Our Channel Surfing TV picks this week include a musical and a pair of comic related series. Prepare for more teen drama in song with the new season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (HSMTMTS). There’s a new power couple in the city in the third season of Harley Quinn. Then experience a coming-of-age sci-fi adventure in Paper Girls.
Summer Vacation
In the third season of HSMTMTS, the gang head to Camp Shallow Lake in California for summer theater camp. The big production they will be putting on together draws upon a more recent Disney animated classic: Frozen. I don’t envy the person who has to fill Idina Menzel’s shoes but it does keep the show fresh by moving to a new location and introducing other characters outside of East High.
The season is also one of transition. Olivia Rodrigo has blown up as a pop artist and this year she’ll have a recurring role rather than be a part of the main cast. There will be appearances by several Disney alums including High School Musical original member, Corbin Bleu, Jason Earles, and Meg Donnelly. Other guest stars include Jesse Tyler Ferguson and JoJo Siwa.
The season three premiere of High School Musical: The Musical: The Show will be Wednesday, July 27, on Disney+.
Look Out Gotham
Following the end to season two, the story of Harley Quinn continued in the comic miniseries, Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour. Harley and Poison Ivy officially became a couple and were on the run from James Gordon.
The TV series returns picking up after the events from issue #6. The new season will dive into Ivy’s backstory while also developing the new romantic relationship as the pair attempt to turn Gotham into an Eden paradise. What We Do in the Shadows’ Harvey Guillén is set to voice Nightwing while James Gunn will voice himself.
The first three episodes of season three of Harley Quinn will be released Thursday, July 28, on HBO Max.
Delivery Not Guaranteed
Paper Girls comic was originally a comic created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Cliff Chiang. After its release, it won two Eisner Awards for Best New Series and Best Penciller/Inker. The following year, colorist Matt Wilson and Vaughan won Eisner Awards as well due in part to their contributions to the series.
Now a television adaptation will premiere this week. It’s difficult to describe the plot without spoiling anything but it involves a group of teenage girls in suburban Cleveland who are delivering papers the morning after Halloween. A chance encounter with some mysterious strangers leads to a science fiction adventure through time.
The entire first season of Paper Girls drops Friday, July 29, on Prime Video.
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