THE ESSEX SERPENT
Apple TV+
New Series! Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston lead this six-episode limited drama based on Sarah Perry’s bestselling and award-winning novel of the same name. Set in England during the Victorian era, the series follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Danes), who moves to a small village on the Essex coast to investigate reports of a mythical sea serpent. She forms an unlikely bond with the town’s vicar (Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature. Frank Dillane, Hayley Squires and Clémence Poésy also star. The first two episodes are available; subsequent new episodes are available Fridays.
GREATNESS CODE
Apple TV+
Season Premiere! The sports
documentary series that shares the real-life stories of some of the most accomplished athletes in the world returns for Season 2. Featured are English professional footballer Marcus Rashford; NFL quarterback Russell Wilson; pro street skateboarder Letícia Bufoni; Parapan American track and field champion Scout Bassett; pioneering Black NASCAR star Bubba Wallace; and alpine skiing icon Lindsey Vonn. All six episodes are available.
SNEAKERELLA
Disney+
Original Film! Set amid the avant-garde street-sneaker subculture of New York City, this high-energy and musicdriven movie puts a genderflipped twist on the Cinderella fairy tale. El (Chosen Jacobs) is an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens who works as a stock boy in the shoe store that once belonged to his late mother. He hides his artistic talent from his overburdened stepfather, Trey (Bryan Terrell Clark), and two mean-spirited stepbrothers, Zelly and Stacy (Kolton Stewart and Hayward Leach), who constantly thwart any opportunity that comes his way. When El meets Kira King (Lexi Underwood), the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King (John Salley), sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity for sneakers. With a little nudge from his best friend, Sami (Devyn Nekoda), and a sprinkle of Fairy Godfather magic, El finds the courage to use his talent to pursue his dream of becoming a “legit” sneaker designer in the industry.
ZO
Magnolia Network on discovery+
Season Premiere! In Season 2, Zoë François is back baking and cooking her favorite recipes, from easy main dishes to delicious desserts, with a little help from her friends and family.
THE LINCOLN LAWYER
Netflix
New Series! David E. Kelley created and executive produces this legal drama based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling series of novels about iconoclastic idealist Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-rulfo), a Los Angeles defense attorney who runs his practice out of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car rather than an office, taking on cases big and small. The first season is based on Connelly’s second book in his Lincoln Lawyer series, The Brass Verdict. The series co-stars Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson and Christopher Gorham.
SENIOR YEAR
Netflix
Original Film! In this comedy, Rebel Wilson plays Stephanie Conway, a high school cheerleader who fell into a coma before her prom. Awakening 20 years later, the now 37year-old Stephanie wants to return to high school to reclaim her status and become prom queen. Angourie Rice plays Stephanie as a teenager, and the film also stars Justin Hartley, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Chris Parnell and Alicia Silverstone.
FIRESTARTER
Peacock
Feature Film Exclusive! This new adaptation of Stephen King’s novel comes from the producers of “The Invisible Man” and also premieres in theaters. It follows a girl (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) with extraordinary pyrokinetic powers as she fights to protect her family and herself from sinister forces that seek to capture and control her. Zac Efron, Sydney Lemmon, Michael Greyeyes and Kurtwood Smith also star in the film, whose musical score includes horror legend John Carpenter among the composers.
THE KIDS IN THE HALL
Prime Video
New Series! The iconic Canadian comedy troupe — comprised of Dave Foley, Bruce Mcculloch, Kevin Mcdonald, Mark Mckinney and Scott Thompson — is back with a new incarnation of their groundbreaking sketch comedy series, featuring eight episodes of new sketches that include a fresh batch of offbeat characters along with beloved favorites.
CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING
The Roku Channel
New Series! This lighthearted half-hour family comedy from Canada was created by “Schitt’s Creek” alum Kurt Smeaton. The series follows Astrid (Meaghan Rath) and James (Aaron Abrams) as they live with the worst roommates ever: young children. The couple struggles to find a balance between being “mom and dad” to two kids and being who they were before the offspring.
