TV Best Bets

Monday, Sept. 26: Jet Tila and Rosanna Pansino Judge the ‘Halloween Cookie Challenge’

Halloween Cookie Challenge Food Network Food Network

ALSO SEE: Your Full 2022 NFL Regular Season TV Schedule

All Times Eastern. PBS programming varies regionally.

Monday, Sept. 26

Halloween Cookie Challenge
Food Network, 10pm
New Series!

Chef Jet Tila and YouTube foodie Rosanna Pansino judge this competition daring bakers to use every kitchen trick they have to decorate creepy treats.

https://twitter.com/FoodNetwork/status/1571888092885180416

Mystery Road: Origin
Acorn TV
New Series!

This six-part drama is a prequel to the acclaimed Mystery Road Australian noir series and films. Mark Coles Smith takes on the role previously played by Aaron Pedersen, as young Indigenous Constable Jay Swan in this story set in 1999. Arriving at his new post in an Outback mining town, which is home to his estranged father and the woman who will change his life forever (Mary, portrayed by Tuuli Narkle), the freshly minted detective finds himself in the middle of a series of heists committed by a masked gang and a re-opened cold case with personal significance, while also facing the brutal reality of being a police officer straddling two worlds. Two new episodes are available Mondays starting today.

My Little Pony: Make Your Mark
Netflix
New Series!

Following its premiere as a special back in May, this animated series now launches its eight episodes. Created with a 3D CG animation style, the 22-minute episodes follow the Mane 5 on a journey of self-discovery told through action-packed, hilarious and heartfelt stories.

Exatlón Estados Unidos
Telemundo, 7pm
Season Premiere!

One of Hispanic television’s top sports reality competition series returns for Season 7, a brand-new edition offering innovative circuits and impressive challenges on a completely redesigned, state-of-the-art compound to test the physical and mental abilities of two new teams of competitors. Frederik Oldenburg and Chelly Cantú host.

NFL Football: Dallas at N.Y. Giants
ABC & ESPN, 8pm Live

Monday Night Football comes to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as the Dallas Cowboys visit the N.Y. Giants in an NFC East clash airing on ABC and ESPN.

9-1-1: “Crash & Learn”
FOX, 8pm

The 118 races into action after a structure collapse at a “happiness convention” traps attendees in a very unhappy situation. Meanwhile, Athena (Angela Bassett) suffers a family crisis during a FaceTime call with her mother.

The Voice: “The Blind Auditions, Part 3”
NBC, 8pm

Coaches Camila Cabello, John Legend, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani all vie to discover and coach the next singing phenomenon on the third night of Blind Auditions.

Inside the Factory
Smithsonian Channel, 8pm
Season Premiere!

Instant coffee is a convenient and quick way of getting a cup of java, but the process of making it is hardly instantaneous. Join us as we go inside the factory to see all that goes into transforming 75-100 tons of green coffee beans into 175,000 jars of freeze-dried granules every day. Our 13-hour journey will take us to several floors and departments of the enormous Nestlé factory, where the beans will be roasted, ground, concentrated, frozen and even “sent into space” before heading to supermarket shelves across the globe.

TCM Spotlight: Radio Days: “Radio Stories — Part 2”
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Monday night look at the intersection between radio and cinema concludes tonight with a second evening featuring a lineup of films in which radio plays a key role in the stories. First, the drama The Great Man (1956) stars José Ferrer as a popular radio host in a story loosely based on the career of Arthur Godfrey, whose reputation as a beloved host became tarnished by various controversies. Next, in the 1949 romantic comedy My Dream Is Yours, an agent (Jack Carson) must search for a new personality to replace a popular singer who refuses to renew her radio contract, and he finds one in the form of a single mother (Doris Day). Following that, Red Skelton leads the comedy Whistling in the Dark (1941) as a writer/star of radio murder mysteries who finds himself embroiled in an actual criminal plot. The lineup heads into late night with the TCM premiere of American Hot Wax (1978), a biographical drama about pioneering radio disc jockey Alan Freed (Tim McIntire), who in the 1950s helped popularize rock ’n’ roll music. The film features a number of musical performances from icons of the early rock era, including Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. The lineup then concludes with Professional Sweetheart (1933), a romantic comedy starring Ginger Rogers as a virtuous radio singer who wants to experience the dark side of life.

NCIS: “Daddy Issues”
CBS, 9pm

McGee’s (Sean Murray) personal and professional lives intersect when a dad from his children’s school is linked to a break-in at a government storage bunker in the new episode “Daddy Issues.”

Quantum Leap: “Atlantis”
NBC, 10pm

Ben (Raymond Lee) finds himself headed into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1995. Meanwhile, Addison (Caitlin Bassett) confides to Ian (Mason Alexander Park) about a discovery and finds herself at odds with Magic (Ernie Hudson) and Jenn (Nanrisa Lee).

POV: “Delikado”
PBS, 10pm

This film follows the plight of ecological crusaders working to protect Palawan, an island paradise in the Philippines that is one of Asia’s tourist hot spots, from being plundered by powerful politicians and business figures.

Tuesday, Sept. 27

Suspect
BritBox
Original Series!

