News What to Watch What to Watch and Read This Weekend: Do Astronauts Dream of Sheep Detectives? Plus: David Attenborough and Victor LaValle By Molly Templeton | Published on May 8, 2026 Image: Amazon MGM Studios Comment 0 Share New Share Image: Amazon MGM Studios Some weeks just call for nature programming. I don’t know if this is one of them; I do know that I have an accidental science-and-nature theme going on in most of these recommendations. We love to joke about touching grass, becoming moss, but—please forgive the deep earnestness—it’s not really a joke, is it? Every time I get out in the woods, I feel better. I feel a sense of scale that ranges from the tiniest mites in the bark of a tree to the entire tree, tall and possibly ancient; from the smallest wren to the Cooper’s hawks or barred owls we might be lucky enough to spot. We’re just one more part of that scene. The scale becomes even greater when there are humans in space, when it feels like half the planet is staring in awe at things we’ve never collectively seen before. It’s enough to make me want to drop everything and become an environmentalist, honestly, except that I’d probably need to go back to school for a really long time. But these are things to celebrate: space exploration, nature documentaries, the animals and plants that we share this single planet with. Hug your pets, tell your friends you love them, call your reps, maybe go touch some grass? Or at least go sit in a park for a few minutes in between episodes of all the new TV that’s come out recently. In This House We Pay Attention to Victor LaValle Adaptations It’s time for your next Victor LaValle adaptation! I say this with special glee because I really liked The Changeling. It didn’t always work perfectly, but it tried things, and it has one astonishing episode that should have won Adina Porter all the awards (this didn’t happen, because life is unfair). Now, we’ve got The Terror: Devil in Silver, based on LaValle’s novel The Devil in Silver. As Alex Brown says in their review, “All you need to know going in is that a guy finds himself imprisoned in a mental hospital that may or may not be haunted by a monster.” Said guy is played by Dan Stevens, who plays his role with “a real joie de dirtbag quality.” This may or may not be my new favorite phrase. The show also stars the always-excellent CCH Pounder. Maybe the most important thing, though, is this: “Writers and co-showrunners Christopher Cantwell and Victor LaValle nail this adaptation.” You should go read Alex’s whole review—or not, if you don’t want to know anything—and then give this one a try. It’s streaming on AMC+/Shudder.  What Do Astronauts Dream About in Space? I didn’t watch a ton of footage while Artemis II was in space—I was just too anxious. But now that the crew is back on Earth, I am lightly obsessed. This week’s treat is this interview with the New York Times podcast The Daily, which asked children for their questions, then presented those questions to Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman. I am not ashamed to say I teared up at the first question. Not in a “kids say the darndest things!” way—though the question about pizza parties is very funny—but because I remember being a kid obsessed with space, and I heard, in these questions, that same awe and curiosity. I want that sense of awe and curiosity for all of us. What’s more, the Artemis crew gave incredible, honest, generous answers; they treated every question with respect and kindness. It’s just beautiful. I’m not going to cry again. I’m just going to go look at photos of the moon.  Watching the Detectives (The Sheep Detectives, That Is) If horror is not your bag—as it is not often mine—there is another option in this week’s new releases. A very different option. You can watch Hugh Jackman read to sheep. The trailer for The Sheep Detectives astonished me: I had zero, maybe below zero expectations for a movie in which a flock of sheep, having been read murder mysteries by their shepherd, try to solve his murder. But then every scene was beyond charming. Confusingly, Craig Mazin (The Last of Us) wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of Leonie Swann’s novel Three Bags Full. Less confusingly, the cast is stacked: Jackman! Chris O’Dowd! Emma Thompson! Regina Hall! Julia Louis-Dreyfus! Rhys Darby! Patrick Stewart! Patrick Stewart voicing a sheep! Leah Schnelbach came out of this movie asking “Why was the SHEEP MOVIE an existentialist rollercoaster???!!!” You can read their review or just go to the movie! It can’t possibly be baaaaad. David Attenborough Turns 100 If you have ever watched a nature program, you’ve probably heard British naturalist, environmentalist, and broadcaster David Attenborough, whose precise, funny, calm narration has carried many a viewer through dozens of shows for decades upon decades. Today, he turns 100 years old. In London, there’s a tribute to him on a huge screen at Piccadilly Circus. The Today Show posted a video of him on the show in 1981, talking about the series Life on Earth. The Guardian, in an introduction to Attenborough’s “most spectacular TV moments,” says, “He is, without question, Britain’s greatest national treasure; a man who has devoted his career to helping the public engage with the natural world.” I want to watch all of those spectacular moments. I want to spend a week watching nature documentaries. But I am reminded of another video I shared in one of these posts, weeks ago: this look at the humble, magnificent hermit crab. Do you have a favorite Attenborough clip? I would truly love to see it.[end-mark] The post What to Watch and Read This Weekend: Do Astronauts Dream of Sheep Detectives? appeared first on Reactor.