What to watch this weekend April 12, 2024: TV awards contenders

Kaitlin Thomas
·3 min read
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Walton Goggins is no stranger to meaty roles he can make his own, and now the Emmy-nominated “Justified” actor is sinking his teeth into Amazon’s highly anticipated “Fallout,” an adaptation of the popular video game from “Westworld” duo Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. In the darkly funny post-apocalyptic series, which is now streaming on Prime Video, Goggins pulls double duty as The Ghoul, a disfigured, centuries-old immortal cowboy who’s been stripped of all his humanity, and Cooper Howard, the Hollywood actor he was before the bombs fell. But while Goggins often steals the show — a welcome habit at this point — it’s Ella Purnell’s Lucy who anchors the narrative. Raised in the underground fallout shelters known as Vaults, Lucy travels to the irradiated surface to search for her missing father (Kyle MacLachlan), and she’s shocked to discover a hyper-violent wasteland largely at odds with her inherently optimistic disposition, an outlook that can only exist in someone who hasn’t yet experienced the brutality of a post-nuclear existence. An adaptation that hits all the right notes, “Fallout” is the awards contender to watch this weekend.

SEE Experts slugfest: ‘Fallout’ and ‘The Sympathizer’ are here to shake up the Emmy race

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However, it’s not the only option. Other contenders include:

  • “Franklin”: Apple TV+ is in full-on historical drama mode. On the heels of World War II epic “Masters of the Air” and the Lincoln-centric “Manhunt” comes this new limited series starring Emmy winner Michael Douglas as Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. The eight-episode series, which is directed by fellow Emmy winner Tim Van Patten and adapted from Stacy Schiff‘s book “A Great Improvisation,” follows Franklin’s mission to France, which ultimately paved the way for American democracy, and yet is somehow the least known part of his legacy. The first three episodes are now streaming on Apple TV+.

  • “The Sympathizer”: A seven-part adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen, “The Sympathizer” hails from Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar and tells the story of a half-Vietnamese, half-French communist spy (Hoa Xuande) who begins a new life in the U.S. (and Hollywood) at the end of the Vietnam War. Newly minted Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. also stars and further proves his range by portraying multiple roles in the satirical espionage thriller. The series premiere airs Sunday at 9/8c on HBO and Max.

  • “Bluey: The Sign”: And now for something completely different. Yes, this is an animated show for children, but as anyone who’s seen an episode of the award-winning Australian series about a puppy named Bluey can attest, it’s enjoyable for viewers of all ages. This 28-minute special is the series’ longest episode ever, and it promises to be full of laughs (and maybe a few tears). The special streams Sunday at 7:30/6:30am on Disney+.

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