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Wednesday, Oct. 7: BBC America Assembles Long-Lost ‘Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones’

© 2020 BBC America. Animated Series Team/BBC.

ALSO SEE: Your Full 2020 NFL Regular Season TV Schedule

All Times Eastern.

Wednesday, Oct. 7

Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones
BBC America, 8pm
New Miniseries!

This is the mostly missing eighth serial of the fourth season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast in six weekly parts from April to May 1967, starring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. Only two of the six episodes are held in the BBC film archives with snippets of footage and still images existing from the other four. Fortunately, off-air recordings of the soundtrack also still exist, making the animation of a complete serial possible once again, and that is what has been done here. The Faceless Ones sees the TARDIS arrive on Earth at a runway at Gatwick Airport in England, where the Doctor and his companions encounter sinister identity-stealing aliens known as the Chameleons. The first three episodes of the serial air tonight, and the three concluding episodes air tomorrow night.

Books of Blood
Hulu
Original Film!

Three uncanny tales are drawn from horror author Clive Barker’s acclaimed book anthology.

Devils
The CW, 8pm
New Series!

This 10-part slick drama follows Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi), head of trading at an international bank in London, as he presides over and navigates the high-stakes world of banking among financial crises. His mentor, Dominic Morgan (Patrick Dempsey), may or may not be on his side, and everything is at stake.

The Masked Singer: “The Group A Play Offs — Famous Masked Words”
FOX, 8pm

Group A singers return for their second performance of the season, and one of them will be unmasked in the new episode “The Group A Play Offs — Famous Masked Words.”

Starring Andy Griffith
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Andy Griffith may be most remembered for his TV work on The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, but he had an interesting film career, as well. The actor made 11 films, and tonight’s TCM lineup includes four of them. The evening begins with the 1958 comedy No Time for Sergeants, which also includes Griffith’s future sitcom costar Don Knotts in his first film appearance. Griffith’s own movie debut came in the next film on tonight’s lineup, 1957’s A Face in the Crowd, in which he gave a stunning and prescient performance as a drifter who rides a cynical populist act to media stardom. Also tonight: Hearts of the West (1975) and Onionhead (1958).

Food Paradise: “Outdoor Eats”
Cooking Channel, 9pm

Everything tastes better when it’s eaten outside! At Saltwater Cowboys in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, watch the shrimp boats come in while chowing down on BBQ pork trashcan nachos. Denver’s Los Chingones serves up sky-high chimichangas with rooftop views of the Mile High City. Pub food goes Cali cool with al pastor fries on the lawn of Golden Road Brewing, and Austin’s Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden is serving up a venison cheddar hotlink by the cool creek.

Coroner: “Fire”
The CW, 9pm
Season Premiere!

In the Season 2 premiere, Jenny (Serinda Swan) investigates a devastating fire in a low-income apartment building and connects with a woman who has lost everything. While working with Jenny to unravel the details of the fire, Detective McAvoy (Roger Cross) finds himself suddenly on the trail of a different, more complex case. Liam (Éric Bruneau) finds himself dealing with some of his own demons, and Ross (Ehren Kassam) keeps a secret from Jenny.

Brother vs. Brother: “The Mystery Judge”
HGTV, 9pm

This episode of Brother vs. Brother follows Drew and Jonathan as they vie to create picture-perfect guest bedrooms and bathrooms. Drew finds extra hidden space to renovate, then Drew changes the game by bringing in a secret judge, HGTV’s Orlando Soria (Build Me Up), to decide which brother mastered the guest room reno. The winner earns a Hollywood-style stuntman experience.

Vice Presidential Debate
Various Networks, 9pm Live

Incumbent Republican vice president Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris engage in their only debate ahead of the election on Nov. 3. The debate is scheduled to be held at the University of Utah and moderated by Susan Page of USA Today; at presstime, there was no word on how the pandemic would impact the event in terms of social distancing or whether it would be done virtually. Some networks may have more extended pre- and post-debate coverage.

Paranormal: Captured
Travel Channel, 10pm
New Series!

