What to watch this weekend June 21, 2024: TV awards contenders

Kaitlin Thomas
·3 min read
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After last week saw the return of larger-than-life series like “The Boys” and “House of the Dragon,” this week is all about real life, and by that I mean the new releases worth watching are all of the non-fiction variety. If that’s not for you, there are new episodes of the aforementioned shows to watch. But if you’re curious about the world, there is quite the buffet awaiting you, beginning with Amazon’s “Federer: Twelve Final Days.”

Now, it can be argued that one of the greatest athletes of all time (and perhaps the greatest men’s tennis player in history) deserved a longer farewell tour and accompanying documentary, but it’s too late for that. The film, which clocks in at 87 minutes and is now streaming on Prime Video, traces the days leading up to Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022 at the Laver Cup, where he and rival-slash-close friend, 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal, played doubles and then mourned the end of an era while crying and holding hands. 

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Tennis fans will no doubt want to spend more time remembering the 20-time Grand Slam champ’s lengthy career, while others will likely be left wanting for sensationalism, but for someone whose career was defined by his impeccable control, that simply isn’t in the cards. Still, “Federer: Twelve Final Days” is an emotionally moving look at one of sport’s greatest, and thus is the awards contender to watch this weekend.

SEE Experts slugfest: Our updated 2024 Emmy predictions

However, if you’re not into sports (how?), other contenders include:

  • “Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown”: Survivor interviews are the main draw of this new docuseries, which focuses on the events of Nov. 18, 1978, when an ambush at Port Kaituma in Guyana killed U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and four others, and more than 900 men, women and children were murdered at Jonestown via cyanide poisoning, all at the hands of Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones. If you can stomach it, all three episodes are now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

  • “Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple”: The one-time star of “The Sopranos” and longtime member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band gets the documentary film treatment in this new HBO feature chronicling his insanely long and busy career, covering everything from his songwriting to his activism to his acting. Featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with the likes of Springsteen, Darlene Love, David Chase, Paul McCartney and Vincent Pastore, the film is a look at a true renaissance man. It airs Saturday at 8/7c on HBO and Max.

  • “Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini”: Between Eminem name-dropping her in his single “Houdini” and this three-part documentary series, the mother of two who faked her own kidnapping has been in the news a lot lately. For true crime buffs, the show might not dig deep enough, but for those unfamiliar with Papini and the bizarre situation that unfolded over a few weeks in 2016, the docuseries is an eye-opening look into Papini and those who knew her, including now ex-husband Keith and sister Sheila Koester. All three episodes are now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

PREDICTthe 2024 Emmy nominees by July 17

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