This drama follows jaded veteran police detective Danny Frater (James Nesbitt) as he sets out on an agonizing mission to uncover the truth about his daughter Christina’s (Imogen King) death through a succession of intense one-on-one interrogations. Each of the eight episodes sees Danny conducting a separate cross-examination with a different suspect or witness, allowing viewers to engage with the investigation in real-time. Through each of these vigorous exchanges between Danny and those closest to Christina — her partner, her best friend, her business partner, her godfather, her mentor and her mother — Danny pieces together his daughter’s relentless descent into criminality. At the same time, he’s forced to come to terms with his own failings as a father and the part he himself may have played in her downfall. Richard E. Grant, Sam Heughan and Joely Richardson also star.

Reasonable Doubt
Hulu
New Series!

This legal drama stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as Jax Stewart, a lawyer with questionable ethics and wild interpretations of the law. If you find yourself in trouble, you’ll see her for what she is: the most brilliant and fearless defense attorney in Los Angeles, who bucks the system every chance she gets. Sean Patrick Thomas, Victor Rasuk and Michael Ealy also star. The first two episodes drop today; new episodes are available Tuesdays.

TCM Morning & Afternoon Movies: Before Tinder Swindlers
TCM, beginning at 6:45am
Catch a Classic!

You’ll want to swipe right on this entertaining lineup of films that show how being lied to, conned, or worse by a potential or actual romantic partner has been an ongoing part of human relationships, and not just a phenomenon in our modern era of things like Tinder and “catfishing.” The featured films are: The Light Touch (1951), starring Stewart Granger and Pier Angeli; The Company She Keeps (1951), led by Lizabeth Scott, Jane Greer and Dennis O’Keefe (and featuring Jeff Bridges in his film debut); Scarlet Street (1945), Fritz Lang’s film noir starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea; Playing Around (1930), a drama with Alice White, Chester Morris and William Bakewell; Kind Lady (1951), director John Sturges’ film noir headlined by Ethel Barrymore, Maurice Evans, Angela Lansbury and Keenan Wynn; Cast a Dark Shadow (1955), a British thriller starring Dirk Bogarde and Margaret Lockwood; the 1946 film noir Nobody Lives Forever, featuring John Garfield and Geraldine Fitzgerald; and The Honeymoon Killers (1970), a crime film inspired by the true story of infamous 1940s “lonely hearts killers” Raymond Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco) and Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler).

Bachelor in Paradise
ABC, 8pm
Season Premiere!

Fan favorites from The Bachelor franchise ready for a second (or third) chance at finding love travel to a romantic paradise in hopes of turning a potential summer fling into the real thing. Jesse Palmer is set to host Season 8 of the reality dating series, with Wells Adams returning to his role as bartender.

FBI: “Love Is Blind”
CBS, 8pm

The New York Feds investigate why a recent Ivy League college dropout with no priors is tied to a pawnshop double murder where one victim is the owner and the second is a cop.

The Voice: “The Blind Auditions, Part 4”
NBC, 8pm

Coaches Camila Cabello, John Legend, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani all vie to discover and coach the next singing phenomenon on the fourth night of Blind Auditions.

Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns
Discovery Channel, 9pm

Sig and his cocaptain/biz partner, daughter Mandy, are on the verge of bringing a crab species previously considered a throwaway to the European market. Sig has welcomed his go-getter son-in-law (with him on the Birgerson) and his longtime right-hand man, Jake Anderson, helming the Stalbas. But in this episode, Jake gets a surprise: a king crab jackpot with a possible payday of millions that could tempt him to go solo.

Bobby’s Triple Threat
Food Network, 9pm
New Series!

Food icon Bobby Flay has created the toughest culinary competition yet in this six-episode series that challenges one extraordinarily talented and eager chef to go against a trio of culinary titans who were handpicked by Bobby — Tiffany Derry, Michael Voltaggio and Brooke Williamson — for a chance to take home $25,000.

Monarch: “Show Them Who You Are, Baby”
FOX, 9pm

Nicky (Anna Friel) learns of Clive’s (guest star Adam Croasdell) affair and is determined to turn the tables on him in the new episode “Show Them Who You Are, Baby.”

La Brea
NBC, 9pm
Season Premiere!

This epic family adventure series that began when a massive sinkhole opened in Los Angeles, pulling people and buildings into a mysterious primeval land, returns for Season 2. The Harris family remains separated as Eve (Natalie Zea) is reeling from her son, Josh (Jack Martin), having mistakenly gone through a portal to 1988. What she doesn’t know yet is that her estranged husband, Gavin (Eoin Macken), and their daughter, Izzy (Zyra Gorecki), have landed in prehistoric Seattle and now must brave the elements and animals to make their way to L.A.

The Rookie: Feds
ABC, 10pm
New Series!

Niecy Nash-Betts’ character Simone Clark was originally introduced in an action-packed Rookie two-parter last spring. Her chemistry with The Rookie’s John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) was an immediate hit and springboard for this new spinoff. The series picks up following Simone, now graduated from Quantico and heading to Los Angeles to start her new life. Nash-Betts promises plenty of crossover episodes.

American Greed
CNBC, 10pm
New Episodes!

Season 15 of the docuseries returns with six new hourlong episodes beginning tonight with “The Polygamist and the Bio Fuel Baron.” CEO Jacob Kingston appears to be a rising star in Utah’s fledgling biofuel industry, until a member of a secretive polygamist group called the Order reveals that Kingston, one of the group’s prominent members, is committing a $1.1 billion dollar fraud with a flashy, Bugatti-driving Los Angeles fuel baron known as “the Lion.”

Outchef’d
Food Network, 10pm
New Series!

