The Media Tourist

Feb. 28 – March 6

Hollywood biggest night, a murderous gigolo & Kevin Hart goes to ‘toon town

Will Conclave, Wicked or The Substance take home the night’s big Oscars?

FRIDAY, Feb. 28
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy Fieri loads up on barbecue, turkey legs and brisket fries on a trip to Memphis before heading to New York and blueberry pierogies, meatballs and cheddar chicken (9 p.m., Food Network).

Why You Like It: Decoding Musical Tastes
Composer and musicologist Dr. Nolan Gasser explores the science and culture behind our musical preferences (check local listings, PBS).

SATURDAY, March 1
Killing the Competition
Melissa Joan Hart stars in this new network movie inspired by the real-life story of a mother who turns to kidnapping when her daughter is cut from her high school dance team (Lifetime).

Million Dollar Zombie Flips
House flippers fix up dilapidated homes in the Seattle area, turning them into mansions (11 a.m., A&E).

SUNDAY, March 2
The Oscars
Conan O’Brien hosts, and we’ll see who comes out on top among top contenders including Emelia Peréz, The Brutalist, Conclave, Anora, A Complete Unknown and Wicked. And Karla Sofia Gascòn has already made history as the first openly trans woman to be nominated for Best Actress. But can she win after her “mean tweets” on social media?  (7 p.m., ABC).

Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Eric McCormack, Lydia Wilson and Adam Long are among the cast in this thriller series about survivors of a plane crash in the Mexican jungle who later begin to die in strange and violent ways. Ten passports, nine bodies, one deadly secret. (9 p.m., MGM+).

MONDAY, March 3
Recipes for Love and Murder
In the new season of the culinary murder mystery (above), a massive fire engulfs the small town of Eden, and a fateful chain of events brings together the lead characters in a multiple homidide investigation that uncovers the town’s darkest secrets (Acorn TV).

Celtic City
Nine-part documentary series chronicles the Boston Celtics, the city’s winningest sports franchise, from its founding to its triumphant 2024 season (HBO Sports).

Sin City Gigolo: A Murder in Las Vegas
Docuseries (above) about the investigation of a former cast member of the TV reality show Gigolos, who was arrested for killing a young woman in his home in a bloody tangle of sex work, fame and the lure of “Sin City” (Paramount+).

TUESDAY, March 4
The Rare Breed
No, it’s not the English Foxhound. Rather, it’s this rugged 1966 Western starring James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith—a rather unlikely combo of stars from It’s a Wonderful Life, The Parent Trap and TV’s Family Affair, in a tale that mixes bull breeding, greedy criminals and untamed Texas (8:45 p.m., TCM).

WEDNESDAY, March 5
The Amazing Race
On your mark, get set…go! Go to the couch, that is, to watch as the 37^th race in the hit TV competition begins tonight with a group of 14 new teams (above) kicking off their global trek in Japan (9:30 p.m., CBS).

THURSDAY, March 6
Deli Boys
Comedy about a pair of Pakistani-American brothers who uncover the secret life of their late convenience-store magnate father (Hulu).

Lil Kev
Adult animated comedy was inspired by Kevin Hart’s childhood in Philadelphia, with voices by Hart, Wanda Sykes and Deon Cole (BET+).

NOW HEAR THIS

The iconic 1986 Bon Jovi album Slippery When Wet, which catapulted the group into the rock mainstream and sold more than 12 million copies, has been re-released on multiple formats—including one with heavy-duty vinyl encasing a blue liquid…which looks slippery ‘n’ wet indeed! Hear classic hits (“You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Lilvin’ on a Prayer”), plus newly added bonus features on the digital edition, including live tracks from the group’s 1987 tour.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

What do termite mounds, dolphins, rainbows, carnivals, the Roman poet Ovid, our sense of balance, caves and animal feces all have in common? They’re all in Phenomena: An Infographic Guide to Almost Everything (Thames & Hudson), an engrossing collection of charts, graphics and other “visualized” information. Dig in and prepare to be well-informed!

BRING IT HOME

When Santa (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped from the North Pole, his beefy head of security (Dwayne Johnson) springs into action with the help of a wisecracking bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to bring him home and save Christmas. It’s merry mayhem in Red One (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), with appearances by Lucy Liu, Bonnie Hunt and Nick Kroll.

Nov. 15 – Nov. 21

Country stars, swords ‘n’ sandals, big-screen witches & Billy Bob Thornton’s a ‘Landman’

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Nov. 15
Silo
Rebecca Ferguson returns for season two, about the last handful of people on Earth living deep underground in, yes, a massive silo to protect them from the toxic world above. With Tim Robbins (Apple TV+).

It’s All Country
Country star Luke Bryan explores the inspirations, personal moments and secrets that help shape the sounds fans love, with input from Sheryl Crow, Kane Brown, Wynonna Judd and others (Hulu).

SATURDAY, Nov. 16
Saturday Night Live
Charli xcx pulls double duty tonight, making her first appearance as host and her third as a musical guest, performing songs from her new remixed album “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat.” Huh? (11:30, NBC).

