How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?

No matter how much free time you have this weekend, we have TV recommendations for you. Come back every Friday for new suggestions from our TV critic on what to watch.

This Weekend I Have … an Hour, and Gimme That Sweet, Sweet Trash

A scene from “Release the Hounds.”Primal Media

‘Release The Hounds’
When to watch: Now, on Netflix

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This British import is more or less a haunted house physical-challenge show — contestants search for keys in spooky, sometimes gruesome tableaus, and those keys unlock chests filled with cash. Then the contestants shove that cash into a backpack before, yes, the hounds are released, and the people literally try to outrun dogs. The show is ecstatically, wildly stupid, so much so that it could pass as one of the fake reality shows on “30 Rock” or, more darkly, as one of the shows people are devoted to in the “Black Mirror” episode “Fifteen Million Merits.”

… an Hour, And I Liked ‘Girl Trip’

Tiffany Haddish in “Tiffany Haddish: She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood.”Nacelle Company, via Showtime

‘Tiffany Haddish: She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood!’
When to watch: Friday, 9 p.m., Showtime.

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The breakout star of the breakout movie of the summer nails her first stand-up special, which covers a general autobiography: a childhood in foster care, a few major meltdowns, a divorce and a supernova sense of determination. Haddish easily slides into the younger versions of herself, whether it’s the bullied child who just wants to play tetherball or the struggling comedian still waiting for her big moment, and the warmth and vulnerability of those moments creates a pleasant bond with the audience.

… Six Hours, and I Want A Kicky Drama

Caroline Dhavernas in “Mary Kills People.”Lifetime

‘Mary Kills People’
When to watch: Now, on Hulu

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Caroline Dhavernas stars as Mary, an E.R. doctor who in her off-hours helps people with terminal illnesses end their own lives. It’s not a weepy schlockathon, though — it’s an energetic, grounded drama whose characters make jokes and do the best they can.

“Mary” is an adult show not in terms of raunchiness but because the problems its characters face, and the questions the show asks, aren’t trivial, and the drama isn’t born out of an arbitrary shenanigan. If you want something thoughtful but not miserable, try this.

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