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Wednesday, Oct. 5: ‘Reginald the Vampire’ Is Out for Blood on Syfy

Reginald the Vampire Syfy Syfy

ALSO SEE: Your Full 2022 NFL Regular Season TV Schedule

All Times Eastern. PBS programming varies regionally.

Wednesday, Oct. 5

Reginald the Vampire
Syfy, 10pm
New Series!

Jacob Batalon leads this interesting take on the vampire genre based on Johnny B. Truant’s Fat Vampire series of novels as Reginald Andres, a young man who finds out that the undead life can be every bit as complicated as life itself when he is transformed into a bloodsucker. Reginald tumbles into a world populated by beautiful, fit and vain vampires as an unlikely hero having to navigate a variety of obstacles — the girl he loves but can’t be with, a bully manager at work and the vampire chieftain who wants him dead. Fortunately, Reginald discovers he has a few unrecognized powers of his own.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
Netflix
Original Film!

Ryan Murphy is a producer of this movie based on Stephen King’s supernatural coming-of-age short story of the same name. When Craig (Jaeden Martell), a young boy living in a small town, befriends Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland), an older, reclusive billionaire, the two begin to form an unlikely bond over their love of books and reading. But when Harrigan sadly passes away, Craig discovers that certain connections are never lost when he finds himself able to communicate with his deceased friend through an iPhone.

Nailed It!
Netflix
Season Premiere!

The reality bake-off series is back for Season 7, featuring four episodes full of tricks and treats in celebration of Halloween. The desserts are intentionally scary this time as the installments feature ghoulish surprises from favorite Netflix series like The Umbrella Academy, Cobra Kai and The Witcher.

Togo
Netflix
Original Film!

This thriller, written and directed by Israel Adrián Caetano, is Netflix’s first original movie from Uruguay. Described as an urban Western, the film follows the titular character (Diego Alonso), a car attendant in Montevideo who is forced to defend his turf and his neighbors from drug cartels.

Prince Andrew: Banished
Peacock

Peacock’s DocFest continues with this film that unpacks the story of how Prince Andrew brought scandal and disgrace to the British royal family’s legacy through his behavior and associations.

The Sound of 007
Prime Video

Marking the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, which began on this date in 1962 when Dr. No made its premiere in the U.K., this documentary chronicles six decades of Bond music, taking viewers on a journey from that original Sean Connery-led feature to Daniel Craig’s final outing in 2021’s No Time to Die. Along with looking at the films’ musical scores composed by the legendary John Barry and others, The Sound of 007 also features true tales behind the theme songs and the famous names who have recorded some of the most beloved soundtracks in cinema.

TCM Morning & Afternoon Movies: Basil Rathbone
TCM, beginning at 6am
Catch a Classic!

Enjoy legendary British actor Basil Rathbone in a nine-film lineup this morning and afternoon. The titles are largely mysteries or comedies, and mostly feature Rathbone — who could play a suave villain with the best of them — in an upstanding or at least neutral role, but with one notable sinister appearance. The day starts with four of the star’s earlier movies: The Bishop Murder Case (1929) — which casts Rathbone as private detective Philo Vance years before he would famously take on the role of an even more well-known fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes — followed by the 1930 comedies The Flirting Widow, The Lady of Scandal and Sin Takes a Holiday. After those are the drama Kind Lady (1935), the war film The Dawn Patrol (1938) and the mystery Fingers at the Window (1942), with Rathbone as a villainous character, before the lineup concludes with two of the actor’s memorable appearances as Holmes alongside Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson: The Woman in Green (1945) and Dressed to Kill (1946), the last of the 14 films in the series.

Music’s Greatest Mysteries
AXS TV, 8pm
Season Finale!

Season 2 concludes with an episode that tries to find out the true story behind Billy Ray Cyrus’ smash hit “Achy Breaky Heart”; who was responsible for Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction; and if Led Zeppelin really worshipped Satan.

The Masked Singer: “TV Theme Night”
FOX, 8pm

The new episode “TV Theme Night” is full of nostalgia as two new celebrity singers enter the competition and perform iconic theme songs from TV shows.

