Quarantine To-Do List: Everything to Look Forward to This Week

Empire, Chris Hemsworth, Little Fires Everywhere
Fox, Netflix & Hulu / Artwork by Nick Mantle

A reunion for 'The Nanny' cast, the launch of Quibi and 'Trolls World Tour.'

Quarantining due to the coronavirus has us all feeling some sort of way -- whether that be fear or sadness, soul-crushing anxiety or the luxury of boredom -- and as we remain social distanced and self-isolated, it's also important to take time to unwind amid the ever-present stress of current events. But now that everybody's finished bingeing Too Hot to Handle, what the hell are we supposed to do?

Welcome to ET's Quarantine To-Do List, which we will update every Monday with new things to watch, read, listen to or stream that week -- because we don't just want you to survive but thrive during your time at home. (Be sure to also check out our complete streaming guide, plus new movies you can watch right now while theaters are closed and what's new on Netflix this month.)

WEEK OF APRIL 20 - APRIL 24

Stream: Spend your "Mondays With Michelle Obama"
We can't think of anything more comforting in these trying times than beginning our week with the former FLOTUS. Your kids will probably enjoy this too: Obama will be reading a children's book every Monday at 12 p.m. ET via PBS Kids or Penguin Random House. First up? Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo.

Read: Stephen King's newest novella, "If It Bleeds"
Can't sleep? At least with King's latest, you'll enjoy the late night frights. The king of horror's new collection comprises four original novellas that, we're promised, "pull readers into intriguing and frightening places." Out Monday.

Tune in: The series finale (...or is it?) of "Empire"
Empire's final season was cut short by the pandemic, meaning Tuesday's episode -- which was not written to be a series finale -- will, in fact, be the last time we see Cookie Lyons and the rest. Or will it? "We had an ending for the series planned that we all loved, and hopefully someday we’ll be able to film it," the creators said. In the meantime, the series finale airs at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Tune in: The last episode of "Little Fires Everywhere"
Do you like small amounts of arson spread across a wide space? Then have we got a finale for you! The drama between Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington ignites as their not-so-little lies finally all come out in the final episode of the limited series. Dropping on Hulu on Wednesday.

Watch Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu. 

 

Tune in: Like, Share, Dimelo 
Dominican-American Latina comedians Dee Nasty and Sasha Merci host a bold new talk series, which premieres April 24, exploring the issues facing the Latinx community, including politics, pop culture, dating and whatever else comes to their spontaneous minds. 

Stream: It's "Jurassic Park" night on Watch From Home Theater
With travel to Isla Nublar currently a no-go, bring the park to you with a stream-along viewing featuring special guest Joseph Mazzello. Streaming Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT here.

"While we are all hunkered down at home, what better way to escape the worry of these scary and uncertain times than by watching (in my very unbiased opinion) one of the greatest films ever made!" Mazzello said. "I’ll be sharing stores, insights, fond and funny memories, and answering your questions about this beloved and iconic film."

Watch: Chris Evans in AppleTV+'s "Defending Jacob"
Did he do it? That's the question at the center of the streamer's new crime drama. Allow us one more: Do we buy Chris Evans playing A Dad? Sure, we know him as the cool uncle, but in this, he's a full on dad to the accused teen. Anyway, something to think about! On AppleTV+ Friday.

 

Watch: Chris Hemsworth goes full-blockbuster in "Extraction"
Summer movie season has been called off this year, as we wait out theater closures, but Netflix is here to offer us a popcorn flick packed with huge explosions and lots of muscles. In Extraction, Hemsworth plays a black market mercenary tasked with rescuing the kidnapped son of an international crime lord. Streaming starting Friday.

Tune in: The premiere of "RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race"
Season 12 of Drag Race proper has yet to crown a queen, but Mama Ru is dropping something new: Each episode of Secret Celebrity Drag Race will see three mysterious stars get all up into drag. Why y'all gagging so? Premieres Friday at 9:30 p.m. on VH1.


WEEK OF APRIL 13 - APRIL 17

Binge: New shows starring Idris Elba and Rachel Brosnahan on Quibi
One week after being birthed into the world, Quibi is releasing seven new quick bite titles on Monday. The highlights include new "movies in pieces" 50 States of Fright, starring Rachel Brosnahan, and the unscripted Elba vs. Block, which pits the actor against race car driver Ken Block in "the ultimate crash course."

