TV Best Bets

Tuesday, Oct. 25: Cubs at Indians in 2016 World Series Game 1

Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

All Times Eastern.

Tuesday, Oct. 25

MLB: World Series, Game 1
FOX, 8pm Live
FOX has exclusive coverage of the 112th World Series as the American League champion Cleveland Indians host the National League champion Chicago Cubs in Game 1 at Progressive Field tonight.

The Middle: “Halloween VII: The Heckoning”
ABC, 8pm
As Halloween approaches, Frankie (Patricia Heaton) finds out that the kids would all choose to live with Mike (Neil Flynn) if the pair ever divorced. Sue (Eden Sher) plots to get her room back from Brick (Atticus Shaffer), and having to be nice around April (Greer Grammer) all the time causes Axl (Charlie McDermott) to freak out on his family.

NCIS: “Shell Game”
CBS, 8pm
After a kidnapped petty officer escapes her captor, NCIS uncovers a connection to her missing husband in the new episode “Shell Game.” Former NFL player Tony Gonzalez returns in his guest role as an NCIS special agent.

NBA Basketball
TNT, beginning at 8pm Live
It’s opening night of the NBA regular season, and TNT starts things off with a doubleheader featuring the N.Y. Knicks at the 2016 NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by the San Antonio Spurs at the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors.

American Housewife: “Westport Zombies”
ABC, 8:30pm
Jealous of Taylor’s (Meg Donnelly) friendship with neighbor Viv (Leslie Bibb), Katie (Katy Mixon) reluctantly competes in the Westport Halloween “Zombie Run” when she finds out they are, too. Meanwhile, Greg (Diedrich Bader) and Anna-Kat (Julia Butters) get a little too far into character for the zombie part of the run’s obstacle course.

Fresh Off the Boat: “Louisween”
ABC, 9pm
Halloween is Louis’ (Randall Park) favorite holiday, but he discovers Jessica (Constance Wu) is more interested in writing her first horror novel than participating in his hijinks. Meanwhile, Emery (Forrest Wheeler) and Evan (Ian Chen) debate costume options, and Eddie (Hudson Yang) and his crew are excited to party with high-school kids at Nicole’s (Luna Blaise) house.

No Tomorrow: “No Holds Barred”
The CW, 9pm
Guest Star Alert!
Jenna Dewan Tatum (Supergirl) guest-stars as Xavier’s polyamorous, free-spirited friend Tuesday, whose actions encourage Evie to test her own personal boundaries.

Game of Homes: “Showdown to Show Home”
Discovery Family Channel, 9pm
Season Finale!
The teams of amateur home renovators have just 24 hours to correct their mistakes from previous challenges before host Cameron Mathison welcomes the public to view the finished houses. Their vote, along with the views of the judges, will award one team a new house and a plot of land.

Dead Silent
Investigation Discovery, 9pm
New Series!
This series explores the psychological terror of a true crime story set in a desolate location.

This Is Us: “The Game Plan”
NBC, 9pm
Rebecca and Jack get into an argument about starting a family; the family backstory behind the long line of love for the Pittsburgh Steelers is revealed; after accepting his part in the play, Kevin realizes his script is relevant to his own life; Randall and Beth encounter an unexpected turn of events.

American Masters: “Norman Lear”
PBS, 9pm
Discover how the prolific creator of All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times effected social change through his groundbreaking sitcoms and activism. Features George Clooney, Amy Poehler, Jon Stewart, Russell Simmons and others.

Channel Zero: Candle Cove: “Want to See Something Cool?”
Syfy, 9pm
Mike must convince Gary that Candle Cove is behind the murders before he takes justice into his own hands. Meanwhile, Marla, Jessica and Amy frantically search for Mike before it’s too late.

The Real O’Neals: “The Real Halloween”
ABC, 9:30pm
Guest Star Alert!
When Halloween— or, as Kenny (Noah Galvin) calls it, “the gay Super Bowl” — arrives, he plans to go to Boystown to watch the costume parade. To prevent that, Eileen (Martha Plimpton) agrees to let him throw his own Halloween party at home, but her tolerance is tested when Kenny recruits Stuart (Caleb Pierce) and his gay friends to join the party and makes a big costume change. Meanwhile, Jimmy (Matt Shively) and Shannon (Bebe Wood) plot an epic Halloween prank. ESPN’s Neil Everett guest-stars.

