Thursday, Oct. 3: It's Game Night! The CW Scores New 'Scrabble' and 'Trivial Pursuit' Series (2024)

Thursday, Oct. 3: It's Game Night! The CW Scores New 'Scrabble' and 'Trivial Pursuit' Series (1)

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All Times Eastern. PBS programming varies regionally.

Thursday, Oct. 3

Scrabble
The CW, 8pm
New Series!
Thursdays are board game nights on The CW! Hosted by actress Raven-Symoné, this new competition series features wordsmiths battling it out over a series of addictive word games to win points and master a giant Scrabble board in the center of the set.

Trivial Pursuit
The CW, 9pm
New Series!
LeVar Burton hosts this new reality competition series based on the beloved board game. “It’s the colors, it’s the wheels,” Burton shares. “We are all familiar with the wedges of pie, and even if you don’t know all six categories by name, you’ll be able to immediately recognize it. There are two games in every episode. We begin with three contestants, whittle it down to two, then down to a single player who goes on to play for the $10,000 in the final round.”

Tyler Perry’s Zatima
BET+
Season Premiere!
The third season of this comedy/drama, a spinoff of Sistas, is full of peaks and valleys as Zac (Devale Ellis) and Fatima (Crystal Renee Hayslett) struggle to protect their relationship from undue damage from outside influences. But when family is involved, it makes things a little more intense. Two new episodes are available Thursdays starting today.

The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist
Netflix
Based on The Bad Guys series of children’s graphic novels, this Halloween-themed animated special from DreamWorks follows the titular mischievous group of thieves who are always on the lookout for their next big heist. This time, they set their sights on an infamous mansion once owned by a legendary crook who was obsessed with his loot, especially one piece in particular: the Crescent Amulet. Legend has it that the crook vowed to haunt anyone who dared steal his prized possessions.

Heartstopper
Netflix
Season Premiere!
As this British romantic drama returns for Season 3, Charlie (Joe Locke) would like to tell Nick (Kit Connor) that he loves him, and Nick also has something important to say to Charlie. As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, the friends begin to realize that the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges. In terms of notable casting changes this season, Sebastian Croft, who played Ben, will not be returning. Meanwhile, among the new faces is Hayley Atwell as Nick’s aunt, Diane.

Law & Order
NBC, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The OG drama that launched the Law & Order franchise returns for Season 24 tonight. In the episode “Catch and Kill,” when a Brooklyn prosecutor is found slain in her apartment, Maroun (Odelya Halevi) takes drastic action to convince an eyewitness to come forward. Meanwhile, Riley (Reid Scott) struggles to adjust to the new lieutenant in charge, Jessica Brady (new cast member Maura Tierney).

Creepy Cinema
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Spooky season is here, and Turner Classic Movies is getting into the spirit of things. Each Thursday evening this month (including Halloween night), TCM airs programming blocks devoted to creepy classics divided by two themes per night. Tonight’s first theme is “Bette & Joan” and consists of two films: Sudden Fear (1952), a film noir thriller led by Joan Crawford and Jack Palance, and In This Our Life (1942), directed by John Huston and starring Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland, the third of five films in which the actresses costarred. Following these, airing in late night, are four more outright scary movies airing under the theme of “Horror Classics”: House of Wax (1953), starring Vincent Price; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), probably the most renowned adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Gothic horror novel, featuring Best Actor Oscar winner Fredric March in the dual title roles (March tied with Wallace Beery, who was also named Best Actor for The Champ); Mad Love (1935), starring Peter Lorre and Colin Clive, one of the handful of films directed by Karl Freund, the noted cinematographer for such classics as Metropolis (1927) and Dracula (1931); and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), based on Oscar Wilde’s novel and led by George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed and Angela Lansbury, who earned her second consecutive Best Supporting Actress nomination in just her third feature film.

Doctor Odyssey: “Singles Week”
ABC, 9pm
As Max (Joshua Jackson), Tristan (Sean Teale) and Avery (Phillipa Soo) navigate their relationship, the crew fends off advances from passengers.

Mountain Men
History, 9pm
Season Premiere!
This season, there’s no rest for the self-reliant men and women who have left modern-day life to embrace the enduring traditions that once defined the West and try to survive in the wild. The winter brings new traplines, fresh cabin constructions and ambitious money-making ventures — big dreams and even bigger projects that could either lead to booming success or crushing disappointment.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
NBC, 9pm
Season Premiere!
The long-running Law & Order spinoff extends its record-setting primetime run as it begins Season 26 with “Fractured.” As the SVU investigates a brutal attack on a group of law students, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) hopes the discovery of a hidden camera will crack the case open, while Carisi’s (Peter Scanavino) best chance at conviction is catching the defendant in a lie. (The L&O spinoff that used to occupy the time slot after SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, will also be back for a new season, its fifth. There has been no word on when Season 5 of Organized Crime will premiere, but when it does, it will be available exclusively on the Peacock streaming service, not NBC.)

Grey’s Anatomy: “Take Me to Church”
ABC, 10pm
Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Catherine (Debbie Allen) continue to disagree, and Meredith confides in Bailey (Chandra Wilson) for support.

Found
NBC, 10pm
Season Premiere!
This drama led by Shanola Hampton and Mark-Paul Gosselaar returns for Season 2. In the season premiere, “Missing While Bait,” Gabi (Hampton) and her team begin to spiral amid her shocking revelation. Meanwhile, Lacey’s (Gabrielle Walsh) flashbacks provide clues.

