Innholdsfortegnelse for August 29, 2022 i TV Guide Magazine

“Accept no substitutes!” You’ve probably heard that famous advertising line in any number of TV commercials and read it in umpteen print ads. We could say the same about the issue you’re reading right now! TV GUIDE MAGAZINE’s Fall Preview has been one of the most eagerly awaited magazine issues since 1953, when TV GUIDE first hit the national newsstands as the No. 1 source for television programming. Many other outlets, from magazines to entertainment shows to websites, have imitated us over the years, but we are still the real deal—authoritative and reliable. We take 70TH ANNUAL Sam Heughan Jimmy Smits Mayim Bialik Weird Al Norman Lear the responsibility of informing our readers about new and returning shows seriously, and proudly. Our writers and editors value original reporting, going to…

The “altogether ooky” Addams Family will be back in your brain faster than you can go “Nah-na-na-na snap-snap!” In this eight-episode series from the legendarily dark mind of Tim Burton (shot in Romania), 16-year-old Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) works to solve a supernatural murder mystery tied to her spooky fam. After being expelled from another school, “Wednesday’s going to Nevermore Academy,” says exec producer Al Gough—where her deeply-in-love parents, Morticia and Gomez (Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán), met. But Wednesday isn’t there to make friends; she hopes her pal, the disembodied hand Thing (Victor Dorobantu), can help her point out a killer. Along the way, she contends with bubbly roommate Enid (Emma Myers), antagonist principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie, with an “amazing Hitchcock-esque look,” teases EP Miles Millar) and a secret…

Vampire Academy Premieres Thursday, Sept. 15, Peacock Source Material: Richelle Mead’s YA series of the same name. Why We’re Thirsty for It: Aside from steamy romances like the one between guardian Rose (Sisi Stringer) and her disciplined trainer, Dimitri (Kieron Moore, above), it’s also adapted by the queen of teen paranormal dramas, Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries, Legacies). Reginald the Vampire Premieres Wednesday, Oct. 5, 10/9c, Syfy Source Material: The comedic six-book Fat Vampire series from Johnny B. Truant. Why We’re Thirsty for It: In a world of vampire shows, sometimes you just want to laugh! You’ll get that with this Syfy series starring the Spider-Man franchise’s Jacob Batalon (above) as vampire Reginald. “He may not be the typical hero of the story,” Batalon notes. Let the Right One In…

“I can’t help you if I’m dead!” So argues Jax Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi), a brilliant, ethically flexible L.A. defense attorney who’s tied up and threatened by an unknown assailant in the opening scene of this steamy legal drama exec produced by Kerry Washington. An unseen gunshot cues a flashback to six months earlier, as Jax juggles cases, a fraying marriage, motherhood and sexual temptations. “Who has Jax, and what did she do to get into that situation?” asks show creator Raamla Mohamed. The list of suspects won’t stop at former and current clients (Michael Ealy and Sean Patrick Thomas). “There are a lot of options!”…

Empathetic, exasperating and oh-so-eager, the character of Simone Clark—the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy—was thoroughly entertaining when we met her last spring on a Rookie two-parter. Now Niecy Nash-Betts brings the former guidance counselor, mom of twins and out-of-the-box thinker to her own spinoff. “She’s still allergic to listening. She feels like there is more than one way to get a job done,” the actress notes. “There’s the FBI way and the Simone Clark way. She feels like, ‘Not that I’m trying to buck the system, but why would we do that when we could just simply do this?’” Will the Bureau ever be the same? Nash-Betts tells us more. This role seems like it was penned just for you. How comfortable are you in Simone’s shoes? Man, I…