Go live: With Miley for a week of highlighting heroes on "Bright Minded"
At the start of social distancing, Miley Cyrus's Instagram Live talk show was the most consistent thing we had in our lives. Thankfully, she's back for another week of shows honoring heroes on the frontlines of the pandemic. Tune in daily @mileycyrus starting at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT.

Tune in: "The Bachelor" franchise's new spin-off  is music to our ears
Bachelor Nation may not know exactly when Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette will arrive -- or even who the contestants will be -- but until then, they have The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart, a spin-off in which aspiring musicians compete to find love and a career in music. "It's about finding all of it," host Chris Harrison told ET. Premiering Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Steam: ET's "Tiger King" special filled with tons of juicy Joe Exotic news
Hey all you cool cats and kittens, still haven't gotten enough Tiger King? Netflix released its The Tiger King and I reunion on Sunday, and now ET Live is bringing you our own special, Tiger King Uncaged, featuring exclusive interviews with show's biggest personalities -- including the stars you didn't see on the official after-show. Tune in Wednesday.

Tune in: All of your favorite actresses in the miniseries "Mrs. America"
Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Sarah Paulson, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth Banks, Tracey Ullman, Melanie Lynskey, Ari Graynor and Niecy Nash in a prestige period drama about the women's rights movement and its female-fronted opposition. Did we create, cast and film this in our dreams? Premiering Wednesday on Hulu.

Tune in: The season 10 premiere of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills"
New season, new drama, same zip code. The ladies of RHOBH are back, sans Lisa Vanderpump but with a historic new 'Wife: Garcelle Beauvais. And from the looks of it, it's going to quite the season, including bombshell allegations of an affair between Denise Richards and... Brandi Glanville?!

"I do think that you're gonna be surprised with the Denise-Brandi thing," castmate Erika Jayne told ET. "It was something that I didn't see coming at all...It all makes sense now, like, why it was so massive." Airing Wednesday on Bravo at 9 p.m. PT.

Tune ij: Christina Aguilera and more on "The Disney Family Singalong"
The Mouse House is pulling out the big guns -- Christina Aguilera! Kristin Chenoweth! Olaf himself, Josh Gad! And more! -- for an evening of Disney-themed musical performances, broadcast from the homes of your favorite stars and their families into your living room. Airing Thursday on ABC at 8:00 p.m.

Watch: Sebastian Stan and Jamie Dornan Star in "Endings, Beginnings"
While you're cooped up at home, feel free to live vicariously through Shailene Woodley, who stars in this moody romance about a woman who becomes involved with two handsome best friends played by Dornan and Stan.

"F**king so proud of this one. mostly because our hearts exploded wider and truer with each improvised word that escaped our lips. with each silent beat that swallowed our breaths. we laughed. we wept. we inhaled, and forgot to exhale. we made out. (a LOT). we LOVED. deeper and purer than i’ve ever loved on any film set," Stan said. Available digitally Friday.

Binge: "Too Hot to Handle," your next guilty pleasure reality TV obsession
When the existential crisis of *waves hand* all this isn't all-consuming, another feeling that's been dominating quarantine is -- ahem -- horniness. Enter: Netflix's Too Hot to Handle, which ships a bunch of sexy singles off to Mexico with the caveat that if they engage in sexual activity of any kind, they lose out on a prize of $100,000. But will it be more insane than Love Is Blind? Premiering Friday.

Tune in: Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton host a talk show from their farm
The quarantine has presented us a number of talk show hosts we never knew we needed: Like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who will kick off Friday Night in With the Morgans with wife Hilarie and guests Jensen and Danneel Ackles and Christian Serratos. "The plan is to maybe smile and laugh in a time that has been very hard to smile, much less laugh," he says. Airing on AMC at 10 p.m.


WEEK OF APRIL 6 - APRIL 10

Stream: New Shows from Chrissy Teigen, Jennifer Lopez and More on Quibi
Just when you’d run out of things to watch, an all-new streamer launches on Monday: Quibi, with its slate of 10-minutes-or-less series such as Chrissy’s Court, the JLo-produced Thanks a Million and more. Check out our full Quibi guide here. (If you want to see how many quick bites you can devour in 90 days, you can also check out their free trial.)

