Some of the new shows and movies coming to a device near you include a revealing documentary on spy novelist John le Carré, and “Living for the Dead,” a new Hulu series that is similar to “Queer Eye” and “Ghost Hunters.”
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
The Pigeon Tunnel
John le Carré, whose birth name was David Cornwell, died in 2020. But before his death, the author of “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” sat down with documentarian Errol Morris for a series of probing interviews. The result, “The Pigeon Tunnel,” is one of the non-fiction highlights of the movie year. In the film, which stream Friday, Oct. 20 on Apple TV+, Cornwell discusses his career as a spy, his books and historical truth in a fittingly murky, noir-tinged documentary about one of the 20th century’s greatest writers.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
DreamWorks Animation’s “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” is about a 15-year-old with a secret. Ruby (voiced by Lana Condor) and her family are sea creatures who are passing as humans on land. Ruby is, in fact, not just an aquatic mammal, but one of the mightiest of all, a Kraken. Director Kirk DeMicco’s film, which begins streaming Friday on Peacock following a theatrical run this summer, is a coming-of-age tale with monsters, mermaids and overprotective moms (Toni Collette).
Polite Society
Nida Manzoor’s “Polite Society,” is a coming-of-age tale, too, but a much different beast. In the directorial debut of the “We Are Lady Parts” creator, Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya play British-Pakistani sisters with divergent dreams. Ria (Kansara) pines to be a stuntwoman. Lena (Arya) has fading artistic hopes that are fast being consumed by an arranged marriage to (Akshay Khanna). Ria sets out to spoil their parents’ plans in a rollicking action-comedy that, as I wrote in my review, “marries Jane Austen with kung-fu flare.” It begins streaming Tuesday on Prime Video.
NEW SERIES TO STREAM
Living for the Dead
“Living for the Dead,” a new Hulu series executive produced and narrated by Kristen Stewart, is like “Queer Eye” meets “Ghost Hunters.” It follows a group of five queer ghost hunters who travel to haunted locations and use their individual skills to confront the spirits and clear the space. There’s Ken, who specializes in tarot, Juju the spiritual expert, Logan the psychic, a researcher named Roz and Alex who does the ghost hunting. The series debuts Wednesday
The Son I Never Had
Comedian Heather McMahan debuts her first network comedy special called “The Son I Never Had” on Tuesday. If you haven’t followed McMahan, she’s got a popular podcast called “Absolutely Not” and a hilarious Instagram account that caught on during the pandemic, and led to sold-out comedy dates. McMahan’s schtick is both relatable and outrageous.
Upload
The sweet and smart comedy “Upload” is back on Prime Video for a third season. Created by Greg Daniels (“The Office”), the series takes place in the (near) future where one can opt to be uploaded to a virtual afterlife. The more money you have, the better the second life is. It stars Robbie Amell, a computer programmer, who was uploaded in season one — and falls for his still-living digital concierge, Nora (Andy Allo.) The first two episodes drop Friday, Oct. 20.
Bosch: Legacy
Detective Harry Bosch returns in the second season of “Bosch: Legacy” on FreeVee on Friday, Oct. 20. Bosch was originally introduced by author Michael Connelly in his books and adapted for TV. He’s now retired from the LAPD, solving cases as a private investigator.