Horror’s Greatest
AMC, 12am (late-night)
New Series!
This docuseries that originally streamed on Shudder comes to AMC. It celebrates the very best the horror movie genre has to offer and takes a deep dive into everything fans love about it. From fresh looks at classics to unearthing scores of hidden gems, the series promises something for every fright film enthusiast. Actors, directors, writers, composers and special effects artists all draw on their unique knowledge to answer the big questions, like what the appeal of horror tropes is, what shape horror takes in countries outside of the United States and more.

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Friday, Oct. 4

CTRL
Netflix
Original Film!
This cutting-edge thriller from India looks to make viewers rethink their dependency upon technology. Nella Awasthi (Ananya Panday) and Joe Mascarenhas (Vihaan Samat) are a romantic couple who create content together and are loved by their online audience. But what happens when they break up? In a world where data is power, how much sharing is too much? How much of your life are you willing to share, and do you slowly lose control in the process?

It’s What’s Inside
Netflix
Original Film!
In this genre-bending mystery/comedy/thriller, a group of friends gathers for a pre-wedding party that descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a mysterious game that awakens long-hidden secrets, desires and grudges.

The Platform 2
Netflix
Original Film!
In this sequel to the highly viewed 2019 Spanish dystopian thriller, as a mysterious leader imposes their rule in the Platform, a new resident becomes embroiled in the battle against this controversial method to fight the brutal feeding system. But when eating from the wrong plate becomes a death sentence, how far would you be willing to go to save your life?

FOX & Friends
FOX News Channel, 6am
FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends continues its signature “Breakfast With Friends” segment series on Friday from Harry and the Natives in Hobe Sound, Florida. FOX & Friends cohost Steve Doocy will be on location to speak with diner patrons about news of the day and critical issues shaping this year’s election.

College Football
ESPN, FOX & FS1, beginning at 7:30pm Live
Friday night college football action features Houston at TCU (ESPN), Michigan State at Oregon (FOX) and Syracuse at UNLV (FS1).

Power Book II: Ghost
Starz, 8pm
Series Finale!
Find out the fate of Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) as this spinoff of crime drama Power ends after four seasons.

Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time
TCM, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
The fifth night of this series in which TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and notable guests explore the most impactful political movies of all time features six titles, the first three introduced with guests: The Times of Harvey Milk (1984), cohosted by actress Sally Field; The Best Man (1964), cohosted by journalist Josh Mankiewicz; I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932), cohosted by educator/historian Lonnie Bunch III; City Hall (1996); Strike (1924); and High and Low (1963).

A Sprinkle of Deceit: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
Hallmark Mystery, 9pm
Original Film!
Hannah (Alison Sweeney) works with Chad (Victor Webster) to prove a client’s innocence after a high school reunion she catered ends in a murder, and gets caught up in the crosshairs of the real killer along the way.

Scariest House in America
HGTV, 9pm
New Series!
Retta, host of Ugliest House in America, will check out the scary instead of the ugly when she hunts for the spookiest properties in this new series. Retta tours nine eerie and terrifying houses throughout the Midwest, Northeast and South that have everything from built-in death traps and questionable taxidermy to daunting basements and ghost sightings. HGTV will deem one house the “scariest” of them all and award the homeowners a $150,000 renovation by popular network designer Alison Victoria.

The UnXplained
History, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Host William Shatner is back for Season 7 of this series that explores subjects that have mystified people for centuries. Episodes will feature experts seeking to shed light on everything from mysterious structures like Florida’s Coral Castle and so-called evil places like the cursed “White City” of Honduras, to strange creatures and bizarre rituals, and more.

The Proof Is Out There
History, 10pm
New Episodes!
This hourlong series hosted by journalist Tony Harris devotes each episode to exploring and analyzing a certain anomaly, from the Department of Homeland Security’s latest UFO leak to a long-extinct species reportedly caught on camera to mysterious stone carvings in Japan and more.

Scare Tactics
USA Network, 10pm (series premiere simulcast on Bravo, E! and Syfy)
New Series!
Jordan Peele (Get Out) has brought back and reimagined this comedy/horror series for what is described as an “audacious reboot.” This version of Scare Tactics turns unsuspecting individuals into the main characters of their very own horror movies using a cinematic approach to the hidden-camera concept. Hosted by Flip, a spectral preteen obsessed with horror movies and fascinated by human fear, the show will feature pranksters setting up friends and family in hilariously twisted scenarios blurring the lines of reality, horror and comedy.

Saturday, Oct. 5

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild
NBC, Saturday mornings (times may vary)
Season Premiere!
Season 2 takes viewers on a wild journey within the U.S. and beyond with awe-inspiring conservation stories. “Our goal is to showcase uplifting conservation stories to educate and inspire viewers and generate awareness for the many incredible species and harmonious ecosystems that make up our world,” said Jennifer Wulf, vice president of brand marketing for Mutual of Omaha. “The decades-long legacy we’ve built with Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom is a way for us to authentically show what our brand stands for: protecting the human and wild kingdoms.”

House of Svengoolie Cartoon Boo-Nanza
MeTV, beginning at 7am
Svengoolie’s Halloween Boo-Nanza event returns for its third year, with special programming throughout October beginning this morning as the Sven Squad — Gwengoolie, Nostalgiaferatoo and Imp — takes over Saturday Morning Cartoons to present a collection of their favorite spooky-themed Looney Tunes shorts, including “Hair-Raising Hare,” “Transylvania 6-5000” and “Hyde and Hare.”

