Although 13 Reasons Why is shifting gears this year, the drama is no less heavy. Fortunately there are plenty of other new options to lighten your mood, including a little football and five new stand-up comedy sprecials. Here are the highlights.
NEW SEASON: Netflix has courted its share of controversy with its young adult drama, but for the third season of 13 Reasons Why, they're flipping the script, transforming the series into a whodunnit. Although at least one of the show's stars claims this season will be controversy-free, some people aren't so sure. The show has already been renewed for a fourth and final season. Watch the trailer. Streaming on Netflix
NFL FOOTBALL: The NFL Preseason game schedule is starting to pick up. Tonight, in the third game of preseason play, the Detroit Lions host the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. 8:00 PM ET ON CBS
COMEDY SPECIAL: Amazon is making a big push into comedy. Following last week's Jim Gaffigan special, the streamer is pulling out all the stops with the simultaneous release of not one but four standup specials. First up is Alonzo Bodden: Heavy Lightweight. A regular panelist on NPR's Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me, Bodden promises a balance of heavy topics and more lightweight material, in order to give viewers a break from the news while giving them a few laughs and a little food for thought. Streaming on Amazon
COMEDY SPECIAL: Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley star in #IMomSoHardLIVE, in which the two comics tackle topics ranging from parenting, to friendship, to sex after marriage. In a hashtag universe in which everyone appears to be doing just a little bit better, these ladies are here to remind us we're not alone. We're all disasters. Streaming on Amazon
COMEDY SPECIAL: In Alice Wetterlund: My Mama Is a Human and So Am I, the comedian explores everything from the secret alien conspiracy behind New Country music, to feline companions, to alcoholism, and peeping toms. If Hensley and Smedley didn't have viewers feeling better about themselves already, this should be just the ticket. Streaming on Amazon
COMEDY SPECIAL: Viewers may already know him from Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo on Netflix, but now that he's hopped platforms, Mike Winfield is set to attract a whole new audience of comedy fans. In Mike E. Winfield: StepMan, the comedian offers a fresh take on parenting from a stepfather's point of view. Streaming on Amazon
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: Liza Mandelup's documentary Jawline made a splash at Sundance this year, where Hulu snatched it up in a deal that made headlines. The film focuses online teenage celebrity as both a business and a heartbreaking soul quest as it follows Austyn Tester, a 16-year-old dreamer trying to grow his social media following as a way out of small-town Tennessee life. Watch the preview. Streaming on Hulu
ALSO TONIGHT
Mike Attebery is Senior Editor at Primetimer and the author of seven mystery thrillers. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeattebery.
TOPICS: 13 Reasons Why, Netflix, Dylan Minnette