Here’s the headline: “Big City Reporter Writes Own Ticket to Alaska Amid Scandal.” That’s the start of the action in this compelling series from Spotlight director Tom McCarthy. NYC journalist Eileen Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) relocates way out West when an issue involving a source lands her in hot water, and begins to find her way back through a story about a Native Alaskan’s death, which may be homicide. McCarthy says that unlike Spotlight—the Best Picture winner about the Boston Globe’s deep dive into sex abuse allegations—Alaska Daily looks into what drives reporters. “I hope to inspire an appreciation for the work they do,” he explains. He found the perfect collaborator in two-time Oscar winner Swank: “There is something in her DNA…. She can be incredibly unapologetic in her work.” Alaska…

If any TV genre is ripe for rib-tickling satire, it’s the ubiquitous reboot. The inspiration for series creator Steven Levitan (Modern Family) was ABC’s Roseanne reboot (now The Conners) firing its star: “That’s the show I want to see—what’s going on on that set?” In Reboot, a cheesy family sitcom from 20 years ago is revived—for Hulu, poking fun at itself—with its delusional cast (including ace performers Keegan-Michael Key, Judy Greer and Johnny Knoxville) uneasily reunited, each seeking their own career reboot. When TV laughs at itself, how can we not laugh along?…

Stars, they’re just like us: They love Jeopardy! too! “The response has been phenomenal from our fans and the celebrities,” says executive producer Michael Davies of ABC’s idea to turn the famouscontestant edition of the beloved game into a 13-week tournament. Davies is staying mum on the players set to compete for charity but confirms Mayim Bialik will handle hosting duties, as she has for Jeopardy! primetime specials, and that the hourlong showdowns will follow “a somewhat new format” set to be a tad less frenzied than the 30-minute syndicated series. Still, “it’s going to be a very authentic Jeopardy! experience,” he adds, promising that things won’t be dumbed down for the buzzy guest list. “What people want to see is celebrities put under the same pressure.”…

On July 27, iconic television producer Norman Lear turned 100 and, no retirement in sight, he’s slowing down only long enough for this festive two-hour special celebrating his life and career. Details are secret as to who will be showing up, but expect tributes to his sitcom hits—such as All in the Family and The Jeffersons—that changed the face of TV. “In terms of how I feel, I’m just getting started,” says the eternal optimist. “Next is tomorrow!”…

Runaway brides are hardly a novelty in the world of romantic comedy. But a fugitive bride accused of murdering her groom and his family? Meet Katie (Rosa Salazar), who takes it to the next level in this eight-part caper. The giddily suspenseful farce opens with a failed attempt to re-create the finale of The Graduate, when hopelessly smitten Stefan (Gavin Drea) crashes Katie’s wedding ceremony to sweep her off the altar in a grand gesture. She tells him to buzz off, using much saltier language, and shortly after Stefan retreats to nurse his bruised ego, police bust in to arrest him. They suspect he conspired to poison the wedding party in cahoots with Katie, who’s fled the reception and is nowhere to be found. What ensues is a refreshingly irreverent…

Smart Watch Spend 30 minutes on an animated return Catch the colorful antics of CIA operative Stan Smith and his family—and 1,601-year-old space alien Roger—when the Seth MacFarlane comedy American Dad! resumes its 17th season. Monday, Sept. 5, 10/9c, TBS If you have an hour, watch this reality series Grab a glass of wine and follow six Americans to the City of Lights in Real Girlfriends in Paris, where romantic adventures are just the beginning of a new life in a new city. Monday, Sept. 5, 9:15/8:15c, Bravo If you have a free evening, check out this docuseries For five lush nights in a row, Garth Brooks narrates America’s National Parks, which offers views of our nation’s most inspiring spots—starting with the Grand Canyon. Monday, Aug. 29, 9/8c, National Geographic…

@TVGMMattRoush Bad Sisters Fridays, Apple TV+ THE FAMILY THAT slays together—or tries to—stays together in this macabre tale of mordantly dark humor from the gifted Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe). She plays Eva, the eldest of five Garveys in Ireland, who raised her sisters after the death of their parents and would kill for them. Turns out they all share the murder gene, with a common enemy: John Paul (Claes Bang, smarmy and smug), the cruel and manipulative husband of timid Grace (Anne-Marie Duff). We know from the start that he died, when a shocking sight gag sets the series’ tone. But who did it? And how? That’s the mystery that gleefully unfolds over 10 episodes. Bitter Bibi (Sarah Greene), who lost an eye thanks to J.P., is more than ready to…