The Challenge: Untold History
MTV, 8pm
Season Finale!

The first ever documentary series from the Challenge franchise ends with the back-to-back episodes “Love Is Not a Game” and “Expect the Unexpected.” The episodes will share more stories about the untold history behind one of television’s most popular competition series. Competitors, producers, media analysts and famous fans talk about its conception, evolution and legacy.

Chicago Med: “Winning the Battle, but Still Losing the War”
NBC, 8pm

Charles (Oliver Platt) and Nellie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) clash over the treatment of a paranoid patient; Ethan (Brian Tee) treats a pregnant patient from Hannah’s (Jessy Schram) past; and Crockett (Dominic Rains) and Vanessa (Asjha Cooper) help a man who needs a risky neurosurgery.

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered
Oxygen, 8pm
Season Premiere!

Season 11 of this true-crime docuseries and Dateline spinoff covers more real-life mysteries. Each episode incorporates the classic elements of drama and great storytelling: good guys, bad guys, conflict with high stakes, suspense and resolution. NBC News’ Craig Melvin hosts.

Rivers of Life: “Danube”
PBS, 8pm

Explore Europe’s mighty and majestic Danube, the world’s most international river, and see some of its glorious riches and magical surprises, from stunning secret tributaries to baby turtles to a waterfall-riding kayaker.

Abbott Elementary: “Story Samurai”
ABC, 9pm

We all have a past — and in tonight’s installment of the A+ comedy, we find out what makes Abbott’s easily rattled history teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti) tick when a group called “The Story Samurais” arrives. Brought in to entertain the Philadelphia school’s student body, the Samurais are a traveling troupe that improvises plays based on the kids’ ideas. They also hold a special place in Jacob’s heart, since it’s revealed early in the episode that he is, as Perfetti explains, “a revered alum.” Typically tough Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) is stuck in uncomfortable territory when she’s suddenly teaching a combined second- and third-grade class. At least the Abbott children confine their troublemaking to when cameras are rolling — behind the scenes, they’re a grounding force. “Being surrounded by sometimes hundreds of rambunctious kids can either work in your favor or against you,” Perfetti says with a laugh. “I can be nervous about what I’m doing, but then a kid comes up to you and says they were supposed to have a line [in the show], which they absolutely are lying about. It’s adorable nonetheless.” Sounds like every student deserves a gold star this week!

The Real Love Boat
CBS, 9pm
New Series!

Inspired by the long-running scripted classic about vacationers aboard a luxury Princess Cruises ship, it’s full steam ahead on this new reality series. Here, however, we have the adventures of real-life singles brought together for a Mediterranean voyage in search of The One. Assuming they navigate the compatibility and chemistry challenges along the way, one lucky couple will win a cash bounty and the ultimate luxury Princess Cruise.

Kung Fu
The CW, 9pm
Season Premiere!

Season 3 of the martial arts action/adventure series and adaptation of the ’70s series picks up after fan-favorite and reformed baddie Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman) sacrificed herself to stop Russell Tan (Kee Chan) once and for all, helping Nicky (Olivia Liang) and Mia (Vanessa Yao) escape.

LEGO Masters: “Brickin’ Bull Ride Rodeo”
FOX, 9pm

Teams put their builds to a test of strength as they create characters that must ride a mechanical bull (and look good while doing it) in the new episode “Brickin’ Bull Ride Rodeo.”

Chicago Fire: “Completely Shattered”
NBC, 9pm

Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) recruits Carver (Brad Armacost), Capp (Randy Flagler) and Tony (Anthony Ferraris) to help prepare her new lieutenant’s quarters; Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Detective Pryma (Troy Winbush) reluctantly pair up to work a police investigation; and Firehouse 51 comes together to fight a movie theater fire.

Chucky
Syfy & USA Network, 9pm
Season Premiere!

The continuation of the iconic horror film franchise starring killer doll Chucky (voice of Brad Dourif) returns for Season 2. After his diabolical plot to invade America’s children’s hospitals was foiled last season, Chucky now seeks revenge on those he holds responsible: surviving teens Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind), along with his ex, Tiffany (voice of Jennifer Tilly), who is now Chucky’s sworn enemy.