Ambush! Amateur foodies who think they’re auditioning for a TV show wind up in a showdown against A-list chefs like Anne Burrell and Scott Conant.

Edge of the Unknown With Jimmy Chin
Nat Geo, beginning at 10pm
Season Finale!

The series’ first season concludes with back-to-back half-hour episodes. In “Deadly Waters,” expedition kayaker Ben Stookesberry and his kayaking collaborator, Chris Korbulic, look back on their two-month expedition through Africa that left them changed forever. In “Hunted in the Arctic,” polar explorer Sarah McNair-Landry recalls an attempt, with her brother, to kite-ski 2,000 miles across the Northwest Passage during a brutal winter, and how one crucial decision she made during the expedition kept her brother alive while being hunted by an apex predator.

New Amsterdam: “Hook, Line and Sinker”
NBC, 10pm

Max (Ryan Eggold) tests a bold new cost-saving program that could help both New Amsterdam and its neediest patients; Wilder (Sandra Mae Frank) struggles with a patient’s decision to refuse life-saving surgery; Reynolds (Jocko Sims) comes to an important realization about his father’s behaviors; and Iggy (Tyler Labine) takes the leap into online dating.

The Come Up
Freeform, 10:30pm
Season Finale!

The first season of this docuseries about six young friends dreaming big and pursuing love and art in New York City comes to a close with “Will Anyone Show”? A new episode, “Facing Ghosts, airs at 10pm.

Wednesday, Sept. 28

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
Disney+
Season Premiere!

After the young hockey squad, under their coach, Alex Morrow (Lauren Graham), won back the Mighty Ducks team name last year, Season 2 finds the Ducks hitting the road to attend an intense summer hockey institute in California run by charming yet hardcore former NHL player Colin Cole (new cast member Josh Duhamel). New episodes are available Wednesdays.

Blonde
Netflix
Original Film!

Based on Joyce Carol Oates’ biographical fiction novel, this drama reimagines the life of Norma Jeane Mortensen, better known as iconic actress Marilyn Monroe (Ana de Armas). The film follows Monroe from her volatile childhood through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements (including with playwright Arthur Miller, portrayed by Adrien Brody, and baseball star Joe DiMaggio, played by Bobby Cannavale). Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, Blonde explores the widening split between the star’s public and private selves. The film has been rated NC-17 for its graphic sexual content.

The Conners: “Scenes From Two Marriages: The Parrot Doth Protest Too Much”
ABC, 8pm

Jackie moves in with Neville and discovers that being newlyweds produces new problems when Neville shows up to their home with an excess of animals from his vet office. Meanwhile, Darlene and Ben have an argument as Ben points out Darlene is turning into her father.

Music’s Greatest Mysteries
AXS TV, 8pm

This episode delves into the wild story behind Billy Ray Cyrus’ smash single “Achy Breaky Heart” and Led Zeppelin’s connection with the occult.

The Masked Singer
FOX, 8pm

He was runner-up as Peacock in the competition’s inaugural season in 2019. Tonight, entertainer Donny Osmond returns as a guest panelist (he’ll also sing) for Vegas Night. Another jackpot: Sin City staple Blue Man Group performs!

Chicago Med: “(Caught Between) the Wrecking Ball and the Butterfly”
NBC, 8pm

Supply chain disruptions dramatically impact Med, which cause Crockett (Dominic Rains) and Kai, a new surgical resident, to clash with other doctors. Meanwhile, Maggie (Marlyne Barrett) reveals something to Ben (Charles Malik Whitfield), and Ethan (Brian Tee) and Archer (Steven Weber) help a patient with ALS.

Rivers of Life
PBS, 8pm
Season Premiere!

This natural history series returns for a second season to travel three more of Earth’s greatest rivers and discover the spectacular wildlife and fascinating people that thrive along them. Tonight’s episode visits the shapeshifting Zambezi, Africa’s wildest river, encountering surfers riding mysterious waves in deep gorges, elephants battling rapids above Victoria Falls and more.

National Silent Movie Day
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

National Silent Movie Day is tomorrow, Sept. 29. Turner Classic Movies gets a jump start on this occasion to celebrate and appreciate the art of silent films tonight as it kicks off a 24-hour lineup of titles from the silent era, and some more current documentaries about them, to enjoy. The first three movies are making their TCM premieres: The Beloved Rogue (1927), a romantic adventure led by John Barrymore; The First Degree (1923), a rural melodrama starring Frank Mayo; and Beverly of Graustark (1926), a Marion Davies-led romantic comedy. The lineup then continues with the 2005 documentary Irving Thalberg: The Prince of Hollywood; He Who Gets Slapped (1924), the famed psychological thriller starring Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer and John Gilbert; Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926), one of the silent melodramas featuring an all-Black cast produced by the Colored Players Film Corporation during its brief existence; Ramona (1928), a drama led by Dolores del Río and Warner Baxter; Nanook of the North (1922), an early docudrama following an Inuit family the Canadian Arctic; Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922), a creepy combination of documentary and dramatization about witches from Sweden; Out Yonder, a 1919 drama making its TCM premiere; The Phantom Carriage (1921), a Swedish ghost story with innovative and influential special effects and narrative structure; The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), a serial-killer thriller that was one of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest features, and the one that established his name as a director; Pay Day (1922), writer/director/star Charlie Chaplin’s final two-reel short film; and Grandma’s Boy (1922), a Harold Lloyd comedy. The marathon ends with four titles making their TCM debuts: The Big Show and Dogs of War!, two 1923 entries in the Our Gang (aka The Little Rascals) series of comedic shorts; and the documentaries Before Mickey Mouse: A History of American Animation (1982) and Century of Animation Showcase: 1922 (2022).

