'Family Dinner'
Magnolia Network doesn't launch until this summer, but Discovery Plus is offering sneak peeks of some of its programming, including two culinary shows with strong Minnesota ties. Twin Cities foodie Andrew Zimmern hosts this engaging new series in which he breaks bread — and cracks corny jokes — with the Arends, a farming family in Willmar, Minn., and soaks up the Mardi Gras spirit with the help of WCCO Radio personality Sheletta Brundidge. In addition, you can currently get a taste of "Zoe Bakes," featuring Zimmern's pal Zoë François as she shows you how to make a strawberry rhubarb pie and appreciate the sweet skills of Bellecour's pastry chef, Diane Moua. Discovery Plus (Neal Justin)
'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'
Marvel's latest TV series won't blow your mind like "WandaVision" did, but it serves as a satisfying superhero fix. Those who haven't recently binged "The Avengers" movies will be thoroughly confused by the first episode, but the action scenes, including a spectacular aerial chase through a desert canyon, don't require a refresher course. Minnesotan Carl Lumbly will join the cast later in the season. Disney Plus (Neal Justin)
'Calls'
This limited series about an impending apocalypse feels like a podcast. There are no visuals, aside from graphics that represent phone conversations straight out of "The Twilight Zone." But not seeing the actors only makes the story more engrossing. If you ever wanted to get a sense of what radio audiences experienced while listening to Orson Welles' 1938 production of "The War of the Worlds," check this out. Streaming on Apple TV (Neal Justin)
'Diary of a Madman: A Radio Play'
Among the many things your locked-down experience has been missing is one you may not have thought of: the distinctive voice of Kevin Kling. You'll get plenty of the theatermaker/storyteller/actor/raconteur in this free one-hour piece. He performs Nikolai Gogol's tale of an office worker who is disaffected (relatable) who, as the title suggests, gets a little unhinged (maybe also relatable). If that sounds stressful, it isn't; Kling's confident delivery and a zippy musical soundscape by Victor Zupanc underscore the beauty of a shared aural experience at a time when all of us are a bit mad. openeyetheatre.org (Chris Hewitt)
'We're Texas'
Whether or not he's really thinking of running for governor, Matthew McConaughey shows how big his influence is in his home state with this virtual fundraiser concert featuring nearly every Texas giant in the music biz. Willie Nelson, Post Malone, Leon Bridges, Kelly Clarkson, George Strait, Gary Clark Jr., Miranda Lambert, Don Henley, Khalid and more will raise money for residents still cleaning up from the winter storms. 7 p.m. Sunday, YouTube (Chris Hewitt) (Chris Riemenschneider)
'Re-Cast'
The second in Theater Latté Da's "Ghostlight Series" of five virtual cabarets is a local take on a popular musical theater idea: What happens if you ask actors to tackle songs from roles they might not usually be cast in? It also implies: Um, why not cast them in these parts? Nora Montañez makes a passionate case for a Latina Peter Pan with "Never Never Land," Sara Ochs thoughtfully contemplates the future of theater and the complexity of "Being Alive" and Evan Tyler Wilson asks why a gay, not-"skinny" man can't be a romantic lead, singing the title song from "She Loves Me." A series pass for all five shows, available through Aug. 31, is $75. latteda.org (Chris Hewitt)
'The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution'
If you want to dig into the Panthers' history beyond what's portrayed in two of this year's Oscar nominees for best picture ("Judas & the Black Messiah" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7"), then look up this balanced and all-too-timely 2015 documentary by Stanley Nelson, the filmmaker behind "Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool." It debuted at Sundance and became part of PBS' "Independent Lens." PBS (Chris Riemenschneider)
'The Dana Carvey Show'
This short-lived series from 1996 opened with an infamous sketch in which its eager-to-please star imagined Bill Clinton breast-feeding puppies. Yikes. But when the show wasn't trying to shock viewers, it provided plenty of smart comedy, thanks to an ambitious cast that included Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Louis CK. Heather Morgan's impression of First Ladies as dogs is one of the funniest bits ever to air in prime-time. All eight episodes, including one that was never broadcast, are now available for free streaming. Crackle (Neal Justin)
'Overserved With Lisa Vanderpump'
"Overserved" gives us a chance to break bread with the reality star and her famous friends, starting this week with Vivica A. Fox and Lance Bass. The table conversation is more mouthwatering than the meal, especially when Fox goes into detail about her rocky relationship with 50 Cent. Future dinner guests include Joel McHale, Tori Spelling and Iggy Azalea. 8 p.m. Thursday, E! (Neal Justin)
'W1A'
Hugh Bonneville, late of "Downton Abbey," rides a decidedly un-lordly fold-up bicycle to his job as head of values for the BBC in this scathing behind-the-scenes series produced, yes, by the BBC. What he actually does is anyone's guess, including his. Office peons will nod in recognition at the corporate-speak-filled meetings in which everything is "cool" and "brilliant" but nothing is ever decided or even defined. Nevertheless, Bonneville's Ian Fletcher tries gamely to make sense of the goings-on, hilariously narrated in faux-documentary style by David Tennant. Netflix (Cynthia Dickison)