65 Years of “The Twilight Zone” Marathon
Syfy, beginning at 8am
Rod Serling’s legendary sci-fi/fantasy anthology series The Twilight Zone premiered Oct. 2, 1959, on CBS. To celebrate the show’s 65th anniversary, Syfy is airing a marathon of 65 episodes beginning today and continuing into late-night tomorrow. The marathon features a mix of the standard half-hour episodes along with some of the hourlong ones that were produced, and it also includes the series’ premiere episode, Serling’s “Where Is Everybody?”

MLB Playoffs: AL and NL Division Series: Game 1
FOX, FS1, TBS & truTV, beginning at 12pm Live
Major League Baseball’s best-of-five game Division Series begins with Game 1 of all four series today. FOX and FS1 combine to air the NLDS, with ALDS games airing on TBS and truTV.

Autumn at Apple Hill
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!
Based on the novel of the same name, this romantic drama follows a recently divorced woman named Elise (Erin Cahill), who is renovating an inn she inherited from her grandparents. When she meets Luke (Wes Brown), the CFO of a prominent hotel chain, he may be the key to helping her restore the inn to what it once was.

Sunday, Oct. 6

NFL Football
NFL Network & NBC, beginning at 9:30am Live
Sunday’s NFL action starts in the morning on NFL Network as the N.Y. Jets battle the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Sunday Night Football on NBC has the Dallas Cowboys on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Haunting
MOVIES!, 1:25pm
Catch a Classic!
Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is one of the finest haunted house novels ever written, and this 1963 adaptation of it, directed by Robert Wise, ranks as one of the best haunted house movies ever made (even if Jackson herself wasn’t a particular fan of it). Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn lead the cast as a group of people investigating the reported paranormal activity at creepy old Hill House, whose unfortunate history of tragedies has led many to believe that the place was “born bad.” Wise’s use of darkness, shadows and sound to enhance the chills is superb, and the film is a terrific example of how mostly leaving things up to an audience’s imagination can often conjure up things more frightening than whatever the best makeup/special effects artists can come up with. (Whose hand was Eleanor holding, after all?)

NASCAR Cup Series: YellaWood 500
NBC, 2pm Live
NASCAR Cup Series drivers take on Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway for the YellaWood 500, the second of three playoff races in the Round of 12.

The Little Mermaid
ABC, 8pm
Network Premiere!
The 2023 live-action remake of the classic 1989 animated film about a mermaid with an unshakable desire to be among humans makes its television premiere tonight. The youngest of King Triton’s (Javier Bardem) daughters and the most defiant, Ariel (Halle Bailey) longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life — and her father’s crown — in jeopardy.

American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special
CBS, 8pm
The American Music Awards celebrate a half-century of iconic moments, unforgettable performances and rich pop-culture history in this two-hour special. See dazzling new performances, heartfelt artist interviews, legendary special guests and previously unaired footage from the extensive archives. The awards ceremony takes place in May 2025.

The Chosen: “Dedication”
The CW, 8pm
Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) and the disciples celebrate Hanukkah; Matthew (Paras Patel) confronts Judas (Luke Dimyan).

The Simpsons: “The Yellow Lotus”
FOX, 8pm
In the new episode “The Yellow Lotus,” the Simpsons encounter death while on vacation at a high-end resort.

“Super Friends” Primetime Sneak Peek
MeTV Toons, beginning at 8pm
Enjoy three hours of episodes from the classic 1973-85 Saturday morning cartoon series Super Friends, which is joining MeTV Toons’ weekday afternoon lineup beginning tomorrow, Oct. 7. Ahead of that, this evening’s sneak peek offers a “best of” from the Hanna-Barbera production that followed the adventures of heroes from DC Comics’ Justice League, including Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Batman and Robin.

Ridley: “The Hollow Tree, Part 2”
PBS, 8pm
When another body is found murdered, the pressure mounts on Ridley (Adrian Dunbar) to find the killer.

Universal Basic Guys: “Jaws of Life”
FOX, 8:30pm
In the new episode “Jaws of Life,” Mark (voice of Adam Malamut) is jealous of the attention Tammy (Talia Genevieve) receives after she saves a choking victim, so he buys a hydraulic rescue tool.

TV on the Edge: Moments That Shaped Our Culture: “Ellen Comes Out”
CNN, 9pm
It’s April 30, 1997, and Ellen DeGeneres is about to do something that hasn’t been done before on American television: The title character of her hit sitcom, whom DeGeneres plays, comes out as gay, right after the star herself had come out in real life. More than 40 million viewers tune in for the big reveal that broke barriers and lit the spark for true gay representation on the small screen.

Bob’s Burgers: “Saving Favorite Drive-In”
FOX, 9pm
Bob (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) comes up with a plan to save the local drive-in movie theater from closing in the new episode “Saving Favorite Drive-In.”

Moonflower Murders
PBS, 9pm
Susan (Lesley Manville) meets with Alan’s (Conleth Hill) ex-partner and learns about the relationship between them.

Krapopolis: “Thor”
FOX, 9:30pm
After Tyrannis (voice of Richard Ayoade) has a hunting mishap, the Norse gods Thor and Loki descend on Krapopolis in the new episode “Thor.”

The Franchise
HBO, 10pm
New Series!
This new comedy follows the cast and crew of an unloved superhero franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. Himesh Patel (Yesterday) stars as Daniel, the stressed-out first assistant director who’s sacrificing mind, body and soul to keep the production going forward. The cast also features Aya Cash, Daniel Brühl, Billy Magnussen and Richard E. Grant.

