What to stream this week: Willie Nelson, Chip & Joanna Gaines, Jim Henson and Benedict Cumberbatch

Willie Nelson's 152nd album and Benedict Cumberbatch playing a curmudgeon puppeteer in “Eric” on Netflix are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: George Clooney’s sports drama “The Boys in the Boat,” the British musical comedy “We Are Lady Parts” returns for a second season and home improvement gurus Chip and Joanna Gaines fix up a mid-century modern lake house on HGTV.

– Jim Henson died in 1990 at the age of 53 but his Muppet creations and their rambunctious spirit have long outlived him. Ron Howard’s “Jim Henson Idea Man” (Friday, May 31 on Disney+) is an attempt to document the life and imagination behind one of the most beloved entertainers. Howard made the film with the involvement of the Henson family and use of its extensive archive

— George Clooney’s “The Boys in the Boat” (Tuesday on Prime Video) is an almost daringly old-fashioned sports drama that makes “Seabiscuit” look comparatively cutting edge. It tells the true-life tale of the University of Washington rowing team who in 1936 reached the Olympics in Berlin. In her review, AP National Writer Jocelyn Noveck wrote that “Clooney has gone for stirring and a bit stodgy, pleasing and a bit predictable.”

— In the Nordic Western “The Promised Land” (Thursday on Hulu), the frontier is Denmark’s remote Jutland heath, where a retired army captain (Mads Mikkelsen) travels with royal permission to cultivate a farm in 1755. His adventures, a loosely true history adapted from Ida Jessen’s 2020 bestseller “The Captain and Ann Barbara,” give Mikkelsen a sweeping backdrop for his magnetic presence.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

— “The Border,” Willie Nelson’s 152nd album — you read that correctly, at least, according to Texas Monthly — arrives Friday, May 31. Across the release, Nelson offers idiosyncratic interpretations of compositions from country songwriting greats: Mike Reid (“Nobody Knows Me Like You”), Rodney Crowell with Will Jennings (“Many a Long and Lonesome Highway”), and Larry Cordle with Erin Enderlin (“I Wrote This Song for You”) among them. The title track, “The Border” is another reimagination of Crowell, a track from his 2019 album “Texas.” It’s a love letter to the Lone Star state, the kind Nelson knows better than anyone else.

— It wasn’t so long ago that every conversation about the K-pop girl group aespa focused on their digital avatars. The quartet are actually an octet, if their AI counterparts are to be counted – an inventive exercise in transmedia storytelling to match their forward-thinking pop sound. But that was then. Now the group is preparing to release their debut full-length studio album, “Armageddon.” Lead single “Supernova” samples Afrika Bambaataa ’s ‘Planet Rock’ from 1982 and brings their electronic experiments even further into the future.

— Grammy-, Tony- and Emmy-winner Ben Platt brings his Broadway-sized pop to a third studio album, “Honeymind.” It’s a cheery pop-rock record (produced by Dave Cobb, known for his work with country greats Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile and most recently, Zayn Malik), deeply informed by his own love story and Peter Gabriel melodies. It’s an ideal record for musical theater fans looking for a different change of pace.

— Tanerélle, Republic Records latest signee, is preparing to release a new EP, “Electric Honey.” The Atlanta singer-songwriter’s strength is her rich vocal tone – classic and futuristic-sounding in the same breathy delivery of her grounded R&B. She might be a new name to some, but she’s already landed some impressive co-signs in the form of A-list syncs: Her music has been used in Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It” and Issa Rae ’s great HBO drama “Insecure.”

— And now for something completely different: On Friday, May 31, BMG Records will release “Pepito y Paquito,” the earliest collection of recorded material from flamenco legends Paco de Lucía and Pepe de Lucía — restored partially by using AI technology – originally captured when they were 11 and 13 years old, respectively. (Before working under their own names, they were known as “Pepito y Paquito.”) There’s a lot to love here, but begin with “Me Falta La Resistencia,” the boys’ adaptation of the La Repompa de Málaga tango.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

— It’s 1980s New York in the new Netflix series “Eric” and Benedict Cumberbatch plays a curmudgeon puppeteer named Vincent with a crumbling marriage. When Vincent’s son Edgar goes missing, he becomes obsessed with finishing a puppet that the boy was drawing, convinced its key to bringing him home. “Eric” premieres Thursday on Netflix.

— Peacock’s acclaimed British musical comedy “We Are Lady Parts” returns for a second season on Thursday. It follows the members of a female all-Muslim rock band in London. The new episodes pick up after a time jump. Lady Parts now has fans, a rival music group to compete with, and they’re gearing up to release a full album. Activist Malala Yousafzai makes a guest appearance in the new episodes.

