The Media Tourist

What to Watch, and More! Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

All about “SCTV,” a Muhammad Ali biopic & celebrating Sally Field

FRIDAY, Oct. 30
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of
The rise, fall, and enduring legacy of one of the most influential sketch comedy series, above, in television history (Netflix).

Nocturne
Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz and Stephen Graham star in this new series about an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who moves to a small town in Western Pennsylvania for a quiet life. Only it turns out to be not so quiet (Apple TV).

SATURDAY, Oct. 31
The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror Marathon
Watch episodes from all 36 seasons of the Halloween tradition of TV’s longest-running animated series—over 17 hours of fun and fright! (begins 8 a.m., FXX).

Saturday Night Live
The iconic late-night sketch-comedy series returns with actress Indie Navarrette (13 Reasons Why) hosting, and musical guest Gracie Abrams (11:30 p.m., NBC).

SUNDAY, Nov. 1
The Gilded Age
The British historical drama returns for season four with another sprawling ensemble cast including Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector and Taissa Farmiga (HBO).

Mrs. Doubtfire
The late Robin Williams’ classic 1992 comedy, above, about an eccentric dad who dresses like a British nanny so he can care for his kids at the home of their mother (8 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, Nov. 2
St. Dennis Medical
Tonight begins the further mockumentary comedic adventures of staffers at an underfunded Oregon hospital, with an ensemble cast led by David Allen Grier and Wendy McLendon-Covey (NBC).

The Holiday Spark
Perpetually single firefighter Dean (Joey Graziadei) enlists children’s book illustrator Laura (Jamie Chung) to help plan his firehouse’s holiday party yet, kindling a different kind of fire (Roku Channel).

TUESDAY, Nov. 3
The Rise and Fall of Reggie Deakins
Tracy Morgan returns to season three of the sitcom about a disgraced former football star on a mission to rehabilitate his image. With Daniel Radcliffe (NBC).

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4
The Greatest
New authorized biopic of Muhammad Ali, above, stars Jaalen Best as the superstar champion boxer (Amazon Prime).

A Dog’s Perfect Christmas
From the bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, a teenager, her grandfather and his trusty basset hound struggle to keep the household together at Christmas. With Dennis Quaid, Milo Ventimiglia, Jennifer Tilly, Mary Steenburgen and Thomas Haden Church (Netflix).

THURSDAY, Nov. 5
Happy Birthday, Sally Field
A day-long event honoring the actress on her 80th birthday includes her films Places in the Heart, Smoky and the Bandit, Hooper and Absence of Malice (TCM).

High-End: The Watch Theft Ring
Documentary about Chile’s notorious scandal that exposed a million-dollar network involving luxury watches and jewelry, international thieves and high-profile figures (Netflix).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Devon Rohana’s Mister in the Stars (Random House Children’s Book) is a great way to teach little ones about grief and moving on, as a little girl finds words to express her feelings when her older brother passes away.

The Beverly Hills Housewife (Thames & Hudson) is a panoramic read about the 1960s artist David Hockney, how he was captivated by Los Angeles socialite Betty Freeman, how she became his muse for an iconic painting that encapsulated the era—and how it sold for nearly $8 million in 2009.

If you’re afraid of heights, steady yourself for Kilian Jornet: Beyond Endurance (Thames & Hudson), a dizzying photo-packed first-person account of the famed climber’s record-breaking challenge in which he summited more than 80 peaks in just 19 days!

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British Invasion pioneers The Zombies went through the vault to put together Continue Here (Beechwood Park Records), a mono re-release of original 1960s singles and B-sides that followed up their breakthrough hit “She’s Not There,” but never appeared on previous albums.

Carly Simon returns with Comes in Waves, her first new album or original songs in nearly 20 years. It’s a fresh reminder of her songwriting prowess and introspective musicality, made the more stirring by her announcement—after her recent cancer surgery for basal cell carcinoma—that she’s been living with Parkinson’s disease.

Hey, hey, it’s The Monkees! Made for TV (Rhino) is a new 60th anniversary collection of episodes and music from the group’s first television season, back in 1966, featuring tunes including “I Wanna Be Free,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone” and—of course!—the “(Theme From) The Monkees”!

BRING IT HOME

Jason Bateman, Linda Cardellini and David Harbour lead the cast of the hit HBO series DTF: St. Louis (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment), about a group of grownups looking for love through a no-strings-attached dating app. But oh, they find out there are indeed some strings.

Masters of the Universe (Amazon MGM Studios), the recent big-screen spinoff of the hit Mattel franchise, stars Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Jared Leto and Kristen Wiig in a ripping sci-fi fantasy tale about a Sword of Power and the warlock Skeletor.

Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a… You know the rest, now you can own the classic Gone with The Wind (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment). The newly hi-def restoration of the classic 1939 drama about the Old South, starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh—and a pre-Superman George Reeves!—which brought home a whopping 10 Academy Awards.

Oh give me a home / Where the dinosaurs roam… Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor star in The End of Oak Street (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment), a rip-roaring wild ride about a neighborhood that suddenly becomes dino central!

What to Watch, and more! Week of Oct. 23 – Oct. 29

A tribute to Tammy, the year’s top horror flicks & a wild ride in a cable car

FRIDAY, Oct. 23
Newlyweds
New sitcom about the later-in-life love story of a free-spirited woman and a buttoned-up professor who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship. Starring Téa Leoni and Bill Daly (NBC).

Great Performances: Tammy Wynette—Forever Yours
Tribute concert to the late great country crooner, recorded at the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, includes performances by Terri Clark, Wynonna Judd, War & Treaty, Mandy Barnett, Lorrie Morgan and many more (9 p.m., PBS).

SATURDAY, Oct. 24
American Graffiti
Yes, the 1973 coming-of-age classic about 1960s teens, starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Charlie Martin Smith and Paul LeMat, with a car cameo from a cowboy-hatted Harrison Ford and an appearance by Wolfman Jack (TCM).

SUNDAY, Oct. 25
The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
Live annual awards ceremony honoring the best in on horror films of the year, hosted by Devon Sawa from Final Destination and Chucky (Shudder).

The Wolves of Real Estate
Three-part documentary explores how three successful brothers ascended in the elite world of luxury real estate and private security in Miami and New York, all while harboring an extremely dark secret (Peacock).

MONDAY, Oct. 26
The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Red Flags
Half-hour special with the Daily Show’s special correspondent diving—again—into the MAGA movement to gauge which way the wind is blowing (11:30 p.m., Comedy Central).

The Mob
Parker Posey hosts this new reality competition series, above, where celebrity contestants shake down, hustle and whack their way into mob-movie-inspired jobs (Hulu).

TUESDAY, Oct. 27
In Pursuit: Lessons in American Leadership
What can we learn from U.S. Presidents and First Ladies? A lot, as this documentary shows, weaving together archival materials with contemporary voices to honor America’s 250^th birthday (10 p.m. PBS).