Jay Leno’s Garage
CNBC, 10pm

The famous gearhead chats with Jamie Lee Curtis about her car history and takes ventriloquist Jeff Dunham for training on heavy-duty firefighting machinery.

Chicago P.D.: “A Good Man”
NBC, 10pm

The team investigates a string of brutal pharmacy robberies, and Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) connects with one of the victims about their Army careers. Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) suspects there is more to the story and confides in Voight (Jason Beghe).

PBS NewsHour: “Ricochet: An American Trauma”
PBS, 10pm

In this hourlong special, examine the United States’ gun violence crisis and the people it impacts with NewsHour correspondent William Brangham, who spotlights deeply personal stories from shooting victims and their loved ones, community leaders, gun owners and frontline health workers.

Thursday, Oct. 6

Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler
HBO Max
Season Premiere!

This DC original story follows Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon), a former British SAS soldier, who forms a security company in 1960s London and goes to work with young billionaire Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) and his wife Martha (Emma Paetz), before they become Bruce Wayne’s parents. Season 3 of the psychological thriller begins after a five-year time jump: the civil war is over, and a cultural revolution has changed the world for better or worse — ushering in a new age of superheroes and supervillains. The first three episodes are available today; new episodes are available Thursdays.

A Friend of the Family
Peacock
New Series!

This nine-episode true-crime drama is based on the harrowing story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (portrayed by Hendrix Yancey in her earlier years and by Mckenna Grace in her later years) was kidnapped and sexually assaulted multiple times during her early teen years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy and Colin Hanks also lead the cast. The real-life Jan Broberg and her mother, Mary Ann Broberg (who is portrayed by Paquin), are producers of the series. Jan explains that “This story will make you talk, shout, cry — and it will make you angry. Good. … Our story is relatable because so many families have direct experience with this sort of abuse. I hope that our story will start conversations — because secrets live in darkness and silence.” The first three episodes are available today; new episodes drop on Thursdays.

L’Opéra
Sundance Now
New Series!

This French drama (with English subtitles) is set at the world-renowned Paris Opera and follows three characters at various points in their lives and careers. Zoé (Ariane Labed), a 35-year-old principal dancer with a dazzling body of performances, has recently faltered after too many parties, lovers and anxieties. In danger of being laid off, she will have to come to terms with the institution, her peers and especially her own demons if she is to earn herself a second chance. Meanwhile, Flora (Suzy Bemba), a 19-year-old Black dancer, has just joined the company and has only a few months to carve out a place for herself and prove her mettle, while flamboyant and ambitious Sébastien (Raphaël Personnaz), 38, the new Director of Dance, wants to make the Paris Opera Ballet shine even brighter in the firmament of international dance. All eight episodes are available today.

TCM Birthday Tribute: Carole Lombard
TCM, beginning at 6:30am
Catch a Classic!

Iconic Hollywood golden age actress Jane Alice Peters, better known as Carole Lombard, was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on this date in 1908. While she was unfortunately lost at the young age of 33 after perishing in a Nevada plane crash on Jan. 16, 1942, her legacy is burned into the silver screen. Turner Classic Movies is celebrating Lombard’s birthday with a number of memorable films from her 21-year career this morning and afternoon, including a number of the screwball comedies with which she was largely associated. The lineup features, in order: the comedy Fools for Scandal (1938); Vigil in the Night (1940), a drama directed by George Stevens; In Name Only (1939), a romance costarring Cary Grant and Kay Francis; Swing High, Swing Low (1937), a comedy/drama also featuring Fred MacMurray; the comedy The Gay Bride (1934); Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941), a screwball comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock, of all people, costarring Robert Montgomery; the screwball comedy Nothing Sacred (1937), also starring Fredric March; and To Be or Not to Be (1942), director Ernst Lubitsch’s iconic dark comedy, which proved to be Lombard’s final film and was released about a month after her death.

Monster High: The Movie
Nickelodeon, 7pm; also streams on Paramount+
Original Film!

