A quick look at this week’s TV highlights
Catch up on
Deadwood: (Available on HBO on-demand) There are a number of hard-edge Westerns hitting big and small screens in the next few weeks, which reminded us of one of the best ever made. The fictional tale of the real town of Deadwood at the very frontier of the Dakota gold rush had a super cast who played unforgettable characters, particularly Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen, who delivered profanity-laced tirades with the eloquence of a Shakespeare soliloquy. The cast of the series, which was created by David Milch, also included Brian Cox, Timothy Olyphant, Kim Dickens, Anna Gunn and the late Powers Boothe.
This week
DeRay Davis — How To Act Black: (Available Tuesday on Netflix) Comedy stand-up.
The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer: (9 p.m. Tuesday on History) Documentary miniseries examines serial murder case that terrified San Francisco.
Beyond a Year in Space: (9 p.m. Wednesday on PBS SoCal) Science documentary picks up where the first film left off: Scott Kelly’s last day in space and return to Earth. The final installment also introduces viewers to the next generation of astronauts training to leave Earth’s orbit and travel into deep space.
MythBusters: (9 p.m. Wednesday on Science) Reboot of series features new hosts.
Religion of Sports: (8 p.m. Wednesday on DirecTV/AT&T) Takes viewers on a weekly global journey celebrating the transcendent power of sports.
The Trixie & Katya Show: (10 p.m. Wednesday on Viceland) “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fan favorites discuss anything and everything on the new talk show.
Back: (Available Thursday on Sundance Now) The stars (David Mitchell and Robert Webb) of the recently ended hit British comedy series “Peep Show” reunite with one of that show’s writers, Simon Blackwell (“Veep” and “The Thick of It”) for a new sixepisode comedy series that streams on Sundance Now before airing on the Sundance Channel next year.
Jeff Ross Roasts The Border: Live from Brownsville, Texas: (10 p.m. Thursday on Comedy Central) Standup special.
There’s… Johnny!: (Available Thursday on Hulu) Created by Paul Reiser (with his former “Mad About You” writer David Steven Simon) and directed in part by David Gordon Green (“Red Oaks”), this period comedy series follows a 19-year-old (Ian Nelson) who stumbles into a job on “The Tonight Show” in the 1970s, where Joy (Jane Levy) works as a talent coordinator. The series was originally set to debut this summer on the streamer service Seeso, which is now defunct.
Great Performances: Prince of Broadway — A Tribute to Harold Prince: (9 p.m. Friday on SoCal PBS) Celebrates the life of producer and director Harold Prince, who has won 21 Tony Awards (more than any other individual).
Tim & Faith — Soul2Soul: (9 p.m. Friday on Showtime) Musical-documentary includes live performances from Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s 2017 Soul2Soul world tour, as well as an intimate look inside their relationship.
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond — With a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton: (Available Friday on Netflix) Documentary looks at the making of the film “Man on the Moon,” which found Jim Carrey portraying Andy Kaufman.
Longmire: (Available Friday on Netflix) The final season of the modern Western begins.
Marvel’s The Punisher: (Available Friday on Netflix) The next entry in the “Defenders” franchise stars Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, a vigilante character (first introduced in the most recent “Daredevil” season) in this new series from “Hannibal” writer/producer Steve Lightfoot. Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ben Barnes and Deborah Ann Woll also star.
Mudbound: (Available Friday on Netflix) Dee Rees (“Pariah”) directs a Netflix original film that adapts Hillary Jordan’s 2008 novel, a sprawling story about the impact of World War II and racism on a black family (Rob Morgan, Mary J. Blige Jason Mitchell) and a white family (Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund) in 1940s Mississippi.
Saving Capitalism: (Available Friday on Netflix) Documentary directed by Jacob Kornbluth is based on Robert Reich’s 2015 book which discusses how the country faces its greatest wealth disparity in years as the middle class is shrinking and a new oligarchy is rising. Reich explores the reasons why the economic system that once made America strong is suddenly failing as well as how it can be fixed.
Cold Blooded — The Clutter Family Murders: (9 p.m. Saturday on Sundance) Documentary miniseries from Joe Berlinger (“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”) reexamines the shocking 1959 murders (and subsequent investigation) that were the subject of Truman Capote’s book “In Cold Blood.” Concludes November 19 at 9 p.m.
Night of Too Many Stars: (5 p.m. Saturday on HBO) Jon Stewart returns as host for the annual autism research benefit, which moves to HBO from Comedy Central (and will be broadcast live for the first time). Scheduled performers include Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Ben Stiller, Abbi Jacobson, Adam Sandler, John Mulaney, Jordan Klepper, Hasan Minhaj and Olivia Munn. Louis C.K., originally scheduled, has been dropped after allegations of sexual misconduct.
I Am Elizabeth Smart: (8 p.m. Saturday on Lifetime) Dramatization of the Utah teen’s kidnapping and subsequent life after rescue.