The Goldbergs: “That’s a Schwartz Man”
ABC, 8:30pm

With both sides of the family eager for answers on Geoff and Erica’s pregnancy, they decide to keep their baby’s sex a surprise. However, a sonagram finding from Lou Schwartz might provide an unexpected discovery. Meanwhile, Adam recruits Glascott to help his mother cope with his departure for NYU; but when he later has a change of heart about heading off to college, he sources a job as the personal assistant to a special celebrity to help lessen the blow when news of his deferred enrollment is delivered to Beverly.

Abbott Elementary: “Wrong Delivery”
ABC, 9pm

After Janine gets a look at the new charter school down the street, she becomes determined to fix up Abbott and make it just as good. Gregory goes out of his way to avoid Barbara due to an awkward situation with his personal life, and Ava takes to the school library to host a Shark Tank-style pitch to decide what to do with the rest of the funds from the grant.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Bravo, 9pm
Season Premiere!

Season 3 of this Real Housewives spinoff returns with icy drama and new allegiances. Housewives Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose and Jen Shah are back, and Danna Bui-Negrete, Angie Harrington and Angie Katsanevas join the series as friends.

LEGO Masters: “Jurass-brick World”
FOX, 9pm
Guest Star Alert!

Inspired by the movie Jurassic World: Dominion, teams bring dinosaurs and special effects to life in their builds. Chris Pratt makes a special guest appearance in the new episode “Jurass-brick World.”

Hostages
HBO, 9pm
New Series!

For 444 days — from November 1979 to January 1981 — anxious Americans waited for word about dozens of citizens held captive in Tehran by Iranian activists. Through new interviews with hostages and hostage-takers, this four-episode docuseries captures the gripping events of a crisis that reshaped world politics.

Farmhouse Fixer: “Salem Witch Trial House”
HGTV, 9pm

Jon Knight and Kristina Crestin take on not one but two historical renovations. It’s Jon’s spookiest and oldest restoration with a home connected to the Salem witch trials. They also restore a 1950s commercial farm stand where Jon gets to live out his dream of building a barn.

Chicago Fire: “Every Scar Tells a Story”
NBC, 9pm

Javi (Carlos S. Sanchez) spends a couple of shifts at Firehouse 51; Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Carver (Brad Armacost) work together to help Carver’s former boss; and, as Hawkins (Jimmy Nicholas) and Violet’s (Hanako Greensmith) relationship blossoms, Gallo (Alberto Rosende) turns his attention elsewhere.

NOVA: “Saving Venice”
PBS, 9pm

Rising seas threaten the survival of the Italian city of Venice. Can innovative engineering projects such as a new high-tech flood barrier save it?

Chicago P.D.: “The Real You”
NBC, 10pm

When a convicted murderer hijacks a prison van, the team scrambles to find him and the abducted prison guard before it’s too late. And, Burgess (Marina Squerciati) questions Ruzek’s (Patrick John Flueger) motives in a case, creating tension between the two.

Resident Alien
Syfy, 10pm
Season Finale!

Season 2 concludes with “I Believe in Aliens,” in which Harry (Alan Tudyk) comes face-to-face with his greatest enemy and makes a choice that may affect Earth forever.

Thursday, Sept. 29

Tyler Perry’s Zatima
BET+
New Series!

Devale Ellis and Crystal Renee Hayslett headline this 10-episode drama, the second spinoff of Tyler Perry’s Sistas. They reprise their respective characters, Zac and Fatima, who navigate the ups and downs of their relationship.

Looney Tunes Cartoons: “Bugs Bunny’s Howl-O-Skreem Spooktacula”
HBO Max

This Halloween Looney Tunes Cartoons special finds Daffy Duck and Porky Pig taking a dear friend to a final resting place; Witch Hazel chasing down an ingredient for her spell; Sylvester the Cat finding a suspicious motel; and Bugs Bunny meeting a mummy.

2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards
Telemundo, 7pm Live; also simulcasts on Universo cable channel and Peacock streaming service

The only awards show to honor the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin music as determined by Billboard’s weekly charts returns to give out this year’s honors across 58 different categories in a ceremony held in Coral Gables, Florida. Among this year’s top finalists are Bad Bunny, up for 23 awards; Karol G, a 15-time finalist; Becky G and Farruko, with 11 each; and more. Christina Aguilera will receive the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award and give a special performance; Nicky Jam will be given the Billboard Hall of Fame Award and will also perform; and receiving Billboard’s Lifetime Achievement Award and delivering a performance is Spanish artist Raphael. Other announced performers include Alejandro Guzmán, Ángela Aguilar, Calibre 50, Elvis Crespo, Grupo Firme, Camilo and Carlos Vives.

Young Sheldon
CBS, 8pm
Season Premiere!

In the Season 6 premiere “Four Hundred Cartons of Undeclared Cigarettes and a Niblingo,” Meemaw and Georgie (Annie Potts and Montana Jordan) spend the night in jail at the U.S.-Mexico border.

College Football: Utah State at BYU
ESPN, 8pm Live

The Utah State Aggies visit LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, for a primetime matchup against the BYU Cougars on ESPN.

