Rueben's Ramblings

Here is the list of the programming options to expect on TV this coming week:

On March 20, the period piece comedy series Palm Royale will debut on Apple TV+ online. This series is a true underdog story following Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, the series asks the same question that still baffles us today: “How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?” Set during the powder keg year of 1969, the series is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong. The ensemble cast includes Allison Janney, Bruce Dern, the legendary Carol Burnett, Josh Lucas, Julia Duffy, Laura Dern, Leslie Bibb, Mindy Cohn, Ricky Martin and Kaia Gerber.

The season finales of Wild Cards and Family Law will both air at 8 and 9 PM respectively on CW on March 20.

On March 21, the small screen remake of Road House, the box office flick that starred the one and only Patrick Swayze, will debut online on Amazon Prime. Ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems. The ensemble cast includes Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Billy Magnussen, Darren Barnet, Post Malone, Joaquim de Almeida, Arturo Castro, JD Pardo, Beau Knapp, Hannah Love Lanier, Kevin Carroll, B.K. Cannon and Travis Van Winkle.

The new Netflix series 3 Body Problem will debut online on March 21. A fateful decision in 1960s China echoes across space and time to a group of scientists in the present, forcing them to face humanity’s greatest threat. It will follow the story of humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization. The cast includes Zine Tseng, John Bradley, Jovan Adepo, Eiza Gonzalez, Benedict Wong, Liam Cunningham, Rosalind Chao and Jonathan Pryce.

Also on March 21, the new period piece drama The Long Shadow will debut online on both Sundance Now and AMC+. The true crime drama takes viewers back to the 1970s and 1980s to follow the victim and survivors of the infamous serial killer Peter Sutcliffe (Mark Stobbart), better known as the “Yorkshire Ripper,” through a desperate five-year hunt. The story starts when mother of four, Wilma McCann, is found murdered near her home in October 1975 – and a desperate cat and mouse game ensues. The cast includes David Morrissey and Toby Jones.

The season finale of Halo will air online on Paramount+ on March 21.

On March 22, the Netflix feature film Shirley will debut online. The film tells the story of the first Black congresswoman, political icon Shirley Chisholm (Regina King) and her trailblazing run for president, chronicling her audacious, boundary-breaking 1972 presidential campaign. The ensemble cast includes the late Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, Dorian Missick, Amirah Vann, W. Earl Brown, Brad James, André Holland and Terrence Howard.

Lastly, the Hallmark Channel movie Shifting Gears will debut on March 23 at 8 PM. After female mechanic Jess (Katherine Barrell) reluctantly agrees to participate in a car restoration show, she is shocked to learn that her ex-boyfriend, Luke (Tyler Hynes), is her main competitor. Will sparks reignite? Kristin Booth co-stars.

Mark your calendars!