Based on the Monster High franchise, this new live-action movie musical follows half human/half werewolf Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris) as she starts at a new school, Monster High. Keeping her human half a secret, she must work to stop a devious plan that aims to destroy the school and reveal her true identity. Ceci Balagot and Nayah Damasen also star.

Station 19
ABC, 8pm
Season Premiere!

Season 6 of the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff set at a Seattle firehouse begins with many questions to answer, including whether Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz) will rejoin the station and work alongside her ex-husband Robert (Boris Kodjoe) now that her legal issues have been resolved. Janai Kaylani, Grey Damon and Danielle Savre also star.

Young Sheldon: “Future Worf and the Margarita of the South Pacific”
CBS, 8pm

In the new episode “Future Worf and the Margarita of the South Pacific,” Sheldon and Missy (Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord) try to help the family’s finances, and Mary (Zoe Perry) struggles to find her footing without the church.

Walker
The CW, 8pm
Season Premiere!

Season 3 of this Walker, Texas Ranger reboot will find Cordell’s (Jared Padalecki) past coming back to haunt him.

Hell’s Kitchen: “Just Wingin’ It”
FOX, 8pm

Both teams are put to the test as each contestant is challenged to make their best chicken wings in the new episode “Just Wingin’ It.”

Law & Order: “Vicious Cycle”
NBC, 8pm

When a fashion designer is killed, Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan) and Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) must track down a suspect with little evidence.

Ghosts: “Alberta’s Podcast”
CBS, 8:30pm

By the end of tonight’s episode of the comedy, haunted B&B owner Samantha (Rose McIver) will have recorded her inaugural podcast on the murder of Prohibition-era jazz singer Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) — and we’ll have our first suspect in the diva’s poisoning.

Grey’s Anatomy
ABC, 9pm
Season Premiere!

Season 19 of the long-running medical drama picks up with Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo, switching to a part-time role in the new season) trying to save Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after the departure of its chief of surgery, Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson). James Pickens Jr., Kim Raver, Camilla Luddington, Kevin McKidd, Harry Shum Jr. and Alexis Floyd also star.

So Help Me Todd: “Co-Pilot”
CBS, 9pm

In the new episode “Co-Pilot,” Margaret and Todd (Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin) work two seemingly unrelated cases, only to discover a key piece of information from Todd’s humorously boring civil case could help Margaret’s high-profile client.

Walker Independence
The CW, 9pm
New Series!

This prequel to Walker is set in the late 1800s and tells the story of Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara). After her husband is killed on their journey west from Boston, she enlists the help of an outlaw, Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), and an Apache tracker, Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez), to seek vengeance. The trio investigates the mysterious man who killed Abby’s husband, Tom Davidson (Greg Hovanessian), as they plot to bring him to justice.

Welcome to Flatch: “Blackout”
FOX, 9pm

In the new episode “Blackout,” a power outage during a heat wave in Flatch forces the citizens into the only place in town that has electricity: the church.

Waka & Tammy: What the Flocka
WE tv, 9pm
Season Finale!

Season 3 of this docuseries chronicling married life for Waka Flocka Flame and his wife Tammy Rivera comes to a close with “Divorce.” Waka and Tammy call it quits, and Tammy takes the girls to New Orleans. Meanwhile, Charlie finds her calling.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: “Mirror Effect”
NBC, 9pm

Benson (Mariska Hargitay) helps a pop star in a volatile relationship; Rollins (Kelli Giddish) takes the stress of work home with her.

Call Me Kat: “Call Me Skeeter Juice”
FOX, 9:30pm

Sheila (Swoosie Kurtz) refuses to renew her driver’s license, and Kat (Mayim Bialik) can’t figure out why in the new episode “Call Me Skeeter Juice.”

Alaska Daily
ABC, 10pm
New Series!

Series creator and executive producer Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) returns to the world of newsrooms and reporters in this hourlong drama. Academy Award winner Hilary Swank stars as Eileen Fitzgerald, a recently disgraced journalist who leaves her high-profile New York City life behind to join a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage, Alaska, on a journey to find both personal and professional redemption. Jeff Perry, Grace Dove, Matt Molloy, Meredith Holzman and Ami Park costar.