Hell’s Kitchen
FOX, 8pm
Season Premiere!

Season 21 of the cooking competition premieres with “Let the Battle Begin.” Chefs in their 40s (the blue team) will face off against chefs in their 20s (the red team) in a season dubbed “Battle of the Ages.”

Law & Order: “Camouflage”
NBC, 8pm

A deadly subway shooting has Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan) and Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) racing to find the culprit before another attack is orchestrated; Price (Hugh Dancy) and Maroun (Odelya Halevi) struggle to put their ethical principles aside when the U.S. Attorney’s office pushes for the death penalty in the case.

Star of the Month: Humphrey Bogart: “King Gangster” & “More Dramatic Roles”
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

You’ll get plenty of Bogie as Turner Classic Movies concludes its monthlong Thursday night salute to the iconic films of Humphrey Bogart, with 14 movies airing for nearly 24 hours beginning tonight. The first nine titles are gangster or crime stories: They Drive by Night (1940); Conflict (1945), featuring Bogart’s frequent costar Sydney Greenstreet; Kid Galahad (1937), also with Edward G. Robinson and Bette Davis; Bullets or Ballots (1936), costarring Robinson and Joan Blondell; The Great O’Malley (1937); Invisible Stripes (1939), led by George Raft; Racket Busters (1938); You Can’t Get Away With Murder (1939); and King of the Underworld (1939). The Bogie tribute then concludes with five more earlier dramas in which the star portrays characters who are largely bad guys, or at least morally dubious: The Petrified Forest (1936), featuring the actor alongside Leslie Howard and Bette Davis, in his breakout role as escaped murderer Duke Mantee; San Quentin (1937), which was actually shot on location at the titular prison; Three on a Match (1932), a crime drama starring Joan Blondell and Warren William that was one of Bogart’s earlier movies; Black Legion (1937); and Crime School (1938).

NFL Football: Miami at Cincinnati
Prime Video, 8:15pm Live

Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins face a road test against Joe Burrow and the 2021 AFC champion Bengals at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium.

Ghosts
CBS, 8:30pm
Season Premiere!

The hit comedy about a couple who own a haunted mansion returns for Season 2. Last seen, Sam (Rose McIver), Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and the ghosts were ready to welcome their first guests to the Woodstone B&B when they fell through a hole in the floor. After bumping his head in the fall, Jay might finally be able to see and hear the ghosts this season. Also, the B&B will open, but don’t expect everything to go as planned.

Bump
The CW, 8:30pm
Season Finale!

In “Matrescence,” the Season 1 finale of this Australian dramedy, the christening day arrives, and Bernardita (Claudia de Giusti) leads the excitement. Meanwhile, Oly’s (Nathalie Morris) doubts escalate while preparing.

So Help Me Todd
CBS, 9pm
New Series!

As a kid, Todd (Skylar Astin) wanted nothing more than to be a private detective. Now that he is, he’s quite good at it. The rest of his directionless life? That’s a bit of an unsolved mystery, especially to his uber-successful lawyer mom (Marcia Gay Harden). So when she offers him a job as an in-house investigator at her firm as a way for him to get his act together, he reluctantly agrees, as long as Mom promises to let her adult son be who he wants to be.

The Great Chocolate Showdown
The CW, 9pm
Season Finale!

Season 2 of the competition series concludes with “The Finale: Once Upon a Baker… .” The home bakers are challenged to tell their baking story through four delectable dessert chapters, and one of them will win the $50,000 grand prize.

Welcome to Flatch
FOX, 9pm
Season Premiere!

In the Season 2 premiere “Welcome to (Barb) Flatch,” Barb Flatch herself (new regular cast member Jaime Pressly) makes a triumphant return to her hometown to shake things up.

Renovation Impossible: “Diamond in the Rough”
HGTV, 9pm

A couple who just can’t agree on how to remodel their home asks Russell J. Holmes to help with the important design decisions, but when the bank cuts their loan in half, he’ll make some big sacrifices to find an affordable design that leaves them both satisfied.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: “The One You Feed”
NBC, 9pm

A group of teens terrorizing tourists has the SVU squad working overtime, and McGrath (Terry Serpico) teams them up with the Bronx gang unit to track down a crucial lead.

Ghost Adventures: Devil’s Den
Travel Channel, 9pm; also streams on discovery+

In this two-hour Ghost Adventures special, paranormal investigators Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Jay Wasley and Billy Tolley are in Downey, California, to investigate the shuttered Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, which had been given the ominous designation of the “Devil’s Den” by both guards and inmates. The crew go behind the barbed wire to find out if the evil inside is not the real-life horrors of detention, but the devil itself.

Call Me Kat
FOX, 9:30pm
Season Premiere!

After taking some time to travel and decompress, Kat (Mayim Bialik) returns home to discover some significant changes have been made to the café. Jeopardy!’s Ken Jennings guest-stars in the Season 3 premiere “Call Me Ken Jennings.”

CSI: Vegas
CBS, 10pm
Season Premiere!

Former CSI: Crime Scene Investigation star Marg Helgenberger joins the regular cast of CSI: Vegas, reprising her role as Catherine Willows. In the Season 2 premiere “She’s Gone,” the team investigates the murder of a dominatrix.

Law & Order: Organized Crime
NBC, 10pm

Stabler (Christopher Meloni) investigates the death of an old friend, and Jet (Ainsley Seiger) breaks in two new detectives.