Watch: Fran Drescher and "The Nanny" cast reunite for a virtual table read
Fran Fine herself is bringing together the original cast of The Nanny more than 25 years after their iconic series premiered for something special: A "pandemic performance" of the pilot episode. "It sure has given each of us a lift and we hope it does for you as well," Drescher said. Watch it here at 12 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT on Monday.

Stream: "Movie Mondays" kicks off with a free viewing of a Ryan Phillippe classic
Focus Features is dusting off some of its legacy gems for a good cause, in support of the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. On Monday, Gosford Park -- the 2001 upstairs-downstairs drama starring Phillippe and Maggie Smith -- livestreams on Facebook at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, followed by a Q&A with Julian Fellowes.

Tune in: For the last (ever!) episode of "Schitt's Creek"
Prepare to cry like a wee bebe, because Tuesday's episode of Schitt's Creek is the series finale. "Trust me, these last two are pretty special," Schitt's creator and David himself, Daniel Levy, promised on social. Airing on CBC and Pop TV, followed by an hour-long behind-the-scenes special, Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell.

Tune in: For the biggest "Psych" binge-a-thon in history
"In our greatest time of need, your favorite heroic duo -- fake psychic detective Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his best friend, Gus (Dulé Hill) -- return to your airwaves..." USA Network announced of their super-sized Psychtacular of all 120 episodes, beginning with seasons one and two this week starting Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

Tune in: For whatever craziness ensues in a new episode of "Tiger King"
Didn’t get enough murder, mayhem and madness the first go-around? According to the questionably-trustworthy Jeff Lowe, Netflix has been shooting new material for an eighth episode of Tiger King -- including jailhouse interviews with Joe Exotic -- set to premiere on the streamer at some point this week.

Watch: Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake join forces for "Trolls World Tour"
Poppy and Branch are back, but with theaters closed indefinitely, the Trolls sequel is beaming directly into your living room for opening night. Starring Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom and Ozzy Osbourne, World Tour opens in theaters, wherever possible, and be available on-demand for a 48-hour rental period/glitter-bomb jam sesh on Friday.


WEEK OF MARCH 30 - APRIL 3

Watch: New episodes of Entertainment Tonight, The Late Show and WWHL
On the mend following his COVID-19 diagnosis, Andy Cohen is shooting new episodes of Watch What Happens Live! from his NYC apartment, with Nene, Lisa Rinna and Jerry O'Connell beaming in as Monday's guests. Over on CBS, The Late Show is likewise back. Come for Stephen Colbert, stay to glimpse the kitchens of celebrities in the background of their Zoom calls.

Entertainment Tonight is also back with new episodes tonight and every night this week. Tune in for interviews and exclusive reporting on how the biggest stars are handling self-isolation and much more. Here's how to watch Entertainment Tonight where you are.

Workout: With "Dancing With the Stars" pros Maks and Peta
Keep your social social distance walk on the books, but pencil in this free workout with DWTS favorites Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd. The husband and wife gym buddies go live @petamurgatroyd or @maksimc at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT and promise you will "sweat like crazzzy."

Go live: With Miley Cyrus for another week of Bright Minded
Why did it take until a pandemic for us to find out Miley is the talk show host we never knew we needed? Selma Blair, Millie Bobby Brown, Alicia Keys and wrestler Zion Clark are booked for Monday's episode, going live @mileycyrus starting at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT.

Read: The new chapter of Lena Dunham's serial romance novel
The Girls maestro has been penning Verified Strangers -- about Ally, a singleton who vows to only date friends of friends -- and releasing it chapter-by-chapter, with an added choose-your-own-adventure social component. If you need to catch up, check out chapters 1 - 5 here.

Livetweet: "Hairspray" alongside Nikki Blonsky from the movie "Hairspray"
Good morning, quaaaarantine... With the movie musical set to depart the streamer this month, Netflix's @Most has enlisted Nikki Blonskyfor a "virtual screening" on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT. And who knows, maybe Amanda Bynes or Christopher Walken will chime in via Insta Stories?