CSI: Vegas: “The Painted Man”
CBS, 10pm

When a creepy mannequin in a haunted house turns out to be an actual corpse, the team investigates. Meanwhile, the recently returned Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) joins forces with Josh Folsom (Matt Lauria) to help find her missing friend.

Law & Order: Organized Crime: “Catch Me if You Can”
NBC, 10pm

Stabler (Christopher Meloni), Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) and the task force scramble to track down a murderer before he takes desperate action.

Ghost Adventures: “Acadia Ranch Sanitorium”
Travel Channel, 10pm; also streams on discovery+

Zak Bagans and the crew go far off the beaten path in Arizona to investigate an abandoned sanatorium. Dozens of deaths, including the murder of a child, have left a heavy residue of pain and suffering on the building, making it a hotbed for aggressive poltergeist activity.

Friday, Oct. 7

Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show
Apple TV+
Season Premiere!

Star/cocreator Jack McBrayer’s kids series returns for Season 2, again offering examples of creativity, imagination, positive change and the ability to spread compassion.

Ghost Brothers: Lights Out
discovery+
Season Premiere!

Dalen Spratt, Juwan Mass and Marcus Harvey explore more haunted hotspots in Season 2 of their series. The first three hourlong episodes drop today; new episodes are available Fridays.

Haunted Scotland: “Culross Palace and Town”
discovery+

In the village of Culross, the epicenter for one of the worst witch hunts in European history, the team attempts to make contact with the tortured souls of the wrongfully accused to bring them peace and hold those responsible for such unspeakable cruelty to account.

Werewolf by Night
Disney+

Marvel Studios gets spooky in its first special, a live-action adaptation of Werewolf by Night, a character and title that was part of Marvel Comics’ supernatural/horror line of comics that began in the 1970s. Not too many details have been offered about what producer Kevin Feige describes as a “fun-scary” production, but an entertaining trailer for the special showed a tale about a secret cabal of monster hunters thrust into a mysterious competition to find a powerful relic, presented in the manner of a classic Universal monster movie, complete with being shot in black and white. There was even a quick glimpse of another Marvel horror character, Man-Thing, and there’s been speculation of maybe seeing cameos from Moon Knight, a character who debuted in a Werewolf by Night issue and was the focus of an Oscar Isaac-led Disney+ series earlier this year, or even vampire hunter Blade, who was also introduced to the Marvel Comics Universe in the ’70s in The Tomb of Dracula comics, and who is appearing in an upcoming MCU feature film, where he’ll be played by Mahershala Ali.

Hellraiser
Hulu
Original Film!

This year’s Huluween includes the return of Pinhead. David Bruckner (The Night House) directs this reimagining of Clive Barker’s 1987 horror classic. It follows a young woman struggling with addiction who comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension. Stars Jamie Clayton, Odessa A’zion, Adam Faison and Brandon Flynn.

Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes
Netflix
New Series!

Writer/director Joe Berlinger’s follow-up to his 2019 true-crime docuseries Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is this similarly themed three-part entry that explores the warped mind of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer through newly unearthed recorded interviews with his legal team, revealing the ways that approaches to race, sexuality, class and policing allowed him to prey upon Milwaukee’s marginalized communities.

Derry Girls
Netflix
Season Premiere!

The British family-centered teen sitcom based on creator Lisa McGee’s experiences growing up in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the 1990s returns for Season 3. While change may finally be coming to Northern Ireland, with hope in the air that “the Troubles” may be over, the high school hardships for Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and her friends show no signs of letting up.

Glitch
Netflix
New Series!

This mystery/thriller from South Korea tells the story of Hong Jihyo (Jeon Yeo-bin), who is aided by members of a UFO club as she attempts to track down her longtime boyfriend after he suddenly disappears. In the process, she comes face-to-face with a mysterious secret.

Luckiest Girl Alive
Netflix
Feature Film Exclusive!

Sharp-tongued New Yorker Ani FaNelli (Mila Kunis) appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of a shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life.

