TV Check-In

Big Little Lies (HBO)
Based on the same-titled best-seller by Liane Moriarty, “Big Little Lies” weaves a darkly comedic tale of murder and mischief in the tranquil beachfront town of Monterey, Calif. Amidst doting moms, successful husbands, beautiful children, and stunning homes exists a community fueled by rumors and divided into haves and have-nots, exposing fractured relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, and friends and neighbors. Told through the eyes of three mothers — Madeline, Celeste, and Jane — the series’ narrative explores society’s myths regarding perfection and its romanticization of marriage, sex, parenting, and friendship. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley star as the three prominent “mothers of Monterey.”

Grownish (Freeform)
The Johnson family’s eldest daughter is taking her first steps into the real world as she heads off to college. “Grown-ish” explores the first trappings of adulthood, and Zoey must navigate through the trials and tribulations of these momentous steps. Zoey discovers that once she leaves the nest, things do not always go her way. The series features “that in-between place where you’re not quite an adult but facing grown world problems for the first time,” Kenya Barris, the show’s creator and executive producer, said.

Sneak Peek:
The Farewell
Billi’s family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch — the only person that doesn’t know she only has a few weeks to live.

TV Series Return
Stranger Things (Netflix)
It’s the fall of 1984, about a year after Will Byers was found, and he has been plagued by seeing visions of the Upside Down featuring a more dangerous monster. That leads the boy to see a suspiciously friendly new doctor, with the possibility that Will’s visions are the result of suffering from PTSD. Nancy deals with survivor’s remorse over the death of best friend Barb. Meanwhile, a new sinister entity threatens the Hawkins residents who survived the year-earlier events. New to the town is tomboy Max, who befriends the boys and attracts the romantic interests of Dustin and Lucas.