Black Saturday With Trey Yingst
FOX News Channel, 10pm
Fox News War Correspondent Trey Yingst and his team take viewers inside the harrowing events of Black Saturday. On October 7, 2023, thousands of Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, plunging the region into chaos and violence. Through raw footage and personal testimony, Black Saturday shows the brutal realities of war and the relentless pursuit of truth amid escalating conflict. From the first rockets launched by Hamas through Israel’s devastating retaliation in Gaza, Yingst and his team faced danger at every turn to provide viewers a front row seat to history.

Van der Valk: “Hope in Amsterdam, Part 2”
PBS, 10pm
The investigation continues after an environmental campaigner is murdered.

Vinyl Obsession
AXS TV, 10:30pm
Season Premiere!
Wrestler and music connoisseur Eric Young is the new host for the second season of this series in which rock icons and entertainers peruse some of the country’s most legendary music shops in search of the vinyl records that have inspired and influenced them the most. Two guests are featured in each episode; in tonight’s season premiere, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine and radio personality Bobby Bones join Young at Grimey’s in Nashville.

Monday, Oct. 7

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
MOVIES!, 8:20am
Catch a Classic!
Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison lead this 1947 fantasy that is one of the earliest, and certainly among the best executed, entries in the “sexy ghost” subgenre of romantic films. In the early 20th century, newly widowed Lucy Muir (Tierney) and her daughter (a young Natalie Wood in an early role) move into a house on the English coast that turns out to be haunted by its former owner, the boisterous and profane sea captain Daniel Gregg (Harrison), who is believed to have committed suicide there a few years earlier. The two are immediately at odds, but slowly begin to develop a mutual respect, and perhaps some stronger feelings, toward each other. Terrific performances by the leads as well as supporting cast members like George Sanders, along with the always sure-handed direction from Joseph L. Mankiewicz and one of composer Bernard Herrmann’s best film scores, all contribute to make this a funny, charming and emotional viewing experience.

Hoarders
A&E, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The premiere episode introduces viewers to Tim, who suffers from feelings of abandonment, and turns to hoarding cars and car parts as a way of coping. Tim and his wife DeeDee lost their first home in a tragic house fire, and when they moved into their new dream home, Tim’s hoarding began. Now they face the possibility of divorce if he doesn’t clean up his hoard.

Superman & Lois
The CW, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The fourth and final season of this family-friendly superhero series begins with a two-hour special episode. Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) is locked in a brutal battle with Luthor’s monster, and Lana (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and Sarah (Inde Navarrette) join the fight against Luthor (Michael Cudlitz), who starts making moves in Smallville.

NFL Football: New Orleans at Kansas City
ESPN, 8pm Live
Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints visit GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 5 Monday Night Football matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

9-1-1: Lone Star: “C12”
FOX, 8pm
The 126 race to contain a toxic chlorine cloud of death unleashed by the train derailment in the new episode “C12.”

The Voice: “The Blind Auditions, Part 3”
NBC, 8pm
Coaches Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani continue vying to discover and coach the next singing phenomenon on the third night of blind auditions.

Murdoch Mysteries
Ovation, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The Canadian mystery series returns for Season 18, which will feature 22 episodes, including the show’s 300th episode. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee joins the cast as Inspector Albert Choi. In tonight’s season premiere, “The New Recruit,” when Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) and Crabtree (Jonny Harris) participate in a battlefield reenactment, one of the pretend soldiers is actually murdered.

Rescue: HI-Surf: “Kick Out”
FOX, 9pm
A morning hangout on the beach almost turns deadly for a group of college kids when two of them get trapped in a collapsed sandpit in the new episode “Kick Out.”

Ancient Aliens: Origins
History, 9pm
New Series!
This spinoff revisits the most compelling mysteries explored over the past 15 years of Ancient Aliens. In each episode, experts such as Giorgio Tsoukalos, David Childress, William Henry and Nick Pope engage in thought-provoking conversations on topics central to the Ancient Astronaut Theory. From astonishing feats of engineering to enigmatic UFOs and sky gods, they delve deep into the series’ extensive archive, reflecting on past investigations, sharing personal insights from their adventures and offering new perspectives.

Hoarders: “Where Are They Now?: Nathan and Kathy”
A&E, 10pm
In this special episode, viewers are reunited with two memorable individuals from the series — Nathan in Florida and Kathy in Montana — where Hoarders’ experts Standolyn Robertson and Dorothy Breininger offer their invaluable guidance and support on Nathan and Kathy’s journey toward healthier and clutter-free living spaces.

What Would You Do?
ABC, 10pm
Season Premiere!
The hidden camera show investigating what people might do in situations that require them to either act or mind their own business returns for a new season tonight.

Brilliant Minds: “The Lost Biker”
NBC, 10pm
A member of a biker gang seeks out Dr. Wolf’s (Zachary Quinto) help as he grapples with life-threatening memory loss. Meanwhile, the interns are tasked with helping a young girl who is struggling with mysterious seizures.

POV: “In the Rearview”
PBS, 10pm
A volunteer aid van operates as a shelter, waiting room, hospital and confessional for passengers fleeing Ukraine for Poland.