ELROND The half-elven pal of Galadriel played by Robert Aramayo (whom we first met when Hugo Weaving played the much older elf in the films) is “young in elf years and ambitious,” Aramayo notes. PRINCE DURIN IV It’s the golden age of Khazad-dûm, and jolly Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) and his wife Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete) are “passionately in love with each other,” says Arthur. BRONWYN The human healer and single mom (Nazanin Boniadi) is in a hot forbidden romance with one of her village’s elf occupiers, Arondir (Cruz Córdova). “There’s a power dynamic,” she teases. NORI BRANDYFOOT Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and her kind are harfoots—ancestors of the hobbits. And young Nori is “a really curious, inquisitive harfoot who loves adventure,” says Kavenagh. QUEEN MÍRIEL The Queen Regent of the…

Director Anne Fletcher understood the task of making the right kind of sequel to the 1993 Halloween classic: “How do you capture the nostalgia [for the original]? Because that’s what people love.” The answer, she found, was to revisit the very beginning. “We’re giving the [origin story] to the witches,” explains Fletcher, which means going back even before the 1693 prologue in the original film that introduced the eccentric Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, all returning). That origin story is the backbone, but this time around, it’s three high school girls in present-day Salem, Massachusetts, who must deal with inadvertently summoning the hooded siblings to the present day. The parallel between these two trios of women was intentional. Fletcher adds: “At the end of…

Twelve bells…and all is not well on the latest Netflix offering from the duo behind gothic hits The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor and last year’s shocking spookfest Midnight Mass. Horror master Mike Flanagan and his producing partner Trevor Macy now bring us The Midnight Club, set in a bleak hospice where eight terminally ill teens tell one another terrifying tales, which we see play out onscreen. The group forms a pact: The first one to pass away will reach out to the club from beyond the grave. “That’s a pretty big mystery—what happens after you die—but we’re going to take a crack at it,” says Macy of the series, based on Christopher Pike’s ’90s young adult novel of the same title. (The collaborators are also adapting Pike’s scary The…

Marcia Gay Harden (The Morning Show) and Skylar Astin (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) are a top-notch comedy duo in this drama about a distinguished law partner, Margaret Wright, who hires her black sheep son, disgraced private detective Todd, to be an in-house investigator at her Oregon firm. “They’re going to learn how to work together,” Harden says of the odd couple, who are arguing over his choice of profession when the series begins. (Then, her husband goes missing.) The actors spill more. MARCIA GAY HARDEN What’s the first thing you loved about Margaret? Her humor. She thinks she’s right about almost everything. I think it’s very funny when someone of that hubris falls a bit off of the pedestal that they’ve built for themselves. Describe the mother-son dynamic. Oil and vinegar.…

When legendary producer David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, The Lincoln Lawyer) calls a series of crime novels “riveting,” it’s a safe bet he’ll be turning them into equally compelling television. Enter The Calling. Loosely based on The Missing File from Israeli author Dror Mishani, the drama (once titled The Missing) looks at spiritual, introspective, compassionate, uniquely named NYPD detective Avraham Avraham (Jeff Wilbusch, Unorthodox), a special investigator in Brooklyn’s diverse Crown Heights neighborhood. “Avi is a very complex character,” the Israeli-born Wilbusch says. His calling is solving missing persons and homicide cases through uncanny observational abilities. He’s also devoted to his work family: eager rookie detective Janine Harris (Juliana Canfield, Succession), acerbic veteran cop Earl Malzone (Michael Mosley, Ozark) and supportive boss Capt. Helen Davies (Karen Robinson, Schitt’s Creek).…

