On The Small Screen

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
HBO
The almost-two-year wait is over, as “House of the Dragon” is finally back, continuing the pre-“Game of Thrones” saga of the House Targaryen dynasty. There is so much intrigue, and incest, and other twists to this tale that you may just want to rewatch Season Two to remember it all. Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen returns, along with Emma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, both determined to rule the Seven Kingdoms. The machinations in this family are endlessly fascinating, plus those dragon-fighting sequences are fantastic.

CAPE FEAR
Apple TV+
Author John D. MacDonald might be surprised to discover that his brilliantly creepy 1957 novel is once again the subject of a Hollywood treatment, but as always, everything old is new again in Tinseltown. That’s why the story of a lawyer (Patrick Wilson), his wife (Amy Adams) and their maniacal ex-con stalker (Javier Bardem) is back as a series. It follows the 1962 Gregory Peck-Polly Bergen-Robert Mitchum film (our favorite) and the Nick Nolte-Jessica Lange-Robert De Niro 1991 movie version, this time told in 10 episodes. Leave the lights on while watching this one!

I WILL FIND YOU
Netflix
Sam Worthington stars in this adaptation of Harlen Coben’s 2023 novel, in a thriller about an escaped convict searching for his dead son, who just might be alive. Britt Lower of “Severance” fame and Milo Ventimiglia join in the action as this complicated mystery unfolds. Created by “Gotham” and “Gossip Girl” writer Robert Hull, this one’s got twists and turns you’ll never see coming (unless you read the book)!

LIFE, LARRY AND THE PURSUIT OF UNHAPPINESS: AN ALMOST HISTORY OF AMERICA
HBO
Okay, who had Larry David and Barak Obama pairing up for a comedy series on their Bingo card? If you did, then you’re ready to watch this new sketch comedy show, filled with vignettes that focus on different moments of U.S. history (and how they would be perceived today). Obama produces, David stars, along with Jon Hamm, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Vince Vaughn, Bill Hader, Kathryn Hahn and a host of other famous faces along for the laughs.

NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK
Hulu
Mindy Kaling seems to be the hardest working woman in show business right now, as the showrunner/writer of the hit HBO series “Running Point,” and doing the same for this new sitcom about a group of twentysomething friends trying to navigate work, life and love in New York City. If that sounds a bit like “Friends,” think of it as that, with people of color included and Mindy’s unique comedic flair. Ella Hunt stars, along with Avantika, Will Angus, Jack Martin and Nicolas Duvernay, while familiar faces like Victor Garber, Greg Germann, Constance Wu and Jay Ellis add to the mayhem.