born for the spotlight

Red Canoe Productions

We're back with a new list for this week. There's a lot of variety this week, and a couple familiar faces — so take your pick.

The best new streaming shows this week

Feel free to click on any links that pique your interest.

Born for the Spotlight – November 7, Netflix

  • Release date: November 7, 2024
  • Genre: Drama
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Director: Yen Yi-wen
  • Cast: Hsieh Ying Shiuan, Cheryl Yang, Simon Hsueh, Annie Chen, Cherry Hsieh, Yang Kuei-Mei, Hsin-Ling Chung
  • A sweeping 12-episode Taiwanese drama that pulls back the curtain on the lives of multiple actresses at different stages of their entertainment careers. The series weaves together the stories of several compelling protagonists: a fresh-faced newcomer trying to break into the industry, an ex-actress attempting to reclaim her place in the spotlight, an ambitious director navigating the power dynamics of the business, a veteran performer holding onto her relevance, and a former star now labeled a "has-been."

    The show offers an intimate look at the struggles, triumphs, and complex relationships that define life in the entertainment industry. A touching exploration of female friendship, professional rivalries, and personal growth.

    Outer Banks (Season 4, Part 2) – November 7, Netflix

  • Release date: November 7, 2024
  • Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Director: Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, Shannon Burke
  • Cast: Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Drew Starkey, Charles Esten
  • The final installment of season four begins with multiple crises as the Pogues face a threatening rezoning motion that could strip them of their land. While John B and Cleo race against time to rescue Sarah and Pope, who are trapped in an underground crypt, the season takes an unexpected emotional turn with JJ's dramatic personal journey.

    JJ makes many world shattering discoveries, complicated and confusing ones. No spoilers here, but it has a lot to do with his lineage. Watch as he figures his life out as he struggles to process these life-changing revelations.

    Christmas Cookie Challenge (Season 8) – November 7, Max

    christmas cookie challenge

    Triage Entertainment

  • Release date: November 7, 2024
  • Genre: Game Show, Reality
  • Rating: TV-G
  • Director: Steve Hryniewicz
  • Cast: Eddie Jackson, Ree Drummond, Dan Langan, Aarti Sequeira, Damiano Carrara, Stephanie Boswell, Molly Yeh
  • Christmas Cookie Challenge returns for its magical eighth season, transforming the kitchen into a festive North Pole wonderland. Hosts Eddie Jackson and Ree Drummond welcome the nation's most talented cookie artisans to compete in dual challenges that test both their baking prowess and creative imagination.

    This season's themed challenges include creating treats inspired by The Polar Express, crafting 3D Christmas tractors, designing North Pole Christmas market displays, celebrating a farm animal hoedown, and showcasing winter sports through cookies. Raising the stakes, this season introduces a special twist — first-round winners receive prizes before the ultimate champion of each episode walks away with $10,000 and the coveted Golden Ornament. 

    Eat Slay Love – November 7, Peacock

  • Release date: November 7, 2024
  • Genre: Reality
  • Rating: N.A.
  • Director: Will Packer
  • Cast: Nivea, Eva Marcille, Tammy Rivera, London Hughes
  • A three-part unscripted series following Grammy Award-nominated singer Nivea as she celebrates her 41st birthday with a unique adventure across Vietnam. Joined by her celebrity friends Eva Marcille, Tammy Rivera, and London Hughes, the women set out on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

    Eva describes flying "across the world to escape all of what my heart is going through," while the group navigates cultural experiences and internal dynamics. Each woman brings her distinct personality to the journey, with Nivea as the "crazy one," Eva as the "emotional one," Tammy as the "fashionista," and London as the "funny one".

    Citadel: Honey Bunny – November 7, Prime Video

  • Release date: November 7, 2024
  • Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction
  • Rating: N.A.
  • Director: Sita Menon
  • Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Varun Dhawan, Kay Kay Menon, Kashvi Majmundar, Simran, Saqib Saleem, Sikandar Kher
  • Set across two timelines in 1992 and 2000, this spinoff of the Russo Brother's Citadel follows the story of stunt performer Bunny, who secretly works as an agent for a mysterious figure called Baba, and struggling actress Honey, who joins his team seeking quick money.

