What To Watch This Week: Stream Our Top 6 TV and Movie Picks (Oct. 26–Nov. 1)

This week’s “What To Watch” picks include the documentary “SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of” (Netflix), the premiere of the drama “Nocturne” (Apple TV), the sophomore season of “Dexter: Resurrection” (Paramount+), and the pizza parlor sitcom “Minimum Wage” (also Netflix). I’m also pluggin’ the new Netflix special from comedian Zainab Johnson.

And if you feel like renting a movie this week, may I suggest “Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers,” which comes to video-on-demand retailers this Friday? Let’s hit the couch!

“Minimum Wage” | Netflix | Comedy

Series premiere, Monday, Oct. 26: From Jeremy Garelick (“The Break-Up,” “The Hangover”, “Rolling Loud”), this mockumentary series follows seven teenagers toiling for the titular wage at a pizza parlor. The cast is composed mostly of alums from Garelick’s 4.5 million-subscriber American High Shorts channel on YouTube, where you can watch some hilarious older “Minimum Wage” shorts now. Netflix is adding the 28-episode first season in two drops, so you can binge the first 14 (12.5-minute) eps today.

“Zainab Johnson: Toxically Optimistic” | Netflix | Stand-up comedy

Special, Tuesday, Oct. 27: Comic, actress (see Prime Video’s “Upload”), and podcast host Zainab Johnson’s fourth stand-up special is the first produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground. Great. So what’s it about? I haven’t seen a ton of information about it — not even a trailer — but “Deadline” reports, “it finds [Johnson] mining life’s setbacks, absurdities and contradictions through the lens of her unapologetically optimistic worldview.” Johnson explains, “I gave myself permission to be silly by inviting the audience to focus on the good during a time when chaos and fear are at an all time high. I encourage everyone to find a little whimsy in the most unexpected situations.” You know, that sounds pretty good right now.

(Since there’s no trailer for “Toxically Optimistic” yet, I’ve linked you to the trailer for Johnson’s last special, “Hijabs Off,” which airs on Prime Video.)

“Dexter: Resurrection” | Paramount+ | Drama

Season 2 premiere, Friday, Oct. 30: It’s time for another season of blood spatter and complicated matters, with vigilante serial killer/ex-forensic professional Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) taking on a mostly new slate of predatory killers (including one played by Brian Cox) while detective Joey Quinn (Desmond Harrington) is hot on his heels. Bokeem Woodbine, Dan Stevens, and more join the cast for this season, which will drop in weekly installments starting tonight.

“Nocturne” | Apple TV | Drama

Series premiere, Wednesday, Oct. 28: Adapted from the novels of pseudonymous authors (yes, plural) Lars Kepler, this drama follows Jonah Lynn (Liev Schrieber), a soldier-turned-detective trying to settle down in small-town Pennsylvania. Standing in his way is a shrewd serial killer (Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”), who threatens not only Jonah’s family, but the entire town. Apple TV’s givin’ us two episodes today, then four more weekly through Nov. 27.

“SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of” | Netflix | Documentary

Movie, Friday, Oct. 30: As “SNL” was having its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a Canadian sketch comedy show was playing a hilarious second banana. Well, “second banana” kinda sells SCTV short. It may not have been as popular as its US-based peer, with fewer legendary sketches and stars — but SCTV had jokes, and was stacked with talent. Stars like John Candy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, and more came outta Second City and this documentary will enlighten you as to just how much of an impact the show had on American (nay, global) popular culture.

Wanna watch “Nocturne”? You can do that with Apple TV ($14.99/mo.) with a subscription.

Three of my picks for this week — including “Minimum Wage” and the SCTV documentary — are on Netflix. Sign up for a subscription ($8.99–$26.99/mo.) so you can watch them all.

The only way to watch Season 2 of “Dexter: Resurrection” is on Paramount+ ($8.99–$13.99/mo.$8.99–$13.99/mo.).