Happy Monday!
Great news! I started a book club. You can share the news with those in your circle. Here is the first selection.
Here is your fantastic list this week.
Reality Television
The Bachelorette (ABC) premieres this Monday, join Jenn Tran as she searches for love. She is a physician assistant student but graduated from UW-Madison in 2020 with a bachelor of science in molecular biology. (July 8)
The Real Housewives of Orange County (Bravo) - Returning this season are Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Tamra Judge, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson and Jennifer Pedranti, and new cast member Katie Ginella. Alexis Bellino joins as a friend of the show because she is now dating Shannon Beador’s ex-boyfriend. Yowza!(July 11)
Claim to Fame (ABC) Kevin and Frankie Jonas host as relatives of celebrities conceal their identity and lineage in the quest for their own fame and fortune. This show is absolutely hilarious because the relatives are bigger divas than the actual celebrities. (July 10)
Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles (Bravo) returns, and Tracy Tutor is the one to watch. (July 10)
Documentary/Series
Receiver (Netflix) has unprecedented access on and off the field to five of the top pass catchers in the league during the 2023-24 NFL season. (July 10)
This riveting sports series follows the 2023 season of NFL receivers Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The series comes from NFL Films, Omaha Productions, and 2PM Productions, the creative team behind last summer’s Quarterback.
Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken (Paramount+) tells an inspiring story of healing and transcendence through the power of music when five female residents from the Topeka Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Kansas, write letters to Etheridge that she then uses as inspiration to create and perform an original song for them. Having recently lost her son to opioids, Etheridge works to understand and interrupt the cycle of addiction while connecting with these women who, so often, are forgotten by society. (July 9)
Teen Torture Inc. (Max) follows on-going efforts to expose America’s ‘troubled teen’ industry (TTI). For six decades and counting, this billion-dollar business has used what it calls ‘tough love’ as a form of treatment despite numerous deaths, countless suicides, life-altering injuries, and instances of child sexual abuse. (July 11)
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer (Hulu) psychiatric nurse and professor Dr. Ann Burgess … investigates and studies the damaged psyches of victims and their attackers, putting two halves of the same story together to catch a killer. (July 11)
*** I am interviewing Dr. Anne Burgess this week.
Faye (HBO) Oscar-winner Faye Dunaway recounts the triumphs and challenges of her illustrious career … through honest reflection, complemented by insight from colleagues and friends. (July 13)
It examines Dunaway's personal trajectory, including a childhood shaped by her father's alcoholism, her struggles with alcoholism, bipolar disorder, love affairs, and motherhood. It critically examines her controversial role in "Mommie Dearest", which she considers a career misstep. The film covers Dunaway's later years, highlighting her determination to make her own decisions despite industry pressures and reputation challenges.
The documentary features insights from Dunaway herself, her son Liam Dunaway O'Neill, colleagues, friends, and actors like Sharon Stone, Mickey Rourke, and James Gray.
At 83 years old, Dunaway has no plans to retire and continues to pursue her passion for acting.