Ok, here’s the situation… Morgan Cooper makes a viral video in 2019, re-imagining the iconic goofy comedy The Prince of Bel-Air as a gritty drama–and three years later it’s a real show debuting in the coveted spot of new show unveiled on a certain February Sunday… although the excitement happens on streaming. There’s also a bunch of puppies vaguely cast as playing a game, the HBO line-up that we really love, and Phineas Fogg has almost completed his 19th Century journey. Yeeeeeep, that’s about all that’s happening in the world tonight.

KATHERINE’S PICK:
Bel-Air [Peacock]
Morgan Cooper’s gritty fan-made dramatization of The Fresh Prince is finally here, with less grit and a borrowed vibe from The OC. Jabari Banks stars as Will, a teenager sent from Philadelphia to Bel Air to sort out his young life with his wealthy aunt, uncle, and cousins. While Prince was a heartfelt comedy, it was goofy too, and I’m looking forward to the grace and consideration extended to this version of Will, who will struggle to find his place in a much different social circle.

FIONA’S PICK:
Somebody Somewhere [HBO, 10:30p]
There is a tornado warning for the area. Everyone in town is hunkering down and Sam and Tricia find themselves stuck in a barn to wait out the storm. Is this a good time to tell Tricia what Rick has been up to?  

BRAD’S PICK:
Around the World in 80 Days [PBS, 8p]
Phineas Fogg has made it to the Old West as we near the end of the David Tennant version of the Jules Verne classic. Will he make it around in time as usual? Tune in one more week to find out.

JASON’S PICK:
Puppy Bowl XVIII [Animal Planet, 2p]
Oh, Hallmark Channel, how could you cancel kittens?!?! In a world whose top internet obsession is pictures of cute-looking cats, how would there not still be a market for cute kittens cuddling tiny footballs?! I almost want to boycott the whole thing, but the only remedy for what I’m feeling right now is watching cute little puppies running around footballs. At least the Kitten Bowl will be back in 2023, no thanks to the Hallmark Channel. 

BUT, WAIT, THERE’S MORE:

• Oh, Tim Balz, you are such a scene stealer. We still miss his weird fake psychologist show Shrink. In any case, that we’re recognizing the goofy character actor here is not a jerkily coy way of saying the second season of the all-star physical comedy Megachurch parody(?), The Righteous Gemstones is at all weak. The antics have upped and if you are not up-to-date, you need to catch up on this gem (sorry) of an HBO series.
• Six episodes into season two, everything is coming to a crescendo on Euphoria, especially when it concerns mother-daughter relationships. The HBO show is a favorite of many Scholars and the Zendaya-sporting show is beginning to rise from cult favorite to genuine hit.
• Discovery+’s My Pack Life is neither the story of aughts Green Bay Packers Bubba Franks nor a tale of the history of Jansport (or drag queen Jan Sport, for that matter), but a reality show which takes place at Asher House, an Oregon animal sanctuary that takes in all four-pawed comer. One of its residents is described as a socially-awkward llama. We Scholars feel so seen!
• UP is really doing some heavy lifting for the Lifetime-Hallmark Vortex. Although based on its title and on the trailer which tells the whole story, they don’t seem to be trying very hard with The Story of Love. Romance writer goes to small town retreat to learn under a master of the trade, but it turns out the camp is less writing, more doing outdoorsy things–but that’s under the tutelage of the activities director, and do you think he is ruggedly handsome? You’ve seen these things, right? There’s also a supportive friend and a doting, nosy aunt(?) grandma(?), and by the end she’s in love and successfully writing. That’s all in the trailer. But, who knows, maybe in the second act it turns out she’s in a remote village, where dead people try to enlist their help as the trees try to kill them.
• Oh, right, there’s apparently also some kind of big football game on NBC tonight at 6:30.