Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
There are 2 new TV shows with primates at the center. Which one are critics going bananas for?
Tonia Haddix in the new HBO docuseries 'Chimp Crazy.'
(
Courtesy HBO
)
Listen
13:05
TV-talk: ‘Emily in Paris,’ ‘Chimp Crazy,’ ‘Bel-Air’ and more
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we will try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching with Whitney Friedlander, freelance entertainment writer, and Steve Greene,freelance TV critic. This week’s shows include: Emily in Paris [Season 4] Chimp Crazy Bel-Air [Season 3] The Tyrant Bad Monkey
Each week some of the best television critics in the game join AirTalk, LAist 89.3’s daily news program, to help us sift through the new releases and break down what’s worth watching. This week, two shows with primates at the center are out. Are our critics team Chimp Crazy or Bad Monkey?
Chimp Crazy
From the creator of the explosive pandemic favorite Tiger King comes a new examination of human relationships with wildlife. Chimp Crazy is a four-part docuseries that follows a former nurse named Tonia Haddix who finds a love for chimps. Things get wild from there.
Sponsored message
“[Tonia] presents a version of reality that in many different venues is trying to will it into fact. So, you know, use whatever metaphor you want, but I do think that if this permeates the American consciousness the same way 'Tiger King' does, I don't think that's a coincidence.” — Steve Green, freelance TV critic
"There's going to be a lot of Reddit threads, a lot of think pieces... on the ethics of this and how it was filmed and whether it's exploiting Tonia, whether it's exploiting the chimps that she's talking about, whether the ways they went about getting the story are morally, ethically sound." — Whitney Friedlander, freelancer TV writer
When and where: The first episode premieres at 7 p.m. Sunday on HBO/Max. Episodes release weekly.
Bad Monkey
Scrubs and Ted Lasso creator Bill Lawrence is back with a whimsical crime comedy in which a former Miami police detective tries to regain trust with the department. Yes, there's a monkey in the series, but it's not as prominent as the primates in Chimp Crazy. Something to keep in mind.
“Vince Vaughn is very entertaining as kind of like this rugged, over it, police detective who can't abide by the law.” — Whitney Friedlander, freelance entertainment writer
Sponsored message
"The main appeal here is Vaughn getting to do his kind of slightly removed, wry act, which I feel like he really hasn't had a chance to do in a readily available piece of entertainment recently." — Steve Greene, freelance TV critic
When and where: The first two episodes are available on Apple TV+. Episodes release weekly. There will be 10 episodes total.
Emily in Paris [Season 4, Part 1]
A young American woman named Emily continues to juggle challenges with her marketing career and love life all in one of the fashion capitals of the world.
"Emily in Paris continues to be a very, very great show to watch when you're trying to fall asleep. It is beautiful. It is not that deep. And sometimes you just need to, you know, see Lily Collins in a really chic red suit." — Whitney Friedlander, freelance entertainment writer
When and where: The first five episodes are available on Netflix. The final five episodes release on Sep.12.
Sponsored message
Bel-Air [Season 3]
A more serious toned re-imagining of the popular 90s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
"It's a really good example of how something that is essentially a teen drama can hit on really important issues that we don't tend to talk about." — Whitney Friedlander, freelance entertainment writer
When and where: The first three episodes are available on Peacock. Episodes release weekly. There are 10 episodes.
Listen here
Listen
13:05
TV-talk: ‘Emily in Paris,’ ‘Chimp Crazy,’ ‘Bel-Air’ and more
Sponsored message
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