In this series, viewer-generated clips from around the globe reveal some of the most unnerving paranormal incidents ever to be captured on camera. A panel of experts analyze the shocking footage as they attempt to explain the impossible. In the premiere episode, unusual activity is captured on closed-circuit television at an antique shop in the peaceful English town of Barnsley. It is suspected a poltergeist may be the culprit.

Thursday, Oct. 8

Charm City Kings
HBO Max
Original Film!

Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith are executive producers of this film that won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Cast at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It follows a youngster who becomes torn between the straight and narrow and a road filled with fast money and violence.

TCM Morning & Afternoon Movies: Jean Harlow
TCM, beginning at 6:15am
Catch a Classic!

Spend your morning and afternoon with the quintessential Hollywood “blond bombshell,” legendary actress Jean Harlow, with this nearly 14-hour lineup of some of her memorable films. The marathon includes films like the fittingly titled Bombshell (1933); the 1931 gangster classic The Public Enemy, with James Cagney; comedy/drama Dinner at Eight (1933); and a number of films in which Harlow costarred with Clark Gable, including Saratoga (1937), Hold Your Man (1933) and Red Dust (1932); along with other titles.

Celebrity Family Feud
ABC, 8pm

This episode features NFL players in the first of the two games and Macklemore and Lil Yachty in the second game.

Supernatural: “Last Holiday”
The CW, 8pm
New Episodes!

Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) discover a wood nymph (guest star Meagen Fay) living in the bunker who is determined to protect her family, at any cost.

NFL Football: Tampa Bay at Chicago
FOX & NFL Network, 8pm Live

Tom Brady leads the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into Chicago’s Soldier Field for a Week 5 Thursday Night Football matchup against Khalil Mack and the Bears.

Connecting…
NBC, 8pm
New Series!

Executive producer Martin Gero’s (Blindspot) scripted ensemble comedy is about a group of friends trying to stay close (and sane) through video chats as they share the highs and lows of these extraordinary times.

Closer Look Thursday
NBC, 8:30pm Live

Late Night With Seth Meyers host Seth Meyers brings a popular segment from his late-night show to primetime in this half-hour, live telecast in which he dissects the events of the day, and offers up-to-the-minute breaking news and other important facts as America begins to cast its votes in the upcoming election.

The Outpost: “For the Sins of Your Ancestors”
The CW, 9pm
Season Premiere!

Zed (Reece Ritchie) forces humans to work a mining camp as Talon (Jessica Green) struggles to keep peace. A sassy genius invades Janzo’s (Anand Desai-Barochia) lab. A dark priestess unites the Blackbloods.

Flipping 101 With Tarek El Moussa: “Going Off the Market”
HGTV, 9pm

Tarek and his fiancée, real estate agent Heather Rae Young, team up to help a novice flipper take on a multimillion-dollar project in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. However, the homeowner’s inability to stick to decisions causes major blows to the budget. The special one-hour episode also includes an in-depth look at Tarek’s surprise proposal to Heather on California’s Catalina Island.

Suspicious Minds
Investigation Discovery, 9pm
New Series!

This series creates a visceral viewing experience where a murder mystery unfolds as a psychological thriller in which suspicion and doubt cloud the perceptions of everyone involved. In the premiere episode, “Chi Town Gossip,” the murder of Yolanda Holmes upends a tight-knit Chicago community. Neighbors whisper about the killer’s identity, and detectives must break down walls of silence to uncover the shocking plot to murder a mother and owner of a successful hair salon.

Classic Albums: “John Lennon — Plastic Ono Band”
PBS, 9pm
Explore the making of Lennon’s first post-Beatles album, widely regarded as one of his finest. The documentary features interviews with Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr and bassist Klaus Voormann, along with archival footage and recorded interviews with Lennon.

Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room: “Domes of Devil Worship”
Travel Channel, 9pm

Zak Bagans and the guys revisit their investigation of the Domes, an Arizona landmark plagued by satanic rituals and evil entities. The crew suspects supernatural interference when they simultaneously experience technical difficulties during the screening.

