Courtesy of ABC
Bachelorette Vikings
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield star as Tammy Faye Bakker and Jim Bakker, the infamous duo who met at Minneapolis’s own (then called) North Central Bible College in the early 1960s before embarking on a televangelist (and Christian theme park–adorned) journey that ended in fraud charges, conspiracy, and divorce. (Read our full story about the couple’s early days here.) Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV.
Colin in Black and White
Ava DuVernay’s six-episode docuseries about Colin Kaepernick’s childhood and high school football career—and his early explorations of the meaning behind race and class—was partially written and created by Minneapolis dad Michael Starrbury, who also wrote for When They See Us and has a multi-year deal in the works with Netflix. Stream on Netflix
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
Look, we’re still not over the fact that the new Disney+ series, based on the Minnesota-classic 1992 movie and starring Emilio Estevez and Lauren Graham, wasn’t shot in Minnesota. But we can’t deny its charm. Stream on Disney+
The Bachelorette
Sure, it’s a Minnesota show when the lead (Michelle Young) hails from MN, teaches in MN, and hosts half the show in MN. Catch the Bach crew yelling like VIkings at U.S. Bank Stadium, walking along the Stone Arch Bridge, Danger Wheeling at Betty Danger’s, boating on Lake Minnetonka, and more, more, more. Need something to binge over year-end PTO? This guilty pleasure doesn’t feel so guilty when you use the excuse “I just wanted to see Minneapolis on TV!” (Right? ...Right?) Stream on Hulu or abc.com
The Laundry Guy
Think a show about laundry would be dry and dull? Think again. Mona Williams owner and Laundry Camp founder Patric Richardson stars in this Discovery+ limited series, which takes him into families’ homes to solve their most vexing—and emotional—laundry problems. From lifting stains out of vintage gowns to restoring beloved stuffed animals and letterman jackets, watch Richardson transforms lives one sentimental object at a time. Stream on HGTV and Discovery+
Flora and Ulysses
Based on Newbery Award-winner (and south Minneapolis resident) Kate DiCamillo’s book of the same name, the movie follows Flora, a 10-year-old whose life has been turned upside down after her parents separate, and Ulysses, a squirrel Flora rescues that (not-so-spoiler alert) has superpowers. Can Ulysses change cynical Flora’s point of view on the world around her? Well, if anyone can, it’s a superhero squirrel, right? Stream on Disney+.
Culture Quest
The world got to know Twin Citian Ian Grant through his furniture biz, Björling and Grant, and his Travel Channel series, The Relic Hunter with Ian Grant. This year, Grant returned to our screens with Culture Quest, an art-and-artisan-focused six-episode series in which he visited Kazakh nomads in Mongolia, Ghananian artists, tattoo artists in Kyoto, and more. (And yes, the team finished taping right before COVID hit in early 2020!) Stream on pbs.org
Zoë Bakes
We’ve been obsessed with local baker Zoë François for—well, for a long time. So, naturally, we couldn’t get enough of her Magnolia Network series, which is a love letter to both baking and her Twin Cities food community. (Look for our own Steph March!) Watch François whip up pies for a porch party, learn about the Scandinavian concept of fika and use it to spruce up her cinnamon braids, and bake, bake bake, with friends, friends, friends. Does she know everyone in town? She just might. Stream on Discovery+.
The Rescue
You may know Jimmy Chin from his vertigo-inducing, Emmy and Academy Award–winning documentary Free Solo—or maybe from his Mankato roots. The pro climber/documentarian’s newest National Geographic film, The Rescue, which he directed alongside his wife, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, just might be even more harrowing. It tells the story of the 12 soccer players and coach who were trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand three years ago—and the labyrinthine rescue that saved them. Stream on Disney+.
The Baldies
TPT’s documentary of an anti-racist skinhead gang in Minneapolis captures a turbulent time from the past that closely echoes the racial reckoning of our city’s present moment. Stream on TPT.
Reservation Dogs
Hulu's breakout series is revolutionary television in its depiction of modern Indigenous teen life. Its finale was even written by The 1491s—the sketch comedy group that includes Dallas Goldtooth, who also plays a recurring spirit (and he's going back to the writer's room for season two!) Stream on Hulu.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Hollywood’s latest Shakespearean adaptation seems to check all the boxes of a smash hit. Leading star power with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand? Check. Joel Coen? Check. Ethan Cohen? Wait a minute… This time around Joel, St. Louis Park's very own who co-defined the Upper Midwest film canon with Fargo, took this one solo, suggesting a new direction. In theaters.
