What To Watch On TV This Weekend: 'Average Joe,' 'Hijack,' And 'Claim To Fame'

It’s both a blessing and a curse that we’ve reached a time when there’s so much television to experience but so many different places to find it. It makes scrolling across your streamer of choice an inconvenience that doesn’t offer as much of a payoff if you try a show half-heartedly and are disappointed.

That’s where I and some friends step in as a deus ex machina of sorts, a way for you to resolve that inner conflict of what to choose and make sure it’s something worth investing in.

On LAist 89.3’s AirTalk, we bring television critics every week to give you a rundown of those shows that are fresh out of the oven. They’ll serve you a taste of what to expect and from there, you can choose whether or not you want to eat the rest.

Along with that, I’ll add to their topline thoughts and give some insights based on my experience watching the show. I may not have TV critic as my title but I got enough knowledge as a fan of film and television to at least give you an informed perspective. And as a member of Gen-Z, I’ll be able to add an extra filter you might get from someone on Twitter but with much less toxicity tied to it.

Sound good? Are you hungry now? Well, while you wait for your food to be ready to eat, read through what we got to tell you.

This week, AirTalk’s Larry Mantle talked about the latest on television and streaming with Roxana Hadadi, TV critic for Vulture, and Kristen Baldwin, TV critic for Entertainment Weekly.

This week’s shows include:

• The Righteous Gemstones [Season 3] (HBO & Max)
• Average Joe (BET+)
• Hijack (Apple TV+)
• Claim to Fame [Season 2] (ABC & Hulu)
• The Idol (HBO & Max)

Listen here

Average Joe

Streaming on BET+

First impression: The story follows Joe, a working-class man mourning the death of his father and eventually getting a lesson as to what shady activity may have led to his passing.

You learn early on that his father was working with some folks in the Russian mob, and that in the process had made some enemies. Now, Joe is left to resolve this issue and take action, despite knowing nothing about this when his dad was around.

Lasting impression: This show is a really interesting thriller that adds enough humor through its dialogue to have you not feeling too overwhelmed by the angst it’ll sometimes leave you with. The action in the show isn’t gory but is well executed in a way that it does leave you a bit uneasy, at least in my experience. I found that to be a sign that I was invested, however, since it wasn’t off-putting enough for me to look away but more so stay glued to my screen.

I also thought that the writing in it felt fitting — it never crossed the threshold of feeling corny but also wasn’t too serious, which as a viewer I certainly don’t take for granted.

I also want to take some time here to give kudos to the cinematographer, Scott Peck, you watch that first episode and you will definitely notice just how engaging some of these shots are compared to most television shows.

Who's behind it: The show was created by Robb Cullen, who’s worked mostly as a writer and producer. His most notable project was the 2010 action comedy Cop Out, where he served as an executive producer and got writing credit for its script.

When and where: Its first three episodes are streaming now on BET+; episode 4 will release Thursday, July 6.

Hijack

Streaming on Apple TV+

First impression: A flight from Dubai to London is upended when a group of people hijacks the plane, leaving a whole cast of characters struggling to make it out safe and alive.

The foundation for the show is also the biggest name in the cast, Idris Elba, who plays a corporate negotiator who was only on that plane because he wanted to make amends with his estranged wife. We find him attempting to use his skills to get out unscathed because he has a lot of unfinished business in his life.

Lasting impression: There are elements to this show that I do enjoy, particularly the way in which the family is able to have urgency in the situation as soon as they get an inkling that something might be wrong.

For those of you able to watch the pilot episode, I think you’ll also appreciate the pacing it has, at least that was my thoughts after watching it. It felt like a solid first act to a story, you get a good idea of what’s driving the story and how it may resolve itself, with the only question coming to mind being… how are they actually going to sustain this for seven episodes?

I also don’t want to act like the show is perfect, because it isn’t. I think most of the folks on the plan outside of Elba aren’t as fleshed out, I don’t think we necessarily need to know as much about them but some better subtly for these folks would go a long way.

All that being said… if you would like to see Elba get his crack in a plane-centric thriller, then I think you’ll come out of this feeling satisfied.

Who's behind it: The show creators are George Kay and Jim Field Smith. Both have worked together on Netflix’s Criminal: UK and the BBC mini-series Slag.

Kay recently worked on other shows, being the main creative mind behind Netflix’s French crime thriller Lupin. I would highly recommend watching that if you’d like more no-frills suspense, currently have two seasons out now and a third coming this fall.

Smith has an interesting track record himself, having directed the film She’s Out Of My League, one of the most memorable sitcoms for me to come out of the 2010s. It stars Jay Baruchel and is a pretty entertaining watch if you want to view something that isn’t action-centric but gives you a good idea of Smith as a creative.

When and where: Episodes 1 & 2 are out now on Apple TV+; episode 3 releases Wednesday, July 5.

Claim to Fame [Season 2]

Airs on ABC and streams on Hulu

First impression: A reality TV show that includes Kevin and Franklin Jonas as hosts and a slate of unnamed contestants who have some familial connection to a celebrity.

The folks included in the show are relatives in differing levels, some are siblings to the celebrity but others stretch as far as nieces and grandchildren. The range essentially goes as far as an extended family gathering.

The object of the show is that these relatives get eliminated once the others learn about who they’re related to, this is offered in the form of clues that you can find through various props and challenges found in the show. And at the end of it all, the person who’s able to make it out on top will win $100,000.

Lasting impression: What makes this show entertaining is that it takes a fairly unique premise, as far as reality TV show competitions go, although the main components of them are still very much on full display.

What’s going to attract or put you off is going to be the cast of characters, so that first episode for either season is a real make or break as a viewer. I really enjoyed the first episode, it was fun trying to guess who the contestant's celebrity relative might be since you aren’t given that information off the top. You would think that in this age of social media, you’d have a better idea of who these folks might be, but shoutout to the folks casting the program because I was having trouble for the most part.

The first episode of Season 2 is also quite notable since the first contestant to lose made such a stink about it. If the trajectory of the show is anything like that first episode, then I’d recommend checking the show out since it could be a reality show that sticks around.

Who's behind it: The production crew behind the show is Kinetic Content, which is also the group behind Netflix’s hit reality show Love is Blind and Lifetime’s long-running program Married at First Sight.

When and where: Episode 1 is out now on Hulu and you can likely watch it back on your TV provider of choice. Episode 2 airs Monday, July 3 at 8 p.m. PDT.

Read Kristen's piece on Season 2 Episode 1 of Claim to Fame by clicking here.