Podcast: The Gamblers

A rebellious bookie, a last-of-his-kind pool hustler, a mom who leads a double life as a blackjack whiz and even an amateur investor who won at GameStop stocks—these are some of the life stories explored in this anthology series on the Ringer podcast network, hosted by writer and self-proclaimed gambler David Hill. Each episode is about an hour, allowing space for the listener to get lost in the cinematic storytelling. Theringer.com/gamblers-podcast. –C. Moon Reed

Film: The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Director Lee Daniels focuses on the most tragic aspects of the jazz vocalist’s short history, particularly the way the United States government used Holiday’s addictions to paint her as a criminal and silence her efforts toward social justice for Black people. Starring Golden Globe winner Andra Day in the lead role, it’s a must-watch, whether or not you already know some of Holiday’s heartbreaking story. Hulu. –Leslie Ventura

TV: Fast Foodies

If you’ve ever wondered what happens at your favorite neighborhood restaurant when the kitchen closes and the staff starts to unwind, it might look a little like this new series starring Top Chef alums Kristen Kish, Justin Sutherland and Jeremy Ford. There’s a little booze, a lot of trash talk and a celebrity guest each week, inspiring these creative culinarians to mimic and renovate fast food favorites. They’ve already seduced comedian Bobby Lee with Egg McMuffin upgrades and blown away actor Joel McHale with optimal Chicago dogs. It’ll make you hungry and happy. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., TruTV. –Brock Radke

Audiobook: The Phantom Tollbooth

I grew up with Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer’s 1961 fantasy adventure The Phantom Tollbooth. (The 2011 annotated edition, with its crisply rendered versions of Feiffer’s illustrations, is worth owning.) Initially I doubted that the 2019 audiobook, read by The Office’s Rainn Wilson, would capture the nuances of its clever wordplay; happily, I was wrong. Wilson performs the story with a warmth and humor that fills the heart. Juster died March 8 at age 91, but his memory endures in Milo’s timeless adventures. Available on Audible, Play Books, Libby. –Geoff Carter

Music: Arab Strap: As Days Get Dark

Arab Strap’s albums always sounded as if they were written for end times, so it’s fitting that the Scottish duo—vocalist Aidan Moffat and instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton—just released its first record in 16 years. As Days Get Dark lives up to its harrowing title, as Moffat’s familiar brogue speaks of romances wrecked and lives lost. Yet amid the lyrical anguish there’s musical uplift, as songs like “Here Comes Comus!” and “The Turning of Our Bones” stir the heart and compel the listener to, as Moffat suggests on the latter track, “live now, before we’re back below.” –Spencer Patterson