What To Watch This Week: Stream Our Top 7 TV and Movie Picks (Oct. 5–11)

This week’s “What To Watch” picks include the horror anthology “V/H/S/Mixtape” (Shudder), the sea-creature feature “Below” (Netflix), a TV series adaptation of Stephen King’s “Carrie” (Prime Video), and the British comedy “Small Prophets” (Apple TV).

I’m also recommending the sixth season of “Abbott Elementary” (ABC, Hulu) and a “Treasure Island” series (MGM+).

Finally, if you feel like renting a movie this week, may I suggest the documentary “Black Zombie,” which comes to video-on-demand retailers this Tuesday? Let’s hit the couch!

“Abbott Elementary” | ABC, Hulu | Comedy

Season 6 premiere, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET: ABC’s Emmy-winning mockumentary series returns for its sixth season, kicking off another hilarious school year at Philadelphia’s favorite underfunded public school. Optimistic second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) is facing her biggest hurdles yet, including temporary relocation chaos at an abandoned mall, and a surprise faculty shakeup where a new teacher threatens Miss Teague’s status as Barbara’s (Sheryl Lee Ralph) prized mentee — while also navigating her relationship with Gregory (Tyler James Williams). New episodes air live on ABC and stream on Hulu the next day.

“Carrie” | Prime Video | Drama, horror

Series premiere, Wednesday, Oct. 7: Filmmaker and frequent Stephen King adaptor Mike Flanagan (“Gerald’s Game,” “Doctor Sleep”) adapts one of the King of Horror’s best-known works into a series. Adapts, expands, and updates, I should say, since Flanagan’s bringing Carrie White into the social media age. After her father’s death, Carrie (Summer H. Howell, “Night of the Reaper”) is forced to attend public school, where she becomes the target of bullies and her staunchly conservative helicopter of a mother — while also developing dangerous telekinetic powers. The entire eight-episode series drops on Prime Video today.

“Small Prophets” | Apple TV | Comedy, drama

Series premiere, Wednesday, Oct. 7: In this well-reviewed British series that debuted across the pond in February, Pearce Quigley (“The Gentlemen”) plays regular guy Michael Sleep. Michael misses his love, Clea, who disappeared seven years ago. One day, his father Brian (Monty Python’s Sir Michael Palin) passes on a strange, special recipe. Cautiously, Michael uses it to create clairvoyant homunculi that may give him hope to find Clea. This, while Michael’s busybody neighbors spy on his mysterious activities. The first two episodes stream today, with four more coming weekly thereafter.

“Below” | Netflix | Drama

Limited series premiere, Thursday, Oct. 8: Josh Hartnett leads the cast in this six-part creature feature/thriller miniseries, where a sinister sea monster threatens a Newfoundland village and its fishing industry. Hartnett plays the fisherman trying to protect his family from the threat, teaming up with a marine researcher (Mackenzie Davis, “Halt and Catch Fire”) and his estranged son (Calvin Heaton, “Stranger Things”). This is a binge-drop, so you can watch every episode starting today.

“V/H/S/Mixtape” | Shudder | Horror anthology

Movie, Friday, Oct. 9: Found-footage terror hits a bloody awesome new frequency in “V/H/S/Mixtape,” the ninth chapter in Shudder’s cult-favorite horror anthology franchise. The theme this time is the deadly nexus or music/sound and analog horror. The directors delivering these twisted shorts include cinematic heavyweight Ernest Dickerson (“Tales from the Crypt Presents: “Demon Knight”) , hip-hop icon RZA, beatsmith Flying Lotus (“Kuso”), “MadS” director David Moreau, animator Renee Zhan, and Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge in his directorial debut. Look for special appearances by theatrical shock-rockers GWAR and eerie practical monstrosities built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

“Treasure Island” | MGM+ | Drama

Limited series premiere, Sunday, Oct. 11: Avast, me hearties! Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate classic, like Stephen King’s “Carrie” above, is getting yet another adaption — this time as a six-part series. The show follows teenager Jim Hawkins (Tom Sweet) and his clever, fierce mother Bess (Hayley Atwell) after they acquire Captain Flint’s storied treasure map and light out in search of riches. David Oyelowo also stars as Long John Silver. New episodes start tonight and continue in weekly drops through mid-November.

Subscribe to Apple TV ($14.99/mo.) so you can watch “Small Prophets.” You can also rent movies like “Black Zombie” on demand from the service — no subscription needed.

If you have Hulu ($12.49–$21.49/mo.), you can stream “Abbott Elementary” the day after it airs live on ABC.

Sign up for Hulu Live ($88.99–$99.99/mo.) and you’ll get ABC so you can watch “Abbott Elementary” live and stream it the next day.

To watch the “Treasure Island” series, you’ll need an MGM+ subscription ($7.99/mo.).

You’ll need a Netflix subscription ($8.99–$26.99/mo.) to watch “Below.”

Interested in watching the latest V/H/S movie on Shudder? Subscribe for only ($7.99–$9.99/mo.).

YouTube TV ($82.99/mo.) has ABC so you can watch Season 6 of “Abbott Elementary” live.