In Sylvester Stallone’s first major television role, created for him by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) and written by Terence Winter (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire), he’s a New York City–bred Mafia capo who took a fall and spent 25 years in prison. The “reward” for his loyalty, besides becoming very well read? The boss exiles him to Oklahoma to start a new branch of the crime family. Stallone sounds mighty kinglike in a TV-MA clip the actor shared on social media: As brawny Dwight “The General” Manfredi, 75, he profanely threatens a beheading if one guy approaches his estranged twentysomething daughter, Tina (Tatiana Zappardino). “Dwight doesn’t curse as much as he used to. He saves the F-bombs for gangster mode,” Winter says. “He’s still trying to ply his trade but also trying…

How do you remake the classic 1980s neo-noir American Gigolo—a sexy star turn for Richard Gere as a highend male escort, Julian Kaye, framed for the murder of a client—and have it feel brand new? For starters, toss out the movie’s happy ending. In this eight-episode series, Julian (We Own This City’s Jon Bernthal) serves 15 years in prison before Detective Sunday (Rosie O’Donnell), who first put him away, tells him he’s been exonerated by a hitman’s deathbed confession. “The idea that sparked everyone’s imagination was the notion of Julian as a kind of Rip Van Winkle who emerges into a world he doesn’t recognize,” says Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the film and is an exec producer of the show. “He wants to forget about the past, and Sunday wants…

If Jake Lacy creeped you out as the smugly entitled honeymooner in HBO’s The White Lotus, that’s nothing compared to the awshucks predator he portrays in this chilling nine-part true-crime drama. The Emmy-nominated actor layers a manipulative streak of sinister obsession beneath the genial facade of Robert “B” Berchtold, a new neighbor who insinuates himself into the wholesome 1970s Idaho household of Bob and Mary Ann Broberg (Colin Hanks and Anna Paquin). B takes a special interest in their eldest daughter, Jan (Hendrix Yancey as a child, Mckenna Grace as a teen), a trusting innocent he kidnaps not once but twice in a bizarre grooming and brainwashing scenario. (It was also the basis of a documentary currently on Netflix, Abducted in Plain Sight.) In a statement, the adult Jan promises…

You’ll quickly ID one prime suspect in this drama about a veteran detective, Danny Frater (James Nesbitt), investigating the possible murder of his estranged daughter, Christina (Imogen King). Outlander’s Sam Heughan appears in the fifth of eight taut 30-minute episodes, each on a potential perp. “Ryan’s got pent-up aggression—he’s quite unstable,” Heughan says of Danny’s corrupt ex-partner and Christina’s godfather. The men meet up in an MMA gym, where Heughan leaned on some old skills: “I did Muay Thai training in Thailand years ago. I enjoyed that breathlessness because Ryan is on the edge.”…

And you thought Blockbuster video stores were extinct! In this workplace comedy, the last (fictional) remaining store in America—suburban Michigan, to be exact—strives to stay relevant in a streaming world. Determined manager Timmy Yoon (Randall Park, Fresh Off the Boat) leads an eclectic staff that includes longtime crush Eliza Walker (Melissa Fumero, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and for the actors, returning to the days of “Be Kind, Rewind” was truly a blast. “It was the typical thing of the ’90s that we went every Friday night and picked out our movies for the weekend,” says Fumero, who grew up in small-town New Jersey. “It was a family event.” Angeleno Park fondly recalls “that one Blockbuster on Venice Boulevard that I would go to all the time” and the hours he spent “just…

There’s something about the innate joy Jennifer Hudson naturally spreads that screams “talk show host.” That’s what the team behind Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talker noticed; they hadn’t planned on another gig when Ellen came to a close, but “then this woman walked into our lives,” executive producer Andy Lassner recalls. Hudson, the vivacious singeractress-producer and EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) has been in our hearts since Season 3 of American Idol in 2004 catapulted her to stardom. “She feels like she’s where she is today because America voted for her,” says fellow EP Mary Connelly. TV GUIDE MAGAZINE asked Hudson what will set her show apart. You’re busy making movies, singing and many other things. Did you want to be busier? [Laughs] I love engaging with people, and…

