This weekend I have … a couple of hours, and I want retro charm.
‘Moonlighting’
When to watch: Now, on Hulu
Last month, the screwball detective show “Moonlighting” finally became available to stream. Whether you have fond memories from its original run or are a total newbie, it’s a delight. The feature-length pilot establishes the premise of the show in which the former model Maddie Hayes (a luminous Cybill Shepherd) loses all of her money and tries to salvage her finances by closing a detective agency that she owns. The private investigator who runs it, David Addison (an endlessly charismatic Bruce Willis), won’t give up his livelihood that easily. The two become reluctant partners, embroiled in a conspiracy involving hidden diamonds. The show’s soundtrack and the décor are usually distinctly ’80s, but the pitter-patter of David and Maddie’s bickering and the creativity of the mysteries are timeless.
… a little over an hour, and I want to hoop.
‘Candace Parker: Unapologetic’
When to watch: Sunday at 9 p.m., on ESPN
The W.N.B.A. season may have recently ended, but ESPN has a new documentary about the women’s basketball great Candace Parker that is compelling if straightforward. The film from Joie Jacoby tracks Parker’s rise from high school phenom to professional champion. Jacoby draws attention to the hurdles faced by female athletes, focusing on Parker’s unexpected pregnancy and her time playing overseas. The doc could maybe spend more time drawing out Parker’s relationship to her peers — in a 2019 poll by The Athletic, W.N.B.A. players voted her the league’s most overrated player. But it is a tight look at the pressures of being extraordinarily gifted but somehow undervalued.
… about an hour, and I’m ready for Christmas.
“The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday”
When to watch: Friday, on the Roku Channel
You might not be thinking yet about what you are going to bake for your family during the holidays. But you can get some ideas from this special, which brings celebrity bakers into the American version of the beloved British series. The hosts here are funny people, Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry, while the judges are the stalwarts Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. The contestants are mostly comedy stars, which keeps the atmosphere light. Perhaps most fun is watching Phoebe Robinson fawn over Hollywood’s blue eyes; least fun is watching everyone try to pronounce the Hanukkah doughnut “sufganiyot.”