Underwatched ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ returns on CW
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) returns for a third season. Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) has every reason to be even more unhinged. Season two ended with her wedding ruined when she was left at the altar by her bandcamp boyfriend and obsessive crush, Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III). The fiasco also allowed her a chance to confront her father and all the abandonment issues he embodied.
While “normal” comedies have characters returning from such disastrous cliffhangers eager to move on as if nothing ever happened, “Crazy” is committed to Rachel’s vow to absolutely destroy Josh, a goal worthy of her plus-size compulsions.
And, yes, there will be musical numbers.
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is a perfect example of a growing trend: a show that receives near-universal critical praise while at the same time attracting a microscopic network audience.
A hybrid comedy/musical, “Crazy” debuted to viewership numbers that barely cracked a million, and the second season ended with an audience that reached three-quarters of that low number. Those ratings would probably spell cancellation on every other network (and quite a few cable outfits). “Crazy” seems like a show all but made to be streamed and binged. Its first two seasons can be found on Netflix.
CRIMINAL PROFILING
Also streaming on Netflix, “Mindhunter” explores the early days of criminal profiling at the FBI. Jonathan Groff (“Glee”) stars as a handsome FBI agent who, in the late 1970s, tries to understand the thinking of serial killers, at no little cost to his own peace of mind.
A darkly lit, brooding series, this may appeal to fans of the serial-killer-profiling genre that stretches from “Silence of the Lambs” to CBS’ “Criminal Minds.”
“Mindhunter” also complements “Manhunt,” the limited series about the profiler who helped find the Unabomber back in the 1990s. Not unlike “Crazy Ex,” this series, produced for Discovery, will probably find a bigger audience on Netflix.
STAR-STUDDED DRAMA
Netflix also begins streaming “The Meyerowitz Stories.” Directed and written by Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale”), the film follows an estranged brood gathering to offer testimonials to its patriarch (Dustin Hoffman). An impressive cast includes Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Emma Thompson and Candice Bergen. The film was acclaimed at the Cannes film festival. Critics have singled out Sandler’s performance as a departure from his usual routine and worthy of attention.
URBAN LEGEND ORIGINS
Also streaming, Amazon launches “Lore,” an anthology series based on a popular podcast that dramatizes real-life events that have inspired scary stories, urban legends and campfire tales.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› “SpongeBob SquarePants” (7 p.m., Nickelodeon, TV-Y7) celebrates Halloween with the special “The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom.”
› Shellfish motivations on “Hell’s Kitchen” (10 p.m., Fox, TV-PG)
› Shiver me timbers on “Once Upon a Time” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
› A scary figure from childhood returns in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of “Stephen King’s It” (8 p.m., Spike).
› Carlos Watson hosts a topical conversation on “Third Rail With Ozy” (8:30 p.m., PBS).
› A Seattle girl seems possessed on “The Exorcist” (11 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
› Rival teams place a friendly wager as “Gold Rush” (9 p.m., Discovery, TV-14) returns with a two-hour eighth-season opener. This is the network’s mostwatched series.
› A judge’s death throws Erin’s case into doubt on “Blue Bloods” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin.tvguy@gmail.com.