It’s not often three worthwhile streaming series premiere in the same week, but here we are.
‘Overcompensating’
Perhaps the funniest streaming comedy since “Hacks,” Amazon Prime Video’s “Overcompansating” presents as a wild, profanity-filled “Animal House”-style bacchanal. But at its heart, the eight-episode series is an endearing coming-of-age story centered on two good people trying to find themselves.
Comedian, actor and online entertainer Benito Skinner stars in and wrote “Overcompensating,” which is now streaming all eight of its first-season episodes.
The series follows Benny (Skinner), a closeted former high school football player and homecoming king, as he befriends Carmen (Wally Baram), an outsider trying to fit in, during their first year at Yates University.
Benny and Carmen overcompensate in various ways while surrounded by other overcompensating crazies, including Carmen’s roommate, Hailee (scene-stealer Chelsea Holmes, “Welcome to Flatch”), Benny’s territorial sister (Mary Beth Barone) and her obnoxious Pittsburgh-native boyfriend (Adam DiMarco, “The White Lotus”).
Skinner’s sense of humor is sly, smart and often politically incorrect. In the premiere episode, as Benny arrives on campus, freshmen are greeted by three upper-class students who are Black, Asian and disabled.
“You might recognize us from the school’s diversity brochure, diversity website and diversity in action panel, and that is the extent of that diversity,” the woman in the wheelchair says. “This school doesn’t have any ramps.”
‘Duster’
With this month’s return of Peacock’s “Poker Face,” fans of shows with ‘70s vibes can have a two-fer thanks to Max’s “Duster,” streaming its first episode at 9 tonight (subsequent episodes roll out Thursdays at 9 p.m. for seven more weeks).
Josh Holloway re-teams with “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams for this stylish action-adventure about a rookie FBI agent, Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson), who recruits Southwest crime syndicate getaway driver Jim Ellis (Holloway) as a confidential informant.
Abrams created “Duster” with LaToya Morgan (“Shameless”) as a vehicle for Holloway, who again plays a rascally bad guy with a heart of gold.
From the Hot Wheels cars opening credits to the comically bloody denouement of a bowling alley fight in episode two, there’s a lightness to “Duster” that makes the show an easy, breezy throwback to the ‘70s and ‘80s escapist TV era, albeit with more profanity and violence than “Starsky & Hutch” could get away with.
Even as the series depicts period-accurate racism directed at Nina and her Native American colleague, Awan (Asivak Koostachin, a standout for his character’s cheerfully innocent disposition), “Duster” isn’t a super-serious show. It’s as playfully madcap as Holloway’s character.
‘Murderbot’
An odd but welcome diversion, Apple TV+’s half-hour sci-fi comedy “Murderbot” follows a security unit robot that hacks its programming and then bides its time watching cheesy sci-fi shows before it attempts to live up to its self-appointed nickname.
Streaming its first two episodes May 16 — a new episode drops weekly on Fridays through July 11 — “Murderbot” is based on the Martha Wells book series and stars Alexander Skarsgård as the title character.
Adapted for streaming by writers/directors Chris and Paul Weitz (“The Creator,” “American Pie,” “About a Boy”), “Murderbot” starts out more comedic as viewers get to know the title character and hear his humorous assessment of humans (not positive) and see the “serials” he enjoys watching that star John Cho, Jack McBrayer, Clark Gregg and DeWanda Wise.
Murderbot refers to his “hot mess” charges as “stupid (bleeping) humans,” and when they engage in “pointless human sentiment,” he says, “I don’t have a stomach so I can’t throw up, but if I could, I would.”
Murderbot gets assigned to a group of explorers from a non-corporatized part of the galaxy who want to treat him as a person, which flummoxes Murderbot initially, but over 10 episodes, the sec unit comes to appreciate his human charges.
That’s the odd thing about “Murderbot”: The show ultimately becomes the thing it starts out mocking, as Murderbot’s loyalty and empathy toward his crew increases. By the end, “Murderbot” plays more like a dramedy than a comedy, which is fine, but it’s also less unique and not the show it initially set out to be.
ABC, NBC fall
In addition to the recent release of CBS and Fox fall schedules, this week also brought fall plans from ABC and NBC.
ABC’s fall schedule is unchanged from a year ago on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
“Shifting Gears” kicks off ABC’s Wednesday, leading into “Abbott Elementary,” “Golden Bachelor” and “Shark Tank.” “911” airs at 8 p.m. on Thursday, followed by spinoff “9-1-1: Nashville” at 9 p.m. and “Grey’s Anatomy” at 10 p.m. On Friday, “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” leads into a two-hour “20/20.”
New seasons of ABC’s “American Idol,” “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” “The Rookie” and “Will Trent” will debut in 2026.
NBC’s fall schedule brings back “The Voice” and “Brilliant Minds” on Monday and gives Tuesday over to the NBA beginning in October. The three “Chicago” shows remain on Wednesday. On Thursday, the two “Law & Order” series lead into the second season of “The Hunting Party.” On Friday, NBC introduces “On Brand” (Jimmy Fallon hosts a marketing agency competition), which will also air at 10 p.m. Tuesday in September until the start of NBA games Tuesday nights in October. College football airs Saturday and “NBC Sunday Night Football” stays put on Sunday.
Sophomore comedies “St. Denis Medical” and “Happy’s Place” rejoin the schedule in November with “St. Denis” airing on Monday ahead of a new, to-be-determined comedy and “Happy’s” returning to Friday.
NBA games will extend to Sunday after the NFL season ends in early 2026.
NBC ordered one new comedy, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” executive produced by Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) and starring Tracy Morgan (as a disgraced former football player) alongside Daniel Radcliffe. “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” is done at NBC but under consideration for renewal at Peacock (don’t hold your breath).
The CW did not announce its fall schedule this week.
‘Prison Break’ casting
Hulu’s pilot episode for a “Prison Break” reboot won’t film in Pittsburgh, but it will film June 6-30 in Moundsville, W. Va., a 90-minute drive southwest of Pittsburgh, and in Wheeling, W. Va.
The production seeks extras to portray prisoners, guards, body builders, townspeople and line dancers of all ages, but especially men ages 18 and up. Those interested must have their own transportation to Moundsville. Details and application at nancymossercasting.com.
Channel surfing
Pittsburgh-set Max ER drama “The Pitt” will rerun its entire first season on TNT sometime this fall. … Newspaper newsroom-set comedy “The Paper,” a mockumentary set in the same universe as “The Office,” debuts on Peacock sometime in September. … CBS renewed daytime soap “Beyond the Gates,” starring Western Pennsylvania native Tamara Tunie, for a second season. … ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, called simply ESPN, will launch this fall for $30 per month.
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