The It List: 'Survivor' celebrates 40 seasons, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn returns in 'Birds of Prey,' Jessica Simpson launches tell-all memoir and the best in pop culture the week of Feb. 3, 2020
The It List is Yahoo’s weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. Here are our picks for Feb. 3-9, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
WATCH IT: Before the winners go to war, celebrate 40 seasons of immunity idols and tribal councils with the CBS special, Survivor at 40: Greatest Moments and Players
CBS’s long-running reality competition series celebrates a major milestone this month when it premieres its 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War on Feb. 12. Before the battle breaks out, take a stroll down memory lane with this hour-long special, which recaps some highlights of the past two decades and 39 seasons and illustrates how the returning champions have evolved their gameplay with each edition. Take three-time contestant, and one-time winner, Parvati Shallow who repeatedly dodged elimination in Heroes vs. Villains to finish in second place behind the winningest winner in Survivor history, Sandra Diaz-Twine. (By the way, Shallow recently told Entertainment Weekly that her approach to Winners at War is going to involve taking aim at Sandra: “I’d rather be like Arya Stark and go and slay the Night King and that might be Sandra this time.”) Greatest Moments and Players will also revisit the greatest Survivor love story ever told between power couple Amber and Rob Mariano. After meeting on 2004’s All-Stars season, the duo fell in love on and off-camera, culminating in a memorable proposal on that season’s reunion special. Who said this game is only about snakes and rats? Sometimes, it's also about lovebirds. — Ethan Alter
Survivor at 40: Greatest Moments and Players airs Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. on CBS and CBS All Access.
READ IT: Jessica Simpson is an Open Book in her new memoir
You may have heard that the singer turned fashion mogul has written a memoir about her time in the spotlight. (We've done a couple stories on it — or 10.) The candid tome reveals childhood sex abuse and her secret addiction to alcohol. Simpson, who got sober in 2017, also details her weight struggle (she claims a music exec body-shamed her into taking diet pills at 17, which she continued doing for two decades) as well as the men she loved before hubby Eric Johnson (among them her ex-husband Nick Lachey, Johnny Knoxville and John Mayer). And while many of the stories are already out there in the public realm, the book is more than 400 pages, so there are lots of dishy details — all delivered in Simpson's humorous and off-the-cuff voice. Simpson, who narrates the audiobook, told the New York Times the book is "what I’ve gone through. This is what I was going through in the 10 years that I’ve been silent about my divorce, or anything that anybody had questions about.” — Suzy Byrne
Jessica Simpson's Open Book arrives at bookstores, including Amazon, Tuesday, Feb. 4.
HEAR IT: Stone Temple Pilots fly again with Perdida
The ‘90s alt-rock legends return with their second full-length album to feature new lead singer Jeff Gutt, who you might remember from the first and third seasons of The X Factor USA. An acoustic record largely recorded on vintage instruments, expect Perdida to have an MTV Unplugged vibe. — Lyndsey Parker
Download on iTunes; buy on CD/vinyl at Amazon.
WATCH IT: Joker, Parasite and 1917 compete for Oscar gold at the 92nd Academy Awards
The awards race that started with the launch of film festival season way back in September reaches the finish line at last as the Oscars are handed out to a crop of deserving — or depending on your personal point-of-view, undeserving — winners. While Todd Phillips’s Joker scored the most nominations of any 2019 film, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite could emerge as the night’s big winner, potentially becoming the first foreign language film to nab the Best Picture trophy. But don’t count out Sam Mendes’s World War I drama, 1917, which could easily emerge as the consensus choice for the top prize. Don’t feel bad for the Clown Prince of Crime, though: Joaquin Phoenix is certain to win his first Best Actor trophy, and you can also expect to see Renee Zellweger, Laura Dern and Brad Pitt take turns at the podium. Personally, we’re hoping that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper drop by for another show-stopping duet. — E.A.
