A comedy that defies description, “Fantasmas” streams on Max. It follows creator, writer and star Julio Torres through a torrent of events that unfold with the logic of dreams and hallucinations. A loose description involves a search for a lost earring, but that’s like saying “Alice in Wonderland” is about following a rabbit down a hole.
“Fantasmas” may be the most brilliant and original or the most self-indulgent and annoying show you’ve seen in a while. It can be enjoyed for its color palette alone. A string of guest stars show up over its six episodes, including Steve Buscemi, Paul Dano, Julia Fox, Alexa Demie, Emma Stone, Aidy Bryant, Bowen Yang, Kim Petras, Ziwe and others.
— Based on a DC Comics franchise set in a future world where a virus has decimated humanity and bred hybrid animal-humans, “Sweet Tooth” streams a third season on Netflix.
— Also streaming on Netflix, the 2024 dark comedy “Hit Man” sends up a dark genre. Directed by Richard Linklater (“Boyhood,” “Bernie”), the film stars Glen Powell as Gary, a part-time employee for the New Orleans police department who works as a fake hit man out to ensnare underworld types looking for contract killers. While playacting as a professional murderer, Gary finds himself attracted to one of his “targets,” who seems turned on by his tough-guy persona. Released two weeks ago for a short theatrical run, “Hit Man” has received near-universal critical praise.
Netflix also introduces the new South Korean series “Hierarchy,” about a high school controlled by a tiny clique of cruel students.
— Hulu imports the U.K. series “Queenie,” based on a best-selling novel by Candice Carty-Williams. Dionne Brown stars as the title character, a 25-year-old Jamaican-born woman living in South London. Tired of straddling several cultures, Black and white, British and Caribbean, Queenie runs on adrenaline and anger, careening from one bad decision to the next.
— Hulu also imports the six-part French miniseries “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld.” The profile begins in the early 1970s, when Lagerfeld is 38 and before he developed his signature personal style and fashion brand. It thrusts viewers into the dance, fashion and music scenes of Paris, Monaco and Rome in the not-yet-disco era, and follows Lagerfeld’s dalliance with the troubled Jacques de Bascher (Theodore Pellerin) and his growing rivalry with established fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois).
As a character, Yves Saint Laurent also arrives at the end of the 2024 Apple TV+ series “The New Look.” That series offered a harrowing look at how designers Christian Dior and Coco Chanel survived the Nazi occupation of Paris. Both “Look” and “Lagerfeld” explore the financiers behind the scenes of the business of beauty. “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld” is based on the bestselling biography “Kaiser Karl” by Raphaelle Bacque.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner host the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (8 p.m., CBS).
— Released 30 Junes ago, the blockbuster 1994 historical fantasy “Forrest Gump” (8 p.m., Paramount, TV-14) continues to divide audiences. Some see it as a heart-warming and profound survey of 1960s history, music and culture, and others view it as an insufferably insipid trifle.
— “American Masters” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) repeats the 2023 film “Groucho & Cavett,” profiling a friendship and collaboration between a comedy legend and talk show host.
— A cable fixture fills up the tank of his RV for the third season of “Guy’s All-American Road Trip” (9 p.m., Food, TV-G), following Guy Fieri as he travels the American West, one meal and one destination at a time.
— A troubled teen from Danny’s past resurfaces on “Blue Bloods” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
Daniel Day-Lewis won a best actor Oscar for the title role in Steven Spielberg’s 2012 biopic “Lincoln” (8 p.m., TCM, TV-MA). More films starring Day-Lewis follow, including “In the Name of the Father” (10:45 p.m., TCM, TV-MA) and “My Beautiful Laundrette” (3:15 a.m., TCM) from 1993 and 1985. Like Frank Sinatra, Day-Lewis has retired and then returned to his profession on more than one occasion.
SERIES NOTES
On two episodes of “Night Court” (NBC, r, TV-PG): an old friend irks Abby (8 p.m.); crimes against fashion (8:30 p.m.) … “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) … “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC) … “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC).
LATE NIGHT
Jimmy Fallon welcomes Kate Hudson, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) … Jimmy Kimmel and Nicola Coughlan visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Taylor Tomlinson hosts Joel Kim Booster, Greta Titelman and Sandy Honig on “After Midnight” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
