Having explored the world of insulated corporate oligarchs on “Succession,” HBO takes the next logical step with “The Regime” (9 p.m. Sunday, TV-MA). Set in a fictional Central European state that has descended into a thinly disguised dictatorship, it stars Kate Winslet (“Titanic,” “Mare of Easttown”) as Elena Vernham, the increasingly isolated, erratic and paranoid chancellor.
A former doctor with a French husband, Vernham has embraced a charismatic nationalism shot through with symbols drawn from folklore and the strength of good country people. She enlists the rural and unsophisticated Corporal Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts) as her aide and confidante and as a kind of warning to her more cosmopolitan courtiers.
A game cast includes Martha Plimpton as the American secretary of state who tries to throw the cold water of reality on Elena’s delusions while at the same time keeping her unraveling country in the American orbit. Hugh Grant stars as the head of the political opposition.
Much like “Succession,” this series will feature many scenes reminding us that unchecked power allows horrible people to behave horribly. But while “Succession” was clearly created in the image of the Murdochs and other arrogant media moguls, it’s not so clear what kind of regime “The Regime” is meant to satirize.
Shot in and around Vienna, “The Regime” makes the most of opulent and imposing architecture. It also gives it a dark fairy-tale quality. Imagine how Netflix’s “The Crown” might have unfolded had the Nazis won and placed a friendly puppet on the throne.
Winslet is not the first actress to portray a female fascist in an HBO series. Her “Sense and Sensibility” co-star Emma Thompson portrayed a dictatorial British prime minister in the dystopian 2019 miniseries “Years and Years.” Her character was clearly inspired by France’s Marine Le Pen, a modern figure adept at putting fashionable lipstick on swinish neo-Nazi tendencies.
The inspiration for Elena seems more murky and far-fetched. However erratic, Elena is a female force to be reckoned with. This stands in contrast to contemporary patriarchal authoritarianism reflected in the macho stylings of Russia’s Vladimir Putin and his admirers on these shores.
This marks Winslet’s third project on HBO, after the triumph of “Mare of Easttown” and the messy, unnecessary and exhausting remake of “Mildred Pierce,” which required Winslet to appear in nearly every scene.
— With a week to go until the 96th Academy Awards, there’s still time to handicap and prognosticate. While some have noted a trend toward diversity in recent years, with more films directed by women and stories about people of color, it’s also interesting to note how some things have remained much the same.
Oscar has always had a soft spot for big epic films about Truly Important People (mostly men). Way back in 2012, Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” (8 p.m. Saturday, TCM, TV-MA) was showered with 12 Oscar nominations. Daniel Day-Lewis walked away with Best Actor, his third Oscar.
COVID, a changing movie industry and the streaming revolution have erupted in the years since, but the “great man” movie genre isn’t going anywhere. “Oppenheimer” has received 13 Oscar nominations. “Maestro,” the Leonard Bernstein biography, has received seven nods. “Napoleon,” director Ridley Scott’s widescreen epic, received three.
With a week to go, you can stream “Oppenheimer” on Peacock and “Maestro” on Netflix. “Napoleon” began streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday.
The films with the most Oscar nominations can be streamed in the comfort of your home, but you will have to pay to rent “Poor Things” (11 nominations) on any number of platforms. “Killers of the Flower Moon” (10) has been streaming on Apple TV+ for some time. “Barbie” (8) can be streamed on Max. “The Holdovers” (5) streams on Peacock. “Anatomy of a Fall” also received five nominations — it will stream on Hulu, but you’ll have to wait until March 22.
— “Small Town Potential” (9 p.m. Sunday, HGTV, TV-G) invites viewers to explore New York’s Hudson Valley, where many New York City residents have chosen to live during and after COVID lockdowns and the rise of remote office work.
Among locations explored by hosts Davina and Kristen is Kingston, New York, a small city dating back to the days when New York was known as the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. Street names and architecture still reflect a Dutch influence in a city that was the original capital of New York.
SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— After a motorcycle accident, a former boxer (Mark Wahlberg) feels a religious calling in the 2022 true-life biography “Father Stu” (7 p.m., FX, TV-14).
— Purdue hosts Michigan State in college basketball (8 p.m., Fox).
— Alabama hosts Tennessee in college basketball (8 p.m., ESPN).
— After escaping the clutches of her violent sister, a woman becomes a popular television host in the 2024 shocker “Single Black Female 2: Simone’s Revenge” (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).
— After losing her sight, a woman’s guide dog leads her to love in the 2023 romance “Guiding Emily” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
— The Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets in NBA basketball action (8:30 p.m., ABC).
— “OWN Spotlight: Oprah and Angela Bassett” (9 p.m., OWN, TV-PG) presents an interview and career appreciation of the actress and star of “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
— Sydney Sweeney hosts “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14), featuring musical guest Kacey Musgraves.
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
— Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): An interview with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott; one South Carolina school district’s attempt to ban 97 books, citing “parental rights”; NASA’s plans for a lunar base essential to a trip to Mars.
— Daniel Radcliffe stars in the 2001 adaptation of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
— Michonne stumbles upon help on “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live” (9 p.m., AMC, TV-MA).
— “Napoleon” star Joaquin Phoenix also starred in the dark 2023 comedy “Beau Is Afraid” (9 p.m., Showtime), about a nervous man in search of his mother.
CULT CHOICE
The Peter Pan legend gets the full-blown Steven Spielberg treatment in the 1991 fantasy “Hook” (8:45 p.m., Saturday, BBC America, TV-PG), starring Robin Williams as a lawyer turned Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as the evil pirate and Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell.
SATURDAY SERIES
A fateful flight to Morocco on “FBI: International” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … “The Wall” (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … “NBA Countdown” (8 p.m., ABC) anticipates the big game.
Prison riots can be murder on “FBI: Most Wanted” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … “Weakest Link” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) … “48 Hours” (10 p.m., CBS) … A vintage helping of “Saturday Night Live” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
SUNDAY SERIES
A real estate tycoon’s death seems suspicious on “The Equalizer” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … Groundskeeper Willie visits the old sod on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “American Idol” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … A vacancy in the pantheon on “Krapopolis” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
A race against time on “Tracker” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … An honorary mayor on “The Great North” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Tiny discrepancies can be murder on “Grimsburg” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Fake crooners end up as real stiffs on “CSI: Vegas” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … “What Would You Do?” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