    As Honey becomes an agent herself, she must question whether they're working for the right side. In 2000, Honey, now a single mother to Nadia, is pursued by mysterious assassins while Bunny races to reach her first. The show features action sequences and explores the complex origins of the Citadel organization through their story.

    What was new and worth watching over the last month

    Missed our other lists? Here's a quick recap. Also, check out our list of streaming movies if you're in the mood for something longer this weekend.

    Lioness Season 2 – October 27

  • Release date: October 27, 2024
  • Genre: Spy thriller
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Director:  Taylor Sheridan
  • Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Genesis Rodriguez, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner
  • Special Ops is back for a second season. Starring Zoe Saldaña of Guardians of the Galaxy fame. The famed actress stars as a  CIA intelligence officer in charge of the Lioness program, a highly clandestine operation that recruits women operatives known as Lionesses. These agents are then placed secretly undercover in order to discover and stop terrorist activity around the world.

    If you have yet to catch the first season you can find all eight episodes of season 1 and the first two episodes of season 2 streaming now on Paramount Plus. New episodes will debut every Sunday from November 3 to its conclusion on December 8.

    Wizards Beyond Waverly Place – Oct 29

  • Release date: October 29, 2024
  • Genre: Family, Fantasy
  • Rating: TV-PG
  • Creator: Todd Greenwald
  • Cast: Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, Taylor Cora, David Henrie
  • Years after the conclusion of the original series and its followup made-for-TV special, Wizards Beyond Waverly returns to the world of the Russos but with a twist. This time Justin is all grown up and living the life of a mortal. His family doesn't even know about the wizard world or his connection to it.

    When his sister shows up with a wizard-in-training that needs extra guidance in order to fulfill a prophecy and save the world. After years of turning his back on magic, Justin must embrace it once again and use it to train the next generation of wizards. 

    The Diplomat, Season 2 – Oct 31

  • Release date: October 31, 2024
  • Genre: Political thriller
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Creator: Debora Cahn
  • Cast: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi
  • Netflix's most famous political thriller of all time may arguably still be House of Cards, but The Diplomat is slowly starting to take its place among Netflix fans. The series centers on a new United States ambassador to the United Kingdom as she helps to defuse an international crisis. The thing is that Kate Wyler isn't used to being in the spotlight, but now the attention is on her and the stakes are higher than ever. All the while, her personal life continues to unravel as her marriage to fellow career diplomat Hal Wyler begins to deteriorate. 

    The second season largely takes off where the last season ended, but we don't want to dive too deep to avoid spoilers. If you've yet to check it out, the entirety of both seasons are now available, which comprises of fourteen episodes in total. 

    Beauty in Black – October 24, Netflix

  • Release date: October 24, 2024
  • Genre: Drama
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Director: Tyler Perry
  • Cast: Taylor Polidore, Crystle Stewart, Amber Reign Smith, Xavier Smalls, Julian Horton, Steven G. Norfleet, Richard Lawson
  • A dark drama following two women from vastly different worlds whose lives become dangerously intertwined. Kimmie is a stripper struggling to escape her circumstances after being thrown out by her mother at a young age. Mallory is a formerly orphaned woman who has risen to become wealthy and successful, running her own company. Their paths cross through their connections to powerful and wealthy men, leading to a complex web of scandals, family drama, and moral corruption.

    The first part features multiple plot twists and a large cast of morally ambiguous characters. Explore class divide, power dynamics, and female survival neatly packaged into a fast-paced 8-episode series.

    Hellbound (Season 2) – October 25, Netflix

  • Release date: October 25, 2024
  • Genre: Crime, Drama, Fantasy
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Director: Yeon Sang-ho, Choi Gyu-seok
  • Cast: Kim Hyun-joo, Kim Shin-rock, Yang Ik-june, Lee Re, Lee Dong-hee, Yoo Ah-in, Kim Sung-cheol
  • Years after the events of season one, where supernatural creatures delivered violent death sentences called "demonstrations" to sinners, society has fractured into competing factions. The story follows four major organizations fighting for control of public sentiment in this new reality.