La Otra Mirada: “Portraits in Pastel Tones”
PBS, 10pm

Ángela (Cecilia Freire) goes with her family to take a portrait and meets Paula (Pepa Gracia), an artist who awakens unknown feelings in her; Teresa (Patricia López Arnaiz) meets an old acquaintance from Lisbon; and, though her punishment is lifted, Roberta (Begoña Vargas) does not want to attend the Autumn Ball.

True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here: “Atwater, OH”
SundanceTV, 10pm

Cold case investigators looking into a shocking double murder elicit a series of confessions from a group of teens. But years later, they recant their statements. Did aggressive tactics send an innocent man to death row?

Los Espookys
HBO, 11pm

On the imaginative bilingual comedy: Uncle Tico (Fred Armisen) — mopey over losing his valet gig — joins Los Espookys to help create horror experiences. Can he hack it? And Andrés (Julio Torres) moonlights modeling staircases. (Think: auto shows.)

Friday, Sept. 30

Get Rolling With Otis
Apple TV+
Season Premiere!

Otis the Tractor and his friends at Long Hill Dairy Farm are back for a second season of this animated series for young viewers.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Apple TV+
Original Film!

Peter Farrelly, best known for quirky comedies, directed this film that, while a coming-of-age drama inspired by true events, still has an unusual premise. Set in 1967, it follows New Yorker John “Chickie” Donohue (Zac Efron), who decides to show support for his neighborhood friends serving in Vietnam by doing something totally outrageous: traveling to the war zone by himself to bring the soldiers a little piece of home — their favorite can of American beer. Russell Crowe and Bill Murray costar.

Wolfboy and the Everything Factory
Apple TV+
Season Premiere!

The animated kids series returns for a second season, which takes Wolfboy (voice of Kassian Akhtar) to a new realm underneath the Everything Factory that is responsible for all the destruction in the universe. With his Spryte friends and new allies, Wolfboy engages in a quest to unite the forces of creation and destruction.

Hocus Pocus 2
Disney+
Original Film!

The 1993 Disney fantasy/comedy/horror film Hocus Pocus, which has become a well-remembered cult favorite and lived on to also find new generations of fans thanks to annual TV broadcasts around Halloween, gets a long-awaited sequel. Original stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as sisters Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson — 17th century witches who have once again been resurrected in present-day Salem and are seeking revenge. Can three high school students stop them?

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Sing-Along Version)
Disney+

Sing along with your favorite songs with onscreen lyrics in this special edition of the beloved 1993 animated feature The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Entergalactic
Netflix
New Series!

Musician/actor Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi is a cocreator of this adult animated musical series based on his new album of the same name, also releasing on Sept. 30. An explosion of art, music and fashion set in New York City, the story follows a young artist named Jabari (voiced by Kid Cudi) as he attempts to balance love and success. Finding the latter brings Jabari a step closer to the former, when moving into his dream apartment introduces him to his new neighbor, “it” girl photographer Meadow (Jessica Williams).

Rainbow
Netflix
Original Film!

This fantasy/drama from Spain cowritten and directed by Paco León (who describes it as “not a musical film” but featuring “a lot of music”) is loosely inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and presents a modern tale of a teenager’s (Dora Postigo) coming-of-age journey.

Jungle
Prime Video
New Series!

This visually daring and sonically stunning six-part drama follows the connected lives of several strangers, each facing their own struggle. Told through a unique blend of music and dialogue, and viewed through the prism of the U.K. rap and drill music scene (featuring 30 top artists from that scene), the series gives a perspective to an often-unseen and misunderstood world where one law governs everything: Only the strongest will survive.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism
Prime Video
Original Film!

This supernatural horror film is set in 1988 and follows best friends/high school sophomores Abby (Elsie Fisher) and Gretchen (Amiah Miller). After an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins acting differently, and bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she is nearby. Abby’s investigation leads to some startling discoveries, and the girls’ fate will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

Luxe Listings Sydney
Prime Video
Season Premiere!

The six-episode third season of this Australian reality hit promises more rivalry, higher stakes and more multimillion-dollar deals in one of the most competitive and cutthroat real-estate markets in the world: Sydney.

Queer for Fear
Shudder
New Series!

Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal) is an executive producer of this four-part docuseries (new episodes are available Fridays) that explores the influence of the LGBTQ community as subjects, symbols and creators throughout the history of the horror genre, from its literary origins with authors like Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde to the vampire films of the 1980s that took a page from the AIDS crisis. Through this rainbow lens, the series reexamines these genre stories not as violent, murderous narratives, but as tales of survival that resonate thematically with queer audiences.
“I think there’s something really interesting about the survival narratives of a lot of these horror movies,” says Fuller, “and the reason that we’re drawn to them, whether we feel ostracized like the monster or we feel like if we can survive an abusive parent like Danny Torrance in The Shining, then there’s hope for us. … All you need is one example of survival to know it’s possible for you, and I think that really resonates with a lot of queer audiences who are drawn to horror stories.”

College Football
ESPN & FS1, beginning at 7pm Live

Friday primetime college football matchups in Week 5 include Tulane at Houston (ESPN), San Diego State at Boise State (FS1) and Washington at UCLA (ESPN).

Gold Rush
Discovery Channel, 8pm; also streams on discovery+
Season Premiere!