The Midnight Club
Netflix
New Series!

Mike Flanagan (Netflix’s The Haunting and Midnight Mass series) is a cocreator of this mystery/horror series based on Christopher Pike’s young adult novel. It follows a group of seven close, terminally ill young people who live in a hospice run by an enigmatic doctor. They meet at midnight each night to tell scary stories and make a pact that the first one to succumb to their disease is responsible for communicating with the others from beyond the grave. After one of them dies, bizarre occurrences begin.

The Redeem Team
Netflix

Using unprecedented Olympics footage and behind-the-scenes material, this film tells the story of the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team’s quest for gold at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, following the previous team’s shocking performance four years earlier in Athens. The documentary offers a fascinating portrait of team-building and features insightful interviews with athletes and coaches, including Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Mike Krzyzewski, who reflect on how the “Redeem Team” set a new standard for American basketball.

Significant Other
Paramount+
Original Film!

Maika Monroe and Jake Lacy lead this thriller as a young couple who take a remote backpacking trip through the Pacific Northwest. But things take a dark turn when they realize they may not be alone.

Catherine Called Birdy
Prime Video
Feature Film Exclusive!

Lena Dunham wrote and directed this adaptation of Karen Cushman’s novel, a comedy set in the year 1290 that follows Lady Catherine (aka Birdy), a 14-year-old girl who is the youngest child of a noble family that has seen better days. The spirited, clever and adventurous Birdy (Bella Ramsey) navigates through life while avoiding the potential suitors that her father (Andrew Scott), who sees marrying her off as his path out of financial ruin, has in mind for her. Billie Piper also stars.

MLB Playoffs: AL & NL Wild Card Series
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, beginning at 12pm Live

Major League Baseball’s expanded 12-team playoffs open with the best-of-three-game Wild Card Series, in which each league’s No. 3 seed faces the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed faces the No. 5 seed. Games take place at the higher seed’s home park. The matchups are the Philadelphia Phillies at the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres at the N.Y. Mets, the Tampa Bay Rays at the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners at the Toronto Blue Jays.

S.W.A.T.
CBS, 8pm
Season Premiere!

During a trip to Bangkok to train alongside Thailand’s premier S.W.A.T. team, Hondo (Shemar Moore) and his former military buddy, Joe (guest star Sean Maguire), find themselves on the run from a powerful drug kingpin after they stumble upon a wide-ranging heroin operation in the season premiere “Thai Hard.”

iHeartRadio Music Festival Night 1
The CW, 8pm

Ryan Seacrest hosts this star-studded music festival recorded over two days in September at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and featuring performances from Avril Lavigne, LL Cool J, Halsey, Lionel Richie, Black Eyed Peas, Megan Thee Stallion and many more. A second night of performances airs tomorrow.

Gold Rush: “Searching for Rick Ness”
Discovery Channel, 8pm

Parker gets devastating news and faces off with the biggest landowner in Alaska.

Secrets at the Inn
LMN, 8pm

This mysterious thriller with a surprise twist tells the story of a woman who assumes responsibility for her niece after her estranged sister dies renovating a historic inn. As strange things begin to happen at the inn, she questions everyone around her — from her troubled niece to a handsome contractor to her niece’s mischievous boyfriend. This U.S. premiere movie stars Tamara Almeida, Spencer Macpherson, Zoë Belkin and Luke Humphrey.

Capital One College Bowl: “Quarterfinals 2”
NBC, 8pm

Twelve universities have advanced from the qualifier round. The quarterfinals continue with Penn State combating Oklahoma, and Duke battling Syracuse.

The Lincoln Project
Showtime, 8pm
New Series!

Directed by Fisher Stevens (Dirty Money) and Karim Amer (The Vow), this five-part docuseries follows a veteran group of former GOP operatives and strategists known publicly as the Lincoln Project, the fastest-growing super PAC in America, as they take on the task of “saving democracy” and defeating their own party’s sitting president.

Pakula ’70s Paranoia Trilogy
TCM, beginning at 8pm
Catch a Classic!

