Night owl? Peep what’s on late-night TV this week.
New on TV this week
Have you seen Hulu’s high-school workplace comedy English Teacher yet? If not, check out CableTV.com’s Binge or Cringe series, where we get a bit more in-depth as to whether you should give the show a shot. While you’re there, you can consult other Binge or Cringe columns on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Netflix’s The Perfect Couple.
This week’s What To Watch picks include the 21st season of American Dad!, kids picking presidents, the JB Smoove-hosted competition reality show Buy It Now, documentaries about killer doll Chucky and famed composer John Williams, an animated series about a little girl who wants to wrestle, and two Spanish-language series—the thriller You Would Do It Too and the romance Like Water for Chocolate. ¡Mucha televisión!
New on TBS this week
American Dad! | TBS | Adult animation, comedy
Season 21 premiere, Monday, October 28: Good morning, USA! Mega-patriot and CIA agent Stan Smith returns with his family and their pets (alien Roger and goldfish Klaus) for the animated series’ 21st season. In episodes teased by TBS, we’ll see the Smith fam try to climb Mount Everest, visit the reopened Langley Falls boardwalk, nurse Roger through a mysterious illness, and face a Klaus impostor. Watch Trailer
Are you TV obsessed like us? Check out our Fall TV Preview guide for all this season’s upcoming premieres.
New on Nickelodeon this week
Kids Pick the President 2024 | Nickelodeon, Paramount+ | Educational, reality
Special, Monday, October 28: The battle between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump is only the most consequential election of our lifetime—why not leave it up to children? Just kidding joking, folks. In advance of the 2024 installment of Nickelodeon’s long-running special, kids learn about the American electoral process and vote for their favorite candidate. Then, we all learn the obviously non-binding result when the special airs—just over a week before discovering the real-world results. Learn more
Click on your favorite streaming service below to see new releases and classic recommendations from our TV critics.
New on Apple TV+ this week
You Would Do It Too | Apple TV+ | Thriller
Series premiere, Wednesday, October 30: In the Spanish-language You Would Do It Too (aka Tú también lo harías), three crooks die after trying to rob a bus. Now, a pair of detectives, also former romantic partners, must race the clock to solve the crime—but their six witnesses all tell inconsistent stories, complicating the detectives’ race to the truth. You Would Do It Too stars Ana Polvorosa (Cable Girls), Michelle Jenner (Berlin), Pablo Molinero (The Plague) and José Manuel Poga (Money Heist). Apple TV+ drops the first two (of eight) episodes Wednesday and new episodes weekly after that. Watch Trailer
New on Prime Video this week
Buy It Now | Prime Video | Reality, game show
Premiere, Wednesday, October 30: JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm) hosts this competition reality show where entrepreneurs have 90 seconds to introduce their product to 100 potential customers. If the group likes their pitch, the contestants get a chance to sell their product to Amazon executives and celebrity panelists. Impressing the panel means the entrepreneurs may win $20,000, and their product could land on Amazon’s Buy It Now Store. Then come the Chinese knockoffs (probably). Watch Trailer
Want more new TV shows?
New on Shudder this week
Doc of Chucky | Shudder | Documentary, horror
Premiere, Friday, November 1: If you’re bummed about the Chucky TV series cancellation, here’s a pacifier for ya: A nearly five-hour documentary about the cherubic, potty-mouthed killer doll and his legacy. To tell the story of cinema’s most adorable murder toy, director Tommy Hutson interviews cast and crew members, film critics, experts, and historians while also mixing in film clips, photographs, archival documents, and behind-the-scenes footage. A Shudder original. Watch Trailer
New on Disney+ this week
Music by John Williams | Disney+ | Documentary, music
Premiere, Friday, November 1: Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones— it would be too easy to list more iconic films and film series scored by John Williams since 1954. We could do likewise with the nonagenarian maestro’s many accolades, which include 26 Grammys, five Oscars, three Emmys, four Golden Globes, and seven BAFTAs. The list of film industry luminaries who sing the composer’s praises in this documentary is also long and impressive, topped by names like Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and Branford Marsalis. And this is all just a portion of William’s long and storied career. Funny that Music by John Williams is much shorter than Doc of Chucky. Go figure. Watch Trailer
Looking for your next binge-watch?
New on Adult Swim this week
Invincible Fight Girl | Adult Swim, Max | Documentary, music
Series premiere, Saturday, November 2: Andy (Sydney Mikayla), wants what every young girl desires: to be a professional wrestler. To that end, Andy ventures into Wrestling World to achieve her dream, assembling a team of supporters—and battling odd, evil heels—along the way. The first two half-hour episodes of Invincible Fight Girl premieres on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim tonight and stream on Max the following day. New episodes release weekly on Saturdays through the end of the season. Watch Trailer
New on Max this week
Like Water for Chocolate | Max | Drama, romance
Series premiere, Sunday, November 3: Laura Esquivel’s 1989 novel is about a young Mexican woman who despite being in love is forced by tradition to remain unmarried and can only express herself through cooking. Alfonso Arau adapted the book in 1992 to rave reviews, but you know how adaptations go. The book is almost always better, mainly because the film can’t fit everything. Esquivel’s book isn’t long (around 250 pages), so we’re not sure what Arau could have missed. That said, we’re eager to see how Esquivel’s story adapts to the smaller screen with room for the story to breathe. The film also airs live on HBO Latino. Watch Trailer
TV Tan Podcast
Bill Frost and Tommy Milagro serve up TV news, reviews, and cocktails every week—at 500+ episodes over 10 years, it’s the longest-running television podcast ever (confirmation pending). Subscribe to TV Tan Podcast now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, Amazon Podcasts, Audible, or your favorite podcast app. [NFSW]
New movie releases available to rent/buy on VOD this week
Cellar Door (2024)
A couple (Jordana Brewster and Scott Speedman) is devastated after a miscarriage and looks to start anew. They receive a too-good-to-be-true offer from a stranger (Laurence Fishburne): The couple can have his fabulous house for free, but only if they promise never to open the titular portal. Yes, this does sound a lot like Albert Corredor’s Baghead and other films with “on one condition” or “what’s inside?” plots. Call me a sucker, but I’m dying to know what horrors Fishburne’s character has buried or stashed or trapped down there. Watch Trailer
- The American Question (October 29)
- Citizen Weiner (October 29)
- The Critic (October 29)
- Joker: Folie á Deux (October 29)
- Amityville: Where the Echo Lives (October 29)
- 72 Hours (November 1)
- Cellar Door (November 1)
- Dreama Team (November 1)
- The Gutter (November 1)
- He Sees You When You’re Sleeping (November 1)
- I Like Movies (November 1)
- Stealing Jokes (November 1)