Discovery’s reality hit is back for Season 13. Parker Schnabel, now in his ninth season in the Klondike, tries to mine more gold there than ever before while chasing his dream of expanding his operation from the Klondike to Alaska. Klondike Kingpin Tony Beets faces all-new challenges this season; against stacked odds, he puts it all on the line, including his children’s inheritance, to mine the White Channel, the oldest gold deposit in the Klondike. Now in his third year and out to prove he can strike it rich, former Green Beret Fred Lewis puts his house on the line and heads north to his remote claim on California Creek. Joining Gold Rush this season are young guns Brandon and Brady Clayton. Their family is in debt, and their hand-to-mouth operation needs every grain of gold they can find to allow them to mine the Golden Acres they’ve discovered, where the gold is twice as rich as the rest of the Klondike. The Dirt, the Gold Rush aftershow, will also be returning with new episodes beginning Nov. 11.

Capital One College Bowl: “Quarterfinals 1”
NBC, 8pm

Twelve universities have advanced from the qualifier round. The quarterfinal rounds begin with BYU taking on Notre Dame, and Georgia facing off with Texas. NFL legend Peyton Manning and Cooper Manning host.

Starring Fredric March
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel, best known by his professional name of Fredric March, was one of the most acclaimed and versatile actors of Hollywood’s golden age. His talent is still enjoyable to watch in action today, as viewers can see in this evening’s Turner Classic Movies triple feature of three memorable March films that span various points of his career. Up first, March stars with Gary Cooper and Miriam Hopkins in director Ernst Lubitsch’s 1933 comedy Design for Living, based on Noël Coward’s play. Following that is the TCM premiere of So Ends Our Night (1941), a drama following three German refugees during World War II who are always in hiding and in fear of deportation. Margaret Sullavan, Frances Dee and Glenn Ford costar. Finally, March portrays Matthew Harrison Brady, a character patterned after the real-life lawyer/orator William Jennings Bryan, in the courtroom drama Inherit the Wind (1960), a fictionalized retelling of the infamous 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial.

Shock Doc: “The Curse of Robert the Doll”
Travel Channel, 8pm; also streams on discovery+

This latest two-hour Shock Doc investigates the notorious Robert the Doll, a supposedly haunted doll that lives behind glass in a Key West, Florida, museum. Every year, thousands of visitors who fail to follow Robert’s rules reportedly find themselves experiencing illness, injury, accidents and even death. This documentary explores the doll’s true origin, uncovers the story of its first owners in 1905 and seeks to learn why Robert is so nefarious.

My Lottery Dream Home: “Million Dollar Mom”
HGTV, 9pm

When Californian Angelina moved to Florida for love, she left one important thing behind — her daughter Kristal and her grandchildren. A year later, David Bromstad will help Angelina spend the million dollars from a recent lottery win so she can buy a house to reunite her family on the East Coast.

35th Hispanic Heritage Awards
PBS, 9pm

Part of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, which was created by the White House in 1988 to commemorate the establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month in America, the Hispanic Heritage Awards are among the highest honors by Latinos for Latinos. In this hourlong presentation, celebrate the honorees of this year’s 35th installment, including Grammy-winning band Los Lobos, who will be presented with the Hispanic Heritage Arts Award.

Eli Roth Presents: My Possessed Pet
Travel Channel, 10pm; also streams on discovery+
New Series!

Horror filmmaker Eli Roth, who also hosts A Ghost Ruined My Life on Travel/discovery+, continues that creative partnership in this series that explores the terrifying, reportedly fact-based tales of what happens when evil spirits, curses and demons take over family pets and turn them against their horrified owners. Each of the four hourlong episodes will follow the chilling and deeply personal story of someone who has had their profound and loving relationship with a pet ripped apart by supernatural forces beyond their control.

Saturday, Oct. 1

We Bought a Funeral Home
discovery+
New Series!

This reality series explores the unconventional side of the home renovation and design realm in six hourlong episodes that document the quirky journey of Heather and Arryn Blumberg and their two kids, Rafferty and Noa, who trade in their big-city life to buy, renovate and redecorate a 12,000-square-foot 1800s Victorian funeral home in the small town of Dresden, Ontario. The decrepit three-story, 38-room property, filled with meandering maze-like hallways and staircases, will be quite an undertaking for the Halloween- and horror-obsessed family to bring back to life as their weird and wonderful dream home. The Blumbergs will rely on each other, as well as the help of a skilled construction crew, to pull off this massive glam goth overhaul wrought with strange shadows, frightening noises and a shocking discovery. The first two episodes are available today; subsequent new episodes are available Saturdays.

Huluween Dragstravaganza
Hulu

RuPaul’s Drag Race superstars Ginger Minj and Monét X Change host this Halloween special, where a troupe of queens and kings join them in taking the stage in original musical numbers, sketch comedy and more. A special A-list musical guest, and surprise cameos to delight horror fans, are also promised.

“Halloween” Marathon
AMC, beginning at 2pm

The 44-year film franchise that began with John Carpenter’s first Halloween (1978) and Jamie Lee Curtis as babysitter Laurie Strode, who would be forever tormented by Michael Myers, continues to chill audiences today. AMC begins this weekend’s marathon with Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) and then bounces around with the film’s various reiterations. Other Halloween marathons are slated throughout the month, including on Halloween.

Girlfriendship
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!

After a booking mix-up, Samara’s birthday getaway turns into a weeklong retreat on Edisto Island in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where she and her two best friends rediscover their passions, their purpose and romance. Stars Tamera Mowry-Housley, Krystal Joy Brown and Lyndie Greenwood.