NCIS: New Orleans: “Course Correction”
CBS, 10pm
In the new episode “Course Correction,” the NCIS and FBI investigate a private plane crash in the bayou that killed three sailors.

The Renovation King: “Family Barbecue/The Ensuite Retreat”
Discovery Family Channel, 10pm
Season Finale!
Renovation expert Barry Du Bois is the man with a plan to turn the humblest place into a palace. And in back-to-back episodes, Barry helps a busy family turn a neglected BBQ area into an outdoor dining space, and then transforms a run-down junk room into a relaxing en suite retreat.

Married With Secrets
Investigation Discovery, 10pm
New Series!
This series explores the true stories of seemingly happy marriages that have ended in dark and unexpected twists. From high-school sweethearts who run a deadly sex ring, to a neighborhood power couple with a secret stalking obsession to a wife hiding her escort side job from her husband, this series reveals romances turned to modern-day nightmares.

Chicago Fire: “Scorched Earth”
NBC, 10pm
Casey (Jesse Spencer) enlists Susan Weller (guest star Lauren Stamile) to help with an urgent personal matter, Severide (Taylor Kinney) receives an offer to travel luxuriously with rich party guy Travis Brenner (guest star Scott Elrod) and Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo) uses all her resources to help a sick street kid after saving him during a tunnel fire.

Wednesday, Oct. 26

The Goldbergs: “Stefan King”
ABC, 8pm
Stephen King fan Adam (Sean Giambrone) tries his hand at horror writing, but when Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) learns the monster in his story is based on her, his Halloween plans are jeopardy. Meanwhile, dateless Erica (Hayley Orrantia) forces Barry (Troy Gentile) to go to a costume dance with her.

Ghost Brothers: Ghostin’ Edition
Destination America, 8pm
A marathon of enhanced episodes from Season 1 features social media extras, new footage and more as TV’s first African-American paranormal investigation team explores haunted places around the country. Episodes include visits to the Magnolia Plantation, Prospect Place and the Allen House.

NBA Basketball
ESPN, beginning at 8pm Live
ESPN’s coverage of the NBA regular season begins tonight with the Oklahoma City Thunder (without Kevin Durant) at the Philadelphia 76ers and the Houston Rockets at the L.A. Lakers (without the retired Kobe Bryant).

MLB: World Series, Game 2
FOX, 8pm Live
FOX’s exclusive coverage of the 112th World Series continues tonight at Cleveland’s Progressive Field.

Nature: “Giraffes: Africa’s Gentle Giants”
PBS, 8pm
What does it take to relocate a herd of wild giraffes in Africa? One man, his family and a band of enthusiastic helpers will journey across the wild heart of Uganda and the mighty Nile River to move the world’s rarest and most precious “cargo.”

Speechless: “H-A-L—HALLOWEEN”
ABC, 8:30pm
Jimmy (John Ross Bowie) is crushed when the kids no longer want to dress up for Halloween, so Maya (Minnie Driver) tries to cheer him up by allowing him to take things off the family “Dead to Me” list. Meanwhile, Ray (Mason Cook) recruits Dylan (Kyla Kenedy) work at the school’s haunted mansion, and JJ (Micah Fowler) gets drunk at a party, causing Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough) to fear for his job.

Modern Family: “Halloween 4: The Revenge of Rod Skyhook”
ABC, 9pm
Guest Star Alert!
When Luke’s (Nolan Gould) Halloween bash appears to be a bust, the Dunphy clan taps a visit from Rod Skyhook to save the day. Meanwhile, Cam (Eric Stonestreet) squares off with his Halloween nemesis, while Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) try to keep him in check. Jay (Ed O’Neill) has a trick up his sleeve when he learns Manny (Rico Rodriguez) is going to a former enemy’s party. Martin Short guest-stars.

Criminal Minds: “Keeper”
CBS, 9pm
In the new episode “Keeper,” the BAU team searches for a serial killer along the Appalachian Trail in rural Virginia.

black-ish: “The Purge”
ABC, 9:30pm
Dre (Anthony Anderson) seeks revenge after Junior (Marcus Scribner) embarrasses him during a basketball game. Ruby (Jenifer Lewis) takes things too far when the kids participate in the neighborhood’s Halloween “mischief night” where petty offenses go unpunished.

The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands
AXS TV, 10pm Live
Tonight’s tribute is to Pat Benatar, with her music performed by Los Angeles-based Crimes of Passion.

