Here’s a preview of this winter season’s on-screen stories that aren’t simply remakes or sequels.
In today’s fragmented media landscape, with theaters still suffering post-pandemic and multiplying streaming services each producing their own exclusives, it has become more difficult to weed through the dreck that Hollywood produces to find anything worthwhile. To be sure, the big studios know how to shotgun awareness campaigns for their largest franchise releases; audiences can hardly avoid ads for the next “Spider-Man” and “Matrix” entries, or the next Disney animated feature. But finding family fare, biopics, and other hidden gems can be challenging. Come along on a treasure hunt for on-screen stories that aren’t simply remakes or sequels (no, “ Home Alone 6 ” didn’t make the cut). At its best, entertainment serves as a means to laugh, imagine, provide respite, and see the world through different eyes. Perhaps a few of these may fit the bill. Keep in mind the ratings listed (when available), as not all are appropriate for families with young kids, and that most titles have not been pre-screened. “Being the Ricardos” (dramatic biopic, Prime Video, Dec.21) Groundbreaking sitcom “I Love Lucy” has sparked laughs for generations and inspired creators of iconic hits like “Seinfeld.” Since this flick was announced, fans have debated whether Nicole Kidman can pull off Lucille Ball, to the point that the icon’s daughter weighed in. Current actors portraying Ricky, Fred, and Ethel are also co-stars in this ensemble behind-the-scenes dramedy helmed by writer Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network,” “The West Wing”). “The Beatles: Get Back” (three-part docuseries, TV-14, Disney Plus, Nov.25) In January 1969, the Beatles entered a London recording studio to record their twelfth studio album, “Let It Be.” Sixteen months later, the iconic band announced their break-up. What happened in that span of time has never been fully recounted until now. Director Peter Jackson, acclaimed for his World War I doc “ They Shall Not Grow Old,” was given unprecedented access to more than 60 hours of in-studio footage never before seen to create this six-hour docuseries. “Psych 3: This Is Gus” (comedic mystery, TV-14, Peacock, Nov.18) Hilarious psychic-but-not-really detective Shawn Spencer (James Roday) teamed up with Burton “Gus” Guster (Dule Hill) for eight seasons on “Psych”–and they keep coming back for more. All the cast returns for their third reunion film “This Is Gus,” as Gus gets married — but first he and Shawn must investigate the disappearance of someone close to Gus’s fiancee. Count on laughs and intrigue aplenty in a rare show that wears its heart on its sleeve. The least-super Avenger hands off his bow and takes a bow in this six-episode event, set in New York City a few days before Christmas.