Star Trek: Discovery: “Context Is for Kings”
CBS, 10pm

Season 1 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery continue on CBS with “Context Is for Kings.” Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) finds herself aboard the USS Discovery, where she quickly realizes things are not as they seem, including the mysterious Capt. Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs).

Phantom Signals
Science Channel, 10pm
New Series!

We are surrounded by an endless stream of infinite data, with information bombarding us from seemingly every direction. These signals, which are part of our everyday operations, help define our understanding of the universe, and largely go unnoticed. That is, until a glitch occurs. A blip on a screen, a faulty frequency or a mysterious interference — what are these unknown signals, where are they coming from and what do they really mean? In this series, experts investigate these mysterious phenomena, explore whether life exists beyond our universe and break down the meaning behind these puzzling signals.

My Feet Are Killing Me: First Steps: “Bloomin’ Bunions”
TLC, 10:30pm

In this episode, Dr. Ebonie’s patient has feet that are so crooked her toes don’t touch the floor, and Dr. Brad meets a woman with behemoth bunions. Rachel has a toe crawling up her foot, and Dr. Sarah has to get it back in line.

Friday, Oct. 9

Ghostwriter
Apple TV+
Season Premiere!

Season 2 of this re-imagining of Sesame Workshop’s beloved ’90s kids series launches today.

The Right Stuff
Disney+
New Series!

This eight-part series based on Tom Wolfe’s bestseller is the story of America’s first astronauts. Patrick J. Adams leads the large ensemble cast.

Deaf U
Netflix
New Series!

This coming-of-age docuseries follows a tight-knit group of deaf students at Gallaudet University, a renowned private college for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C. As the group of friends navigate the highs, lows and hookups of college life together, their stories offer an unprecedented, unfiltered and often unexpected look inside the deaf community.

The Forty-Year-Old Version
Netflix
Original Film!

Radha, a down-on-her-luck New York playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before age 40. But when she foils what seems like her last shot at success, she’s left with no choice but to reinvent herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime. This film follows Radha as she vacillates between the worlds of hip-hop and theater on a quest to find her true voice. This debut film from writer/star Radha Blank won the Directing Prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

The Haunting of Bly Manor
Netflix
New Series!

The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy are behind this next chapter of the Haunting anthology series. This one borrows from Henry James’ classic supernatural tales written in the 19th century, like The Turn of the Screw, but is set in 1980s England. After an au pair’s tragic death, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) hires a young American nanny (Victoria Pedretti) to care for his orphaned niece and nephew (Amelie Bea Smith, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), who reside at Bly Manor with him and various servants. But all is not as it seems at the manor, where “dead” doesn’t mean gone.

Fright Favorites: “Back From the Grave”
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

As many horror films have demonstrated, the grave is not always a person’s final resting spot. Tonight’s creepy films are among those featuring dead people who have risen again, and usually not with the best of intentions. The evening begins with Boris Karloff as the title creature of the 1933 British film The Ghoul. This is followed by Basil Rathbone in The Black Sleep (1956); Lionel Barrymore and Bela Lugosi in Mark of the Vampire (1935); and Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero’s low-budget 1968 classic that set the standard for all zombie movies that have come since.

Undercover Boss: “Bowlero”
CBS, 9pm

In this new episode, Colie Edison, chief customer officer of Bowlero Corp and CEO of the Professional Bowlers Association, works to spare the customers from waiting too long when checking them in to bowl, and tries for a perfect game while taking food orders as a lane server.

Selling the Big Easy: “Gallery Home vs. Luxe Greek Revival”
HGTV, 9pm

A Texas couple rents a condo in New Orleans’ French Quarter, but they want to find a place to call their own. He wants a low-maintenance home and she’s hoping for an old-world feel with space for entertaining.

American Masters: “Lennon NYC”
PBS, 9pm

Learn the story of one of the most famous and influential artists of the 20th century and how he found redemption not in the public adoration he craved as a youth, but in the quiet and simple pleasures of fatherhood.