Toxic: What Happened in the Haight House?
Host Elizabeth Chambers examines the shocking 2023 death of a seemingly perfect family in Utah (9 p.m., ID).

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28
Hanging by a Wire
Documentary about a cable car malfunction high in the mountains, stranding eight passengers suspended above a vast valley, with time running out (Paramount+).

Minions & Monsters
The third installment of the blockbuster animated franchise shows the backstory of the Minions in their early days, “going Hollywood” and trying to make a monster movie (Peacock).

THURSDAY, Oct. 29
Ghosts
In this Halloween-themed episode, while Sam is in Australia on the set of her new film, Kyle (new series regular Ben Feldman) steps up to help babysit the ghosts (9 p.m., CBS).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

If you love old houses full of secrets and stories, check out Sanctum (Thames & Hudson), a photographic exploration of homes and other places as living museums, full of personality, vibes and portent, living on in “dilapidated grandeur” long after their inhabitants have gone.

Learn about some of the world’s most revered holy places in Mosque: An Architect’s Exploration of Form, Faith and Meaning (Thames and Hudson), which showcases the temples and shrines that lie at the heart of any Islamic city as sites for group prayer, serenity and spiritual connection.

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Who’s that a-knockin’? It’s The Doors, in a new double-live album compilation that revisits their 1970 Roadhouse Blues tour. Unbound and Dangerous has classic tracks including “Break on Through,” “Roadhouse Blue” and “The End,” and many more tunes.

Tap you toes to the hip honky-tonk of Buck Owens and His Buckeroos with Live at the Mint, Las Vegas 1968 (Sundazed Music), a previously unreleased live recording (with almost 40 tracks) of the boys from Bakersfield performing at the legendary hotel and casino.

BRING IT HOME

Wake up! It’s time to watch The Morning Show! Season three of the hit drama starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass—about a high-pressure TV show and its cast of characters—is now available on DVD.

Halloween’s almost here, so get your chill bumps ready with Horror of Dracula (AV Entertainment), the Hammer Studios’ 1958 horror classic newly resurrected from the archives, starring Christopher Lee as Hollywood’s favorite undead bloodsucker and Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing. Buy it HERE.

Willem Dafoe stars in Late Fame (Magnolia Home Entertainment), based on the true story of poet Ed Saxberger, who wrote a book of poetry in the ‘70s that no one cared for…until it was rediscovered by a fervent fan and a group of young literati who christened him a genus.

Latest in the hit franchise series is a gonzo hooray-for-Hollywood nod

Minions and Monsters
With voices by Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch &  Bobby Moynihan
Directed by Pierre Coffin
Rated PG

In theaters Friday, July 1

The clownish little yellow, banana-loving, babbling nubbins—which first appeared in the animated Despicable Me in 2010—go Hollywood in this wildly creative, fantastically whimsical, gonzo alternative history of the silver screen.

According to a modern-day movie-museum tour guide (voiced by Allison Janney) in the opening scene, there was no greater creative force in Tinseltown than the Minions. And this is a museum that has George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, as one of its displays!

For movie lovers, it’s all chock-full of cinematic Easter eggs, beginning when we see the opening logos “rewinding” through the years to Universal Studio’s fledgling days. It’s followed by a montage of the Minions incorporated into of some of the earliest silent “moving pictures,” including the Lumière brothers’ groundbreaking short from the late 1800s of a train pulling into a station.

We learn how the Minions—after eons of serving “evil” overlords, including a cyclops, pirates and a mummy—stumbled into Hollywood stardom by scene-stealing a Western and upstaging cowboys, a runaway train, Keystone-ish cops and a biplane. Soon they’re all the rage, and two Minions, James and Henry, become movie moguls.

Then they hit upon the idea of movie monsters, a parallel to Hollywood’s real-life era churning out tales of Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, Dracula, the Invisible Man and other creatures.

But the Minions’ monsters—a trio of ghoulish goofballs summoned from a book of sorcery swiped from one of their previous gigs—don’t want to be in the movies. They want to create havoc, destroy things and gobble people. Uh-oh! Can the Minions return the creatures to the book of spells before it’s too late?

Pierre Coffin—who also co-directed three of the four of the Despicable Me flicks and does all the Minions’ gobbly-gook voices—fills the screen with detail. Minions & Monsters is a rare film made to appeal to kids as well as their parents, and especially to moms and dad who grew up watching movies. It’s a cinematic treasure trove, with blink-and-you’ll-miss-‘em nods to dozens of movie pioneers and Hollywood touchstones.

There’s Charlie Chaplin…Buster Keaton…Citizen Kane… a Three Stooges’ eye poke… Bogie and Bacall… a gelatinous monster obviously related to The Blob… a scene that recalls 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea… another with a wink to the pew-pew of Star Wars lasers. It’s a loving crash course in movie history disguised as a kid-friendly rumpus.

Listen for some familiar voices. Jeff Bridges is both Frank and Elwood, a pair of oversized movie-studio fat cats. Jesse Eisenburg is a dorky space-alien robot who lives in a shabby apartment, dreaming of taking over the world. (The robot’s name is Dort, a spin on Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still in 1951.) Zoey Deutsch provides the sweet voice of Debbie, a suffragette who takes a shine to Dort and corrals the Minions into a Hollywood march for women’s rights. Trey Parker, the creator of South Park and Broadway’s The Book of Morman, obviously has fun as Goomi, a green mush-mouthed mini version of a horror icon H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, a legendary ancient cosmic creature. Christoph Waltz is a studio director who accidentally “discovers” the Minions.

In a meta twist, the Minions become so successful, they launch a film franchise and a merchandising line of goggles and little blue overalls. In real life, the Minions and Despicable Me franchise is one of the highest-grossing film properties in history, an international hit with its own universe of clothing, figurines and other do-dads. That’s no Hollywood fantasy!

This is the first movie in the franchise to not feature Steve Carell, who provided the voice of Gru, the wannabe criminal mastermind central to the stories. But even Gru gets his due in the closing credits.

But whatever you do, don’t strain your brain trying to decipher the Minion’s babble of gibberish, a comical stream of nonsense with smatters and splatters of English, Spanish, Italian, French, Japanese and other dialects. I’m sure I heard the words “miso soup” in there once.

The Minions and their infantile banter remind us of childhood innocence and gleeful play. Add funny monsters and Hollywood to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for a movie about movies, with Minions in the middle, muddling and making another madcap mess before saving the world—and reminding us that hey, it’s only a movie! But it’s their movie! Hooray for Hollywood!

—Neil Pond

TV highlights, and more! Week of April 3 – April 9

Hacks is back! A teeny tiny wife! Dan Levy makes some ‘Big Mistakes,’ and more!

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder return to close out the final season of ‘Hacks.’

FRIDAY, April 3
My Undesirable Friends: Part I—Last Air in Moscow
Award-winning films about Russian journalists facing persecution as Putin’s regime launches its full-scale war against Ukraine (Mubi).

