June has finally arrived, and along with beautiful warm weather we also get a bevy of television shows to keep us cool on those hot days. This slate of programs is particularly unusual because they’re all pretty “out there.” From the new TNT nail drama Claws (yes, “nail” as in nail salon) to the ‘80s female wrestling comedy GLOW, there are plenty of weird, fun and passionate characters to spice up your summertime.
Claws (TNT, premiering June 11)
Screens-Claws
When I first saw advertisements for Claws, they piqued my interest. The show features some supremely talented actresses, including Niecy Nash (Getting On) and Carrie Preston (The Good Wife), in the vibrant setting of a creative Miami nail salon. TNT describes the show as “the story of hardworking women trying to get by in this economy, set against the surreal, bright, gritty landscape of Florida and the luscious, absurd, extreme excesses of the crime world.” Basically, these cutthroat manicurists dream of opening a beautiful new salon — and to make it happen, they engage in unsavory business with some interesting characters. I’m intrigued by Claws because there aren’t dark comedies about the beauty industry, and I think it’s a fascinating angle to take. Also, the visuals are perfect for summertime viewing — bright South Florida landscape, outlandish outfits and artful nails.
Oh, Hello On Broadway (Netflix, premiering June 13)
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In the early 2000s, comedians and friends Nick Kroll (The League) and John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live) created two bizarre sketch characters based on older men they observed in New York City. Oh, Hello features two senior citizen males platonically living together in a rent-controlled apartment on New York’s Upper West Side. Gil Faizon (Kroll) and George St. Geegland (Mulaney) have a penchant for chit-chatting, wearing wool sweaters, worshipping Alan Alda and saying their catchphrase “Oh, Hello.” The sketch rose to prominence on Nick Kroll’s Comedy Central sketch program Kroll Show in 2013, which then led to a stage play that toured the country. That was successful enough that Oh, Hello ran on Broadway from late 2016 to early 2017. Mulaney and Kroll play these kooky geezers well, and you get quite a bit of joy watching them “prahnk” their celebrity guests by bringing them a tuna fish sandwich with an absurd amount of tuna on it. While this style of comedy is not for everyone, it’s positively and hilariously weird. It’s a strange satire of New York life and also the perfect thing to watch on a rainy day while eating your deli sandwich of choice.
T.J. Miller: Meticulously Ridiculous (HBO, premiering June 17)
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You may not know T.J. Miller by name, but you may recognize him by his appearance, with his tall frame, wildly curly hair and frat boy charm. Miller plays the arrogant Erlich Bachman on HBO’s tech comedy Silicon Valley, and he’s also featured in movies like Deadpool and Office Christmas Party, where he frequently plays immature yet intelligent party animals. Now he’s bringing his stand-up comedy talents to HBO with his own special: T.J. Miller: Meticulously Ridiculous. Miller cracks jokes about alcohol, lifestyle, privilege and more. But his use of physical comedy (he frequently douses himself with water from a bottle like he’s on fire) and self-deprecation is what makes him a unique presence on stage. If you need any more convincing to check out this special, watch Silicon Valley and check out his interview on the YouTube show Hot Ones.
GLOW (Netflix, premiering June 23)
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Between its bright colors, plucky ambition and crop of eclectic characters, GLOW feels like the perfect summer binge watch. GLOW follows a struggling actress in the 1980s named Ruth (Alison Brie of Community and Mad Men) looking to catch her big break. Her agent gets her an audition for a part on a new show called GLOW, short for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. The program features women (mainly models and actresses) “playing” wrestlers in the great tradition of wrestling as performance art. What I really enjoy about this show is the unique concept and perspective. It appears that through GLOW, women who were marginalized in Hollywood for a variety of reasons got the opportunity to be in control of their own performance destinies while demonstrating strength and empowerment.
Okja (Netflix, premiering June 28)
Screens-Okja
The last “show” I want to preview is actually a feature film. Written and directed by Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer), Okja is the story of a young girl named Mija who loves and cares for a “gentle beast,” who is absolutely adorable and visually somewhere between a cross of a hippopotamus and a pig. Mija cares for Okja deeply and serves as her protector. But an evil corporation steals Okja from her home in South Korea to use her to breed “super pigs” for a food source, according to the CEO (played by Tilda Swinton of Doctor Strange.) Mija, along with some help from a group of environmentalists led by Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), tries to expose Swinton’s character and save Okja from harm. It looks like a stunning tale that explores themes of love, hope and kindness.