Love After Lockup
WE tv, 9pm
New Episodes!

The third season of the smash hit docuseries returns with six new episodes. The highly addicting series follows lovebirds hoping to make their way down the aisle with the jailbirds who may or may not be conning them. Whether it’s dodging a parole officer, negotiating with a halfway house, or being stuck under house arrest with someone they hardly know, the realities of being on the outside are starting to hit these newly released prisoners.

Paranormal Nightshift: “Soldier’s Story, Dead Pool and Goodbye”
Travel Channel, 10pm

A dead soldier with a wicked temper attacks a military police officer in an abandoned building; the ghost of a drowned girl terrorizes the staff at a hotel; and a restaurant manager comes face-to-face with a horrifying apparition.

Saturday, Oct. 10

Tennis: French Open: Women’s Singles Final
NBC, 9am Live

NBC presents live coverage of the 2020 French Open women’s singles final match at Roland Garros in Paris.

College Football: Texas vs. Oklahoma
FOX, 12pm Live

The Red River Showdown won’t have the same fan fervor due to COVID-19, but the Big 12 rivalry game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners will be played at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas.

Top Hat
TCM, 6pm
Catch a Classic!

This fun 1935 musical screwball comedy was Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ most successful onscreen pairing and remains among their most memorable. It looks great, from its backdrops to its wardrobe, which features the dancing duo in their finest attire (with Astaire, yes, donning a top hat here and there). And the film sounds as good as it looks, thanks to Irving Berlin’s parade of toe-tapping tunes, including the Oscar-nominated “Cheek to Cheek,” spotlighted during a legendary Astaire/Rogers dance. Top Hat also received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Art Direction and the now-defunct Best Dance Direction.

Help! I Wrecked My House: “Behind the Tarp”
HGTV, 8pm

With several small projects under his belt, DIYer and handyman Jeremy decided to give his wife, Andrea, the luxurious bathroom she’s always wanted to wash away the stress of her job as a NICU nurse. After several months of living in a construction zone, they’re now in over their head and they need help ASAP. Jasmine and her team rescue this family from their botched reno to add a main bedroom makeover with spa-like en-suite bathroom.

Cheer Camp Killer
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

When Sophia (Mariah Robinson) gets into an exclusive cheer camp with her best friend Charlotte (Jacqueline Scislowski), she’s ecstatic to show off her skills. Camp queen bee Victoria (Sydney Malakeh) and her overbearing mother, Beth (Andrea Bogart), do not take kindly to a newcomer taking her spotlight, so they launch a dangerous plan to get their rival out of the way.

American Experience: “Freedom Riders”
PBS, 8pm

Discover the inspirational story of more than 400 Black and white Americans who in 1961 risked their lives by traveling together on buses and trains through the segregated Deep South. Includes interviews with John Lewis, C.T. Vivian and Diane Nash.

My Best Friend’s Bouquet
Hallmark Channel, 9pm
Original Film!

Josie Hughes is a hopeless romantic who believes in the kind of romance in black-and-white movies where the leading lady finds her one true love and gets swept off her feet. She also believes the wedding bouquet always finds its way to the right person when tossed by the bride. Josie begins dating eligible bachelor Will after meeting at the reception. Starring Chaley Rose and Nathan Witte.

Ghost Nation: “Prison of Doom”
Travel Channel, 9pm

In this two-hour episode, Jason, Steve, Dave and Shari investigate reports of electrical anomalies, shadow figures and disembodied voices at a former prison in New York. They scramble to find answers to the supernatural turbulence holding the property, and its new owners, hostage.

Eli Roth’s History of Horror: “Houses of Hell”
AMC, 10pm
Season Premiere!

Award-winning horror film director, writer, producer and actor Eli Roth brings together the masters of horror — the storytellers and stars who define the genre — to explore its biggest themes and reveal the inspirations and struggles behind its past and present. In the Season 2 premiere, Roth explores the thought of “home is where the heart is, unless you live in a house of hell.” Whether they’re filled with specters or psychos, every house of hell pokes at our illusions of comfort and safety.