Tuesday, Oct. 8

TCM Spotlight: Period Pieces
TCM, beginning at 6am
Catch a Classic!
Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Tuesday celebration of motion picture “period pieces” — dramas set in some historical period, often involving elaborate and frequently award-nominated or -winning costume and set designs to bring a particular era to life — continues all day today with several movies based on historical novels or plays. Featured titles are Green Dolphin Street (1947), based on Elizabeth Goudge’s 1944 novel, set in 1840s New Zealand and starring Lana Turner, Van Heflin and Donna Reed; My Brilliant Career (1979), an adaptation of Miles Franklin’s 1901 novel set in late 19th century Australia, led by Judy Davis and featuring Oscar-nominated costume design; That Forsyte Woman (1949), a romantic drama based on The Man of Property (1906), John Galsworthy’s first book in his Forsyte Saga, with a tale set in Victorian England that stars Greer Garson and Errol Flynn, and boasts Oscar-nominated costume design; Little Women (1949), based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1868 novel, with Oscar-winning set decoration; Jezebel (1938), based on Owen Davis Sr.’s 1933 play, set in 1850s New Orleans, and starring Best Actress winner Bette Davis and Best Supporting Actress winner Fay Bainter; Raintree County (1957), a Western adapted from Ross Lockridge Jr.’s 1948 novel set in America’s antebellum South and during the Civil War, led by Best Actress nominee Elizabeth Taylor and featuring Oscar-nominated costume design and set decoration; The Last of the Mohicans (1992), based on James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel and set during the French and Indian War of the 18th century, with Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe and Russell Means leading the cast; the Best Picture-winning Gone With the Wind (1939), the epic adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, set in the antebellum South and during the Civil War, with Oscar-winning art direction and a cast led by Best Actress winner Vivien Leigh, Best Actor nominee Clark Gable, Best Supporting Actress winner Hattie McDaniel and Best Supporting Actress nominee Olivia de Havilland; the Best Picture-nominated The Heiress (1949), a romantic drama adapted from Henry James’ 1880 novel Washington Square, with its story set in 1849 New York City and led by Best Actress winner de Havilland, enhanced by Oscar-winning set decoration and costume design; and the Best Picture-nominated The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), based on Booth Tarkington’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1918 novel and featuring Oscar-nominated art direction (interior decoration, black and white).

NHL Hockey
ESPN, beginning at 4:30pm Live
The puck drops on the 2024-25 NHL season with a tripleheader on ESPN featuring the St. Louis Blues at the Seattle Kraken, the Boston Bruins at the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and the Chicago Blackhawks at the Utah Hockey Club (an “expansion” team mostly made up of former Arizona Coyotes players).

Dinner Time Live With David Chang
Netflix, 6:30pm Live
Season Premiere!
World-renowned chef David Chang returns for a second season of his show where he personally cooks for his celebrity friends live on-camera from his Los Angeles kitchen. This season will feature all holiday-themed episodes, with new installments streaming at this time each week.

An Oprah Special: The Presleys — Elvis, Lisa Marie and Riley
CBS, 8pm
CBS takes viewers to Graceland for a one-of-a-kind TV special as Oprah Winfrey sits down with Riley Keough, actress and granddaughter of Elvis Presley. In the intimate conversation, Keough opens up about her life, her late mother Lisa Marie Presley and her famous family.

Accused
FOX, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The crime anthology drama about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances returns for Season 2. Among the guest stars this season are Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Michael Chiklis, Taylor Schilling, Justin Chambers, Nick Cannon, Patrick J. Adams, Ken Jeong, Debra Winger, Christine Ebersole, Mercedes Ruehl, Danny Pino, Cobie Smulders and Vella Lovell.

The Voice: “The Blind Auditions, Part 4”
NBC, 8pm
The singing competition’s Tuesday episodes begin tonight. Coaches Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani continue vying to discover and coach the next singing phenomenon on the fourth night of blind auditions.

Murder in a Small Town: “A Chill Rain”
FOX, 9pm
The mystery drama series continues with the new episode “A Chill Rain,” in which Zoe (guest star Stana Katic) is confronted by her estranged brother Benjamin (guest star Ben Cotton), who claims to be in financial trouble. When Benjamin’s dead body is discovered, Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) begins his search for the killer.

Life Below Zero
Nat Geo, 9pm
Season Premiere!
The reality series returns to follow the lives and challenges of the tough and resilient people who live in remote corners of Alaska. In tonight’s episode, Kavik is slammed with a brutal storm as Sue Aikens races to fortify camp. Ricko DeWilde seeks an elusive animal in the Alaskan interior. The Hailstones must seize an opportunity to fish under the ice, and Johnny Rolfe strives to secure food in the Brooks Range.

Citizen Nation
PBS, 9pm
New Series!
This four-part docuseries is an inspiring coming-of-age story that follows teenagers from across the U.S. with diverse backgrounds as they come together to compete in the nation’s leading civics competition, “We the People.” The premiere episode introduces contestants as they begin the school year: two teams from Wyoming, a Las Vegas team, and the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond, Virginia, the defending national champion.

1000-Lb. Sisters
TLC, 9pm
Season Premiere!
When Tammy Slaton made her TV debut in 2020, she was over 600 pounds and her weight would eventually climb to over 700. A health crisis, chronicled in an earlier season, pushed Tammy to make lifelong changes, and she’s now lost 500 pounds. Her sister Amy, once 406 pounds, also lost substantial weight as the two shared their personal weight loss and mental health journeys with millions of fans. Their challenges (Amy recently spent Labor Day behind bars for alleged possession of illegal drugs, which we are not sure will be covered), transformative makeovers (they’re looking for approval for skin removal surgery) and fresh starts are the continued focus for the new season.

High Potential: “Dirty Rotten Scoundrel”
ABC, 10pm
The detectives are called to a hotel murder scene; Soto (Judy Reyes) reveals details about Roman’s disappearance.

The Irrational
NBC, 10pm
Season Premiere!
In the second season premiere, “Collateral Damage,” when Rose (Karen David) goes missing, Alec (Jesse L. Martin) quickly discovers this is no ordinary kidnapping.