5 Nights at Freddy’s 2
The animatronic animals do even more terrible after-hours things in the sequel to the 2023 horror film starring Josh Hutcherson (Peacock).

SATURDAY, April 4
Pizza Movie
Comedy about college kids whose outing for pizza turns into a chaotic night that changes their lives forever. With Gaten Matarazzo and Lulu Wilson (Hulu)

Home For Good
Art Edmonds host this new weekend-mornings home-renovation series focusing on first responders, military veterans and other community standouts (check local listings, ABC).

SUNDAY, April 5
Nippon Sangoku
Anime series about revolution sparked by nuclear war, natural disaster and misrule leading to the collapse of Japanese society and splitting the country into three nations (Prime Video).

Baseball: Beyond Belief
And exploration of the many and surprising similarities between baseball and religion (4 p.m., Fox Sports 1).

MONDAY, April 6
Foul Play with Anthony Davis
Hidden-camera show, hosted by Davis of the Washington Wizards, features all-star athletes pranking their pals (TBS, following the NCAA Championship game).

Big Mistakes
Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) produces and stars in this new comedy thriller series (above) alongside Taylor Ortega, Laurie Metcalf and Elizabeth Perkins (Netflix).

TUESDAY, April 7
A Taste for Murder
Set amidst the steep cliffs and fast tides of Capri, this new series features classic Italian cuisine as the main ingredient to each episode’s central murder mystery, revealing the power of food to foster connection, community and healing after devastating loss (Britbox).

Lucy Worsham Investigates: The American Revolution
How did the mighty British Empire lose the Revolutionary War to a bunch of Yankee ragtags? Lucy Worsham investigates! (9 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, April 8
The Testaments
Sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, and also based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, follows young teens (above) as they navigate Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for subservient future wives. With Ann Dowd, Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday and Mabel Li (Hulu).

The Boys
Tonight begins the fifth and final season of the hit satirical superhero series based on a best-selling comic book (Prime Video). 

THURSDAY, April 9
The Miniature Wife
Based on the short story written by Manuel Gonzales, this new dramedy (above) examines the power (im)balances between spouses (Elizabeth Banks and Les Macfadyen) after a technological accident induces the ultimate relationship crisis by reducing her to teeny-tiny (Peacock).

Hacks
The acclaimed comedy series about showbiz starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder returns for its fifth and final season (HBO Max).

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Jesse Malin, a New York musician who’s worked with Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Adams and many other artists, tells his wild, gritty and colorful story in Almost Grown (Akashic). It’s a tale a hyperactive kid from Queens who went on to play Madison Square Gardens and crash Saturday Night Live, and all the misfits, hustlers, lovers and friends he met along the way.

Take a trip to the other side of the world with Japan: A History in Objects (Thames & Hudson), which looks at centuries of Japanese history through items—from pots and pans to jewelry, art, sculpture, and other artifacts—in the British Museum. It’s a unique “look” at the deep history and cultural of a country that continues to evolve.

One of the most successful duos in all popular music are saluted in Pet Shop Boys Volume (Thames & Hudson), a lavish visual record spanning the pop-cultural output of the hitmaking twosome of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, whose hits include “West End Girls,” “It’s a Sin” and “Always on My Mind.”

How did the Middle Ages come to be the Middle Ages? In The Making of the Middle Ages (Thames & Hudson), author John Haywood unpacks the tumultuous, complicated, messy history of the time between 476 and 1000 CE, when a new Europe emerged from the clashes and contributions of the Saxons, the Slavs, Franks, Vikings, Bulgars and more. It’s a scholarly volume but full of pics, graphics and maps.

Wanna look like and dress a pop superstar? Taylor Swift: Style Codes (Abrams) by Hannah Rogers takes you through the musical icon’s many looks and style transformations, with practical advice on how you can incorporate Swift’s sartorial mojo into your own wardrobe and attitude.

BRING IT HOME

Walton Goggins and Ray McKinnon star in Randy & the Mob (Lightyear Entertainment), a Southern-tinged comedy about a good ol’ boy in deep financial trouble and a mob fixer with impeccable fashion sense. The DVD includes more than an hour of bonus features, including cast and crew interviews.

The writer of TV’s Beef and The Bear, Alex Russell, makes an impressive directorial debut with Lurker (Mubi), a sharp psychological thriller about the relationship between a pop star and a fan that turns ugly…and dangerous. 

Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Kino Lorber) is an acclaimed documentary about a Russian schoolteacher force-fed into Putin’s propaganda machine when his country invades the Ukraine. When he learns his life might be in danger after using his videocam to film Putin’s twisted militarization of children and other atrocities, he plans a dangerous escape.

Chris Pratt stars in the futuristic thriller Mercy (Alliance Entertainment) as a detective accused of murdering his wife, on trial before an AI judge in a surveillance state—and with only 90 minutes to prove his innocence and clear his name. With Rebecca Ferguson.

What to watch, and more! Week of Feb. 20 – Feb. 26

Civil War women, a new take on ‘Dracula,’ movies for grownups & Mike Wolff ‘picks’ at history!

Learn about the women who helped turn the tide of the Civil War in ‘The Grey House’ on PBS Thursday.

FRIDAY, Feb. 20
Dracula
New spin on the old vampire tale is a satirical comedy mixes sci-fi, folklore, AI and horror as vampire hunts and labor strikes collide in modern-day Transylvania (Mubi).

The Last Thing He Told Me
Season two features producer and star Jennifer Garner returning to the pulse-pounder about an on-the-run mom and daughter racing to reunite their family before the past catches up with them (Apple TV).

SATURDAY, Feb. 21
Double Double Trouble
A woman (Tami Roman) is pulled into a dangerous psychological battle with her twin, leading to deadly consequences (8 p.m., Lifetime).

Comedy Movie Marathon
You’ll laugh until, well, it’s over with Tag, Big Daddy, The Wedding Singer (above) and Central Intelligence (starts 2 p.m., TBS).

SUNDAY, Feb. 22
Movies for Grownups Awards
AARP’s annual presentation includes a special Lifetime Achievement Award for Adam Sandler, and trophies to flicks and performances that have special appeal to audiences over 50 (7 p.m., PBS).

History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolff
The former American Pickers co-host dives into the intriguing stories and astonishing values behind legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history (9 p.m., The History Channel).

MONDAY, Feb. 23
CIA
New series about an FBI special agent (Nick Gehlfuss) teamed with a CIA case officer (Tom Ellis) to work covert ops in New York and uncover international plots, terrorist cells and other bad stuff goin’ down (10 p.m., CBS).

The CEO Club
New reality series follows a group of trailblazing female CEOs (above)—Serena Williams among them—as they navigate the triumphs and challenges of their professional and personal lives (Prime Video). 

TUESDAY, Feb. 24
Murder In…
New season about dirty deeds in lovely, exotic places, like Saint Martin, Concarneu and at the French Open (MHZ Choice).

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25
Scrubs
New reinvention of the early 2000s sitcom about hospital employees stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke (8 p.m., ABC).

