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THE Billboard Family Hits of the Week brings together what's new and worth your family's time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget annoying scrolling and searching for “what to watch for family movie night”… again. The best family entertainment every week is all in one place in this handy guide. Not satisfying to cross something off your bucket list?
Before we move on with recommendations on how to entertain your family this week, I want to acknowledge that it's been a devastating few days for the pop music community with the untimely death of One Direction's Liam Payne. Formed in 2010 and going on hiatus until 2016, One Direction mostly predates the youth of today's mainstream pop music experience, but their influence on the genre remains steadfast. Payne's family is devastated. His musical peers mourn the loss of a dear friend. Parents reading this, especially the younger set who came of age at the height of 1D, are likely feeling the weight. The kids on the Internet may have seen the news or they may sense your sadness and may be asking questions. I suggest you read Bulletin boardPayne's tribute to Payne and his essential contributions to One Direction, plus a great round-up of his chart-topping hits to create a queued up playlist, whether it's for you or to share with your family.
And now, a turn to lighter and brighter news: The Eras Tour is back. Taylor Swift will be on stage (and on our small screens, assuming one goes live) on Friday, October 17th in Miami for the first concert of the end of Eras. The summer leg of the show took a Department of Tormented Poets refresh. Will there be more surprises from the sneaky Swift before she takes her final bow in 2024?
On TV this weekend, I suggest you tune in to see Billie Eilish as SNLhis musical guest. No word on whether the “Birds of a Feather” singer will star in any skits in the Michael Keaton-hosted episode, but I predict funny things if she does. Eilish has hosted before SNL in 2021, when she became the first celebrity host born in the 21st century – yet another impressive milestone this young talent hit before the age of 21.
I'm currently streaming Prime Video's The Pradeeps of Pittsburgha new half-hour family sitcom that surrounds an Indian family that recently navigates their lives in America. The first episode, which opens in an interrogation room with the entire Pradeep family of five, grabs you right away. How did this family get here?
Family game collections will grow with this week's release Super Mario Party Jamboree from Nintendo. I think we'll save this for the holidays, when the kids can open it as a present and have plenty of time to fight over which of the 110 mini-games to play first. The Mario Party series has a history of inspiring dynamic competition in our home.
Here's a rundown of our picks for the latest Billboard Family Hits of the Week performance:
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Return to Eras browsing mode
“I must forget, so take me to Florida.” Swift's arrival at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium for a trio of shows (October 18-20) will lift pop fans' spirits following the week's gravitas. Let's hope the cathartic “Florida!!!” (He's only appeared live once so far, with Florence Welch in London) somehow appears in the set list, to provide some pop music therapy.
This week I wrote Billboard FamilyHis complete guide to everything you need to know about taking the kids on The Eras Tour. Intended for those with plans (or hopes) to see Swift on her remaining tour dates in Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver. It looks at whether you should buy tickets for your children to see the show with you or live the night without the little ones – I've done both, I reported from the tour in Atlanta and then saw it again in Foxborough with my family. It has my personal tips for finding last minute Eras tickets through Ticketmaster and resale sites (like StubHub). It has answers to all the questions you have about getting young Swifties to this huge concert event.
Those lucky enough to be in the concert audience on Friday night (October 18) will be the first to see Swift live since August, when she wrapped up the European leg of her Eras tour. Although he's attended the VMAs and a few sporting events and just announced the upcoming release of a 256-page tour book and a special Target edition of Section The tortured poets: The Anthology on CD and vinyl, little is known about how it has fared over the past two months. She tended to be quite busy with work even on vacation (hello, Tormented poets). Swift's return to the stage begins a countdown to the final performance of The Eras Tour on December 8. Will it start on the last track of Eras with any easter eggs pointing to what's to come? All eyes are on Florida!!!
If, like most of us, you're not touching down in Miami right now, you can keep up with your family for updates from the show. Chances are some fans will be streaming the show live tonight. In modern times, this happens in a smaller, quieter way among fans when an artist goes on tour, but it has become much less subtle since The Eras Tour began. It's usually just a quick search on TikTok or YouTube that brings up a stream until Swift starts, which should be around 8pm. ET this weekend. My twin, who won't put up with bad singers, cracks me up with her sarcastic comments about unusual streamers, but she'll sit and listen to the surprise songs of the night with me.
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Watch “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh”
The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh is a new show on Prime Video, which you can access if you have an Amazon Prime subscription for free shipping. It's a streaming series that could just as easily be a primetime family comedy airing on the standard networks. Starring Naveen Andrews and Sindhu Vee as the parents and Sahana Srinivasan, Arjun Sriram and Ashwin Sakthivel as their children, the comedy covers the culture shock of an Indian family moving to America, an idea the screenwriters can easily find humor in.
But it's the absurdity of this family's particular situation and the form through which the story is told – with an interrogation used as a frame around flashbacks from the Pradeeps – that makes it uniquely funny. Press play on the first episode and the first thing you'll see is the family of five sitting across from investigators who are after them for a fire that burned down their next-door neighbor's house. It's kind of a family comedy-meets-whodunnit.
I stopped myself from finishing the series in one go after four episodes straight. At just half an hour each, and not the kind of show that requires deep thought, the series moves quickly. It's nice to have a fun 30-minute option when you feel like watching something but it's late or you don't want to commit to a full-on TV binge. Mature themes (teenage discussions of sex, high school drug references) are handled in a comedic way, but this is best enjoyed by older kids.
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Play “Super Mario Party Jamboree”
For families who like to spend some game time together with children of mixed ages, a new version of Mario from Nintendo is a pretty safe choice. A new one Mario Party release is even better. Super Mario Party Jamboree it was only released on October 17th.
If you're looking to spend 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 can't wait, but it will be ours until Christmas. Mario PartyIts mini-games, fun for all ages, bring out the competitive side of everyone except my preschooler. He doesn't play video games and doesn't quite know what he's doing yet, but he likes to hold his own game controller and yell at the TV like it's part of it.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is a multiplayer game with two game modes, the aforementioned mini-games and larger ones that are like the video game equivalent of the board game. The new Mario Party Jamboree has 110 mini-games and seven tables, so there's plenty to choose from and you can choose from 22 different playable characters. My kids are still pretty young so we don't use the online features of the video games, but this has two Nintendo Switch online modes with rooms that hold up to 20 players.
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Watch Billie Eilish Perform on 'SNL'
Ariana Grande ruled last weekend Saturday Night Liveand this weekend brings us Billie Eilish as musical guest. She'll stop by SNL for a performance on Saturday night (October 19) while in New York for her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour at the iconic Madison Square Garden this week. (Reading Bulletin boardreview of the show here.)
Fingers crossed that Eilish gets in a skit or two, even though she's not hosting the show this time around. Enjoy the moment she and Kate McKinnon brought us this classic “Hotel Ad” sketch, with a text from Finneas.
“Birds of a Feather” is her current single, so it's safe to guess that it will be one of the songs she performs on SNL stage. Ready for pop radio, it's the best song on her latest album, catchy and sweet enough for all ages to appreciate. Clips of her performance will go online soon after they air, but you can also catch the entire show on TV, without cable, via Peacock.