Stream: Mandy Moore and the "This Is Us" cast on Stars In the House
This Is Us only aired its season finale last week, but cast members Mandy Moore, Chrissy Metz, Chris Sullivan and Susan Kelechi Watson, plus executive producer Ken Olin, are "reuniting" for a musical showcase in support of The Actors Fund. Tune in starting at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

Watch: Behold, a new season of baking disastrophies on "Nailed It!"
Watching a Nailed It! contestant confidently unveil a goopy, half-baked cake pop? It makes us laugh! Blessedly Nicole and Jacques and Wes are back with new episodes -- and not a moment too soon, all things considered. Season four is now streaming on Netflix.

Listen: Troye Sivan "Leaks" His New Single, "Take Yourself Home"
"WE’RE GOING ROGUE," everyone's favorite Lady Bird cosplayer broadcasted one week, give or take, into his home stay. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS SONG IS GONNA COME OUT BC I HAVEN’T REALLY SPOKEN TO ANYONE ABOUT IT YET BUT ITS GONNA BE SOON AS HELL." Soon as, as it were, is Wednesday.

Go live: With Kat McPhee and David Foster for the Kat & Dave Show

Gay icon Katharine McPhee and hubby David Foster bring razzle and dazzle, showtunes and surprises guests to #quaranstreaming with their piano-side sing-along -- and this week? It's Smash themed. Tune in @katharinefoster starting at 8:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. PT.

Go live: With Cat Cohen for comedy and music stylings from her living room
Gorgeous comedian, divine vocalist and literal genius Cat Cohen's weekly NYC comedy show, "Cabernet Cabaret," has taken up a residency on Insta Live for the duration of quar. Past weeks featured guests such as SNL's Bowen Yang and noted character actor Meg Stalter, while this week's lineup includes Ben Platt and Seek Treatment co-host and God's gift, Pat Regan. Tune in @catccohen starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

Watch: It's the Snatch Game on "RuPaul’s Drag Race"
It's sink or swim as the season 12 queens take on Snatch Game. Will Heidi and Jan deliver like we think they will? Can Brita turn this all around with a star-making turn? Uhh, who is Aiden going to do? Airing on VH1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. (And check back to our power ranking afterward.)

Visit: Harry Potter at Home to capture that Wizarding World magic
We muggles need not worry about social distancing on Platform 9 3/4 in order to pay a visit to Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling announced the launch of "Harry Potter at Home," a hub with enough virtual activities available for any wizard to cast a banishing spell on boredom.

Stream: A bedtime story read by none other than Dolly Parton
"The book lady" -- that's how the bona fide living legend refers to herself -- has chosen 10 of her favorite books from the Imagination Library to provide a little soothing in these times of unrest. She kicks off with "The Little Engine That could," streaming at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Watch: The season 12 premiere of "Real Housewives of New York City"
Dorinda&
Ramona&
Sonja&
Tinsley&
Lu are back for a new, Bethenny-less season of RHONY. And with an apple freed up, a new 'wife is entering the fray: Leah McSweeney, who's already delivered the season's best tagline. Airing on Bravo at 9 p.m. PT.

Go live: With Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider for Bitch Sesh
To celebrate the return of everybody's favorite franchise, pop over to Instagram as everyone's favorite podcast hosts and Housewives color commentators go live and mention it all. Watch @caseyrosewilson starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. (And remember: No tagging!)

Listen: Sam Hunt drops his first album in six years, "Southside"
The hottest name (and face, if we're being honest) in country music is dropping his new record at long last. It's been years in the marking -- featuring his 2017 singles, "Body Like a Back Road," "Drinkin' Too Much" and "Downtown's Dead" -- among the 12 album cuts.

Watch: Scott Evans, Michelle Buteau and Kate Walsh in "Almost Love"
Now is the perfect time for a rom-com. Enter Almost Love, a modern story about love, sex and everything in between starring some of our very favorite people. "Hopefully we can, at the very least, bring people some love and some laughs," Evans wrote on Instagram. Available digitally.

Watch: "Onward" is now available for streaming on Disney+
Pixar's latest -- which stars Chris Pratt and Tom Holland as elf brothers on an odyssey through a suburban fantasy world -- hits the streamer a month after its release in theaters. "We are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes," said director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae.

Stream Onward here.


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