— A new Lifetime docuseries called “The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson” shares details of her life before she and Ron Goldman were murdered outside her home, thirty years ago on June 12, 1994. Her ex-husband, O.J. Simpson was acquitted of their murders after a lengthy trial that aired live on TV. Simpson, who died in April from cancer, always maintained his innocence. The two-part docuseries premieres June 1 and 2 on Lifetime and will stream on mylifetime.com. Both parts will also be available for purchase on VOD platforms.

— Chip and Joanna Gaines get a taste of #lakelife with their latest project filmed for TV. They’re fixing up a mid-century modern lake house near Lake Waco, just in time for the 10-year anniversary of “Fixer Upper” on HGTV. “Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse” premieres Sunday, June 2 on the Magnolia Network and HGTV. It will also stream same day on Max and Discovery+.

— Alicia Rancilio

— For 25 years, Super Smash Bros. has owned its self-created category — goofy, family-friendly, multiplayer brawling — because none of Nintendo’s competitors have its deep bench of characters. Warner Bros. Games could mount a serious challenge, though, with MultiVersus. Why not team up Wonder Woman and Jason Voorhees vs. Bugs Bunny and Steven Universe? And have them fight it out in the Batcave or the throne room from “Game of Thrones”? And it’s free-to-play, although WB hopes you’ll spend cash on season passes and cosmetic upgrades. The initial roster has a couple dozen fighters, and who knows how far WB will dig into its massive film library? Dirty Harry and The Exorcist go toe-to-toe in Casablanca? The battle begins Thursday on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox Series X/S/One and PC.

— Lou Kesten

Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.

This cover image released by Interscope shows "Honeymind" by Ben Platt. (Interscope via AP)

This cover image released by SM Entertainment shows “Armageddon” by Aespa. (SM Entertainment)

This cover image released by BMG shows "Pepito y Paquito" by Paco de Lucía and Pepe de Lucía. (BMG via AP)

This image released by MGM Pictures shows Callum Turner, center, in a scene from "The Boys in the Boat." (Laurie Sparham/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures via AP)

This image released by MGM Pictures shows Callum Turner, center, in a scene from "The Boys in the Boat." (Laurie Sparham/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures via AP)

This combination of of photos shows promotional art for "Fixer Upper: The Lake House" debuting June 2 on Magnolia Network, left, "The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson" two-night event airs June 1 and 2 on Lifetime, center, and "We Are Lady Parts" premiering May 30 on Peacock. (Magnolia Network/Lifetime/Peacock via AP)

This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows Mads Mikkelsen in a scene from "The Promised Land." (Henrik Ohsten/Magnolia Pictures via AP)

This image released by Disney+ shows promotional art for "Jim Henson: Idea Man," premiering May 31. (Disney+ via AP)

This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows Mads Mikkelsen in a scene from "The Promised Land." (Henrik Ohsten/Magnolia Pictures via AP)

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court halted Thursday night’s scheduled execution of a man who would have become the first person in the U.S. put to death for a murder conviction tied to a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome.

The late-night ruling to spare for now the life of Robert Roberson, who was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in 2002, capped a flurry of last-ditch legal challenges and weeks of public pressure from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who say he is innocent and was convicted based on flawed evidence.

For hours on Thursday night, Roberson had remained in a prison holding cell a few feet from America's busiest death chamber at the Walls Unit in Hunstville.

"He praised God and thanked supporters,” said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson Amanda Hernandez, who spoke with Roberson after the court stayed his execution.

Although Texas' highest court normally does not weigh in on criminal cases, how it got involved in Roberson's case in the final hours underlined the extraordinary maneuvers used by a bipartisan coalition of state House lawmakers who have come to his defense.

Blocked by courts and Texas' parole board in their efforts to spare Roberson's life, legislators on Wednesday took a different route: issuing a subpoena for Roberson to testify before a House committee next week, days after he was scheduled to die by lethal injection.

Less than two hours before Roberson's execution, a judge in Austin granted the lawmakers an order upholding the subpoena, putting the execution on pause. An appeals court then briefly reversed that decision but was overruled by the high court's order.

“We're deeply grateful to the Texas Supreme Court for respecting the role of the Texas legislature in such consequential matters," Democratic Rep. Joe Moody and Republican Rep. Jeff Leach wrote in a joint statement.

Roberson, 57, was convicted of killing of his daughter, Nikki Curtis, in the East Texas city of Palestine. His lawyers and some medical experts say his daughter died not from abuse but from complications related to pneumonia.