Best in Dough (Monday, Sept. 19, Hulu) is the first-ever pizza competition series—you’ve tried all the rest, now try the best! The House That Norm Built (Monday, Oct. 3, 9/8c, PBS; check local listings at pbs.org) fetes home-improvement guru Norm Abram as he prepares to hang up his tool belt after 43 years on This Old House. The Real Love Boat (Wednesday, Oct. 5, 9/8c, CBS) sends potential couples off on the voyage of a lifetime in hopes of winning their own luxury Princess cruise. Criss Angel’s Magic With the Stars (Saturday, Oct. 22, 8/7c, The CW) finds celebs building their own magician chops to create a performance worthy of a golden wand—but they’ll have to impress the master first. King Tut: Allies and Enemies (Wednesday, Nov. 23, 8/7c, PBS; check…

You cannot be serious! Legendary tennis player John McEnroe, known for his emotional volatility as much as for his staggering on-court greatness, is stepping into the spotlight once again. Set during one night in New York City, this documentary from director Barney Douglas is an intimate, candid exploration of McEnroe as revealed by the man himself. Featuring home videos and previously unseen footage from his epic matches at the US Open and Wimbledon, McEnroe is a journey into the heart and soul of an athlete whose quest for perfection took him to some very dark places. “Thirty-seven psychologists and psychiatrists didn’t help,” McEnroe notes at one point in the doc. “I was on such an unbelievable high,” McEnroe recalls of his time as the No. 1 player in the world.…

Everyone knows Transformers are alien robots—or are they? This animated series introduces siblings Twitch (voiced by Kathreen Khavari) and Thrash (Zeno Robinson), the first Transformers born on Earth, aka Terrans. “They’re new to everything around them, including the legacy bots who are part of the story,” says co–executive producer Dale Malinowski. In a time when robots and humans coexist peacefully, years after the long-running Transformers war between Autobots and Decepticons, Twitch and Thrash live with the Malto family and are mentored by franchise fave Bumblebee (Danny Pudi). But when villainous Mandroid (Diedrich Bader) decides to rid the world of robots, the heroes rise to the challenge with Optimus Prime (Alan Tudyk), Megatron (Rory McCann) and others back in the mix. “Going into this adventure with the Terrans—they’re not either faction,”…

ACROSS 1 Type of job4 Jeff Bridges drama The Old ____7 An SCTV alum12 “Take on Me” band (hyph.)13 Mining material14 Soul singer Baker15 Shaye of Insidious16 Type of change17 Snowy shelter18 She played Mary Hartman (2 wds.)21 Work well together22 Illuminated23 Red Muppet26 ____ Diego27 Marriage vow (2 wds.)30 Sydney on Melrose Place (2 wds.)34 The ____ Couple35 Veto36 Bart and Lisa’s bus driver37 The ____ of Aquarius38 CNN founder Turner40 Renegade star (2 wds.)46 Margo on Lost47 Wise bird48 Cheers order49 Empty-headed50 Born51 Mowry of Family Reunion52 Carvey and Plato53 Sea bird54 Boring color DOWN 1 Better ____ Saul2 Home of the Buckeyes3 Half of Mork’s greeting4 Bullwinkle was one5 The Little Mermaid princess6 Gimme a Break! star Carter7 ____ Hope8 Feeling of dread9 Eight furlongs10 Ripley’s Believe ____ Not!  (2 wds.)11 ____ Paulo, Brazil19 Dr. Frankenstein’s…

