Nov. 8 – Nov. 14
Boy bands, an award for “The Beav” and a salute to soldiers
All times Eastern.
The Backstreet Boys—and other boy bands—are featured in the new doc ‘Larger Than Life.’
FRIDAY, Nov. 8
Gold Rush
The rush is on in the new season of the mining drama as soaring gold prices ignite greed, competition and family turmoil in the Klondike (8 p.m., Discovery).
Cold Case Files: The Grim Reaper
Regina Hall narrates the new crime series about an infamous serial killer who preyed on women in South Central California over a 25-year span (9 p.m., A&E).
SATURDAY, Nov. 9
Family Film and TV Awards
Leave It to Beaver’s Jerry Mathers (above) will receive tonight’s Icon Award at this event honoring family-themed shows and films across the eras. Hosted by Kevin Frasier and Amanda Kloots (8 p.m., CBS).
SUNDAY, Nov. 10
Yellowstone
Fans of the hit modern-day Wild West series can rejoice with tonight’s return of the series as it prepares to wrap up its five-season run—but without founding star Kevin Costner aboard (Paramount).
Moonshiners
New season begins tonight of more backwoods booze-makers continuing the fight the obstacles to their “tradition” and way of livelihood (8 p.m., Discovery).
MONDAY, Nov. 11
The American Soldier
In honor of Veteran’s Day, this special (executive produced by Payton Manning) tells the story of America’s fighting men and women throughout history and into the modern era (8 p.m., History Channel).
Larger Than Life
Remember boy bands? This music doc looks at how male groups—from the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys—became woven into our pop culture, with interviews from Donnie Wahlberg, Donny Osmond, Hanson and more (Paramount+).
TUESDAY, Nov. 12
Operation Undercover
Docuseries takes viewers inside real-life down-low operations run by police to keep communities safe from drug dealers, arms suppliers, human traffickers and other criminal enterprises (10 p.m., ID.
St. Denis Medical
Tonight’s back-to-back episodes launch this mockumentary series about the medical staff at an Oregon hospital trying to maintain their own sanity. With Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier and Allison Tolman (8 p.m., NBC).
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 13
Bad Sisters
Comedy series (above) blends more dark comedy and thrills for season two, starring creator Sharon Hogan, Ava-Marie Duff and Eve Hewson as part of a group of sisters after the “accidental death” of an abusive husband (AppleTV+).
Building Stuff
Learn all about engineering, how it works, who creates it and the many ways it enriches our lives in this cool new NOVA documentary (PBS, check local listings).
THURSDAY, Nov. 14
Cross
If you’re a fan of author James’ Patterson’s detective fiction, check out this new series starring Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross, Patterson’s gumshoe forensic psychologist digging into crimes through the minds of killers and victims (Prime).
Say Nothing
Based on the bestselling book by Patrick Raden Keefe, this nine-episode limited series presents a dramatic tale of murder and memory in Northern Ireland during the three decades of political unrest known as The Troubles (Hulu).
READ ALL ABOUT IT
In The Endless Refrain (Melville House), veteran music journalist David Rowell puts the spotlight on a music culture run amok, driven by conformity and subverted by the internet and social media, from streaming’s paltry revenues for musicians and songwriters to the rise of dead artists “touring” via high-tech holograms. It’s both a wake-up call and a requiem for music the way it used to be, just a few years ago.
BRING IT HOME
Director Oliver Stone’s classic Born on the Fourth of July gets a new shine for Veteran’s Day with this new two-disc 4K UHD edition from Shout! Factory. Tom Cruise plays a Vietnam vet (based on real-life Ron Kovac) who returns from war bitter—and paralyzed from the waist down. Extras include commentary and interview with the director and others who worked on the film.
What is folk horror? Well, it’s scary stuff that mixes elements of folklore into tales rich with fear and foreboding—like the 24 flicks in this roundup of folk-horror classics from around the world. All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror (Severin) is a horror lover’s feast, with loads of special features and a 252-page hardbound book of folk horror fiction. If you’ve never seen Psychomania (1973), Who Fears the Devil (1972) or The White Reindeer (1952), gird your loins up and dive in!
The Media Tourist 