Code Black: “Demons and Angels”
CBS, 10pm
In the new Halloween episode “Demons and Angels,” Willis (Rob Lowe) and his team rush to the scene of a fire at a haunted theater where Dr. Nolan (guest star Kathleen Rose Perkins) and her boyfriend’s son are trapped.

Chicago P.D.: “A War Zone”
NBC, 10pm
Intelligence is tasked with tracking down the dealers of fentanyl — a drug that has been linked to multiple overdoses around the city. As they investigate possible sources, the team uncovers a series of dealers in a college smuggling ring. Meanwhile, Tay (guest star Li Jun Li) and Burgess (Marina Squerciati) come across a bloodied child who exposes a dark and twisted secret about his home life with his parents.

Rectify
SundanceTV, 10pm
Season Premiere!
Tonight begins the fourth and final season of the award-winning series.

Everest Air
Travel Channel, 10pm
New Series!
This six-part series follows a high-altitude rescue team that patrols Mount Everest’s slopes and helps climbers in need.

Jon Glaser Loves Gear
truTV, 10pm
New Series!
Created by and starring comedian Jon Glaser (Trainwreck, Parks and Recreation), this 10-episode series debuts with two back-to-back episodes tonight. A slew of celebs and athletes play alongside Glaser as he sets out to make a docuseries around his obsession with his gear. However, that obsession continually threatens to derail the show, as episodes spiral off on some comic personal tangents. “It’s about my genuine true passion about all things gear-related, which is not necessarily techy … it’s more like the cool rain hat I like, the compression socks I have for running — it’s all that kind of stuff,” Glaser says.

Thursday, Oct. 27

Superstore: “Halloween Theft”
NBC, 8pm
Dina (Lauren Ash) throws a wrench in everyone’s Halloween plans when something goes missing from the store and she declares that no employee can leave until someone confesses to stealing. Amy (America Ferrera) is determined to find out who is responsible because she doesn’t want to miss trick-or-treating with her daughter, and Mateo (Nico Santos) prepares for his secret date with Jeff (recurring guest star Michael Bunin).

NFL Football: Jacksonville at Tennessee
NFL Network, 8:25pm Live
This NFL Network exclusive edition of Thursday Night Football has an AFC South matchup as the Jacksonville Jaguars visit the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.

The Good Place: “Most Improved Player”
NBC, 8:30pm
Michael (Ted Danson) has a private meeting with Eleanor (Kristen Bell). Meanwhile, Chidi (William Jackson Harper), who has been harboring a secret, contemplates what to do.

The Great Indoors
CBS, 8:30pm
New Series!
Joel McHale stars in this new sitcom as Jack Gordon, an outdoor magazine’s adventure reporter who suddenly finds himself stuck in an office managing a group of digital-savvy millennials. Stephen Fry, Christine Ko, Susannah Fielding, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Shaun Brown also star.

Mom
CBS, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Coming up in Season 4, Christy (Anna Faris) and Bonnie (Allison Janney) stay sober but will face other challenges. Also this season, William Fichtner is a series regular as Adam, and guest star Rosie O’Donnell returns as Aunt Jeanine.

Chicago Med: “Alternative Medicine”
NBC, 9pm
Dr. Manning (Torrey DeVitto) tends to a young cancer patient and struggles to inform the parents of her dire condition. Elsewhere, Dr. Reese (Rachel DiPillo) is contacted by Danny (guest star Nick Marini), a troubled young man, and turns to Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt) and Det. Lindsay (guest star Sophia Bush) for help in resolving a difficult situation.

Life in Pieces
CBS, 9:30pm
Season Premiere!
In the Season 2 premiere, Matt (Thomas Sadoski) moves into Colleen’s (Angelique Cabral) apartment but faces some serious resistance from Colleen’s roommate. Also, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman guest-star as Clementine’s (Hunter King) parents.

Pure Genius
CBS, 10pm
New Series!
In this new drama series, Silicon Valley tech titan James Bell (Augustus Prew) enlists Dr. Walter Wallace (Dermot Mulroney), an exceptional veteran surgeon with a controversial past, to run his state-of-the-art hospital with an ultramodern approach to medicine. Odette Annable, Reshma Shetty, Aaron Jennings, Ward Horton and Brenda Song also star.

The Blacklist: “The Thrushes”
NBC, 10pm
When Alexander Kirk contracts with a mysterious group that specializes in hacking the world’s most secure computer systems, Red (James Spader) and Liz (Megan Boone) see an opportunity to make a move on Kirk’s organization.