@damianholbrook Cheers to Loot’s embarrassment of riches. Apple TV+’s A-plus comedy about an out-of-touch philanthropist (Maya Rudolph) trying to do good did us all a solid by serving up the most lovable team: Ron Funches, Nat Faxon and Pose breakout Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. Cheers to Keke Palmer for scoring yet another winning gig. Whether she’s hosting the third hour of Good Morning America, charming her way into our hearts on TikTok or gamely handling emcee duties on NBC’s Password reboot (left), the Disney Channel alum is always dynamic. Is there anything she can’t do? Nope. Cheers to Never Have I Ever for growing up so nicely. In Season 3 of Mindy Kaling’s effervescent coming-of-age Netflix comedy, Indian American teen Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is more assured, heartfelt and hilariously insightful than most adults…

@TVGMMattRoush I was expecting some closure in the series finale of The CW’s Tom Swift. Instead, we were left with cliffhangers that felt more like a season finale. What gives? Do they at least plan to make a movie to tie up the loose ends? —Bonnie MATT ROUSH: Forget a movie—at least on The CW, which has shed a number of shows in advance of the sale of the network. (Maybe the next season of Nancy Drew, from which Tom spun off, can give lip service to what happened next.) What most likely happened here was that the producers were taken by surprise by the quick cancellation, given The CW’s previous track record of keeping low-rated shows afloat, and weren’t able to course-correct and provide a satisfying series ending. I…

Diego Luna returns to the Star Wars universe for the espionage-soaked origin story of his cynical hero, Cassian Andor, set five years before 2016 film Rogue One. We learn how the Rebel Alliance captain—who gave his life to retrieve the Death Star plans—joined the resistance. The actor shares his take on the spy who struck back. Bet you thought you were done with Cassian, right? I was really glad to be invited [back] because I had time to digest it all. With Rogue One, I was thrown into the mix like that! How do you see him? He’s a very smart guy, and sometimes I’m sorry for how traumatic his story is. But revolutions wouldn’t start if they weren’t necessary, and Cassian is willing to sacrifice everything. What does it…

The Walking Dead net is welcoming a host of new undead with this lavish take on Anne Rice’s seminal 1976 novel. Adapted for the big screen with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in 1994, this gorgeously rendered version casts Jacob Anderson (Game of Thrones) as the title vamp, Louis de Pointe du Lac. The immortal summons journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian, Succession) to record his exploits since being turned in early 1900s New Orleans by cruel companion Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid). It’s been 46 years since Interview was published, so expect some tweaks for the seven-episode first season: Fledgling vamp Claudia (Bailey Bass), whom Louis and Lestat adopt, is now a teen instead of a child, and the romance between Louis and Lestat isn’t just hinted at. But the…

“I’ve done things that can never be forgiven,” confesses glamorous, manipulative matriarch Dottie Roman (Oscar winner Susan Sarandon) in the premiere of this sudsy drama about a superstar country music dynasty. Turns out, everyone in this bickering yet loving Texas clan is hiding a sin or two—from adultery to straight up murder—including her husband, Albie (Grammy nominee Trace Adkins), and favorite daughter Nicky (Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies). “The Romans are famous for telling the truth” says exec producer Melissa London Hilfers, “when there’s lies and betrayal.” One of the tragic secrets the family is hiding: Dottie has a terminal illness. She’s chosen obedient Nicky as her successor, which riles up younger daughter and rebel Gigi (singer-songwriter Beth Ditto), a bar owner we’ll eventually hear cover Lizzo and Lady Gaga. “The…

After personal injury lawyer Abigail Bianchi’s (Jewel Staite) marriage implodes and she shows up in court drunk, only one lawyer will mentor her so she can still practice: her estranged father, Harry Svensson (Victor Garber), the smug head of Vancouver’s top family law firm. How fraught is the reunion? Abigail finally meets her half siblings! Perfectionist lawyer Daniel (Zach Smadu) also works at the firm; daddy’s favorite, Lucy (Genelle Williams), a psychologist, practices across the hall. To prove herself, tenacious Abigail plays dirty. “Act now, ask for forgiveness later,” Staite says of her motto in her first case: convincing a client to sue a sperm donor for retroactive child support. Harry’s skeptical—and impressed. Says Garber, “Abigail is probably smarter than him, but he would never admit that.”…