Gov. Greg Abbott had authority to delay Roberson’s punishment for 30 days. Abbott has halted only one imminent execution in nearly a decade as governor and has not spoken publicly about the case.

Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to halt the execution, although Justice Sonia Sotomayor — in a 10-page statement about the case — urged Abbott to grant a 30-day delay.

Roberson’s lawyers had waited to see if Abbott would grant Roberson a one-time 30-day reprieve. It would have been the only action Abbott could take in the case as the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Wednesday denied Roberson’s clemency petition.

The board voted unanimously, 6-0, to not recommend that Roberson’s death sentence be commuted to life in prison or that his execution be delayed. All board members are appointed by the governor. The parole board has recommended clemency in a death row case only six times since the state resumed executions in 1982.

The one time Abbott halted an imminent execution was when he spared the life of Thomas Whitaker in 2018.

The Texas committee on Wednesday held an all-day meeting on Roberson's case. In a surprise move at the end of the hearing, the committee issued a subpoena for Roberson to testify next week.

During its meeting in Austin, the committee heard testimony about Roberson’s case and whether a 2013 law created to allow people in prison to challenge their convictions based on new scientific evidence was ignored in Roberson’s case.

Anderson County District Attorney Allyson Mitchell, whose office prosecuted Roberson, told the committee a court hearing was held in 2022 in which Roberson’s attorneys presented their new evidence to a judge, who rejected their claims.

“Based on the totality of the evidence, a murder took place here. Mr. Roberson took the life of his almost 3-year-old daughter,” Mitchell said.

Most of the members of the committee are part of a bipartisan group of more than 80 state lawmakers, including at least 30 Republicans, who had asked the parole board and Abbott to stop the execution.

Roberson’s case has renewed debate over shaken baby syndrome, known in the medical community as abusive head trauma.

His lawyers as well as the Texas lawmakers, medical experts and others including bestselling author John Grisham say his conviction was based on faulty and now outdated scientific evidence. The diagnosis refers to a serious brain injury caused when a child’s head is hurt through shaking or some other violent impact, like being slammed against a wall or thrown on the floor.

Roberson’s supporters don’t deny head and other injuries from child abuse are real. But they say doctors misdiagnosed Curtis’ injuries as being related to shaken baby syndrome and that new evidence has shown the girl died from complications related to severe pneumonia.

Roberson’s attorneys say his daughter had fallen out of bed in Roberson’s home after being seriously ill for a week.

Roberson’s lawyers also suggested his autism, then undiagnosed at the time of his daughter’s death, was used against him as authorities became suspicious of him because of his lack of emotion over her death. Autism affects how people communicate and interact with others.

Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70.

Prison staff gather at the main entrance of the building housing the execution chamber as Robert Roberson awaits his execution, at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Huntsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Texas state representatives Lacey Hull, left, and John Bucy III, speak to reporters on the pending execution of Robert Roberson during an impromptu press conference outside of the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Huntsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Prison staff gather at the main entrance of the building housing the execution chamber as Robert Roberson awaits his execution, at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Huntsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Texas State Rep. John Bucy III speaks to reporters on the pending execution of Robert Roberson during an impromptu press conference outside of the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Huntsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Texas state representatives Lacey Hull, left, and John Bucy III, speak to reporters on the pending execution of Robert Roberson during an impromptu press conference outside of the Huntsville Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Huntsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Elizabeth Ramirez, center, Casandra Rivera, center right, and Anna Vasquez, second from right, of the "San Antonio 4" group, deliver boxes with petitions in the Texas State capitol for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seeking the pardoning of Robert Roberson's execution, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Roberson, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Oct. 17, for the 2002 killing of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in the East Texas city of Palestine. Roberson has long proclaimed his innocence. (AP Photo/Nadia Lathan)

Casandra Rivera, left, Anna Vasquez, second from left, and Elizabeth Ramirez, center, of the "San Antonio 4" group, hold boxes with petitions being delivered in the Texas State capitol for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seeking the pardoning of Robert Roberson's execution, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Roberson, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Oct. 17, for the 2002 killing of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in the East Texas city of Palestine. Roberson has long proclaimed his innocence. (AP Photo/Nadia Lathan)

Texas man set to be first in US executed over shaken baby syndrome makes last appeals

FILE - Texas lawmakers meet with Robert Roberson at a prison in Livingston, Texas, Sept. 27, 2024. (Criminal Justice Reform Caucus via AP, File)

Texas man set to be first in US executed over shaken baby syndrome makes last appeals