Escape from reality with ‘The Librarians: The Next Chapter’ this weekend
Welcome to Screen Gab the newsletter for everyone who needs a break from doomscrolling.
If your brain needs a fantasy adventure to escape the realities of life, perhaps the escapades of a time-traveling librarian will suit your needs. “The Librarians,” which started as a trio of TV movies that evolved into a four-season TV series, has built out its universe with the recent spinoff “The Librarians: The Next Chapter.” Showrunner Dean Devlin stopped by Guest Spot to discuss how the new show connects to the wider franchise.
And if you’re into crime dramas as a form of escapist TV, this week’s streaming recommendations include a new British detective drama that features a mismatched crime-solving duo and the prequel series in “Dexter’s” expanding serial killer universe.
ICYMI
Must-read stories you might have missed
James Arness, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis and Milburn Stone in “Gunsmoke.”
(CBS)
50 years after Marshal Matt Dillon’s last draw, ‘Gunsmoke’ is a streaming hit: The adult western drama with James Arness is finding loyal fans and new audiences on Peacock, Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
Commentary: Why on earth is Dr. Phil involved in immigration raids? Another made-for-TV event from a reality star president: Of all the alarming things that have happened in L.A., Dr. Phil hanging out with Trump’s top border policy advisor during immigration raids was the weirdest.
In ‘Murderbot,’ an anxious scientist and an autonomous robot develop a workplace-trauma bond: Alexander Skarsgård and Noma Dumezweni, co-stars of Apple TV+’s ‘Murderbot,’ discuss Episode 6 of the sci-fi series and the autism-coded robot at the center of the show.
‘Materialists’ is a smart and funny all-star love triangle with its own commitment issues: In Celine Song’s rom-com follow-up to her Oscar-nominated ‘Past Lives,’ Pedro Pascal is rich, Chris Evans is poor and Dakota Johnson is a matchmaking mercenary.
Turn on
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
Timothy Spall as John Chapel and Gwyneth Keyworthh as Janie Mallowan in “Death Valley.”
(Simon Ridgway / BBC)
“Death Valley” (BritBox)
Set not in our own dry desert but the verdant valleys of Wales, this adorable and comical mystery series from the great Timothy Spall, OBE — longtime favorite of director Mike Leigh and familiar to many as Peter Pettigrew in five “Harry Potter” movies — stars as John Chapel, a former TV police detective living in small-town isolation after the death of his Welsh wife. Along comes Gwyneth Keyworth as the world’s sweetest (actual) police detective Janie Mallowan, Chapel’s biggest fan who knocks on his door in the middle of an investigation. After some back-and-forth, push and pull, they become one of those pro-am teams that figure in so many detective shows — like “Castle,” without the sex — and never better done than here. Chapel takes to the job in grand thespian style, playing characters, improvising and analyzing motives through character analysis. (He’s not always right.) Janie is alternately stressed and impressed. Backdrops for the cases include a local theater production, a walking group, a wedding and a school reunion — cozy stuff. — Robert Lloyd
Patrick Gibson as Dexter Morgan in “Dexter: Original Sin.”
(Patrick Wymore / Paramount+ with Showtime)
“Dexter: Original Sin” (Paramount+ with Showtime)
If superheroes can have origin stories, why not serial killers carrying on their secret mission of justice? That’s the concept of Showtime’s “Dexter: Original Sin,” which travels back to 1991 to show how the crafty Dexter Morgan, the forensics specialist who moonlighted as a vigilante, began his killing ways while working as an intern at the Miami Metro Police Department. The series premiered last year as a prequel spinoff of “Dexter,” the popular drama/dark comedy that ran for eight seasons and later continued its story in the sequel series “Dexter: New Blood.” Patrick Gibson uncannily captures the mannerisms, facial expressions and inflections of “Dexter” star Michael C. Hall, who provides the trademark narration that was one of the signatures of the original series. The show is the perfect appetizer for the July 11 premiere of “Dexter: Resurrection,” which brings the titular antihero back to life despite being “shot to death” by his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) in the finale of “Dexter: New Blood.” — Greg Braxton
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Jessica Green, Callum McGowan, front center, Olivia Morris and Bluey Robinson in a scene from “The Librarians: The Next Chapter.”
(Aleksandar Letic / TNT)
“The Librarians” is back after more than seven years, but things are a little different from when we last visited this fantasy land, which spanned three films (starring Noah Wyle) and a four-season TV series. In its latest iteration, “The Librarians: The Next Chapter,” we’re introduced to a new librarian named Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), who time-traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. He returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia only to find that it’s now a museum — but more notably, his arrival releases magic across the continent, leading to some strange occurrences. He has to clean up the mess, with some help in the form of guardian Charlie (Jessica Green), scientist Lysa (Olivia Morris) — who inherited the castle — and historian Connor (Bluey Robinson). For fans of the original series, Christian Kane makes a guest appearance as librarian Jacob Stone. Also returning is showrunner and executive producer Dean Devlin, who is carrying the torch on the series. He stopped by Screen Gab to talk about the new season, which currently airs on TNT and is also available for streaming on TNT’s website and app, TNTdrama.com. — Maira Garcia
“The Librarians” has amassed a legion of loyal fans over the years, first with the films and then with the series. What made you decide to return to it and how did you approach developing “The Next Chapter” with a new cast?
Honestly, I never wanted to stop telling stories in the world of the magical Library! When an opportunity came up to continue the franchise, I jumped at it. I didn’t want to reboot the story, because in my mind (and the fans) the original team of Librarians are still out there doing missions. I wanted to focus on a different story that takes place in parallel. When the idea of a Librarian from the past appearing today, it felt like just the right “fish out of water” story we needed to kick off a new series.
The series features this push and pull of logic and magic, history and fantasy. How do you juggle history with the supernatural elements of the show?
It’s really important to us that viewers can Google things we talk about in our show. While we may not follow exactly the legends in the zeitgeist, we wanted there to be enough of a connection to deepen the enjoyment of our adventures. So history and mythology are at the heart of our show. Sometimes we’ll give an alternate perspective or backstory, but there is always a nugget [of] connection to the stories we want to tell.
Throughout your career, you’ve worked on a number of sci-fi and fantasy films and series like “Stargate,” “Independence Day” and “The Ark.” What is it about these genres that appeals to you, and why do you think audiences gravitate toward them?
Often “escapist” entertainment is looked down upon as a lesser art form. But I find that audiences, especially after dealing with things like a pandemic, economic and personal hardships, [or] political divisions, have a real NEED to escape into a world of optimism and wonder and adventure. I’m no exception.
What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?
It’s not super recent, but I’ve loved watching “Only Murders in the Building” [Hulu], “Ted Lasso” [AppleTV+], “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Star Trek: Picard” (especially season 3) [both on Paramount+] and the new “Doctor Who” [Disney+].
What’s your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?
If “Tombstone” or “Enter the Dragon” is playing on late-night TV, then I’m not getting any sleep. And of course, the 10th and 11th Doctors on “Doctor Who” are a constant fallback watch for me.
