TV's Best Bets
■ THEM
Amazon Prime Video
New Series! Creator Little Marvin and executive producer Lena Waithe present this “terror anthology series.” The first season is set in the 1950s and centers on a Black family who moves from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighborhood during the period known as the Great Migration. Unfortunately, the family’s idyllic home becomes ground zero where malevolent forces — both otherworldly and from the people next door — threaten to taunt, ravage and destroy them.
■ ED GEIN: THE REAL PSYCHO
discovery+
The iconic psychopaths featured in the movies “The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Psycho” were not just fictitious villains. They were each inspired by a real-life personification of evil — Ed Gein. Gein was a convicted murderer and a grave robber who had an obsession with human flesh. This two-hour entry in the Shock Docs franchise chronicles the horrific crimes of the heinous killer through an active paranormal investigation, archival media and cinematic re-creations. Documentarian/paranormal investigator Steve Shippy and world-renowned psychic medium Cindy Kaza travel to Gein’s hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, to conduct investigations of the most haunted locations connected to the infamous killer.
■ GHOST ADVENTURES: “THE JOSHUA TREE INN”
discovery+
Zak Bagans and the crew check into the desert motel where country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons died in 1973. With help from special guest investigator, singer and social media personality Loren Gray, the team is in for an especially emotional and terrifying night as they investigate the intelligent and sometimes malicious paranormal energy that permeates the property.
■ PARANORMAL CAUGHT ON CAMERA: “BIO UFO OVER CALIFORNIA AND MORE”
discovery+
A shadow figure lurks in the halls of an abandoned asylum; UFO enthusiasts get the sighting of a lifetime in Southern
California; and a guardian angel saves a man from a horrific accident.
■ NIGHT IN PARADISE
Netflix
Original Film! In this South Korean drama that made its world premiere at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival, after his sister and nephew are murdered because he tried to leave his gang, Tae-goo (Uhm Tae-goo) flees the mobsters to an island where he meets a terminally ill woman (Jeon Yeo-been) who has given up on life.
■ THUNDER FORCE
Netflix
Original Film! This superhero comedy is set in a world where supervillains are commonplace. In that world, two estranged childhood friends (Melissa Mccarthy and Octavia Spencer) reunite after one devises a treatment that gives them superpowers to protect their city. Jason Bateman and Bobby Cannavale also star as two of the bad guys.
■ A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
TCM, 12:30 p.m.
Catch a Classic! As we hit the letter “H” during Turner Classic Movies’ “31 Days of Oscar: Oscars From A to Z” event, one highlight today is this 1964 classic starring the Beatles. “A Hard Day’s Night” was the Fab Four’s first film and is a fun and influential romp through a fictionalized day in their life during the frenzied height of Beatlemania, and earned Oscar nominations for its screenplay and its adapted musical score by the group’s producer, George Martin. Directed by Richard Lester, the film is a perfect vehicle for
John, Paul, George and Ringo, drawing on the cheeky humor and pure fun the group often brought to its songs. The first megastar boy band at the time of filming — and still quite young — the Beatles are comfortably charming in the movie, even while frequently pursued by obsessed fans. The film’s other big star is its fantastic soundtrack, including the title tune and other classics like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “She Loves You,” “And I Love Her” and “If I Fell.” The innovative way these songs are cut into visual sequences surely had some influence on later music videos. With “A Hard Day’s Night” and its frantically fun combination of songs and comedy, the Beatles — as they did with their records — set a new and high bar for what a music film could be. And, whether meaning to or not, they and Lester also created an enduringly enjoyable time capsule of one particularly fab moment in time.
■ MACGYVER: “BARN FIND + OIL SLICK + LA PUNZONATURA + LAB RATS + TACHOMETER”
CBS, 8 p.m.
In the new episode “Barn Find + Oil Slick + La Punzonatura + Lab Rats + Tachometer,” Mac (Lucas Till) and the team delve into the world of Italian car culture in order to track down a crime boss, but Mac must lean on Desi (Levy Tran) when he discovers that he losing the ability to control his hands.
■ MY LOTTERY DREAM HOME INTERNATIONAL: “A DOSE OF LUCK”
HGTV, 8 p.m.
Tim assumed the rest of his life would be a struggle after some health concerns, but one of his frequent hospital visits actually made him £250,000 richer when he bought a ticket in the Health Lottery. Now he has big plans to buy his wife Alison the house of her dreams up north, in County Durham. But, after sharing a tiny flat for more than a decade, they’re going to need a hand. Can interior designer Laurence Llewellynbowen find them perfect home to start the life they never thought they’d have?
■ EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE: “A VERY STYLISH SALE”
HGTV, 9 p.m.
Two cousins decide it’s time to let go of their stylish grandmother’s upscale collectibles — everything from designer fashion to elegant hats. Lara Spencer and her expert appraisers help this duo raise the funds to put their niece through nursing school.
■ WYNONNA EARP
Syfy, 10 p.m.
Series Finale! The fan-favorite, female-driven supernatural Western series ends its run after four seasons tonight. “I have been honored to tell Wynonna and her family’s story,” says creator/executive producer/showrunner Emily Andras, who adds that she is “hopeful we can continue to share their inspiring tales in the future.” Frances Berwick, chairman of Entertainment Networks, adds, “To our ‘Earpers,’ we are so proud to have shared such an incredible narrative with all of you. Thank you for your passion and thank you for taking this journey with us.”