The 92nd Academy Awards air Sunday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
WATCH IT: McMillion$ offers your next true-crime obsession
HBO’s latest docu-series examines how $24 million was stolen from the McDonald’s Monopoly promotion in the ‘90s. Over six episodes, the Mark Wahlberg-produced show promises to piece together the story through archival footage and firsthand accounts from FBI agents who brought down the scam, former McDonald’s executives, lawyers and others. Podcast enthusiasts will appreciate that a companion show, The McMillion$ Podcast, will launch after each episode airs, revealing behind-the-scenes scoop and recapping the night’s events. — Raechal Shewfelt
McMillion$ premieres Monday, Feb. 3 on HBO.
WATCH IT: Never mind the Suicide Squad — Harley Quinn gets her own justice league in Birds of Prey
It may have earned over $300 million domestically, but DC has wasted little time disbanding the original big-screen Suicide Squad. James Gunn’s upcoming sequel/reboot will feature a largely new cast including John Cena and Idris Elba; Jared Leto’s time as the Joker is largely assumed to be over; and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is flying free as her own anti-hero in the new spinoff Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). After violently divorcing herself from “Mr. J,” the Cupid of Crime finds herself alone on the Batman-free streets of Gotham City. But she’s not solo for long: A chance encounter with a young thief on the lam (Ella Jay Basco) leads her to form a new super-group with vigilantes Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) so they can take on Gotham hoodlum Roman Sionis aka Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) and his sidekick, Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina). Behind the camera, reporter-turned-filmmaker Cathy Yan makes her big-budget debut, and kicks off a historic year of female-directed, female-centric superhero movies that includes Black Widow, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Eternals. — E.A.
Birds of Prey opens in theaters on Friday, Feb. 7; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
HEAR IT: Oh yeah, Green Day is back!
The punk-pop godfathers return sounding as feisty as ever on their 13th studio album, Father of All Motherf***ers (also known by its more family-friendly title, Father of All...). Proceeds from the new single “Oh Yeah!,” which samples Joan Jett's cover of "Do You Wanna Touch Me?” by convicted sex offender Gary Glitter, will go to the International Justice Mission and Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAIN). Look for Green Day on the road with Fall Out Boy and Weezer on the Hella Mega Tour starting in March. — L.P.
Download on iTunes; buy on CD/vinyl at Amazon.
WATCH IT: Give into your Girl Scout cookie hankering with Girl Scout Cookie Championship
Samoas, Thin Mints, Tagalongs — they’re all here! The show features competitors using some of your favorite sweet treats to create what the network calls “over-the-top edible art.” Think Making It fused with an edition of Food Network’s Baking Championship shows. Actress Alyson Hannigan will host, and judges include Katie Lee and Nacho Aguirre, along with a rotating third judge, like fan favorite Carla Hall. The winner of the contest will get more than a badge for their sash: an outdoor adventure trip of a lifetime and, even better, a year’s supply of Girl Scout cookies. — R.S.
Girl Scout Cookie Championship premieres Monday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. on Food Network.
BUY IT: Add Spin Master’s new line of Batman toys to your Batcave
A new year brings a new collection of Batman toys courtesy of Spin Master. Available online and on major retailer shelves now, the line features 4” and 12” Dark Knight action figures, each with their own assortment of crimefighting accessories. The 4” Batman also fits perfectly into a 2-in-1 Batmobile toy, which hides the Batboat inside of its armored shell. Beyond Batman, Spin Master created 12” figures of the Caped Crusader’s longtime partner, Robin, and their eternal nemeses the Joker and Harley Quinn. Last but not least, give yourself a makeover with a Batman Voice-Changing Mask that lets you utter 15 different Bat-phrases. Move over Christian Bale! — E.A.
Spin Master’s Batman toys are available on at all major retailers, including Amazon and Walmart.
HEAR IT: Trixie Mattel, the (drag) queen of all media, debuts Barbara
The country-crooning winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars 3 continues her bid for world domination (which also entails a Netflix series, the documentary Moving Parts and her own makeup line) with her third studio album. Reminiscent of ‘90s bands like Fountains of Wayne, the Donnas, Apples in Stereo as well as ‘60s surf groups like the Ventures, the Skinny Legend’s powerpop-crossover effort Barbara is sure to expand her already-huge fanbase, which includes Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves and Shakey Graves. — L.P.
