What's Worth Watching On TV? We Heard From Critics On 'I Think You Should Leave,' 'With Love' And More

The world of television and streaming is so vast that it can get quite overwhelming having to sift through it by yourself. Not just that, but sometimes you have certain television itches you want to scratch, depending on the day.

Maybe you want some compelling highbrow story. Maybe other days, you want to watch some good old lowbrow reality television — no judgment either way on your preferences.

But it’s for reasons like these we want to help you out. Every week on the LAist 89.3 program AirTalk, we dedicate one segment to talk about the latest in television with a couple of television critics, getting their insights into what’s worth checking out. This week, we were joined by Vulture television critic Jen Chaney and Marcus Jones, awards editor for TV & Film at IndieWire.

So, I’ll give you a rundown of some shows we talked about, offer some insights into each one, and even draw comparisons that might help you make a decision on what to watch.

I’d highly encourage y’all to give our program a listen, where we've had the chance to talk about the series finales for Succession, Ted Lasso, and Barry.

Listen to the conversation

I Think You Should Leave [Season 3]

Streaming on Netflix

I Think You Should Leave. Tim Robinson as Tim in episode 304 of I Think You Should Leave. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023

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The basics: An absurdist, sketch comedy series that routinely includes characters in each skit so jarring that they make those around them want to leave the vicinity. The comedy takes a lot from contemporary internet meme humor.

What it might remind you of: When it comes to giving you a rundown on sketch comedy, it’s hard since the format is the same outside of each writer’s personality. For Tim Robinson and company, its aggressive bits make it reminiscent of The Eric Andre Show for me. It’s also fairly easy to think about the off-kilter humor of Tim Heidecker, who not only shows up in this, but is famous for his work on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job.

Also worth noting is that you may be familiar with some of the shots in this season. I was able to notice in the "Pay It Forward" sketch that it was shot at a Nexx Burger in Downey, there’s also the "Driving Crooner" sketch which includes a shot taken at the Hollywood nightclub Boardner's by La Belle.

Who's behind it: The show is created by Robinson and Zach Kanin. Both have been frequent collaborators, working together in Saturday Night Live writers’ room for a number of years and producing the Comedy Central show Detroiters.

When and where: All six episodes are streaming now on Netflix.

With Love [Season 2]

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Mark Indelicato (Jorge Diaz Jr.), Isis King (Sol Perez), Vincent Rodriguez (Henry), Desmond Chiam (Nick Zhao), Emeraude Toubia (Lily Diaz)

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The basics: A comedic and heartwarming story about family members all trying to find love and affection. The story follows the Diaz family, with siblings Lily and Jorge as the main characters trying to find romance. The story fast forwards each episode to a different holiday, where we see the progress that’s been made in that time.

What it might remind you of: It’s a romantic comedy that tends to center around holidays, which definitely reminded me of the 2003 film Love Actually, intertwining multiple stories about love in a way that tends to skip around more than a traditional story format.

Who's behind it: The show’s creator is Gloria Calderón Kellett, who was the executive producer for Netflix’s reimagining of the show One Day At A Time and also has a writer & co-producer for the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

When and where: All episodes are streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

Vanderpump Rules [Season 10]

Airing on Bravo & streaming on Peacock

The basics: A show centering around Lisa Vanderpump, an original cast member in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, who is an entrepreneur. The show documents the restaurants and bars she owns, along with some of the workers in them, and isn’t short on interpersonal drama. Worth noting is that this show, as seasons have progressed, has essentially stuck to a main cast of people that aren’t necessarily workers as much as they are just reality show stars.

This is the kind of show you might want to watch just to get your mind off of things, and for those situations, it lets you simulate being in a drama-rich environment.

What it might remind you of: The show is actually a spin-off of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where Lisa Vanderpump was originally a cast member. Both shows are your typical reality TV show format, with their popularity being a result of the cast of characters they bring in to star in each series, with fan favorites typically being show mainstays.

I also hope it doesn’t remind you of your life, mainly because of the cheating scandal (aka the #Scandoval saga) that’s been going on in the show. The scandal was a result of cast member Tom Sandoval, who cheated on his partner of nine years, Ariana Madix, with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. This scandal is of course juicy for a lot of folks, and its why the show reached a ratings high this season, with 4.1 million viewers across all platforms airing its finale.

Who's behind it: The main minds producing the show currently are Alex Baskin and Lisa Vanderpump. We’ve spoken about Vanderpump’s story, so let’s get into Baskin’s previous work. Baskin has been a longtime producer for reality television, with his biggest credits being The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules.

When and where: This season has 17 episodes streaming now on Peacock; the next episode releases Wednesday, June 7 at 9 p.m. PT on Bravo and next day on Peacock.