The Gabby Petito Story
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

The disappearance of Gabby Petito captured America’s attention, setting off a nationwide search for the 22-year-old travel blogger after her parents reported her missing in September 2021, when she failed to return home following her cross-country “van life” trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. Nonstop news coverage drove amateur sleuths to dissect Gabby’s social media posts for clues about what happened to her during her trip, leading to the eventual discovery of Gabby’s body in Wyoming. As the one-year anniversary of her tragic death approaches, this film brings to life Gabby and Brian’s doomed love story, including the warning signs that Gabby’s life was in danger, the ensuing search for her, the eventual discovery of her murder and, ultimately, Brian’s suicide. Stars Skyler Samuels and Evan Hall.

Cold Justice
Oxygen, 8pm

Dick Wolf’s true-crime series hits a milestone with a gripping and emotional two-part investigation into the 2007 murder of a North Dakota college student stabbed in her bed.

Star of the Month: Robots
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

Turner Classic Movies is doing something a bit different in October for its Star of the Month programming block. Each Saturday night, the network will air a double feature of films not featuring a particular actor, but rather famous cinematic robots. This evening’s lineup fittingly kicks off the month with one of the earliest and most well-known depictions of a robot in a movie: the Maschinenmensch (“machine-human”) of Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent sci-fi German Expressionist masterpiece Metropolis, which was portrayed by Brigitte Helm, who also plays Maria, the human character the robot impersonates. Second on tonight’s double bill is Forbidden Planet (1956), the sci-fi classic led by human stars Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen, but with Robby the Robot (operated by Frankie Darro and voiced by Marvin Miller) stealing the show in his film debut; Robby went on to appear in other sci-fi films and TV series.

Help! I Wrecked My House: Jasmine Buys a Cabin
HGTV, 9pm

HGTV star expert Jasmine Roth and her husband Brett have dreamed of a nearby mountain getaway for years. Just after they find a cozy, A-frame fixer-upper in California’s San Bernadino National Forest, Jasmine learns that she will be the first guest editor for HGTV Magazine. The cabin could be the perfect project to showcase her talents and inspire readers, but she only has five weeks to completely renovate the property inside and out. Jasmine must pull off the most ambitious deadline she’s ever faced to get the cabin magazine-ready in time for the cover shoot.

Svengoolie Uncrypted
MeTV, 9pm

Right after this evening’s Svengoolie scary movie presentation (1975’s Trilogy of Terror, which begins two hours earlier) is this hourlong celebration of the beloved, long-running horror film host. Following Uncrypted is the special hourlong Season 2 premiere of Svengoolie’s companion series, Sventoonie.

Ghost Hunters
Travel Channel, 9pm; also streams on discovery+
Season Premiere!

The TAPS team of paranormal investigators return for Season 2 of this reboot of their original, pioneering ghost-hunting series. Original Ghost Hunters members Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango, along with Shari DeBenedetti, revisit more of their most chilling cases and investigate disturbing new hauntings. The new season features eight hourlong installments.

Killer Cases
A&E, 10pm
Season Premiere!

Season 3 of this true-crime docuseries begins with “The Arson Murders.” Firefighters are unable to save a young family from a blazing fire. Police declared the fire was no accident and launched an arson investigation, which included another unexplained fire a few blocks away that killed a beloved elderly couple.

NFL Icons: “Steve Young”
EPIX, 10pm

Hall of Fame 49ers quarterback Steve Young reflects on the challenges and joys of becoming a champion, and shares anecdotes about his ups and downs at BYU, his time in the USFL and with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and succeeding the legendary Joe Montana in San Francisco.

First Home Fix: “Spanish Revival in South L.A.”
HGTV, 10pm

Raisa Kuddus and Austin Coleman renovate the home of Chandra and Derek, a young couple living in a recently purchased house in South Los Angeles. Having grown up in the area, Austin feels a personal connection and is excited to take part in its rebirth.

Conjuring Kesha
Travel Channel, 10pm
New Series!

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Kesha hosts this paranormal investigation series that is making its linear cable premiere. Over six hourlong episodes, she explores the nation’s biggest mysteries, haunted locations and supernatural phenomena with celebrity guests and experts in the unexplained — from looking into demonic activity at an infamous closed Tennessee penitentiary with comedian Whitney Cummings, to hiking deep into the forests of California’s Mount Shasta in search of Bigfoot with The Bachelorette star JoJo Fletcher, and more.

Austin City Limits
PBS, 11pm
Season Premiere!

The long-running series featuring music performances from a variety of artists recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin returns for Season 48, featuring 14 episodes. Executive producer Terry Lickona describes this season’s lineup as “historic” in its diverse mix of artists. In tonight’s season opener, Grammy-winning Americana singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile makes her third appearance on the ACL stage and delivers a career-spanning performance that includes selections from her most recent album, 2021’s In These Silent Days.

Saturday Night Live: “Miles Teller/Kendrick Lamar”
NBC, 11:30pm Live
Season Premiere!

As the legendary late-night sketch comedy/music series returns for Season 48, several of the cast will not be returning for various reasons: Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Melissa Villaseñor, Alex Moffat and Aristotle Athari. New cast members include Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker. “This will be a transition year,” executive producer Lorne Michaels said. “Change years are always difficult but always exciting.” The season opens tonight with Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller as host and Kendrick Lamar as musical guest.