The Greatest Average American
Comedian Nate Bargatze hosts this new game show that celebrates the power of being perfectly “average” through challenges and trivia (9:02 p.m., ABC).

THURSDAY, Feb. 26
Who the Hell is Regina Jones?
Learn all about the publisher and founder of Soul magazine, the pioneering national print platform where Black artists could get coverage long before other magazines entered the arena (Dabl, Start TV and Story Television).

The Grey House
Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head and Paul Anderson lead the cast of this true story about the unsung heroes whose resistance helped turn the tide of the American Civil War (Prime Video).

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The world is getting more crowded (and less affordable) every day. Plugin House: Modern Prefab Architecture (Thames & Hudson) shows how prefabricated structures—built quickly and with limited tools—can address the needs of rapidly growing populations around the world for the 1.6 people who lack adequate housing.

You’re never too young to start a lifelong fascination with magic! Barb Rosenstock’s Houdini’s Library (Knopf) introduces young readers to the world’s most iconic stage magician and escape artist—perfectly timed for the 100^th anniversary of his death—with a glimpse into his lifelong interest in reading and books, and the “magic” he found within. (And the illustrations are all from hand-cut paper by Barcelonan illustrator Mar Delmar!)

BRING IT HOME

Allison Williams, Dave Franco, McKenna Grace and Mason Thames star in Regretting You (Paramount Home Entertainment), a moving story of love and loss after a devastating accident. Bonus content include behind-the-scenes featurettes, the cast’s experiences with romance and regret, and more.

What to watch, and more, Sept. 19 – 25!

A Batman marathon, Farm Aid returns & inside the event that was Lilith Fair

FRIDAY, Sept. 19
Night of the Reaper
A year after a young woman is brutally murdered, her sister returns home—as does the killer—in this network original nail-biter (Shudder). 

Happy Mess Method
Organizational expert Sabrina Soto and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McCartney help celebrity and non-celebrity clients in this new series to find realistic and sustainable methods for keeping their homes tidy (Roku).

SATURDAY, Sept. 20
Batman Day
Celebrate the caped crusader with a marathon of movies, starting with Batman, followed by Batman Returns, The Batman and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And if you want more, well, bat’s all, folks! (11 a.m., TNT).

Farm Aid 40
The concert event to help farmers hits the big 4-0 this year, live from Minneapolis with performances by original founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, plus Dave Matthews and Margo Price (7 p.m., CNN)

SUNDAY, Sept. 21
A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire Live: The 21^st Night of September
Honoring the genre-bending Chicago-based band whose hits include “Sing a Song,” “Fantasy,” “Let’s Groove,” “Shining Star” and “Boogie Wonderland” (8 p.m., CBS).

Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery
Feature-length documentary offers the untold story of the groundbreaking music festival (above) that featured only female artists, started by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and her team in the 1990s in opposition to systemic barriers to women in the music business (Hulu).

MONDAY, Sept. 22
The Bitter Pill
Documentary follows an attorney who takes on pharma giants in the wake of the vast devastation cause by opioids in his West Virginia community, resulting in the largest civil litigation in U.S. history (PBS).

The Voice
NBC’s four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series returns with all-star coaches Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Niall  Horan and Reba McEntire reclaiming their red chairs for season 28 (7 p.m., NBC).

TUESDAY, Sept. 23
The Lowdown
New series follows the gritty exploits of a citizen journalist (Ethan Hawke) whose obsession with the truth always seems to get him in trouble, especially when he noses around after the suspicious suicide of a powerful family’s “black sheep” (Tim Blake Nelson) (FX, Hulu).

Murder in a Small Town
A new police chief (Rossif Sutherland) relocates to a quiet coastal town in this new series, but quickly learns that the paradise-like setting holds many dark secrets (8 p.m., Fox).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24
The Golden Bachelor
Two-hour season premiere features a new leading-man hunk, Mel Owens, lookin’ for love on the hit dating reality show (8 p.m., ABC).

99 to Beat
New game show hosted by Ken Jeong and Erin Andrews pits 100 contestants in a gauntlet of games and competitions, with one of them eventually winning $1,000,000 (9 p.m., Fox).

THURSDAY, Sept. 25
The Amazing Race
38^th season premiere kicks things off tonight with racing competitors from TV’s Big Brother (9 p.m., CBS).

Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Test
Celebs from all genres and walks of life take on, and try to survive, demanding training exercises just like “real” special forces agents in tonight’s season four launch (9 pm., Fox).

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38 Special, the Southern rockers who gave the world the hits “Hold On Loosely” and “Caught Up in You,” celebrate five decades of musical togetherness with Milestone, their first album in more than 20 years. Guest stars Randy Bachman (from Bachman-Turner Overdrive) and Pat Monihan (from Train) join the party, and the band is touring in support of the new release. Rock on, Southern boys!

Soul master Ray Charles’ long-out-of-print 1963 album Ingredients in a Recipe of Soul is newly released on vinyl, with a tasteful blend of genre-hopping pop and soul that made him a hitmaker and signaled his musical director for the decades to come. It’s a feast for the ears with tracks including  “Busted,” “That Old Lucky Sun,” “Over the Rainbow” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

BRING IT HOME

Superhero mythology gets a Mesoamerican tweak in Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), which puts a new animated version of the caped crusader against a backdrop of deep-dish Mexico history—and into a tale of a young Aztec boy who experiences tragedy when his father is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors.

Marvel anew to the stop-motion mastery of director Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), the newly mastered 2005 classic featuring the voices of Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, Albert Finney, Richard E. Grant and Christopher Lee.

Look! Up in the air! It’s Superman (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), the latest big-screen incarnation of the iconic Man of Steel. Director Peter Gunn (of Guardians of the Galaxy fame) creates a vibrantly imagined DC universe with epic action, humor and heart, delivering a new Superman (David Corenswet) driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.

One of crime fiction’s greatest detective sidekicks—Sherlock Holmes’ loyal assistant—was reinvented earlier this year for TV in a modernized version. Now you can own the first season of the CBS series Watson (Paramount Pictures), starring Morris Chestnut as a former London detective now running a clinic and cracking medical mysteries.  

Fortified with new upgrades, the rampaging robot dolly makes her return in M3GAN 2.0, this time fighting a new military-grade techno-horror. With Allison Williams, Violet McGraw and Jenna Davis.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Get busy rockin’ and readin’ with Rockin’ Round the Christmas Tree (Harper Collins Focus), a nostalgic guide to holiday celebrations inspired by the classic yuletide classic from Brenda Lee. Filled with recipes, drinks, crafts, activities, games and topics like the history of mistletoe, how to choose a tree and ornaments, it’s an ideal holiday companion for just about anyone. And you’ll even get Brenda Lee’s own recipe for Praline Pumpkin Pie!

Forget about fussing around in the kitchen, you should be paying more attention to the company in your living room. That’s the message, or part of it, in Let The Biscuits Burn (Nelson Books), author Abby Kuykendall’s advice to hosts and hostesses about putting hospitality and home entertaining at the fore, and how welcoming others into your home makes for a richer, fuller life. And what’s God got to do with it? You’ll find out that, too.

