Can you believe it’s March again? We’re almost a year into COVID-19 lockdowns, quarantines
Editor’s Note: This is a preview of USA TODAY’s newsletter Staying Apart, Together, a guide to help us all cope with a world changed by coronavirus. If you would like it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Saturdays, subscribe here.
When I flipped my calendar from February to March on Monday morning, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the fact that we’re here again.
Like so many of you, the COVID-19 pandemic became real to me mid-March of 2020, when stay at home orders began in parts of the country, office workers were sent home, schools closed and toilet paper hoarding escalated.
I have been trying to think back to what I was doing a year ago. I was already worried about COVID, thanks to my anxiety the fact that I work at a newspaper. My husband and I were reading personal finance books, determined to budget and plan ahead so we could buy a house. I was buying presents for a baby shower that would become the last time I saw most of my family in person. I was commuting to work and complaining about it and eating at restaurants like it was no big deal.
here.
Today’s TV recommendations
I had a request from reader Janet Benenson for more TV recommendations, and as a TV Critic, how could I refuse?
Every month the major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ update their libraries with new shows (and sometimes lose old shows), and so I maintain lists of the 50 or so best series to watch. Since it’s a new month, I wanted to offer you all some highlights of series I’m loving right now, that maybe you haven’t heard of or had a chance to watch. I hope binge-watching can offer you some distraction and relief when you need it.
Netflix: “Evil.” This superb CBS series follows a psychologist (Katja Herbers), a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a tech specialist (Aasif Mandvi) as they investigate alleged demon possessions, miracles and other phenomenon.
If you have Amazon: “The Expanse.” Epic, whip-smart and addictive, Amazon’s near-future sci-fi series marries politics and space battles in the story of a future when we populate the solar system but remain culturally divided.
If you have Hulu: “Speechless.” Gone too soon after just three seasons, ABC’s comedy about a family in which one son has cerebral palsy is representation of disability you’ve never seen before, with searing satire and riotous humor.
If you have HBO Max: “Being Erica.” In this charming Canadian series, a woman (Erin Karpluk) who feels as though she has made all the wrong choices in life is given the chance by a magical “therapist” to go back in time and change them, though those trips to the past don’t always have the result she intends.
If you have Disney+: “On Pointe.” This documentary about students at the School of American Ballet will satisfy viewers who love rousing sports stories and beautiful dance practice.
If you have Peacock: “Mr. Mercedes.” Based on Stephen King’s recent book series, “Mercedes” is a detective mystery with flavors of the author’s signature horror. Brendan Gleeson plays retired detective Bill Hodges, who hunts for a sociopath who drove a stolen Mercedes through a crowd, killing 16 people.
You can click on each streaming service name to see my full list of recommended shows.
Today’s reads
- Our film critic Brian Truitt loved Disney’s new animated film, “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
- More vaccines are coming, and it’s because of some unprecedented cooperation.
- Turning your clutter into cash? There’s an app for that.
- A self-driving VW bus? Sure, why not!
Today’s Pet
Meet a good boy who helps comfort a nurse on the front lines of the pandemic.
“This is Francis, she’s 4 years old and brings us so much joy!” says Sam Shumaker. “I am a RN so never had to stay home, the opposite really. But my immune compromised husband and college son are home. I have enjoyed reading along with the long pandemic road. Pets and family are comforting.”