Frontline: “The VP Choice: Vance vs. Walz”
PBS, 10pm
Investigating the lives and views of JD Vance and Tim Walz as they run for vice president is the focus of tonight’s episode.

Wednesday, Oct. 9

Starting 5
Netflix
New Series!
This docuseries provides an intense and unfiltered behind-the-scenes look at the 2023-24 NBA season through the eyes of five of the league’s biggest players: Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis and Jayson Tatum. The 10-part series follows their battles on and off the court as they chase greatness, push through injuries and balance the demands of family and legacy.

Sullivan’s Crossing: “A Storm Is Brewing”
The CW, 8pm
Maggie (Morgan Kohan) searches for clues regarding the cause of Sully’s (Scott Patterson) condition as she struggles with a decision.

The Masked Singer: “Group A Finals: Soundtrack of My Life”
FOX, 8pm
The three finalists from Group A perform songs that are near and dear to them in the new episode “Group A Finals: Soundtrack of My Life.” Two singers will be unmasked and one will move on to the quarterfinals.

Chicago Med: “Trust Fall”
NBC, 8pm
Hannah (Jessy Schram) treats a woman whose undiagnosed condition threatens the lives of both her and her unborn child. Meanwhile, Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) receives a chilling message while battling the hospital’s higher-ups.

Big Cats 24/7
PBS, 8pm
The team witnesses a baby boom in the Delta, and a lioness protects her cubs while a leopard reveals her newborns as danger looms nearby.

TCM Star of the Month: Bela Lugosi
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
Turner Classic Movies’ Wednesday night salute to horror icon Bela Lugosi continues this evening with eight films that show how adept the actor was at making people laugh as well as scaring them, sometimes parodying his onscreen persona and creepy reputation. This evening of horror comedies begins with the most memorable example of that: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), which saw Lugosi back onscreen as Dracula for the first time since 1931, alongside the titular comedy duo and a couple of other classic Universal creatures: the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.). Among other highlights, the lineup also features Lugosi costarring with other comedy teams: the East Side Kids, in Spooks Run Wild (1941) and Ghosts on the Loose (1943), and the Ritz Brothers, in The Gorilla (1939).

Joan
The CW, 9pm
Joan (Sophie Turner) and Boisie (Frank Dillane) travel to Spain for a big heist, but delays at the airport may keep Joan from fulfilling a promise to her daughter.

Expedition Unknown
Discovery Channel, 9pm
Season Premiere!
In the two-part Season 14 premiere of this series that explores the world’s great mysteries, host Josh Gates travels to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan to learn how a mysterious desert civilization created one of the Seven Wonders of the World. With unprecedented permission to dig in front of the iconic treasure building, Gates hunts for clues about the enigmatic Nabatean kingdom and helps rewrite history books with the discovery of an ancient tomb.

Bargain Block New Orleans
HGTV, 9pm
New Series!
Detroit reno experts Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas are moving out of Motor City and taking a risk on New Orleans. The five-episode series will show the duo buying some of the most dilapidated houses on a block in the Big Easy and restoring the structures with classic wrought-iron railings, arched doorways and corbel accents, unique to NOLA.

American Pickers
History, 9pm
Season Premiere!
In Season 26, Mike Wolfe and his team of “pickers” are once again hitting back roads from coast to coast, restoring forgotten relics to their former glory and transforming one person’s trash into another’s treasure. They scour the country for hidden gems in junkyards, basements, garages and barns, meeting quirky characters and hearing their amazing stories.

Chicago Fire: “All Kinds of Crazy”
NBC, 9pm
Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Van Meter (Tim Hopper) investigate a fire at a family-owned restaurant, and Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) questions Kidd’s (Miranda Rae Mayo) leadership.

The Floor: “Bluff or Bust”
FOX, 9pm
Players really start using strategy and mind games in the new episode “Bluff or Bust,” featuring categories like disco, smoothies, cheese and superstars. Rob Lowe hosts.

Abbott Elementary
ABC, 9:30pm
Season Premiere!
Season 4 of this comedy series about a group of dedicated teachers in Philadelphia returns to illuminate viewers on what happened after the Season 3 cliffhanger, when Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) kissed at Janine’s end-of-school-year party.

Scamanda
ABC, 10pm
New Series!
Based on the hit podcast of the same name, this docuseries tells the story of Amanda Riley — a wife, mother, blogger and Christian — whose tragic cancer tale captivates thousands. But Amanda has a secret that she’s dying to keep, and after an anonymous tip to an investigator, her own words may prove to be her downfall.

House of Villains
E!, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Host Joel McHale welcomes a new crop of TV baddies for the competition elimination series in a two-night premiere (Episode 2 airs tomorrow, and the show will continue to air Thursdays). The series challenges these TV villains to scheme, strategize and shade each other for a shot at winning $200,000. Some of the baddies include Survivor’s Richard Hatch, Teresa Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Challenge’s Wes Bergmann, Big Brother’s Jessie Godderz, Tiffany “New York” Pollard from Flavor of Love (and last season) and more. Surprise guests for the season include Janice Dickinson, Tori Spelling, and former House of Villains stars Bobby Lytes and Jax Taylor.

Wild West Chronicles: “Black Bart’s Revenge”
INSP, 10pm
Wells Fargo detective James Hume hires private investigator Harry Morse to join the hunt for Black Bart. Known as the Poet Highwayman, Bart leaves tantalizing poems at the scenes of his crimes, which may be the key to unmasking Bart’s true identity.

Chicago P.D.: “Off Switch”
NBC, 10pm
Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) struggles to find balance as he works with a forensic psychologist on an armed robbery case.