What’s it like to live in a tropical paradise? Well, most of us won’t ever know first-hand, but The Iconic Tropical House (Thames & Hudson) architectural photographer Patrick Bingham-Hall shows off homes in exotic spots in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand and other far-flung ports of call, explaining why they look so, well, tropical—a combination of climate, location, colonization and modernism. So kick off your shoes, relax, feel the breeze, and let the 350 high-quality photographs take you there.

Here kitty, kitty! In Cat Tales: A History (Thames & Hudson), you’ll learn from anthropologist Jerry D. Moore all about our long, incredible and even improbable history of relationships with felines, and how they became one of the most popular domesticated animal companions in the world. From fearsome prehistoric predators to spoiled house pets, it’s all here. And it asks the purr-fect question, Who domesticated who? Illustrated with photos, maps and artwork. 

Since the beginning of time, humans have longed to fly, like the birds. Iver P. Cooper‘s But Will It Fly? (McFarland) is a sprightly history of the many unconventional ways our predecessors tried to get off the ground, with muscles, steam, sails, oars, flapping wings and rockets. Find out all about it in this colorful, richly detailed history of our long history of trying to get up in the air.

What to Watch and More, March 7 – March 13

Hugh Grant breaks bad, SNL’s gaga for Gaga, Ringo’s big night & Carrie U joins AI!

FRIDAY, March 7
Heretic
Hugh Grant plays bad in this white-knuckle horror movie (above) as a strange man who invites a couple of Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) into his secluded home…and some awful things start to happen (Max).

When No One Sees Us
Spanish-language series explores crimes in the political and cultural frontier of so-called “deep Spain,” and one of the largest U.S. military bases abroad, during the celebration of Holy Week (Max).

SATURDAY, March 8
Saturday Night Live
The iconic weekend comedy cornerstone, fresh off its landmark 50^th anniversary celebrations, returns to live TV with tonight’s host and musical guest, Lady Gaga, doing double duty, marking her second appearance as host and her fifth as performer (11:30 p.m., NBC).

Women Who Rock
Salute female hitmakers with a day of rock-block groovin’ from Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Cyndi Lauper and Pat Benatar, plus a countdown of top songs named after women (begins 1:30 p.m., AXS TV).

SUNDAY, March 9
American Idol
Superstar Carrie Underwood comes aboard in tonight’s season premiere as the latest judge—two decades after she herself claimed the title (ABC).

Filthy Fortunes
Matt Paxton, a modern-day treasure hunter, scours the country in this new reality series, searcing for rare, valuable items hidden inside some of the most cluttered, filthy homes in America (10 p.m., Discovery).

MONDAY, March 10
Ringo & Friends at the Ryman
The wide-ranging musical legacy of the former Beatle (above) is celebrated “with a little help from his friends,” including Sheryl Crow, Brenda Lee, Rodney Crowell, Larkin Poe and Billy Springs, at Nashville’s most hallowed hall (8 p.m., CBS).

Confessions of Octomom
Learn the story of Kristen Lee Gutoskie, who used IVF to birth 14 kids, including a set of octuplets—and survived being torn apart by the tabloid media (10 p.m., Lifetime).

TUESDAY, March 11
Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna
Documentary takes you inside the making of the movie Rust, in which a gun held by actor Alec Baldwin discharged, wounding the film’s director and killing its cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins (above). As the lawsuits and frenzy of media attention took over the narrative, a private, personal tragedy was overshadowed (Hulu).

Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party
Remastered ‘80s documentary by director Cameron Crowe follows the late rock hitmaker and his band as they finish, promote and tour with their Long After Dark album, which contained the hit “You Got Lucky” (Paramount+).

THURSDAY, March 13
The Parenting
Horror comedy stars Lisa Kudrow, Edie Falco, Brian Cox, Parker Posey, Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn in a tale of a couple trying to arrange for their parents to meet for the first time…at a rented cabin haunted by a 400-year-old poltergeist (Max).

Long Bright River
Amanda Seyfried stars in this new series, based on a No. 1 bestselling novel, about a Philly police officer working a neighborhood hard-hit with the opioid crisis when a string of murders suggest they’re possibly related to her past (Peacock).

Like Tears in Rain
Documentary about the late Dutch actor Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Sin City, Batman Begins) features interviews with Whoopi Goldberg, Miranda Richardson and more. Did you know that Hauer was named in 1999 as the Dutch Actor of the Century? (Viaplay).

BRING IT HOME

Women Who Run Hollywood (Kino Lorber), a compilation of four previously released documentaries, profiles three Tinseltown trailblazers who all broke the “glass ceiling” of the studio system as screenwriters, actors and directors: Mary Pickford, the silent-era superstar who went on to co-found United Artists; Dorothy Arzner, one of the only female directors of the ‘30s; and Ida Lupino, the actress who bravely embraced roles in films confronting “taboo” subjects like unwed mothers, sexual assault and bigamy. https://kinolorber.com/product/women-who-run-hollywood

Now available for the first time on Blu-ray, The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers (Film Movement) features the acclaimed 1980s PBS series, with mythologist Joseph Campbell aboard to explore how “sacred stories” offer millennia-spanning insights into the spiritual core of human nature. Bonus features include a never-aired discussion on Star Wars.

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Springtime is just around the corner, and everything’s coming up roses early in The Rose Book (Phaedon), a visual survey of our most “romantic” flower and all its incarnations in history, pop culture, fashion…and gardens! Learn all about the iconic, sweet-smelling bloom’s endless varieties and how it’s been an inspiration for artists, poets and lovers for centuries.

This new reissue of a classic collection, DogsDogs (Phaedon) features photographer Elliott Erwitt’s whimsical, black-and-white portraits and snapshots of canines in a variety of situations, fetching, walking, snuggling, playing or otherwise just chillin’. It will bring page after page of smiles to any dog lover’s face.

Dec. 20 – Dec. 26

Dolly’s Christmas party, a very special ‘The Price is Right’ & Frosty the Snowman’s X-rated past

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Dec. 20
Six Triple Eight
Kerry Washington stars in this tale inspired by the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas during WWII (Netflix).

National Christmas Tree Lighting
Annual TV tradition presented by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation, from President’s Park in Washington, D.C., with musical performances by Mickey Guyton, Trombone Shorty, James Taylor, The War and Treaty and Trisha Yearwood (8 p.m., CBS).

SATURDAY, Dec. 21
Frosty the Snowman
Jackie Vernon, who voiced Frosty in this 1969 stop-motion classic, was in real life a standup comedian fond of X-rated jokes. Now you know! (5:40 p.m., Freeform).

Cartoon Christmas
Get revved up for Christmas with vintage holiday episodes of Casper, Yogi Bear and The Flintstones (4 p.m., MeTV).

