Now streaming on Netflix, “Brews Brothers” is atrocious. Exceptionally so.
In these times of crisis, perhaps there’s some solace to be found in the fact that the entertainment industry is still churning out terrible sitcoms.
Set in the exacting (and some might say pretentious) world of craft beer making, “Brothers” stars Alan Aisenberg and Mike Castle as estranged siblings Wilhelm and Adam Rodman. They’ve been brewmeisters since they were tweens, and had a falling-out decades ago and have not seen each other since.
This contrived situation officially ends about 10 minutes in to the show, when Wilhelm wanders into Adam’s failing brew pub to criticize his pilsners and offer unsolicited advice.
Adam’s business failure is exacerbated by the fact that nearly all of his offerings are named in ways that drip with unintended sexual innuendo. In an opening scene, one would-be customer assumes he’s walked into a sex shop. These forced jokes are accompanied by frequent and unsubtle talk about masturbation and references to public defecation and other less-than-sanitary behavior.
You don’t have to be a prude to find such humor obvious and the relationship between the brothers less than believable. Carmen Flood does her best to bring some normalcy to the proceedings as their harried assistant. But she’s outnumbered and overwhelmed.
For the record, “Brews Brothers” is produced by brothers Greg Schaffer (“That ‘70s Show”) and Jeff Schaffer (“The League”).
Avoid at all costs.
— A Taiwanese workaholic emigrates to America and rekindles a relationship with a long-estranged daughter in the 2020 melodrama “Tigertail,” streaming today on Netflix.
— Also streaming on Netflix, Seth Carr stars as an 11-year-old boy whose enchanted mask allows him to triumph in the wrestling ring in the feel-good WWE fantasy movie “The Main Event.” Tichina Arnold (“Everybody Hates Chris”) also stars.
— A villain plans a raid on Fort Knox in the 1964 007 adventure “Goldfinger” (8:30 p.m., BBC America), starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman (1925-2020), who died earlier this week. A wealth of vintage Bond movies are also now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Fans of vintage TV might want to take HBO up on an offer that’s hard to refuse. Viewers are invited to sample the HBO NOW and HBO Go apps without a subscription to stream a wealth of old shows, absolutely free. These include all seven seasons of “The Sopranos” and “Veep,” all five seasons of “The Wire” and “Six Feet Under” and other TV classics.
This free service has been launched as part of a “stay at home” campaign. It might also be part of an effort to promote the HBO Max streaming service, launching in May, but who’s complaining?
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Loretta Devine stars in the 2007 family melodrama “This Christmas” (7 p.m., BET, TV-14). Not to be confused with “Christmas at the Plaza” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G) and “Christmas Town” (10 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G). For the record, it’s Good Friday.
— A disappearance in the Alaska Triangle on “The Blacklist” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— “Somewhere South” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) explores the many varieties of dumplings, a food-stretching menu item that transcends race, class and ethnicity.
— Erin has her doubts about a therapeutic evaluation on “Blue Bloods” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— A sceptered sorceress (Billie Burke) guides a teen runaway (Judy Garland) who killed one of her sisters to locate and liquidate another (Margaret Hamilton) in the 1939 Technicolor fantasy musical “The Wizard of Oz” (8 p.m., TCM, TV-G).
SERIES NOTES
Hackers take control of the power grid on “MacGyver” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Entrepreneurs enter the cheese business, offer gadgets to stay alert and devise a pest-free garden on “Shark Tank” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Harry needs help on “Charmed” (8 p.m. CW, TV-14).
Kumu is kidnapped on “Magnum P.I.” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC) … Vicious goes viral as Fallon becomes an internet sensation on “Dynasty” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) … “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Keith Urban and Casey Wilson are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Anderson .Paak on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Jennifer Aniston and Grouplove appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (11:35 p.m., ABC, r).
Anna Kendrick, Kal Penn and Edi Patterson visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Niall Horan, Vin Diesel and Eiza Gonzalez appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