Friday, Oct. 28

Good Girls Revolt
Amazon
New Series!
Inspired by Lynn Povich’s book of the same name, this series set during the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s follows a group of young female researchers at Newsweek (formerly known as News of the Week) who fight for gender equality in their workplace. Their revolutionary request sparks changes and upends marriages, careers, sex lives, love lives and friendships. Genevieve Angelson and Anna Camp star.

The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror” Marathon
FXX, beginning at 6pm
The Halloween celebration continues with 12 straight episodes of The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror” episodes. Tonight’s marathon has “Treehouse of Horror” episodes from Seasons 9-21, spanning the years 1997-2009.

College Football
ESPN2, beginning at 7pm Live
ESPN2 airs a Friday night college football doubleheader with the Navy Midshipmen at the South Florida Bulls, followed by the Air Force Falcons at the Fresno State Bulldogs.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
ABC, 8pm
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with a special night that features the full-length special, plus a bonus cartoon, You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown, which also features the Great Pumpkin.

MLB: World Series, Game 3
FOX, 8pm Live
Coverage of the 112th World Series moves to the home of the National League champion.

Hotel Transylvania
FX, 8pm
Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez lend their voices to this spirited animated adventure, in which Dracula runs a resort where monsters can get away from those pesky humans. But once his daughter decides she wants to explore the world, he has to rethink his outlook on life.

2016 American Humane Hero Dog Awards
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
TV personality, author and animal advocate Beth Stern and actor James Denton take the stage for the third consecutive year as cohosts of the sixth annual awards, and Katharine McPhee will perform during the “pup-ular” event. This award ceremony honors heroic canines and recognizes eight special dogs in the categories of Search & Rescue, Military, Law Enforcement, Arson, Guide/Hearing, Service, Therapy and Emerging Hero (an ordinary pet who has done extraordinary things).

Terror Classic Movies: Universal Horror
TCM, 8pm
Tonight, TCM airs several of the original Universal Pictures horror classics, including Dracula (1931), The Mummy (1932) and The Wolf Man (1941).

Z Nation: “Welcome to Murphytown”
Syfy, 9pm
The Man discovers Lucy’s existence, while 10K reunites with the gang and tells them about Murphy’s growing army.

Blue Bloods: “Whistleblowers”
CBS, 10pm
Frank (Tom Selleck) contends with allegations of abuse of power in the NYPD in the new episode “Whistleblowers.” Also, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Baez (Marisa Ramirez) investigate the case of a woman who was struck by a car under suspicious circumstances.

Van Helsing: “For Me”
Syfy, 10pm
Vanessa and Axel lead the others in the hospital’s last stand against a siege by Julius and his vampire soldiers. Later, when Dmitri’s vampire “Death Squad” arrives, it looks like civil war is brewing between the two vampire factions.

Tracey Ullman’s Show
HBO, 11pm
New Series!
HBO brings Ullman’s BBC One smash stateside with six episodes that offer the comic’s take on “modern life on the British side of the pond.” In her new outing, Ullman — who had her own self-titled sketch series in America from 1987-90 — will impersonate Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Angela Merkel, Duchess Camilla and others.

Saturday, Oct. 29

College Football: Florida vs. Georgia
CBS, 3:30pm Live
A great college football rivalry is renewed today in Jacksonville, Fla., as the Florida Gators take on the Georgia Bulldogs in an SEC clash on CBS.

College Football: Miami at Notre Dame
NBC, 3:30pm Live

It was a big college football rivalry in the late 1980s. (Remember the 1988 “Catholics vs. Convicts” game?) The Miami Hurricanes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet again this afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium on NBC. The Irish beat the Canes 41-3 in their most recent clash in 2012.

MLB: World Series, Game 4
FOX, 8pm Live
Play-by-play broadcaster Joe Buck and analyst John Smoltz call Game 4 action from the ballpark of the National League champs.

The Night Before Halloween
Syfy, 9pm
Original Film!
When a Halloween prank goes wrong, it unleashes a creature that will hunt each of the participants down and kill them, unless they can figure out how to transfer the curse to someone else. Bailee Madison and Anthony Lemke star.

Versailles: “Invalides”
Ovation, 10pm
Soldiers working at Versailles revolt, while the Duke of Cassel heads to the palace after a decree from the king stating that nobles who move to the area will be relieved of their debts.