If you’re someone who occasionally thinks that people are out to get you, don’t worry; a 1970s conspiracy thriller is here to assure you that you’re not necessarily insane and that you might actually have reason to be afraid. Three notable entries of the sort from that decade directed by Alan J. Pakula are particularly good at ramping up paranoid feelings in not just their characters, but in viewers as well. All three of those titles in Pakula’s so-called “Paranoia Trilogy” are airing tonight on Turner Classic Movies, beginning with the Best Picture Oscar-nominated political thriller All the President’s Men (1976), a dramatized look at how Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) uncovered the details of the Nixon administration’s Watergate scandal. The film earned Pakula a Best Director nomination. Another political thriller, The Parallax View (1974), is next. It follows a reporter (Warren Beatty) who gets in way over his head while investigating a senator’s assassination, with his trail leading to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation that is behind every event in the world’s headlines. Finally, the crime thriller Klute (1971) finds a small-town detective (Donald Sutherland) searching for a missing man, and coming upon only one lead: a connection between the missing and a New York City prostitute (Best Actress Oscar winner Jane Fonda).

Fire Country
CBS, 9pm
New Series!

Max Thieriot stars as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining an unconventional prison release firefighting program in Northern California. Bode and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. The heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where all his troubles began.

Blue Bloods
CBS, 10pm
Season Premiere!

The family cop drama begins Season 13 with “Keeping the Faith,” in which Eddie and Jamie (Vanessa Ray and Will Estes) find themselves in a dangerous situation when they work on a domestic violence case that has ties to an investigation led by Danny and Baez (Donnie Wahlberg and Marisa Ramirez).

Eli Roth Presents: My Possessed Pet: “Master of the House”
Travel Channel, 10pm; also streams on discovery+

A bachelor adopts a dog, Sam, to keep him company in his new home. But when an evil spirit takes hold of the beloved pet, the roles are reversed, and Sam eventually becomes the master of the house — and of the man.

The Graham Norton Show
BBC America, 11pm
Season Premiere!

The chat show returns for its 30th round. Will guests be back on the pre-COVID sofa or still in the distanced chairs? Suspense!

Saturday, Oct. 8

College Football
ABC & NBC, beginning at 12pm Live

The Red River Showdown rivalry game between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners takes place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on ABC. In primetime on NBC, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish face the BYU Cougars in a Shamrock Series matchup at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Pumpkin Everything
Hallmark Channel, 8pm
Original Film!

A novelist returns to her hometown to look after her stubborn grandfather and his pumpkin-themed store. While there, she crosses paths with a man from her past. Stars Taylor Cole, Michael Ironside and Corey Sevier.

Cursed Friends
Comedy Central, 8pm
Original Film!

After a drunken reunion, four childhood friends wake up on Halloween to realize that a predict-your-future game of M.A.S.H. (Mansion Apartment Shack House) that they played in 2002 is starting to come true for them in hilarious and disturbing ways. They must band together to help each other escape the wild fates that have turned their lives upside down — from having 100 kids with the hometown loser, to leading a cult, to marrying NSYNC’s Joey Fatone. The ensemble cast features Nicole Byer, Jessica Lowe, Harvey Guillén, Andrew Lewis Caldwell, James Austin Johnson, Nikki Glaser, Kathy Griffin, Nicole Richie, Ken Marino, and Rob Riggle.

The Disappearance of Cari Farver
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!

In this film based on a true story and the subject of Leslie Rule’s bestselling true-crime book A Tangled Web, Dave Kroupa (Zach Gilford) is shocked when his new girlfriend, Cari Farver (Rebecca Amzallag), starts sending him demanding texts. When Dave ends the relationship, he finds himself on the receiving end of an onslaught of twisted messages from Cari, who has abruptly disappeared. Dave’s ex-girlfriend, Liz (Alicia Witt), also begins receiving harassing texts from Cari, resulting in a dangerous situation for them both. Meanwhile, Cari’s mother Nancy (Lea Thompson) continually searches for her, keeping the pressure on the police, who eventually make a shocking discovery.