Lost Monster Files
Discovery Channel, 10:05pm
New Series!
For the first time in over 50 years, the recently uncovered case files of renowned cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson — including the evidence and artifacts from his most compelling hunts for “cryptids,” legendary or unknown species — will be reexamined. This series features a team of experts who gained exclusive access to Sanderson’s detailed research and will use it to reinvestigate his most prominent unfinished cases, focusing on present-day reported sightings of creatures like the Abominable Snowman and Chupacabra (the subject of tonight’s series premiere episode) to see if modern science and technology can bring us closer to answers.

Thursday, Oct. 10

Outer Banks
Netflix
Season Premiere!
Following last season’s 18-month flash-forward showing Wes Genrette’s proposal for the Pogues to find Blackbeard’s treasure, Season 4 goes back in time for the lead-up to that moment. The Pogues have built themselves a new safe haven, officially dubbed “Poguelandia 2.0,” where they live together and run a fairly successful bait, tackle and charter tour shop. But after some financial setbacks, they take Wes up on his offer, drawn back into a whole new adventure. The first five episodes drop today; the second batch of five will be available Nov. 7.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Netflix
New Series!
This animated series picks up after the events of the highly successful Tomb Raider video game franchise’s Survivor trilogy. Globetrotting heroine Lara Croft (voice of Hayley Atwell) has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures, but she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artifact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection.

2024 WNBA Finals: Game 1
ESPN, 8pm Live
The WNBA’s best-of-five-game championship series tips off tonight on ESPN. Game 2 is Sunday on ABC. Game 5, if necessary, is Oct. 20 on ESPN.

Hell’s Kitchen: “Shucking Hell”
FOX, 8pm
During a fishy challenge, the chefs square off in a seafood showdown in which only one team can reign supreme in the new episode “Shucking Hell.”

Law & Order: “The Perfect Man”
NBC, 8pm
When the founder of a dating app is murdered, Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Riley (Reid Scott) delve into who would want the man dead.

Sweetpea
Starz, 8pm
New Series!
Yellowjackets’ Ella Purnell stars in this darkly comedic tale of revenge. Adapted from C.J. Skuse’s cult novel of the same name, the series follows Rhiannon Lewis (Purnell), who rarely gets noticed, as she’s continually overlooked for a work promotion, the guy she likes won’t commit, and her dad is really, really sick. When her life turns upside down, she is pushed over the edge and loses control. But can she get away with murder? After tonight’s premiere, new episodes will air Fridays beginning Oct. 18.

Creepy Cinema
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!
The first theme for tonight’s installment of Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Thursday night Creepy Cinema block is “Hitchcock & De Palma.” It consists of a double feature that offers a great example of how director Brian De Palma’s work has often been informed by the earlier works of Alfred Hitchcock. Up first is Hitchcock’s suspense classic Rear Window (1954), led by James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey and Raymond Burr, followed by De Palma’s psychological horror film Sisters (1972), starring Margot Kidder in a dual role. Sisters not only features narrative and visual references to Hitchcock’s work, but also has a musical score by frequent Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann. After that, heading into late night and early morning, Creepy Cinema switches to a great selection of four horror movies under the theme of “Haunting Stories”: Poltergeist (1982), director Tobe Hooper and producer/cowriter Steven Spielberg’s updating of the classic haunted house tale to modern suburbia; The Haunting (1963), director Robert Wise’s adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House, featuring a more traditional-looking haunted house and plenty of chills; Spirits of the Dead (1968), a horror anthology based on three Edgar Allan Poe stories; and Carnival of Souls (1962), which proves you don’t need a large budget (or really much of a budget at all) to elicit scares if you have the right creative talent behind the camera, which director Herk Harvey certainly had.

NFL Football: San Francisco at Seattle
Prime Video, 8:15pm Live
The San Francisco 49ers head north to Seattle’s Lumen Field for a Thursday Night Football matchup against Geno Smith and the Seahawks.

Doctor Odyssey: “Plastic Surgery Week”
ABC, 9pm
Plastic Surgery Week brings new faces to be carefully maintained by the medical team.

Matlock: “Pilot”
CBS, 9pm
Catch an encore presentation of the new legal drama’s pilot episode tonight before the series continues in this time slot next Thursday. In this update of the show that starred Andy Griffith in the title role, brilliant septuagenarian Madeline Matlock (Kathy Bates) uses her unassuming demeanor to make her way into a position at a prestigious law firm.

Crime Scene Kitchen: “Keep Your Family Close, and Your Pans Closer”
FOX, 9pm
Five teams of family members have two mystery dishes to crack on their road to the $100,000 prize. Find out which team will fold under pressure and which will bake their way to the next round in the new episode “Keep Your Family Close, and Your Pans Closer.”

Expedition Amazon
Nat Geo, 9pm
New Series!
Follow National Geographic Explorer teams as they traverse the mighty Amazon River from its icy source to its plume reaching as far as the Caribbean, conducting groundbreaking research to take the pulse of one of the planet’s integral and endlessly magical resources. From the health of river turtles and pink dolphins to the migration of Andean bears, extreme urgency is met by equally hopeful solutions.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: “Excavation”
NBC, 9pm
Repressed memories come back to a woman when she finds an old notebook in her family home.

Velvet
PBS, 9pm
New Series!
PBS’ second primetime Spanish-language drama begins in 1950s Madrid. The series follows the love story of Alberto Márquez (Miguel Ángel Silvestre), the heir of Galerías Velvet, one of the most prestigious fashion houses in Spain, and a seamstress (Paula Echevarría) who works there.

