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The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to cross something off your list?
Before moving forward with recommendations of how to keep your family entertained this week, I want to acknowledge it’s been a devastating few days for the pop music community with the untimely passing of One Direction‘s Liam Payne. Having formed in 2010 and gone on hiatus by 2016, One Direction mostly pre-dates the youth of today’s main experience with pop music, but their impact on the genre holds steady. Payne’s family is heartbroken. His peers in music are grieving the loss of a dear friend. Parents reading this, especially the younger set who were coming of age at 1D’s peak, are likely feeling the heaviness. Kids on the internet might have seen the news, or they might be picking up on your sadness, and they might ask questions. I suggest reading Billboard‘s tribute to Payne and his indispensable contributions to One Direction, as well as a great summary of his highlights on the charts to queue up a playlist, whether it’s for yourself or to share with your family.
And now, a swerve into lighter and brighter news: The Eras Tour returns. Taylor Swift will be on stage (and our small screens, assuming someone live streams) Friday, Oct. 17 in Miami for the first concert of the end of Eras. The summer leg of the show got a Tortured Poets Department refresh. Will there be more surprises from the stealthy Swift before she takes her final bow of 2024?
On TV this weekend, I recommend tuning in to see Billie Eilish as SNL‘s musical guest. No word on whether the “Birds of a Feather” singer will star in any sketches on the Michael Keaton-hosted episode, but I foresee funny things if she does. Eilish previously hosted SNL in 2021, when she became the first-ever celebrity host born in the 21st century — just another mind-boggling milestone this young talent hit before the age of 21.
I’m currently streaming Prime Video’s The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, a new half-hour family comedy series surrounding an Indian family that’s newly navigating life in America. Episode one, opening in an interrogation room with the entire Pradeep family of five, pulls you in right away. How did this family get here?
Family game collections should grow with this week’s release of Super Mario Party Jamboree from Nintendo. I think we’ll save this one for the holidays, when the kids can open it as a gift and have ample time to quarrel over which of the 110 mini-games to play first. The Mario Party series has a history of inspiring spirited competition in our home.
Here’s a rundown of our picks for the latest rendition of Billboard Family Hits of the Week:
Get Back in Eras Tour Mode
“I need to forget, so take me to Florida.” Swift’s arrival to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium for a trio of shows (Oct. 18-20) will uplift the mood of pop fans following the gravity of the week. Let’s hope the cathartic “Florida!!!” (performed live only once so far, with Florence Welch in London) makes an appearance on the set list in some way, to provide some pop music therapy.
This week I wrote Billboard Family‘s complete guide to everything you need to know about taking kids to The Eras Tour. It’s meant for folks with plans (or hopes) to see Swift at her remaining tour dates in Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver. It addresses whether you should buy tickets for your kids to see the show with you or experience the night without the little ones — I’ve done both, reporting from the tour in Atlanta, then seeing it again in Foxborough with my family. It’s got my personal tips on finding last-minute Eras tickets through Ticketmaster and resale sites (like StubHub). It’s got answers to all the questions you’ve got about taking young Swifties to this massive concert event.
Those lucky enough to be in the concert audience Friday night (Oct. 18) will be the first to see Swift live since August, when she concluded her European section of The Eras Tour. Though she’s attended the VMAs and some sports games, and just announced the upcoming release of a 256-page tour book and a Target special edition of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology on CD and vinyl, little is known about how she’s spent the past two months. She’s had a tendency to keep quite busy with work even in her downtime (hi, Tortured Poets). Swift’s return to the stage starts a countdown until The Eras Tour’s last show ever, on Dec. 8. Will she launch into the final piece of Eras with any Easter eggs pointing toward what’s next? All eyes are on Florida!!!
If, like most of us, you’re not touching down in Miami right now, you can still keep up with updates from the show with your family. Chances are some fans there will live stream the show tonight. In modern times this happens in a smaller, quieter way among fandoms when an artist goes on tour, but it’s become much less discreet since The Eras Tour started. It’s usually just a quick search on TikTok or YouTube that brings up a stream by the time Swift starts, which should be around 8 p.m. ET this weekend. My tween kid, who will not deal with bad singers, cracks me up with her wry remarks about off-key streamers, but will sit through it to hear the night’s surprise songs with me.
Watch ‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’
The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh is a new show on Prime Video, which you have access to if you’ve got an Amazon Prime membership for the free shipping. It’s a streaming series that could have just as easily been a primetime family comedy airing on standard networks. Starring Naveen Andrews and Sindhu Vee as parents, and Sahana Srinivasan, Arjun Sriram and Ashwin Sakthivel as their kids, the comedy covers the culture shock of an Indian family that moved to America, a concept screenwriters can easily find the humor in.
But it’s the absurdity of this family’s particular situation, and the form the story is told through — with an interrogation used as a frame around flashbacks from the Pradeeps — that makes it uniquely funny. Press play on episode one and the first thing you’ll see is the family of five sitting across the table from investigators who are hounding them about a fire that burned down their next-door neighbor’s house. It’s sort of family comedy-meets-whodunnit.
I stopped myself from finishing the series in one go after watching four episodes straight through. At just a half hour each, and not the kind of show that requires deep thinking, the series moves fast. It’s nice to have an entertaining, 30-minute option when you feel like watching something but it’s getting late, or you don’t want to get sucked into a full-on TV binge. Mature topics (teen talk about sex, references to drugs at high school) are dealt with in a comedic way, but this one’s best enjoyed with older kids.
Play ‘Super Mario Party Jamboree’
For families who like to have some game time together with kids of mixed ages, a new Mario release from Nintendo a fairly fail-safe choice. A new Mario Party release is even better. Super Mario Party Jamboree was just released on Oct. 17.
If you’re looking to have an easy weekend at home with your family, now’s the perfect time to pick up a copy (you can find it at your local Target). I’m holding off, but it will be ours by Christmastime. Mario Party‘s mini-games, fun to play with all ages, bring out the competitive side of everyone but my preschooler. He doesn’t play video games and doesn’t quite know what he’s doing yet, but likes to hold his own game controller and yell at the TV like he’s a part of it.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is a multi-player game with two modes of play, the aforementioned mini-games and longer ones that are like the video game equivalent of board game. The new Mario Party Jamboree has 110 mini-games and seven boards, so there’s plenty to choose from, and you can pick from 22 different playable characters. My kids are still pretty young so we don’t make use of the online features of video games, but this one has two Nintendo Switch online modes with rooms holding up to 20 players.
Watch Billie Eilish Perform on ‘SNL’
Last weekend Ariana Grande ruled Saturday Night Live, and this weekend brings us Billie Eilish as musical guest. She’s stopping by SNL for a performance Saturday night (Oct. 19) while she’s in New York City for her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour at the iconic Madison Square Garden this week. (Read Billboard‘s review of the show here.)
Fingers crossed that Eilish takes part in a sketch or two, even though she’s not hosting the show this time. Please enjoy the time she and Kate McKinnon brought us this classic “Hotel Ad” sketch, with a cameo from Finneas.
“Birds of a Feather” is her current single, so it’s safe to guess it’ll be one of the songs she performs on the SNL stage. Poised for pop radio, it’s the best sing-along track on her latest album, catchy and sweet enough for all ages to appreciate. Her performance clips will make it online soon after they air, but you can also see the full show on TV, without cable, via Peacock.
