1) “The Simpsons,” 8 pm., Fox. Once a year, “Treehouse of Horror” offers tales that are sometimes witty, sometimes gory, always wonderfully bizarre. Now – a week later than usual – we get a new batch. The first two are fairly good and a bit gruesome: Marge plunges into the game universe (shown here) to save Bart; Lisa solves a crime. The third one is the real gem, offering a world full of Homer-ic people. Read more…
1) Country Music Association awards, 8-11 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. A tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett will be performed by his friends – Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson (shown here with Buffett), Mac McAnally and the Zac Brown Band. Morgan Wallen will do a country medley with Hardy and Post Malone, then return with a surprise guest. Also performing: Luke Bryan (who hosts with Peyton Manning), Kelsea Ballerini, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, Ashley McBride and more. Read more…
1) “Planet Earth III” opener, 8-9:09 p.m., BBC America. At 31, David Attenborough led a TV voyage to Raine Island (shown here), a 79-acre speck near Australia that is vital to green turtles. Now, 66 years later, the opener of this eight-week series (which he narrates) includes a returns to Raine. That’s in an episode filled with great footage and smart narration. Previous “Planet Earth” episodes rerun all day. Read more…
1) “Great Performances,” 9 p.m., PBS. Kate Prince is a gifted choreographer, creating vibrant blends of hip hop and other contemporary dance styles. Now she’s crafted a show (shown here), backed by the music of Sting. The story tells of a family that must flee its country, then finds pain and joy as refugees. Backed by such songs as “Roxanne” and “Every Breath You Take,” the result is emotional and involving Read more…
After the “Friends” pilot was finished, the producers took the six stars out for separate lunches. For Matthew Perry (shown here, middle), that turned out to be prescient.
“I remember telling them I had just been on a date the previous night,” Perry recalled in “Friends ,,, ‘Til the End” (TimeInc, 2004). “I got home, I called my friend and he said, ‘How did the date go?’
“And I said, ‘I’m going to die alone.’”
That was a funny line at the time … one that his character (Chandler Bing) soon said. Later, it became too true: Perry did apparently died alone, in his hot tub Oct. 28, at 54. He had never married. Read more…
1) “SEAL Team” return, 10 p.m., CBS. After years on CBS, this show slid over to the Paramount+ streamer. It aired the first four episodes of the fifth season on CBS, then made the jump. Now it’s back, filling a strike-time void. It starts with the two-parter that opened that fifth season: The crew members (including David Boreanaz, shown here, center, in a previous episode) get at-home time, starts a “training exercise” … and learn it’s a real (and dangerous) rescue mission. Read more…
For fans of the late Matthew Perry, there are plenty of ways to watch his “Friends” episodes this week.
They can catch them early in the morning on one cable channel (TBS) or late at night on another (Nickelodeon). Or they can catch them any time on Max.
Perry (shown here, second from left) died Saturday at 54, bringing a flood of praise for his work … and fresh interest in seeing it.
The easiest way is on Max, which spent a fortune for streaming rights to all 10 seasons … then added a much-praised reunion special with the six stars. In addition, however, two cable channels stepped in, Read more…
1) “Quantum Leap,” 8 p.m., NBC. For Raymond Lee (shown here, center), this is a leap into fairly familiar turf. Lee (who has Korean roots) plays Ben, forever leaping into different bodies; now he’s in a young Korean-American. It’s April 29, 1992, the day of battles between Korean merchants and Blacks who were angered by a not-guilty verdict for the Los Angeles police who beat Rodney King. This hour gets way too talky, but does deliver emotional impact. Read more…
1) “The Swarm” season-finale, 9 p.m., CW. The first seven episodes –slow, but solidly crafted – have had the seas churning. Whales attacked; crabs marched ashore. Secret drilling on the ocean floor may have unleashed a creature; last week, scientists arrived by ship to see. One tried to communicate; another tried a mini-sub mission. Now something has infiltrated the ship and one person is in a coma. Charlie (the talented Leonie Benesch,shown here) faces a lonely decision. Read more…
Two movies – the kind we’re supposed to see in theaters – reach our TV sets this coming week.
Each was directed by its star. Each is sort of a “part three,” filmed in interesting corners of Europe. Neither is anywhere near as good as the first … but yes, they’re still worth watching.
On Tuesday – in time for one last Halloween scare – “A Haunting in Venice” (shown here), Kenneth Branagh’s third Hercule Poirot film, reaches Hulu. Then on Friday, Peacock has “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.”
In many ways, these two are opposites – one dark and foreboding, the other quite cheery. Here are looks at both: Read more…
