What To Watch On TV This Week: 'Black Mirror' Season 6, 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,' And 'The Full Monty'

Is it a bit exhausting to scroll through streaming services, trying to figure out what show premise is speaking to you like you’re picking between your favorite takeout spots?

The feeling isn’t much different from when you eat something new and end up disappointed halfway through your first bite. At least you don’t have to track the nutritional benefits of your favorite show (maybe the snacks you eat while watching it, but that’s beside the point).

Luckily for you though that’s what television critics are for! Some folks have really been able to develop their taste to where they can give you an honest opinion. So that you can better find stuff you think fits your current taste and maybe something that’ll expand it! That’s where we come in.

On LAist 89.3’s AirTalk, we bring television critics on every week to give you a rundown of those shows that are fresh out of the oven. Not only that but I'll use my chronically-online brain and minor in Film & Electronic Arts to serve you some important things to know before you choose what new show to watch.

I know how hard it is to read through a whole document, I do it for a living, so to spare you most of the details we'll just be talking topline stuff. Not just that, but I'm also narrowing the field based on which of these I've watched so that you get more of an understanding of what to expect.

Sound good? Are you hungry now? While you wait for your food to be ready to eat, read through our picks and reviews.

Listen here

This week, LAist host Austin Cross talked about the latest on television and streaming with Steve Greene, associate TV editor for IndieWire, and Dominic Patten, a senior editor & chief tv critic for Deadline.

This week’s shows included:

• Black Mirror [Season 6] (Netflix)
• Secret Invasion (Disney+)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
• The Full Monty (FX & Hulu)
• This World Can't Tear Me Down (Netflix)

'Black Mirror' (Season 6)

Streaming on Netflix

Danielle Vitalis and Leila Farzad as Mona in Black Mirror Season 6

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Nick Wall/Netflix

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Netflix

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First impression: Black Mirror is a horror anthology series that tries to show some of the scariest parts of humanity shift into a more virtual lifestyle. It’s had folks ironically glued to their TV screens. The first five seasons, and its interactive film Bandersnatch, were some of what made Netflix stand out as a place for standout shows.

Episode 1 of the sixth season is just SUCH a stellar start. It pulls in our fears of content generation by algorithm and policies that are so absurdly long that folks don’t read the fine details.

If I’m being honest… it feels weird even writing this given how precious intellectual property is in media, not just as a career but even as a hobby. That first episode does such a good job that it does make a person wonder whether you should completely unplug and go "off the grid."

Lasting impression: That being said… can we still say the same? A lot has gone on in the last four years, with the rise of artificial intelligence (shoutout ChatGPT) being one of the bigger boogeymen in our digital age. How has the show’s cutting-edge, conceptual writing kept up with our biggest fears nowadays?

Still pretty good, just a few mixed results. Not too surprising given its format, having self-contained episodes, which lends itself to uneven storytelling.

The way this week’s critics laid out it was fair in my opinion. It’s like cream — you know how cream rises to the top? The first couple of episodes are that taste of cream, while the later ones don’t have the same taste to it.

Who's behind it: The show creator is Charlie Booker! He’s of course been the main brain of the show, so an introduction isn’t as much needed. I should also add, though, that he’s also one of the writers around the character “Philomena Cunk” of Cunk on Britain fame. For those of you unaware, it’s one of the most well-written comedies you’ll find. It’s a fictional character interviewing and interacting with real people (think The Eric Andre Show or Nathan For You).

The meta nature you find in his work is what makes Black Mirror such a meta-commentary that has become so popular.

When and where: All five episodes of Season 6 are streaming now on Netflix.

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' (Season 2)

Streaming on Paramount+

First impression: It's presentation is what you’ll find in most of the contemporary Star Trek shows and films. That in itself isn’t a bad thing. The lighting for society and spaceships makes for a pleasurable viewing experience. A welcome change of pace for those of you who have had to deal with purposely dark movies and shows that attempt to do so to seem more “realistic.”

In a way the show is indeed a throwback to the original, offering a concise lesson in each episode as the crew flies across space and we get a change of setting. We get to see a younger Christopher Pike and Spock, highlighting some of their imperfections as they try and assist in making a more perfect world.

Lasting impression: Our critics have really enjoyed the show, having found some nostalgia but done in a way that feels like today’s more relevant societal topics are getting addressed. Some of the more recent shows like New Worlds, Picard, and Discovery have breathed some new life into the Star Trek universe.

If you want to watch the older works, you are certainly welcome to. However, given how good shows like Strange New Worlds have been, starting there could be an excellent gateway for folks looking to share in appreciating this longtime sci-fi universe.

Who's behind it: The show’s creators are Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet. All of them have some credits on recent Star Trek works, including being some of the creative minds behind Star Trek: Discovery and its multiple seasons. It’s also worth noting that Goldsman won an Oscar for best-adapted screenplay in 2002 for A Beautiful Mind.

When and where: Episode 1 of Season 2 is streaming now on Paramount+; its next episode releases Thursday, June 22.

'The Full Monty'

Streaming on Hulu

Robert Carlyle as "Gaz" in Season 1 of The Full Monty.

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Ben Blackall/ HULU

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HULU

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First impression: A British sitcom taking place in the good ol’ working-class city of Sheffield. There we find ourselves following the lives of Dave, Gaz, Horse, and Lomper as they go through the motions of living their day-to-day lives.

The show is a revival of sorts, building off the 1997 movie of the same name. Most of those same men leading the film’s cast are back. Along with them are fresh faces like Talitha Wing’s character, Destiny Schofield, daughter of Gaz Schofield.

Lasting impression: The show isn’t focusing on what made the film’s premise so unique — you don’t see these old men living their lives as Chippendales dancers to make a quick buck, but the same kinds of societal critiques are still very much there.

In my opinion, the show isn’t a masterpiece, but I think for many folks watching it won’t have to be. It’s a slice-of-life program that is a pleasure to watch despite each episode being about 50 minutes, giving you a lot more story than the 90-minute picture it builds off.

Who's behind it: The show is created by Simon Beaufoy, who has some interesting writing credits, including the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and also The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is a good example of his range.

When and where: All eight episodes are streaming now on Hulu.