A SHRILL SERIES
The comedy series Shrill is set to drop on Hulu this week, and the buzzed-about show has several Pacific Northwest ties. Starring and co-produced by Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant, it's based on a memoir by Seattle writer Lindy West and is partly inspired by her time on the staff at Seattle newspaper the Stranger, while Spokane native and SNL alum Julia Sweeney has a recurring role as Bryant's overbearing mother. All six episodes of Shrill premiere Friday. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)
ALIEN ADMIRATION
The Strange Planet webcomic may be the greatest thing to happen on Instagram/the internet in years. Created by artist Nathan W. Pyle, the matter-of-fact observations of Earthling's weird habits and behaviors by a group of adorable blue aliens take on everything from going to the dentist ("scraping mouth stones") to getting sunburned ("star damage") and rush-cleaning the house ("we own things but have hidden them") before guests arrive. Follow on Instagram @nathanwpylestrangeplanet. (CHEY SCOTT)
THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST
Some noteworthy new music arrives online and in stores March 15. To wit:
Karen O & Danger Mouse, Lux Prima. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer is always worth hearing, and this collaboration is intriguing for sure.
Stephen Malkmus, Groove Denied. The former Pavement frontman goes electronic. This writer goes perplexed.
The Alarm, Strength 1985-1986. Reissue of this album by the “Scottish U2” included 22 unreleased recordings. They are coming to the Bing Aug. 7; tix on sale now. (DAN NAILEN)
KUDOS
Spokane poet Brooke Matson recently won the Jake Adam York Prize for poetry for her collection In Accelerated Silence, which will be published in February 2020 by Milkweed Editions as part of the honor. The prize annually goes to an author's first or second poetry collection; her first, The Moons, was published in 2012. You might know Matson best as executive director of arts nonprofit Spark Central. (DAN NAILEN)
DO BETTER
With co-creator Louis C.K. rightfully exiled, FX series Better Things is now fully the purview of star Pamela Adlon, and that's a very good thing. As Sam, a single mother of three girls and working actor, Adlon is one of television's best characters, a filter-free woman helping her daughters navigate the complexities of adolescence and young adulthood. In the newly launched third season, mother and daughters alike are all unraveling a bit, and Better Things veers gracefully from drama to laugh-out-loud moments unlike few other shows. (DAN NAILEN)