    Senior Secretary Lee Su-gyeong, a manipulative government official played by Moon So-ri, attempts to wrestle power from the Arrowheads by positioning the resurrected Park Jung-ja and New Truth as divine messengers. Meanwhile, Min Hye-jin works in the shadows to uncover the truth while protecting a special four-year-old child named Toughie. The situation becomes more complex when Jung Jinsu joins the list of resurrected individuals, sparking a race to establish a new religious messiah.

    What We Do in the Shadows (Season 6) – October 22, Hulu

  • Release date: October 21, 2024
  • Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Director: Jemaine Clement
  • Cast: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, Kristen Schaal, Anthony Atamanuik
  • The final season of this beloved vampire comedy launches with an ambitious three-part premiere that will kick off its 11-episode farewell. The season begins with the vampires reconnecting with an old friend, followed by Guillermo taking on a new job while Colin Robinson and Laszlo go on a dangerous mission together.

    The rest of the season promises exciting adventures including a trip to New Hampshire, attendance at a human dinner party, a celebration for The Baron, and even demon conjuring. Most significantly, this season marks the first time Guillermo isn't driven by his desire to become a vampire, creating a major shift in the group's dynamic as the other characters struggle with his newfound independence — from debating who gets his old room to learning how to function without him as the glue holding their supernatural household together.

    Before – October 25, Apple TV Plus

  • Release date: October 25, 2024
  • Genre: Drama
  • Rating: N.A.
  • Director: Sarah Thorp
  • Cast: Billy Crystal, Judith Light, Rosie Perez, Jacobi Jupe, Maria Dizzia, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Julia Chan
  • Billy Crystal stars as Eli, a child psychiatrist still grieving his wife Lynn's suicide during her battle with cancer. He's largely withdrawn from his practice and relationships, including with his daughter Barbara, and won't even enter the bathroom where his wife died. His life changes when he takes on a mysterious 8-year-old patient named Noah who exhibits disturbing behavior, including speaking in strange languages and violent outbursts.

    As Eli works with Noah's foster mother Denise, he begins to sense their connection goes beyond the rational explanations he usually believes in. This thriller explores themes of grief, faith versus rationality, and unexplained phenomena while building toward the connection of Noah's condition with Eli's past.

    Star Trek: Lower Decks (Season 5) – October 24, Paramount Plus

  • Release date: October 24, 2024
  • Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
  • Rating: TV-14
  • Director: Mike McMahan
  • Cast: Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Dawnn Lewis, Gillian Vigman, Jerry O'Connell
  • The fifth and final season of this animated Star Trek comedy launches with "Dos Cerritos," an ambitious episode where the crew encounters their parallel dimension doubles, offering glimpses of alternate lives — like what if Mariner had become captain or if other key characters had taken different paths.

    As the final season progresses, fan-favorite characters face new challenges: Boimler attempts to grow facial hair to match his more confident parallel self (shown evolving awkwardly across episodes), Tendi gets to embrace her Orion heritage with more pirate action (while maintaining her uniquely non-lethal, brainy approach), and Rutherford struggles with emotional challenges that lead to an unexpected grand gesture from his Vulcan friend T'Lyn.

    Breath of Fire – October 23, Max

  • Release date: October 23, 2024
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Rating: TV-MA
  • Director: Hayley Pappas, Smiley Stevens
  • Cast: Sundeep Morrison, Amanda Montell, Philip Deslippe
  • A four-part documentary series examining the controversial world of Kundalini Yoga, focusing on two key figures: Yogi Bhajan, who brought the movement to the United States in the 1970s, and Guru Jagat, who claimed to be Bhajan's chosen successor when she opened the Ra Ma Institute in Los Angeles in 2012.

    The series explores how Jagat built a massive social media following and profitable business empire while raising questions about her claimed connection to Bhajan. It also investigates controversies surrounding both leaders, including Bhajan's profitable business ventures like Yogi Tea, his practice of mainly employing young women and accusations of cultural appropriation from the Sikh community.

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