Some 60 years after her untimely death at 36, Marilyn Monroe still looms large as an icon of tragic glamour. Many have tried to capture her essence, but Ana de Armas—the breakout star of Knives Out who even managed to upstage James Bond in No Time to Die—may come the closest in the latest adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ fictionalized psychosexual portrait of the actress. (Blonde was previously filmed as a 2001 CBS miniseries with Poppy Montgomery.) “I can’t face doing another scene with ‘Marilyn Monroe,’” laments the former Norma Jeane Mortenson, torn between her alluring public and tormented private personas in writer-director Andrew Dominik’s bold new take on the oft-told story. Will the Oscars take notice?…

While helping take down international baddies for five seasons as Clay Spenser on the CBS/Paramount+ military drama SEAL Team, Max Thieriot had his mind on more home-bound battles—the ones fought by Northern California firefighters in forests near where he grew up. “Most of my friends joined the military or went to work for Cal Fire out of high school,” he says. Inspired to tell those stories, Thieriot made his first-ever series pitch to CBS. Now he stars in and exec produces Fire Country. (He’s also remaining on SEAL Team.) The actor plays Bode Donovan, who, while serving a five-year Caption sentence, to go signs up for an inmate firefighting here initiative Fictum that doluptatia vero pairs prisoners with Cal Fire members. But Bode is assigned to his hometown—where his troubles…

Jimmy Smits is fired up. As Police Chief John Suarez, he’s filming in the Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up and reuniting with exec producers William Finkelstein and Michael M. Robin, friends from his L.A. Law and NYPD Blue days. “I trust them, where their hearts are. Bochco alums emeritus!” the actor crows, referring to Steven Bochco, cocreator of those series. Of his character, Smits says, “Suarez is a rock—politically savvy but realizes there needs to be change.” That’s why he’s handpicked a deputy inspector to head the 74th Precinct, a mostly minority area that requires fresh thinking to bring down crime rates. For onetime street cop Regina Haywood (Amanda Warren, The Leftovers), “Her priority is to give people a sense of safety and security,” Finkelstein notes. “As she says,…

“A lot of this show is based on our real relationship,” promises Mayan Lopez of the comedy she’s sharing with her real-life pop, George, now in his fourth sitcom where he plays a fictionalized version of himself. This time around the laughs are a bit darker. The down-on-his-luck George Lopez is owning up to years of disappointing his veterinarian daughter. Cheating on his ex-wife Rosie (Selenis Leyva), Mayan’s mom, and substance abuse are among his chief wrongdoings. To repair the rift, George volunteers to help Mayan renovate her kitchen but, recently broke and homeless due to the pandemic, he’s soon moving in with Mayan, her caring boyfriend Quinten (Matt Shively, The Real O’Neals) and their energetic 7-year-old Chance (Brice Gonzalez). Mayan and George have lots of fun—smashing walls with sledgehammers and…

Talk about Weird: This streaming flick is a star-studded satire based on the “true story” of parody songsmith “Weird Al” Yankovic’s meteoric rise. Yankovic himself was inspired to do the project—based on a dramatic fake 2010 movie trailer about his life from Eric Appel (Weird’s director)—by celebrity bio pics such as Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. “They would play around with the facts for dramatic purpose, and that really bothered me,” Yankovic says. “I thought, ‘Maybe I should do a bio pic but just have it go completely off the rails.’” Yankovic even cast his younger self—Harry Potter vet Daniel Radcliffe—and gave the actor accordion lessons. Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson appears as Oprah Winfrey, Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna and Rainn Wilson as mentor Dr. Demento. Who’s ready to hear “Eat…