The Polar Express
The first big-screen “motion capture” digital animation film (it’s in Guinness World Records as such), this 2004 fantasy “stars” Tom Hanks as a train conductor who shows a young boy what Christmas is all about. It’s based on a book by the author who also wrote Jumanji (4:27 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., TBS)

SUNDAY, Nov. 17
LandMan
Yellowstone creator Ty Sheridan’s new series stars Billy Bob Thornton (above), Ali Larter, Mark Collie and Demi Moore in a modern-day tale of oil-rigging drama (Paramount+).

Dune: Prophesy
The futuristic sci-fi movie franchise now gets a small(er) screen extension with this dramatic series about two sisters fighting forces that threaten all mankind. Cause, of course, it’s the future. Starring Emily Watson, Olivia Williams and Mark Strong (9 p.m., HBO).

MONDAY, Nov. 18
Leonardo da Vinci
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns turns his lens to his first “non-American” subject, the 15^th century Italian innovator and how he influenced and inspired future generations to this day (8 p.m., PBS).

The Making of Gladiator II
Go behind the scenes of director Ridley Scott’s new mega-movie (above), an epic extension (starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and more) of the 2000 original. Learn about new characters, the spectacle and the scale, training the cast in gladiatorial combat, costumes, props and the movie’s historical accuracy (10:30 p.m., CBS).

TUESDAY, Nov. 19
Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (below) host this TV event taking viewers inside their new movie based on the hit Broadway musical (10 p.m., NBC).

Interior Chinatown
A small-part actor (Jimmy O. Yang) in a TV police procedural set in Chinatown inadvertently become a witness to a real crime, leading him to unravel a hidden criminal web in San Francisco (Hulu).

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20
The CMA Awards
Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson host tonight’s 58^th annual awarding of trophies bestowed by the Country Music Association, live from Nashville (8 p.m., ABC).

THURSDAY, Nov. 21
Based on a True Story
Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina star in season two as a couple capitalizing on America’s true-crime obsession by starting a podcast…partnering with the serial killer terrorizing Los Angeles (Peacock).

Nugget is Dead? A Christmas Story
When her beloved family dog falls sick over Christmas, a young woman (Vic Zerbst) has to make new plans with her family in Australia (8 p.m., CBS).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Remember the ‘80s? In The 1980s: Image of a Decade (Thames & Hudson), author Henry Carroll looks at the eventful decade through images of its design, art, fashion, technology, games, sports and global events. From the rise of hip hop to the fall of the Berlin Wall, it’s all here, in a kaleidoscope of culture from all corners—a world big enough to contain Pee-Wee Herman, Dirty Dancing, the Berlin Wall, the Challenger disaster and Live Aid at the same time!

The iconic singer and actress tells her own story in Cher: The Memoir, Part One (Harper Collins), from being a dyslexic child who dreamed of being famous to becoming the only woman to top the Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades, an Oscar winner and an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

How much do you know about the forces that shape our world, sometimes cause chaos and destruction, and have inspired poets, scientists and philosophers for eons? Elements (Thames & Hudson) takes a close and evocative look, with accompanying photography and insightful texts, on the five natural elements (wood, fire, earth, water and metal) essential to life on planet Earth, how they’ve been represented, interpreted, revered and feared across the centuries.

In American Artifacts (Thames & Hudson), award-winning photographer Matt Black presents a diverse collection of flotsam and jetsam he’s come across in his 100,000-mile, six-year, cross-country odyssey. A continuation of his 2021 photobook American Geography, it’s spectrum of discarded objects, from scribbled notes to cigarette boxes, shoes, bottles, cans, yard signs and busted locks. It’s a strikingly unique portrait of America, revealed and symbolized by the things we throw away, lose or leave behind. And you may not think your old dirty glove or broken hairbrush is “art,” but he might.

BRING IT HOME

The new deluxe steelbook reissue of the epic 1984 fantasy movie Labyrinth is a true collectors’ set with a 4k restoration of the film directed by Jim Henson, and featuring his fanciful non-Muppet “puppet” creatures alongside the actors, which included rock star David Bowie and Demi Moore. (Shout! Factory).

Happy anniversary to three classic movies, all now available remastered on 4K! The West was never wilder—or as wildy funny—as it was Blazing Saddles (1974), director Mel Brooks’ spectacularly hilarious spoof of the cowboy genre. (And Richard Pryor helped write the screenplay!). Ah-nold is the iconic cyborg assassin from the future in The Terminator (1984). Didja know his costar, Linda Hamiliton, would go on to marry the director, James Cameron? And Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) was one of his greatest thrillers, with Cary Grant chased across the country in a case of mistaken identity.

The ghost with the most is back in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), with Michael Keaton reprising his 1980s role as the devious netherworld demon, with former castmates Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, plus newcomer Jenna Ortega. Extras include commentary by director Tim Burton, a feature on the movie’s stop-motion artistry, and other insider stuff!

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!