Nobody can watch everything on TV, even us here at What to Watch, where watching TV shows and movies is kind of our thing. Speaking for myself, I have a running list of things that I'm hoping to catch up on at one point or another. Well, following the 2024 Emmy nominations that were just announced, two shows on that list are going to be moving up to the very top.
The first is Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Inspired by the 2005 movie of the same name starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Mr. & Mrs. Smith sees two spies given the cover of a married couple as they go about completing various missions. The series earned 16 Emmy nominations in total for its first season, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Donald Glover, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Maya Erksine, Outstanding Director and Writing for a Drama Series and multiple nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor/Actress in a Drama Series for Michaela Cole, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey and John Turturro.
I've long been a fan of the original movie so I was curious as to how they were going to change things up and turn it into a TV show. I even watched Mr. & Mrs. Smith episode 1 when it premiered in early 2024 and was intrigued by Glover, Erskine and the setup, but other stuff took priority — mainly True Detective season 4 and Shogun, both of which also earned a slew of Emmy nominations.
The other show is Lessons in Chemistry, the TV adaptation of the best-selling book of the same name by Bonnie Garmus. Starring Brie Larson, the limited series follows scientist Elizabeth Zott, whose career is constantly stagnated by the social norms of the 1950s, that is until she gets the chance to host her own cooking show and bring her passion for science to a new audience. Lessons in Chemistry racked up 10 total nominations, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series; a lead acting nom for Larson and supporting noms for Lewis Pullman and Aja Naomi King; and ones for directing, costuming and cinematography.
Premiering in October 2023, what kept me from watching Lessons in Chemistry during its initial run was mainly sports (the NFL and a Philadelphia Phillies postseason run really sucks up much chance to watch other stuff), and handling recaps for a few other shows that fall (notably Bosch: Legacy season 2).
The good news is that streaming services make these shows as easy as ever to catch up on. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a Prime Video original series, while Lessons in Chemistry was an Apple TV Plus production.
It's also easier to work them into the schedule at this time of the year. Aside from weekly series like House of the Dragon season 2 and The Boys season 4, there aren't a lot of new shows or returning favorites I am dying to watch. As for sports, the Olympics are going to be something I tune in a lot for, but aside from that two-week stretch, baseball and preseason football can take a back seat.
So, no spoilers please on either of these two shows as I go into catch-up mode with my viewing habits.