Found: “Missing While Difficult”
NBC, 10pm
A Black newborn baby is abducted from the hospital while Gabi (Shanola Hampton) and the team continue the frantic search for one of their own. Meanwhile, someone from Sir’s (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) past pays Mosely & Associates a surprise visit, and Margaret (Kelli Williams) has a public meltdown.

Friday, Oct. 11

The Simpsons: “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
Disney+
In this new Simpsons short that promises “music, mayhem and madness,” Sideshow Bob (guest voice Kelsey Grammer) teams up with the most infamous villains of Disney+ to share the true meaning of the Halloween season.

In Her Place
Netflix
Feature Film Exclusive!
This Chilean film dramatizes events surrounding the incident in 1955 when famous writer María Carolina Geel murdered her lover. The case captivates Mercedes (Elisa Zulueta), the shy secretary for the judge in charge of the case. After visiting Geel’s apartment, Mercedes begins to question her life, identity and the role of women in society as she finds an oasis of freedom and connection in that home.

Lonely Planet
Netflix
Original Film!
Laura Dern leads this romantic drama as reclusive novelist Katharine, who heads to a writer’s retreat in Morocco, hoping the remote setting will unlock her creative block. While there, she meets a young man (Liam Hemsworth), and what starts as an acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair.

College Football
ESPN & FOX, beginning at 7pm Live
Friday night college football kicks off on ESPN with Memphis at South Florida, followed by Utah at Arizona State. FOX’s primetime Big Ten matchup features Northwestern at Maryland.

Latinos in Hollywood: Owning Our Destiny
ABC, 8pm
This special will celebrate the resiliency, artistry and ingenuity of Hollywood’s creative Latino community.

The Irrational: “Ghost Ship”
NBC, 8pm
A new episode of the Jesse L. Martin-led drama airs on a special night and time.

Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time
TCM, 8pm
Catch a Classic!
The sixth night of this series in which TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and notable guests explore the most impactful political movies of all time features six titles, the first three introduced with guests: A Face in the Crowd (1957), cohosted by filmmaker Barry Levinson; Wag the Dog (1997), cohosted by actress Diane Lane; The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971), cohosted by CNN correspondent Abby Phillip; JFK (1991); Z (1969); and Night and Fog (1956).

Curious Caterer: Forbidden Fruit
Hallmark Mystery, 9pm
Original Film!
In the fifth installment of the Curious Caterer franchise, Goldy Berry (Nikki DeLoach) has a dilemma to solve: She has accidentally double booked herself on a first date (finally!) with Detective Tom Schultz (Andrew Walker) at the same concert she is scheduled to cater. When the pushy concert manager won’t take no for an answer, Goldy finds herself secretly playing double duty. To make things even more complicated, the lead singer of the band collapses mid-act. Suddenly, Goldy’s date has turned into a crime scene. Will she be able to solve the case, while also keeping her personal and business life separate?

Social Studies: “Sex Ed”
FX, 10pm
The documentary series exploring the effects of social media on teens continues with “Sex Ed,” which examines how pornography and other sexual content has serious consequences for teens’ behavior and attitudes.

NEXT at the Kennedy Center
PBS, 10pm
Season Premiere!
The Grammy Award-winning jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy performs a tribute to Afro-Peruvian icon Susana Baca, who has fallen ill.

Three Women: “Gia”
Starz, 10pm
The drama series continues with the new episode “Gia,” which flashes back to Gia (Shailene Woodley) struggling to write her book about sex in America. As she embarks on a love story of her own, she moves to Indiana and bonds with Lina (Betty Gilpin).

Scare Tactics: “Hospital Hell!”
USA Network, 10pm
A mom faces a demon, no one is down with evil clowns and WWE superstars go for a “thrill ride.”

Saturday, Oct. 12

The Blob
MOVIES!, 11:05am
Catch a Classic!
Steve McQueen (billed as Steven McQueen) was in his late 20s when he played a teenager in this famous 1958 sci-fi/horror flick, one of the future star’s earlier roles. As the movie’s catchy title tune, cowritten by Burt Bacharach, warns, people must indeed “beware of the blob” as the gelatinous and carnivorous amoeba-like creature, after arriving on Earth via a meteorite, begins to creep, and leap, and envelop everything in its path, growing ever larger.

Haunted Wedding
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!
A wedding between ghost hunters Jane (Janel Parrish) and Brian (Dominic Sherwood) at a haunted inn is disrupted by a ghost (Cassandra Potenza) who mistakes Brian for her own dead fiancé.

Nobody Dumps My Daughter
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
The title alone screams mamma madness. In Lifetime’s new original, Ana Ortiz plays Mary, an overbearing mother who becomes obsessed with her daughter Theresa’s (Jasmine Vega) relationship with her boyfriend Jimmy. When Jimmy breaks up with Theresa, Mary does everything she can to get them reunited — and bribery and a hitman are on the table. Sheila E. stars as a fortune teller.

Roller Jam
Magnolia Network, 8pm
New Series!
Making its linear premiere (episodes air on Magnolia two days after they become available to stream on Max each Thursday) is this six-episode competition series featuring the top roller-skating crews in the country. The teams dance through the decades for a chance to win a $150,000 cash prize and a $10,000 donation to their local rink. Jordin Sparks hosts, with figure-skating champion Johnny Weir and roller-skating legend Terrell Ferguson serving as judges.

Saturday Night Live: “Ariana Grande/Stevie Nicks”
NBC, 11:30pm Live; also livestreams on Peacock
Ariana Grande hosts SNL for her second time, joined by Stevie Nicks, who is making her own second appearance as musical guest.