By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.

Have any weekend plans? Okay, there is that big game on Sunday, but you can’t just watch football all the time, right? Here are five new TV shows or movies that are premiering this week/weekend on a pay TV network or streaming service near you:

Available Now
The Marvels (Disney Plus)
The movie, which stars Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, an Air Force pilot who’s gifted with super strength after an accident changes her DNA, opened in theaters last November but didn’t make its home streaming debut until yesterday (February 7). Now available on Disney Plus, The Marvels is a showcase for CGI and good-natured performances from the likes of Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Teyonah Parris who fight various evil forces in space. Lower the lights, and your expectations, and you’ll have a good time. Guaranteed. 

Rachel Keller in Tokyo Vice.

Thursday, February 8
Tokyo Vice (Season two premiere on Max)
Ansel Elgort stars in this dramatic series based loosely on real-life American journalist Jake Edelstein who moves to Tokyo and investigates the local crime syndicate. With visionary Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral) as a hands-on executive producer (and director of season one, episode one), Tokyo Vice is a thrill-a-minute ride with strong performances from Elgort and Rachel Keller as an ambitious American who wants to leave the Tokyo floozy life for something better. Catch up with season one on Max and tune in today for the season two opening episode.

See more news and TV tech features at TVAnswerMan.com.

Friday, February 9 (Alert: Early premiere!)

True Detective: Night Country (HBO/Max)
Jodie Foster stars as a police chief in a frigid small town in Alaska who’s investigating the supernatural (maybe) murder of several scientists at a mysterious research center. The True Detective series peaked with season one (starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey) but the first four episodes of season four are worthy of comparison. Foster is great and so is Kali Reis as her mismatched partner. Thanks to potential Super Bowl conflicts, HBO is releasing the penultimate episode five on Max at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, February 9 instead of the usual time slot of 9 p.m. ET on Sunday. So you can check out the latest spooky happenings in Ennis, Alaska without worrying about missing a single play of the big game. Note: HBO will premiere episode five at 9 p.m. on Sunday as usual; the early premiere will only be available on Max. And the series’ finale episode six will air on February 18.

Suncoast (2024, Hulu exclusive movie)
Nico Parker stars as a young woman who’s struggling with her brother’s serious illness. The comedy/drama film, which debuted last month at the Sundance Film Festival, is getting decent reviews in large part because of Parker and supporting performances from the great Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson. Sounds like it’s worth a look.

Also worth checking out:
Upgraded (2024, Amazon original movie) – Premiering Friday, February 9
Super Bowl Greatest Commercials (Hosted by Boomer Esiason and Daniela Ruah) – Premiering Feb. 9 on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.