SUNDAY, Dec. 22
The Kennedy Center Honors
Tonight’s honorees include director Frances Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, jazz master Autura Sandoval and the legendary music venue The Apollo. Hosted by Queen Latifah (9 p.m., CBS).

MONDAY, Dec. 23
Bird
Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) stars in this coming-of-age tale (above) set on the margins of contemporary English society (Mubi).

TUESDAY, Dec. 24
The Price is Right
Annual primetime special edition of the iconic game show honors “holiday heroes,” inviting first responders, police officers, firefighters and military members to “Come on down!” (8 p.m., CBS).

A Christmas Story
If you’re not doing anything else tonight, or even if you are, tune in anytime between tonight and tomorrow evening to the annual 24-hour marathon of this 1983 now-classic about a boy who only wants a BB gun for Christmas (begins 9 p.m., TNT).

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 25
Rudoph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
In this 1964 Christmas classic, the voice of Donner the reindeer is often mistaken as that of Don Knotts, the star of the era’s popular spy-spoof series Get Smart. But actually it’s the voice of Paul Kligman, who went on to voice Peter Parker’s newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson several years later for an animated Saturday-morning Spiderman series (11 a.m., Freeform).

Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special
The ventriloquist and his dummy pals celebrate the Big C with some laughs (Comedy Central).

THURSDAY, Dec. 26
Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas
The country queen draws on holidays past to find the unique “mountain magic” of Christmas. With performances by Jimmy Fallon, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and more (9 p.m., NBC).

Ocean’s Eleven Franchise
Feeling a bit weary already of the holidays? Let George Clooney, Brad Pitt and all the other Oceans casts of all-stars steal your blahs away with a day-long marathon of heist dram-edy (1 p.m., Paramount).   

NOW HEAR THIS

Give a soulful gift of music with the new remastered vinyl edition of Stevie Wonder’s The Definite Collection (Motown/Ume), a hit-filled two-disc roundup with his very first No. 1 in 1963, a live version of “Fingertips,” continuing through the decades with “For Once in My Life,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Superstition,” “Higher Ground” and more. Complete with pics from the Motown Archives and track-by-track info.

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You might not see much connection between scary comic books and Sunday School, but author Matthew Brake sure does. In Horror Comics and Religion (McFarland), the professor of religious studies breaks down the fascinating thru-lines that connect pulpy ‘zines—like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror—to age-old religious ideas about hell, resurrection, redemption, demons, morality, the trinity, and more. It’s good stuff for horror buffs!  

Dec. 13 – Dec. 19

An evening with Dua Lupa, rocking through the years with Elton, and Nate Bargatze’s all-star Nashville Christmas special

All times Eastern.

Elton John hangs with John Lennon in a new rock documentary.

FRIDAY, Dec. 13
Elton John: Never Too Late
The iconic singer reflects on his life and five-decade career in this new rock doc. Plus, you’ll get to hear a brand-new EJ song! (Disney+).

Wonder Pets: In the City
New animated series for preschoolers about a trio of critters (a snake, bunny and guinea pig) who live in a kindergarten in New York City when not zooming all over the world in a “Jetcar” to rescue other animals in need (Apple TV+).

SATURDAY, Dec. 14
Disney’s A Christmas Carol
Jim Carrey is Ebenezer Scrooge in this 2009 retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, with The Princess Bride’s Robin Wright and Cary Elwes in bit parts (10 a.m., Freeform).

Christmas All the Way Marathon
Celebrate the upcoming holiday with Elf, Four Christmases and The Polar Express (AMC).

SUNDAY, Dec. 15
Dexter: Original Sin
TV’s favorite serial killer returns for a new origin-story series starring Patrick Gibson and Christian Slater, with a special guest appearance by Sarah Michelle Geller (Paramount+).

An Evening with Dua Lipa
The global superstar (above) performs her hits and new material with backing by a symphony orchestra in London’s famed Albert Hall (8:30 p.m., CBS).

MONDAY, Dec. 16
Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry
Little Big Town hosts this all-star musical holiday celebration from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House, with performances from Kelsea Ballerini, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Kate Hudson and more (8 p.m., NBC).

Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around
Keith Urban, Pat Benatar and others weigh in on the pint-sized hitmaker, how her early fame and a life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock and country, and how her signature song, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” became a holiday perennial (10 p.m., PBS).

TUESDAY, Dec. 17
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
Ossie Davis narrates, Jewel makes an appearance, and the famed Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays for this grand-scale tale of a runaway’s journey home on the night before Christmas (8 p.m., AXS).

The Beverly Hillbillies
What better, the week before Christmas, than to watch this vintage episode of The Beverly Hillbillies from 1968, called “Week Before Christmas,” in which the Clampetts prepare to visit Hooterville for the holidays (9 a.m., MeTV).

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18
The Secret Life of Animals
Hugh Bonneville narrates the 10-part docuseries (above) about the behaviors and innate intelligence of the natural world around us, from fish to frogs and kangaroos and raccoons (Apple TV+).

A Saturday Night Live Christmas
Re-watch memorable Christmas skits and sketches from the show’s 50 (yes, 50!) years of the iconic weekend comedy series (9 p.m., NBC).

THURSDAY, Dec. 19
A One Hour Ghostmas Special
A leaky water heater threatens to ruin everyone’s holiday plans in this holiday episode of Ghosts (8 p.m., CBS).

Lost Treasures of the Bible
The Good Book gets a good look in this docuseries that follows archaeological teams uncovering and investigating cities and civilizations featured in the Bible in some of its most famous stories, like the Tower of Babel (9 p.m., National Geographic). 

Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas
The acclaimed “clean” comedian mixes stand-up yuks with pretaped comedy shorts, sketches, musical performance and special guests (9 p.m., CBS).

BRING IT HOME

Lady Gaga joins Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie À Deux (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), a continuation of the tale of Batman’s “trickiest” villain, now with a new accomplice/squeeze. One trick here: It’s dang near a musical! Extras include a longform making-of documentary, and other behind-the-scenes goodies.

One of the most critically hailed films of the year, Conclave (Universal) arrives now on Blu-ray. Rallph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow lead the cast in the story of a group of priests gathering—in conclave—to elect a new pope. It’s got intrigue, suspense, secrecy, scandal and surprises galore…and that’s all before the timely shocker at the end. Highly recommended.  

Oct. 18 – Oct. 24

A Night with Bill Murray, Anna Kendrick goes on a deadly date & Reba’s new show…with her boyfriend!

FRIDAY, Oct. 18
Happy’s Place
New Reba McEntire sitcom (above) about two half-sisters running a restaurant also features her former Reba costar Melissa Peterman, and Belissa Escobedo—and Reba’s actor boyfriend, Rex Linn (8 p.m., NBC).

Hysteria!
Campy new horror thriller series takes aim at ‘80s-era paranoia—when parents thought heavy metal music was a vessel for demons to infect young ears—and stars Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, Milly Shapiro and Bruce Campbell (Peacock).

