It List: Pamela Anderson is 'The Last Showgirl,' 'Abbott Elementary' and 'It's Always Sunny' cross over, 'The Traitors' gets cutthroat
Plus, Ethel Cain releases her sophomore album.
Hello, friends! I’m Kelsey, your guide to all things pop culture for Yahoo Entertainment, and this is the It List, our weekly rundown of what’s new and notable. In it, I recommended a slew of upcoming releases to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge. I’ll walk you through my favorites.
What to watch
🎥 The Last Showgirl holds the stage
When: The Last Showgirl is in theaters Jan. 10.
What to know: A performer who contends with her future after her Las Vegas show announces its closure after 30 years. Star Pamela Anderson is receiving a ton of praise for her raw and emotional performance. [Variety/People]
Why I recommend it: The film is jam-packed with stars who are all Hollywood veterans, like Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd and Kiernan Shipka. Brenda Song told me that Anderson constantly inspired her on set by being so “unapologetically Pam.”
📺 It’s Always Sunny goes on a field trip to Abbott Elementary
When: The first episode of the Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover event is now streaming on Hulu.
What to know: The two-episode event sees the irredeemable miscreant bar owners of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia meeting the optimistic staff of Abbott Elementary as they prepare to volunteer. The two shows’ creators hatched the idea after meeting at the Emmys. [Deadline/Los Angeles Times]
Why I recommend it: These are two of the most different shows in human history. There are a lot of shows coming back this week, but this is the premiere I’m most excited about. [Rolling Stone/Yahoo Entertainment]
📺 The Traitors sharpens its knives
When: The first episode of The Traitors Season 3 streams Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
What to know: Alan Cumming hosts this murder mystery competition show, which assembles celebrities in a Scottish castle to work together to win cash prizes. They also must sniff out “traitors” who are “killing” them off behind closed doors. [Indiewire]
Why I recommend it: If you’ve ever watched reality competition shows, you’ll love this — not just because Survivor winners will be taking on Vanderpump Rules and Real Housewives stars — but because it’s all about strategy … until it’s not. Truly anything could happen, which makes each episode a wild ride. [TVLine/People]
What to listen to
🎧 Ethel Cain goes darker
When: Ethel Cain’s new album Perverts is out now.
What to know: The singer earned a cult following for embracing a Midwestern gothic aesthetic and weaving dreary storytelling into her previous album, Preacher’s Daughter. [Pitchfork]
Why I recommend it: You might know Cain from her now-viral songs that blew up on TikTok and made the It Ends With Us movie soundtrack, but this album is somehow gloomier with an industrial vibe that includes a lot of ambient sounds. [Deadline]
What to binge
▶️ On Call takes no prisoners
When: All eight episodes of On Call Season 1 are now streaming on Prime Video.
What to know: The latest show to enter the Dick Wolf universe of law enforcement shows turns the typical procedural format on its head. It includes footage shot on bodycams and dashcams, focusing on officers patrolling Long Beach, Calif. [Yahoo Entertainment]
Why I recommend it: When I saw that actresses best known for their roles on Pretty Little Liars and Full House would be starring, I knew the show would be a fascinating watch. Its half-hour episodes are quick and gritty. [Yahoo Entertainment]
We’ll be back next week with our latest picks. Want more It List? Click here.
Are there other things you’re excited about? Let us know in the comments below.
