How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?

‘Maisy’
When to watch: Now, on Peacock or the Roku Channel.

This animated series for very young viewers debuted in 1999 and has finally made its way to streaming. Based on the popular Maisy books, by Lucy Cousins, the show feels timeless, with gentle narration and cheerful colors. “Maisy” is largely devoid of conflict and follows the mouse and her pals as they experience picnics, join parades and captain ferries for other animals. It’s all very chill and darling — “what fun!” — and each episode is broken into four shorter segments. If your family enjoys shows where the sound of ducks’ and penguins’ webbed feet slapping the ground is a major element, watch (and listen) to this.

… 80 minutes, and I want something biting.

‘The Architect’
When to watch: Now, on ViaPlay; the first two episodes are also available on the Roku Channel.

Eili Harboe stars in this dark Norwegian comedy set in the near future (in Norwegian, with subtitles) where housing is scarce, drones are ubiquitous and everything is just a bit worse than it is right now. The show is vicious and funny, satirizing both the deep soullessness of extractive capitalism and also the uselessness of hollow liberalism. “What if our son ends up a school shooter?” an expectant father frets. “Or our daughter,” his wife adds. There are only four 19-minute episodes, so the show feels extra sleek in its gray, angular efficiency. If you like “Black Mirror” or “Humans,” watch this.

‘Muster Dogs’
When to watch: Now, on Netflix.

If you need some inspiration for naming a new dog in your life, look no further than this unscripted Australian series, which includes dogs named Jumpy, Lucifer, Gossip and Trunk. “Muster” follows five kelpie puppies given to five ranchers, reconvening after one year to see which dog’s herding skills are the most advanced. But the show is much more about the journey than the destination. All the participants, human and canine, are incredibly endearing, and there are so few other shows where talking-head interviews are momentarily derailed when a giant snake darts into a shed. (I will warn you that a supporting-character dog does die — offscreen and of old age.)

The landscape footage here is striking and majestic, and the ranchers are often poetic and philosophical. “Tolerance of uncertainty is the biggest burden to bear,” one says, explaining his sense of helplessness during a drought. “Starts with a war in the brain where you think everything’s against you, and it gets hard.” The only way forward, he says, is “to be healthy, stay close to your friends, listen to plenty of music and have some dogs.”