Woman of the Hour
Anna Kendrick makes her directorial debut and stars in this based-on-a-true-story drama about an aspiring actress whose life intersected with a serial killer on TV’s The Dating Game. Tony Hale plays the show’s “Jim Lange”-ish host (Netflix).

SATURDAY, Oct. 19
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Annual awards ceremony will feature the induction of Cher, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Ozzy Osborne, Kool & The Gang, Mary J. Blige and the Dave Matthews Band into the hallowed hall (streaming live on Disney+).

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
You can stream the perennial 1966 Halloween TV classic free tonight (and tomorrow night), and watch Charlie Brown prep for a costume party, Snoopy set his sights on the Red Baron, and Linus patiently waiting for a pumpkin patch miracle (AppleTV+).

SUNDAY, Oct. 20
Serial Killer Capital: Los Angeles
How dangerous was LA in the 1970s? This new series takes back to a heyday of gangs and crack cocaine and the reign of a mysterious killer known as the Southside Slayer (7 p.m., Oxygen).

Sam + Coby
The YouTube horror creators buy a haunted schoolhouse and pledge to sleep there for a whole week. Can they do it? (Samandcolby on YouTube).

MONDAY, Oct. 21
Tokyo Uber Blues
A filmmaker becomes an Uber Eats bike deliverer in Tokyo to chip away at his $40,000 student debt in this documentary (above) filmed with smartphones and GoPros (PBS).

A Night With Bill Murray
The versatile actor hosts a night of films in which he’s appeared, plus a personal favorite, along with inside stories about them all. Is Caddyshack one of them? Stripes? Meatballs? You’ll have to tune in to find out! (8 p.m., TCM).

TUESDAY, Oct. 22
Uncharted
Two-night documentary takes you inside the world of songstress Alicia Keys and her efforts to help young black and brown women trying to break into the music biz (Paramount+)

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23
Nature
The acclaimed docuseries returns tonight following a filmmaker as he documents efforts to habituate a notoriously protective 500-pound silverback gorilla in an effort to save him and his fellow apes in the African Congo from extinction (8 p.m., PBS).

Breath of Fire
Go behind the scenes of the multi-million-dollar Kundalini yoga industry and the scandalous rise and fall of its charismatic leader guru (9 p.m., HBO).

THURSDAY, Oct. 24
Canary Black
A CIA operative is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her country to save her kidnapped husband. With Kate Beckinsale and Rupert Friend (Prime Video).

Before
Billy Crystal, Rosie Perez and Judith Light lead the cast of this supernatural mystery series (above) about a child psychologist who loses his wife but finds a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to his past (AppleTV+).

Star Trek: Lower Decks
Animated comedy series returns tonight for its fifth and final season about a work crew charged with repairing space potholes Paramount+).

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Feel like you’re taking a guided tour of the Big Apple without ever leaving your big comfy couch with New York Nico’s Guide to NYC (Dey Street Publishing), a compendium of celebration about the greatest city in the world and its greatest offerings of shops, eateries, things to do and characters. Author Nico (Nicolas Heller) is a filmmaker and social media creator with millions of online followers hailed as the city’s “unofficial talent scout,” so you’re getting his recommendations of the best things to see, do and experience.

BRING IT HOME

The acclaimed Emmy-award-winning political comedy series Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as a female U.S. president with a mostly incompetent team (Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Gary Cole), now comes packaged with all 65 episodes and special features (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment).

Blow winds, blow! Twisters (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), the follow-up to the 1990s action-packed hit, is another twister-y tale of tornado chasers in the Midwest, this time led by Glen Powell, Daisy-Edgar Jones and Anthony Ramos. Plus lotsa cool-io bonus features, including a guided tour of the movie set by Powell. 

Sept. 20 – Sept. 26

Meet the new ‘Matlock,’ Shania Twain gives ‘People’ what they want & Demi Moore quests for the fountain of youth

Kathy Bates stars in TV’s reboot of ‘Matlock.’

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Sept. 20
La Maison
Brush up your Francais for this contemporary French-language fashion drama set in the cutthroat world of opulent Parisian elegance (Apple TV+)

The Substance
Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid star in this wickedly ruthless satire about a mysterious injection that gives a past-her-prime TV personality a new shot of youth. But she soon finds out the miracle “substance” has a steep downside (Mubi).

SATURDAY, Sept. 21
Buried Alive and Survived
Can you guess what this movie’s about? If you said a woman who miraculously survives being buried alive (by her ex-), you’re right! (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, Sept. 22
Rescue: Hi-Surf
The surf’s up indeed in this new lifeguard drama (above) set in Hawaii—like Baywatch in O’ahu!—partnered with the United States Lifesaving Association (on Fox, following the NFL double-header).

Matlock
Kathy Bates steps into Andy Griffith’s shoes in this reboot about a brilliant septuagenarian who joins a law firm and uses her common sense, calm demeanor and unassuming wiles to crack cases and expose corruption (8 p.m., CBS).

MONDAY, Sept. 23
Brilliant Minds
Zachary Quinto stars in this new drama series as a larger-than-life neurologist exploring the uncharted frontier of mental health with his team (10 p.m., NBC).

TUESDAY, Sept. 24
Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal
Find out about true cases involving shocking encounters with the paranormal—like a young boy who disappears forever in the Smoky Mountains after being snatched by a mysterious ape-like beast (Hulu).

Fly
What’s it like to soar like a gravity-defying flying squirrel? This doc about daredevil base-jumper couples will jangle your nerves! (National Geographic).

We Will Dance Again
Survivors recount their struggle to stay alive during last year’s Hamas terror attack on the Nova Music Festival, which became the staging ground for the deadliest attack in Israel’s history (Paramount+).

WEDNESDAY, Sept 25
Chicago Fire
It’s season 12 and things are again heating up in the Windy City, where the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51 continue to risk their lives to save others. With Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg and Miranda Rae Mayo (NBC).

Grotesquerie
Niecy Nash-Betts (above), Lesley Manville and Courtney B. Vance star in this new horror drama series from creator Ryan Murphy about a series about a small community teetering on the brink of unfathomable evil (10 p.m., FX).

The Masked Singer
Who are the stars underneath the goofy costumes? Join the panel of celebrity judges and out tonight with the all-new season of the hit series hosted by Nick Cannon. And be watchful: Clues are everywhere! (8 p.m., Fox).

THURSDAY, Sept. 26
Dr. Odyssey
Joshua Jackson, Don Johnson and Phlllipa Soo star in this new Ryan Murphy-produced series (above) about the high-stakes, high-seas adventures of an onboard doctor for a luxury cruise line. Think Love Boat, but serious-er (9 p.m., ABC).

Killer Heat
Classic noir-style mystery thriller stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a hard-boiled private eye and Shailene Woodley as the sister-in-law of a dead guy who doesn’t believe the police report about how he died (Prime).

People’s Choice Country Awards
Shania Twain hosts this two-hour live special all-star event—a country music extension of the fan-voted People’s Choice Awards—from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, recognizing artists in various categories and configurations (NBC, 8 p.m.)