Svengoolie: “It! The Terror From Beyond Space”
MeTV, 8pm

Horror movie host Svengoolie’s creature feature tonight is 1958’s It! The Terror From Beyond Space. Predating the similarly themed (and much more highly budgeted) 1979 classic Alien by over 20 years, this fun B-movie finds the first manned expedition to Mars invaded by an unknown, and murderous, life-form that stows away on a rescue ship.

Cold Justice: The Key to the Crime, Part 2
Oxygen, 8pm
Season Finale!

Season 6 of this true-crime docuseries from executive producer Dick Wolf wraps up with “The Key to the Crime.” In Part 2 of their 100th case, the Cold Justice team continue their investigation into the murder of a popular 18-year-old college student. Will they be able to finally give answers and justice to her grieving family?

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

A few more cinematic robot stars are on hand as Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Saturday night salute to the greatest metal men and women of the big screen continues with another double feature. It begins with the iconic sci-fi production The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), in which an alien named Klaatu (Michael Rennie) arrives on Earth to tell humanity that they must start living peacefully or they will be seen as a danger to other planets, and destroyed. Klaatu is accompanied by the silent robot Gort, who can follow verbal commands including the film’s famous line, “Klaatu barada nikto.” Up next is Westworld (1973), which is based on Michael Crichton’s novel and takes place in a futuristic Western-themed amusement park where lifelike androids help visitors live out various fantasies. Unfortunately, these robots, including the Gunslinger portrayed by Yul Brynner, begin to malfunction and attempt to kill the tourists.

Critter Fixers: Country Vets
Nat Geo Wild, 9pm
Season Premiere!

Georgia veterinarians Vernard Hodges and Terrence Ferguson use heart and humor to treat a ferret with a fractured pelvis, a goose with something lodged in its trachea and a dog that has swallowed a pair of unmentionables.

Bring It On: Cheer or Die
Syfy, 9pm
Original Film!

A cheer squad’s plan to have a secret practice at a nearby abandoned school on Halloween takes a terrifying turn when their teammates begin disappearing one by one. Stars Kerri Medders (Panic, SEAL Team) and Tiera Skovbye (Riverdale).

Ghost Hunters: “Bound by Blood”
Travel Channel, 9pm; also streams on discovery+

TAPS checks out the frightening paranormal events inundating Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. With the help of former Olympic ice skater Johnny Weir, the team dives deep into the space of this former church that stands on land bloodied by Revolutionary War violence.

The Waiting Room
BET Her, beginning at 10pm
Season Premiere!

This series that spotlights short films about Black women facing a variety of issues returns for its fourth season in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with two half-hour dramas airing tonight. “Oh Baby Baby!” is directed by Tichina Arnold and focuses on a high-fashion entrepreneur (Edwina Findley) who is trying to conceive a child when she gets blindsided by developing breast cancer from IVF estrogen treatment. “The Pink Fight,” directed by LisaRaye McCoy, revolves around a boxer who is diagnosed with breast cancer, and follows her as she and her wife fight for survival both in and out of the ring.

NFL Icons: “Ray Lewis”
EPIX, 10pm

Ray Lewis, the NFL’s all-time leading tackler, shares stories of turning personal pain into the fuel for a Hall of Fame career. He also looks back at his college career at Miami, and his role in establishing the identity of the Baltimore Ravens through two Super Bowl victories.

Conjuring Kesha: “Songs for the Dead”
Travel Channel, 10pm

Pop star Betty Who joins Kesha on a quest to unravel the mysteries of Tennessee’s Antoinette Hall, one of America’s oldest and most haunted opera houses.

Austin City Limits: “Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks”
PBS, 11pm

Alt-pop band Japanese Breakfast and British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks perform.

Saturday Night Live: “Brendan Gleeson/Willow”
NBC, 11:30pm Live; also livestreams on Peacock

Actor Brendan Gleeson, who stars in the black comedy/drama feature film The Banshees of Inisherin, in theaters Oct. 21, makes his SNL hosting debut. Also making her debut tonight, as musical guest, is singer-songwriter Willow, whose fifth album, Coping Mechanism, dropped yesterday.