A year after Apple TV’s “Stick” and Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2,” golf still seems to be having a pop culture moment, although anyone who watches Netflix’s new Will Ferrell comedy series “The Hawk” may wonder why.
Now streaming its 10-episode first season, Ferrell stars as Lonnie Hawkins, 2004’s No. 1 golfer who’s fallen on hard times. That’s pretty much the same premise as “Stick,” where Owen Wilson’s character is also a down-on-his-luck golf pro regrettably separated from his wife, with a young protégé giving him a purpose. (Weirdly, Owen Wilson’s brother, Luke Wilson, appears in “The Hawk.”)
In “The Hawk,” Lonnie is also separated from his wife (Molly Shannon) and refuses to sign the divorce papers. Lonnie is seen as washed up by his wife and golf pro son (Jimmy Tatro) but gets an ego boost from his new, if unconventional, caddy (Fortune Feimster).
Hawkins is self-destructive and selfish, competing in a tournament while forgoing the funeral of his former caddy (guest star Keith David). But because he’s played with wild man-child energy by Ferrell with a lot of screaming fights — mostly between Ferrell and Shannon — it’s all intended to be funny. But it’s not. Nor is “The Hawk” clever; most of the humor is predictable.
“TheHawk” is produced by the PGA Tour, but it’s hard to see how this depiction of a golf pro burnishes the PGA image.
Regardless of whether “The Hawk” hits the sand trap of viewer interest, Netflix isn’t done with golf yet. Just last week, the streamer gave a straight-to-series order to “Jupiter Island,” a golf drama from writer Connor Hines (“Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. Carolyn Bessette”) that Deadline.com reports is “loosely inspired by real-life events and celebrities in the world of the PGA.”
Hey, at least this one will be a drama, which is a differentiator. Here’s the show’s description: “Set on the ultra-exclusive Jupiter Island, the privileged world of professional golfers and their wives fractures when a mysterious outsider arrives — and a secret threatens golf’s reigning power couple.”
Nat Geo revisits Pompeii
Tom Hiddleston (“Loki”) hosts “Pompeii: Out of Time,” a three-part docuseries guided by archeologists, historians and geologists who uncover stories of the Romans caught in Vesuvius’ path.
The three episodes air 8-11 p.m. July 22 on National Geographic Channel and stream the next day on Disney and Hulu.
‘Heinz,’ ‘Making Space’ on WQED
WQED dug into its vault and found “Heinz: The Story of an American Family,” a one-hour 1993 documentary that will air at 11 p.m. July 17 and is streaming online at WQED . The film follows the growth of the Heinz company and the history of H. J. Heinz and his family.
“Making Space: The Story of New Hazlett Theater,” a new film about the North Side artists’ space that was built in 1889, streams on WQED July 31 before airing on Channel 13 at 11:45 p.m. Aug. 3. The film celebrates the building’s history, the New Hazlett’s upcoming 20th anniversary and its legacy as the original home of the Pittsburgh Public Theater.
Kept/canceled
Angie Harmon’s Lifetime movie “Buried in Barstow” is getting two sequels, continuing the story of former assassin Hazel King.
“House of David,” Wonder Project’s Biblical drama for Amazon’s Prime Video, will be back for a third season.
But Wonder Project’s faith-based family drama “It’s Not Like That” will not return for a second season on Amazon’s Prime Video.
Revived
Adult Swim’s stop-motion adult animated comedy “Robot Chicken” will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Adult Swim with a new special (12 a.m. Aug. 30) that skewers Adult Swim series and characters.
“The Cheetah Girls,” a trio of Disney Channel movies that premiered between 2003-08, will return with “The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen,” following the returning Raven-Symoné, reprising her role as Galleria, whose daughter Faith (Leah Sava’ Jeffries, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”) forms a new Cheetah Girls singing group while volunteering at an African wildlife sanctuary. Filming begins this month in South Africa.
Channel surfing
Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein will revisit their IFC series “Portlandia” in the rewatch podcast “Podlandia: A-O Rewatch,” launching on YouTube and podcast platforms on July 16. … Low-budget box office hit “Obsession” streams on Peacock July 17. … CBS will repeat the 50th season of “Survivor” beginning Monday at 8 p.m. … CNN’s “Decades” franchise next looks to the world of athletics in “Decades in Sports” (9 p.m. Aug. 2, CNN), exploring the defining moments and cultural shifts that shaped sports over the past six decades. Interview subjects include Bob Costas, Al Michaels and former Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann. … Turns out AMC recorded that “Vampire Lestat” promotional concert and “The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE” will stream on AMC on Aug. 23. … Season 2 of HBO’s “Task” will also serve as a sequel of sorts of HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” as Julianne Nicholson reprises her Emmy-winning role as Lori Ross. Both shows are set in the working-class Philly suburbs. … An original parody musical based on “Dance Moms,” which filmed in Penn Hills in its early seasons, is in development from Tye Blue, the director and co-creator of Broadway’s “Titaníque.” “The Pyramid: An Unauthorized ‘Dance Moms’ Musical” launched a Kickstarter campaign this week.