It’s hard not to wince watching Free Solo, the Oscar-winning doc about rock climber Alex Honnold ascending Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan vertical face—without a rope—in 2017. The film’s directors, Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi, now look to the habits of other adventure athletes in this 10-part series (which moves to 10/9c September 6 and appears on Disney+ September 7). “What drew me to telling these stories is the commitment level,” says Chin, who is an executive producer with Vasarhelyi. “We want to show people what’s really happening behind [some epic adventures and] understand what the stakes are.” Viewers will spend time with Sarah McNair-Landry, a secondgeneration polar explorer who attempted to cross the Northwest Passage during a brutal winter. And there’s big-mountain skier Angel Collinson, who survived a fall…

Viewers are bound to be shocked while watching Ken Burns’ three-part, six-hour look at The U.S. and the Holocaust, an American tragedy that played out against a distant, victorious World War II. But the gasps may have less to do with seeing somewhat familiar concentration camp images and more with taking in historical facts uncovered through time and dogged research. “Many of us think we understand the Holocaust,” says Sarah Botstein, who codirected and produced the series with Burns and Lynn Novick. “But many Americans don’t understand the deep-seated seeds of American anti-Semitism and how that dovetails with… the persecution of Jews of Europe.” While the U.S. permitted some 225,000 immigrants fleeing Nazi persecution, hundreds of thousands couldn’t enter, despite images of Nazi terror in newspapers and newsreels. And why?…

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Finding Your Roots) is host, writer and executive producer of this four-episode docuseries, which follows up his 2021 doc, The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. Making Black America delves into the unique and vibrant cultural, creative and social spaces at the heart of the Black experience throughout American history—the “grapevine,” as Gates describes it. These formal and informal networks, from the formation of all-Black towns and historically Black colleges and universities to the social media phenomenon of Black Twitter, and more, have helped build and sustain communities and communication among African Americans. Political activist and scholar Angela Davis, actor André Holland (Moonlight, Selma) and more weigh in.…

We haven’t cried so hard since the This Is Us finale! Inspired by Eureka actress Tembi Locke’s bestselling memoir of her multicultural romance with her late husband, Saro, this limited series packs years of love and struggle, family drama and reconciliation, grief and healing into eight moving episodes. The show, which she exec produces alongside her sister, Attica Locke (Little Fires Everywhere), begins in 2000, when Black Texan Amy (Zoe Saldaña) meets Sicilian chef Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea) while studying art abroad in Florence. “The first time Lino cooks for Amy, you can’t touch that—that is sacrosanct,” Tembi says of the blissful montage re-creating her meal (a taste of everything on Saro’s menu) in the premiere. Lino, who’s estranged from his disapproving, traditional father and therefore the rest of his family,…

Kiddie Kai (Tuesday, September 6, Discovery+) A new generation of martial arts champions compete to prove themselves the best of the best, while their mentors—who all made names for themselves in the ’80s—do the same. Rosie’s Rules (Monday, October 3, PBS Kids) Big ideas meet little kids in this lively cartoon about a plucky 5-year-old Mexican American girl (voiced by Ellora Lopez) learning about identity, culture and community. Blue’s Big City Adventure (Friday, November 18, Paramount+) Blue’s Clues hosts past and present—Steve Burns, Josh Dela Cruz and Donovan Patton—team up with their animated pup pal for an original flick about their Broadway musical dreams. SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone (November, Nickelodeon) If you think a pineapple under the sea is wacky, get a load of this Twilight Zone–inspired special…

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Now is the time to focus on your most important one-on-one relationships. The planet of love (and abundance), Venus, is moving back into your sign for the fi st time in months! LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) This time of the year is always a little low-key for you. The sun drops into your 12th house—the part of your chart where you ruminate and contemplate. Spend time thinking about your goals for the coming year. Birthday: Michael Douglas 9/25/1944 SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Do you deserve time ff for good behavior? If so, grab it now. The skies support you in having fun with friends and being social. It’s an up-and-down ride for you now, as you’ve likely noticed, and you have to make the most of…