Watching: A morning show dramedy

Wake up with a zippy Danish series.

All Newsletters Read online For subscribers June 16, 2025 A morning show dramedy with verve From left, Jacob Lohmann, Hadi Ka-Koush and Katrine Greis-Rosenthal in a scene from "Chaos." Viaplay By Margaret Lyons Dear Watchers, The Danish dramedy "Chaos" (in Danish, with subtitles), on Viaplay, centers on a morning show in crisis. "Denmark Awakes" is chugging along, not particularly vibrant or hugely popular but a fixture nonetheless. Then a new boss rolls in and announces that the show is about to be canceled, and suddenly the status quo is no longer an option. That is especially true for Lise (Katrine Greis-Rosenthal), who anchors the show with her husband, Martin (Hadi Ka-Koush). They smile through tepid human-interest stories about giant eggplants and unusually old dogs, but off camera, the cheery act is harder to maintain: He's ready for kids, she definitely isn't and thinks she may never be. So when she meets Johannes (Jacob Lohmann), a scruffy, emotionally wounded chef who is trying out van life for a while, she is drawn both to him and to the premise of a less conventional life. The staff at "Denmark Awakes" scrambles to grow its ratings, but attracting new, younger viewers is not easy. A brainstorming meeting concludes with three big ideas on the whiteboard: "MERMAN," "DON'T SCARE MEN" and "DIRECTION." Hmm. Maybe Johannes could do a segment, Lise suggests. And let's have Lise and Martin take DNA tests onscreen! That is sure to be a trouble-free exercise with no unexpected results. Even though it is set at a morning show, this is — mercifully — not at all like "The Morning Show," which is tediously trapped in its miasma of self-regard. "Chaos" is brisk and frisky, juiced by a rom-com engine and by the countdown toward the show-within-the-show's cancellation. Is Lise's life collapsing or beginning? Is everything falling apart, or was everything barely held together in the first place? Impending doom sucks, but would Lise be brave enough to make big changes without that pressure? Would anyone? "Chaos" is light but not dumb, credible but still arch. Its eight episodes are snappy and precise: no split timelines, no pointless subplots. Also this week Christina Hendricks and Kristine Froseth in a scene from Season 2 of "The Buccaneers." Apple TV+ A new season of "Walking With Dinosaurs" begins on Monday at 8 p.m., on PBS. (Check local listings.) Season 2 of "The Buccaneers" begins Wednesday, on Apple TV+. "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" returns on Wednesday for its second season, on Netflix. A new season of "Somebody Feed Phil" arrives Wednesday, on Netflix. "We Were Liars," based on the novel by E. Lockhart, arrives Wednesday, on Amazon Prime Video. The final two episodes of "Adults" air on Wednesday, starting at 9 p.m., on FX. It has not yet been renewed. EXTRA-CREDIT READING Critic's Notebook Trump's Parade Drafted the Army Into a War of Images After a week of stunning and sobering TV-news scenes, the brassy Trumpy production was a surreal viewing experience. By James Poniewozik How Much Are You Worth Romantically? This Director Has Thoughts. Celine Song's new "Materialists" takes a deep look at love and value via a rom-com, a genre that she argues is wrongfully dismissed: "What is more important than love?" By Kyle Buchanan Harris Yulin, Actor Who Perpetually Played the Bad Guy, Dies at 87 An award-winning actor and director, he appeared in scores of stage plays, movies and TV shows over six decades, most often as unsavory characters. By Sam Roberts Crowning New York's Top 'Pigeon' Thousands of people gathered on the High Line on Saturday for Pigeon Fest, inspired by an artist's sculpture and an appreciation for the city's most resilient birds. By Melena Ryzik Q&A The 'How to Train Your Dragon' Star Mason Thames Is Still Freaking Out As Hiccup, the 17-year-old actor is shouldering the weight of Universal's new live-action franchise — and living out his childhood fantasy. By Ashley Spencer Norma Swenson, an Author of 'Our Bodies, Ourselves,' Dies at 93 She was a proponent of natural childbirth when she joined the group that produced the candid guide to women's health. It became a cultural touchstone and a global best seller. By Penelope Green Do You Know the Novels That Inspired These Big Movies? Many influential action movies have been based on books. Find out how many you know in this short quiz. By J. D. Biersdorfer Correction: The Watching Newsletter of Friday, June 13, misidentified the character Mia in the series "The Survivors." Mia is Kieran's girlfriend and the mother of his child; she is not his wife. If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here. Need help? 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