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Three Things to Watch This Week
Every Monday, the Times TV critic Margaret Lyons picks the best of what’s ahead before the weekend. Check back each week for more recommendations.
Give Me an Earnest Documentary
‘Born This Way Presents: Deaf Out Loud’
When to watch: Wednesday at 8 p.m., on A&E.
This documentary special about three predominantly deaf families plays like a backdoor pilot, which means that if it does well, my guess is it will be turned into a regular series. That would be great given how underrepresented deaf people are in TV and pop culture — but really because the profiled families are incredibly compelling, thoughtful and telegenic.
Deaf families are not a monolith. Some parents and kids use American Sign Language exclusively, others use a combination of A.S.L. and verbal speech. Mainstream schools work well for some kids, and other kids prefer schools for the deaf. The biggest takeaway here is just how much ignorance and discrimination deaf and hard-of-hearing people still come up against.
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Inject a Foreign Cop Show Right Into My Veins
‘Jack Irish’
When to watch: Now, on Acorn TV.
Just when you think you can’t bear another show in which a sad, washed-up man drinks whiskey and solves crimes while somehow impressing the accomplished women around him, here comes the second season of “Jack Irish.” And it’s terrific.
Guy Pearce stars as Jack Irish, a former lawyer turned private investigator (so not a cop, technically), in this Australian series that started as three made-for-TV movies. Season 1 is six episodes, and this latest season is an additional six. You’re better off starting at the beginning, but if someone in your household has already watched the rest, jumping in at the beginning of Season 2 is doable.The big distinction between “Jack Irish” and its brethren is that this show isn’t a misery factory. It’s sharp and witty and clever — but not unserious. There’s plenty of dark violence and the dark violence of the human heart. But, you know, in a fun way. (Read the Times review here.)
I Want Something Serious
‘The Oslo Diaries’
Where to watch: Thursday at 8 p.m., on HBO.
“Will I fail my people by abandoning peace, or by abandoning the struggle?” So wonders the chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei, known as Abu Ala, in this documentary about the secret 1993 negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian officials that led to the Oslo Accords and to the historic handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat. “The Oslo Diaries” uses diary entries, previously unseen footage, interviews and some recreations to explain this lightning-bolt instance of diplomacy, and the film is intriguing if a little overproduced.
Explore More in TV and Movies
Not sure what to watch next? We can help.
“X-Men ’97,” a revival on Disney+ that picks up where the ’90s animated series left off, has faced questions after the firing of its showrunner ahead of the premiere.
“3 Body Problem,” a science fiction epic from the creators of “Game of Thrones,” has arrived on Netflix. We spoke with them about their latest project.
For the past two decades, female presidential candidates on TV have been made in Hillary Clinton’s image. With “The Girls on the Bus,” that’s beginning to change.
“Freaknik,” a new Hulu documentary, delves into the rowdy ’80s and ’90s-era spring festival that drew hundreds of thousands of Black college students to Atlanta.
If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings on Netflix, Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.
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