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Beatles fans will flip their wigs with Mind Games (Thames & Hudson), the new definitive exploration of the making of the late John Lennon’s 1973 musical-masterpiece album. With reproductions of handwritten lyrics, letters, artwork and more, it’s a deep dive into the post-Beatles world of Lennon and his collaborator/soul mate/wife Yoko Ono, shedding new light onto the apex of their period of transformation and musical experimentation. 

Like to talk sports? Like to argue sports? Well, in Got Your Answers: The 100 Greatest Sports Arguments—Settled (Hyperion Ave.), authors Mike Greenberg and Paul Hembekides break down such often-debated topics as the top five college football rivalries, the best pitch in baseball history, the NFL’s top 10 most lopsided trades, the top seven Game 7 World Series matchups, and much more. Put on your favorite team jersey and dig in!

Where’s the fire? In The Burning Earth: A History (W.W. Norton), author Sunil Amrith examines how the world has been shaped and reshaped by humanity’s pursuit of fossil fuels, the turmoil of war, population growth and the all-around exploitation of rivers, seas, forests and animals. Not exactly a sweet bedtime story, but nonetheless a riveting, vital read about the misdeeds we’ve done to the place we call home—most of them, ironically, done in the march toward “a better life.” 

Why does it take the future so long to get here? We’ve been dreaming about flying cars ever since The Jetsons, so what’s the holdup? In The Long History of the Future (Bloomsbury), author Nicole Kobie takes a look at why technology—despite its remarkable strides—always seems to lag behind our dreams. And why we may have artificial hearts, escalators and self-driving cars, but Rosie the Robot still hasn’t arrived to make housework any easier yet!

One of the big Christmas movies this year will the theatrical version of the long-running Broadway hit Wicked. Now you can own all four of the Gregory Maguire novels on which the play (and movie) is based, about the “backstory” of the witches in The Wizard of Oz, in the new box set The Wicked Years (Harper Collins). It’s a perfect gift for all your Wicked friends!

In The Road is Good (Viking), Emmy-winning actress Uzo Aduba (from Orange is the New Black) tells her own compelling story—of the support of her Nigerian mother, her experience of being Black and immigrating to America, her growing career and her newest role as a mom.

BRING IT HOME

A sexy, steamy classic, Body Double, is newly repackaged as a deluxe 4K set in honor of its 40^th anniversary, with loads of extras. Director Brian De Palma’s 1984 neo-noir erotic thriller starring Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry and Craig Wesson was a commercial flop. But it gained a cult following later for its stylish cinematic allusions to Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Vertigo and Dial M for Murder (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment).

Those little minions are at it again in Despicable Me 4 (Universal Home Entertainment), the latest subversively witty, action-packed animated comedy about the now-reformed supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell), who finds himself on the run when he and his family get in the crosshairs of a new nemesis. Listen closely and you’ll also hear the voices of Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert and Miranda Cosgrove.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the latest of director George Miller’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic, diesel-punk-spectacular action-epic franchise, and it’s joined in a splendid new Mad Max 5-Film 4K Collector’s Edition boxed-set (Warner Bros. Home Entertainent) with its four predecessors—Mad Max(1979), Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981), Max Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2024). If you’re a Mad Max fan, it’s the maximum Max you can get in one place!

Aug. 2 – Aug. 8

Liz’s lost tapes, some ‘tricky’ dudes, & Anthony Hopkins rescues kids from Nazis

All times Eastern.

Interviews with the late actress Elizabeth Taylor are used to “narrate” a new doc.

FRIDAY, Aug. 2
Rebel Moon—Chapter Two: Chalice of Blood
Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounson and Charlie Hunnam star in this latest installment of director Zack Synder’s epic sci-fi saga, which finds a peaceful settlement on a distant moon threatened by space tyrants (Netflix).

Cowboy Cartel
Four-part series explores the true story of a rookie FBI agent, Scott Lawson, who took down leaders of one of the most powerful crime cartels in Mexico in a horse-racing money laundering scheme (Apple TV+).

SATURDAY, Aug. 3
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes
Some 40 hours of newly unearthed audio interviews from the box office beauty of 1950s and ‘60s fame are used to “narrate” this intimate portrait of the actress whose memorable films include Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra (which brought her an Oscar) and a number of films with her one-time husband Richard Burton, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe and The Taming of the Shrew (HBO).

Dude Perfect
How did a bunch of guys (above) from a little town in Texas become a sport-comedy trick-shot phenomenon? This doc will show you! (9:30 p.m., ESPN).

SUNDAY, Aug. 4
Miss USA
Have we really been crowning young women with this title since 1952? You know, the “beauty pageant” that found itself mired in turmoil after one of the winners stepped down, citing its “toxic” environment? The one that Donald Trump used to “own,” boasting about wandering around backstage and ogling teens in various states of undress? Yep, and tonight someone else will get it—the crown, that is (8 p.m., The CW).

MONDAY, Aug. 5
Judy Justice
Did you ever wonder how court cases end up in front of Judge Judy? Well, injured parties apply online at judyjustice.com for the chance to have their “grievances” decided in a TV courtroom. So if your buddy stiffs you paying for the lawnmower you sold him, you can take it to the judge! And now you know. (Amazon Freevee and Prime Video).

One Life
Anthony Hopkins and Lena Olin star in this dramatized true story of a young London broker who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued over 600 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia (Paramount+).

TUESDAY, Aug. 6
PD True
Meet the real cops who worked some of the biggest crimes in modern times, including serial killings, mass murders and bank-robbery shootouts (Paramount+),

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7
Dance Moms: A New Era
If you were a fan of the original show, about busybody mothers who guided their little girls onto the stage for competitive dancing like li’l show ponies in leotards, you’ll likely enjoy this one with new coaches, new dancers and new mama drama (Hulu).

See No Evil
True-crime series shows how some deadly crimes are solved by the only witnesses that never lie—surveillance cameras (9 p.m., ID).

THURSDAY, Aug. 8
One Fast Move
A down-on-his-luck young man seeks out his estranged father to help him pursue his dream of becoming a pro motorcycle racer. With K.J. Apa, Eric James and Edward James Olmos (Prime Video).

The Mallorca Files
Ambitious female detective (Elen Rhys) and her laid-back German partner (Julian Looman) find a new season of arson, kidnappings, murders and more on the sun-drenched Spanish island (Prime).

BRING IT HOME

Two awesome time-traveling dudes get the full box-set treatment in Bill &. Ted’s Most Triumphant Journey (Shout! Studio), a new 4K collection featuring the original Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and its two movie follow-ups, all starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Special features include commentary, behind-the-scenes docs and other goodies. Excellent!

The hit comedy Babes (Neon Home Entertainment) comes to DVD with 30 minutes of bonus materials to round out the raucous comedy about a female friendship testing its bounds when one of them decides to get pregnant and have a baby. Starring Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buetea. It’ll warm your raunchy heart.