef Grudge Match – Wednesday, February 8, Food | Series Premiere

Superchef Grudge MatchFood Network CanadaWhen two foodies disagree about something, what better way to settle things than with an all-out culinary battle royale? That’s the logic behind this incoming competition, which is hosted by Darnell Ferguson (Worst Cooks in America). In each episode, chefs who have some serious beef with each other try to bury the hatchet in the kitchen—with a $10,000 cash prize and a prized knife from the losing chef on the line.  

Needless to say, these food maestros will do whatever it takes to win. Tune in for Tuesday’s premiere as Tournament of Champions competitors Antonia Lofaso and Jet Tila go head-to-head in an anticipated rematch from that show. Later in the episode, restaurateur Brian Malarkey and chef Carlos Anthony battle it out to see which culinary giant towers above the competition. 

8. You – Thursday, February 9, Netflix | Season Premiere

YouNetflixJoe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) has managed to just barely slip the noose on more than one occasion. But when Netflix’s wickedly clever thriller drops the first half of season four, Joe may finally be in over his head. As you’ll recall, by the time season three concluded, our antihero had killed his murderous wife and faked his own death (baking his own severed toe into a pie to frame the Mrs.). He also left their baby in the care of another couple to try and break the curse of their twisted family legacy.  

If you thought that was a lot to handle, just wait until you see what this season has in store. The action now moves to London, where Joe is living under the alias Professor Jonathan Moore. As per usual, he’s made a narrow escape and is intent on living a clean, stalker-free life. Of course, before long he’s pulled right back into obsession and bloodshed.  

Only this time, Joe’s plight isn’t what you think. You see, “Professor Moore” makes friends with an elite, privileged crowd and fits right in. At the same time, someone who seems to know all about his checkered past begins stalking him, turning everyone around him into a suspect. It’s a fun little twist that makes Joe try the role of victim on for size and forces him to confront his sins, all while working to uncover his stalker before he or she strikes. Add in the fact that Joe’s rich friends suddenly seem to be dying in grotesque fashion, plus the reappearance of former obsession Marienne (Tati Gabrielle), and things are as complicated as ever for TV’s most swoon-worthy stalker.  

Note: the first five episodes of season four arrive this Thursday, with the back five scheduled for March 9. 

9. The Spencer Sisters – Friday, February 10, CTV | Series Premiere

The Spencer SistersCTVAfter an unfortunate string of bad luck, Toronto police officer Darby Spencer (Stacey Farber of Virgin River and Schitt’s Creek fame) quits her job and is forced to return home to live with her estranged mother, internationally renowned mystery novelist Victoria Spencer (Back to the Future alum Lea Thompson). After the duo unexpectedly wind up solving a crime together, Darby discovers a side of her mom that she never knew and realizes they actually make a pretty good team. As a result, they ultimately take the plunge into the unlikeliest of ventures: partnering in their own private detective agency. Despite their opposing personalities, generational differences and complicated history, the women discover they may have far more in common than they ever imagined. Each episode brings a new case to solve, and while the tightly wound Darby and the carefree Victoria may never quite see eye to eye, they each come to realize that they actually need each other more than they ever realized.

10. Your Place or Mine – Friday, February 10, Netflix

Your Place or MineNetflixRomantic comedies may be a dime a dozen nowadays, but there are certain names which cause such films to leap head and shoulders above the competition, and one such name is Reese Witherspoon. Another such name, one might reasonably argue, is Ashton Kutcher (but he’s decidedly farther down the list). Still, the thought of those two teaming up for a rom-com is definitely catnip for fans of the genre, which is why there’s so much buzz surrounding Your Place or Mine, although it certainly doesn’t hurt that it comes courtesy of the writer behind The Devil Wears Prada. The movie revolves around Debbie (Witherspoon) and Peter (Kutcher), best friends who are also polar opposites, which might well explain why they also live on opposite sides of the country. When they decide to swap houses for a week, Peter also offers to watch Debbie’s son for that week, giving her a chance to spread her wings in New York while he’s playing dad in Los Angeles. Will they still end up together somehow? Cross your fingers!