What to Watch This Week: September 3 to 8

From Netflix exclusives to movies to reality TV, we round up our top 10 shows to watch this week

 

1. Twin Peaks: The Return – Sunday, September 3, 7 p.m. & 8 p.m., TMN1 | Series Finale

Twenty-seven years ago, when this truly bizarre series arrived on our screens, no one predicted it would become one of the most acclaimed and important of all time. David Lynch and Mark Frost somehow managed to turn the medium on its head—years before HBO made such upheaval in vogue—with a mind-bending mix of supernatural, soap, camp and mystery that up until that point had been reserved for avant-garde indie films.

The death of a teenaged prom queen and the slew of twisted small-town subplots that branched out of it became the stuff of water-cooler legend… until it all came to an abrupt end after an even loopier (but considerably less heralded) second season. Flash forward to today and this 18-part revival, directed entirely by Lynch, has somehow managed to defy expectations yet again, in terms of both quality and the unpredictability of its storytelling. Although we can’t pinpoint the exact ways the series is changing TV this time, we’re sure plenty of tomes will be dedicated to that subject in the very near future.

For now, we’re enjoying the deliciously baffling ride as it comes, especially heading into this week’s finale. As with all of the other chapters, we have no idea what to look forward to in the two-part closer, but if the show’s original run taught us anything it’s to expect the unexpected. Or more accurately, to expect some kind of massive cliffhanger that won’t just leave us wondering what happens next, but questioning everything that came befor—until Agent Cooper et al. re-emerge with another Return. (Though at this point, only Lynch and Frost know if that’s in the cards.)

 

2. Unstoppable: The Fentanyl Epidemic – Sunday, September 3, 4 p.m., News Network; 9 p.m., CBC

This chilling documentary from filmmaker Robert Osborne takes viewers to the front lines of Vancouver’s fentanyl crisis, speaking with the chemist who makes this deadly drug, the police who are trying to prevent the death toll from continuing to spiral out of control, and the grieving families mourning loved ones who lost their lives to overdose.

 

3. Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G. – Monday, September 4, 5 p.m. & 9:03 p.m., A&E

The untimely death of Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, was a seismic event in the music industry, its aftershocks still being felt to this day. In part, this is due to the conspiracy theories that have been postulated about who “really killed him”—ranging from fellow rappers to law enforcement to no one at all (i.e., he and fellow murdered icon Tupac are still alive and in hiding). Another reason: many believe the man hadn’t even hit his musical peak yet, and that the world was robbed of seeing the creative heights his potential would eventually take him.

For the real, hardcore enthusiasts, it also doesn’t help that, for the past two decades, a fount of Biggie info has been held just out of reach—with a box of exclusive interviews just sitting in journalist Cheo Coker’s attic, never released to the public. Until now, that is.

This special glimpse into the artist’s life showcases his views on music, relationships, drugs and more, through the words of the man himself. The special also features interviews with some of the people who knew Biggie best, including Sean Combs, JAY-Z, 2 Chainz, Nas, David Banner, Mike Will, Hurricane and T Pain. Smalls’ widow Faith Evans and his mother Voletta Wallace also offer up their perspectives in this three-hour special, commenting on the unique way in which this musical genius saw the world, as well as how his hubris in the drug trade may have led to his downfall.

All told, director Mark Ford gives viewers a gripping account of Biggie’s rise to the top of the early ’90s hip-hop heap, his feud with one-time friend Tupac and his eventual murder on the streets of L.A., all peppered with new personal details that are sure to fascinate his legion of fans.

 

4. Where the Wild Things Are – Monday, September 4, 11:40 a.m., ENC2

Ever outside the box, Spike Jonze (Her) was just the man to breathe dark, whimsical life into the classic children’s book about a troubled boy who escapes to a fantasy land of furry giants (voiced by the likes of James Gandolfini) who make him their king.

 

5. Midnight, Texas – Monday, September 4, 10 p.m., Global & NBC

The town is once again pushed to the brink of obliteration when a bounty hunter looks to punish Joe for leaving heaven by unleashing hell on Midnight. It falls to Manfred to rally the troops and figure out a way to stop her.

 

6. Marc Maron: Too Real – Tuesday, September 5, Netflix

In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Marc Maron claimed that, when it comes to his comedy, his range of emotion is limited solely to aggravated, sad or funny. If you’ve seen his old show (Maron), his new show (GLOW) or listened to his podcast (WTF With Marc Maron), you know that this statement checks out, but he’s definitely leaning into the funny for Too Real, his first standup special since 2015’s More Later. Filmed at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis, Maron tackles topics ranging from aging to art and from his parents to The Rolling Stones. During that aforementioned Tonight Show appearance, Jimmy Fallon gushed, “If you’ve never seen Marc Maron do standup, you have to go out and see Marc Maron do standup… or, I guess, stream it on Netflix.” We’re guessing that Netflix would prefer you did the latter.

 

7. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story – Tuesday, September 5, 9:30 a.m., AMC

The groundbreaking Kung Fu master gets a fitting tribute in this 1993 biopic, which tracks Bruce Lee (Jason Scott Lee) from reckless adolescence to developing his own game-changing fighting style to Hollywood stardom to tragic death at the age of 32.

 

8. The Incredibles – Wednesday, September 6, 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. & Midnight, YTV

Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) have reluctantly hung up their tights and dug themselves into a suburban rut. But when a new threat arises, they must rediscover their inner hero… albeit with three kids in tow. Clever, thoughtful and visually dazzling, this one remains Pixar’s finest work.

 

9. Snowfall – Wednesday, September 6, 7 p.m., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m., FX Canada | Season Finale

This multi-faceted exploration of a 1980s L.A. overrun by crack-cocaine ends its inaugural season, as Franklin looks towards a better future, Teddy is forced to make an unsavoury decision and Lucia is left between a rock and a hard place. Rest assured, season two is already in the works.

 

10. School of Rock – Friday, September 8, 7 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., YTV | Season Premiere

The kids’ sitcom continuation of the film that made Jack Black a star shakes, rattles and rolls its way into season three. We open to find young drummer Freddy breaking the news to his bandmates that he’s—GASP!—moving to Canada. So the rest of the class hatches a plan to convince Freddy’s mom to let him stick around.