“QUANTUM LEAP” MARATHON
Syfy, 6 a.m.
Syfy airs 24-hour marathons of episodes from the beloved 1989-93 time-travel series “Quantum Leap,” led by Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.
“A HAUNTING” MARATHON
Travel Channel, 9 a.m. Celebrate Friday the 13th with a 19-hour marathon of the paranormal series.
“FRIDAY THE 13TH” MOVIE MARATHON
AMC, 10 a.m.
It’s your lucky day if you are a fan of the original “Friday the 13th” slasher movie franchise. Over 14 hours, AMC will be airing the following seven films, in order: “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” (1984), “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1989), “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” (1988), “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986), “Friday the 13th” (1980), “Friday the 13th
Part 2” (1981) and “Friday the 13th Part III” (1982).
A BABY AT ANY COST
LMN, 8 p.m.
Original Film! When a surrogate grows too fond of the baby she carried for a young couple, they try to disengage from her. But the surrogate starts poisoning the mother (with no danger to the child) in a scam that will keep the surrogate around, and then, when mom is gone, get her the child, the husband and the suburban life she so earnestly covets. Stars Sarah Fisher, Brianna Cohen, Christy Tate and Johnny Ramey.
THE BLACKLIST: “CAELUM BANK”
NBC, 8 p.m.
In an effort to reveal his true enemy, Red (James Spader) turns to the task force to help ground a flying fortress bank.
COUPLES THERAPY
Showtime, 8 p.m. Season Premiere! The docuseries that gives viewers an authentic look at weekly therapy sessions returns for Season 3, as Dr. Orna Guralnik guides couples through honest confrontation with each other about real-life struggles.
THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
TCM, 8 p.m.
Catch a Classic! Robert Mitchum is absolutely chilling as tattoo-knuckled corrupt religious fanatic/serial killer Harry Powell, one of the screen’s most unforgettable villains, in Charles Laughton’s superb 1955 thriller, the only film Laughton, most remembered as an actor, directed. In the movie, Powell marries a fragile widow (Shelley Winters) to try to learn where her late husband hid a large sum of cash from a robbery. When his plans are uncovered by her terrified young children (Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce), it begins a pursuit that becomes a mesmerizing allegory for the battle between good and evil. Lillian Gish co-stars in a terrific performance. “The Night of the Hunter” is one of those classics that was not recognized as such during the time of its release, flopping with critics and audiences. Over the decades, its reputation has grown, and it is now considered one of the greatest films ever made; it was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 1992.
VACATION HOUSE RULES: “FOUR SEASON FUNHOUSE”
HGTV, 9 p.m.
After buying a lakefront fixerupper, a father and son realize they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Expert home renovator Scott Mcgillivray and design guru Debra Salmoni step in to help them update their boring investment into a moneymaker that’s all about the fun and games.
GREAT PERFORMANCES: “ANYTHING GOES”
PBS, 9 p.m.
Great Performances’ fifth annual “Broadway’s Best” lineup begins with a performance from the 2021 London production of Cole Porter’s classic musical Anything
Goes, starring Sutton Foster in a reprisal of her Tonywinning role as Reno Sweeney. With a score that includes timeless favorites such as “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top” and “Anything Goes,” the musical tells the story of two unlikely couples who veer off course aboard the S.S. American to find true love.
MAMA JUNE: FROM NOT TO HOT: “ROAD TO REDEMPTION: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS”
WE tv, 9 p.m.
Season Premiere! Sobriety wasn’t easy, but Mama June did it. And when her longtime boyfriend Geno continues to let her down, she finally calls it quits. Now, can the family reconcile and move forward?
A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW
HBO,
11 p.m.
Season Finale! Stars Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, Ashley Nicole Black and Skye Townsend wrap up Season 3 of the Emmy-winning sketch comedy series.
Brought to you by the publishers of TV Weekly. ©TV Weekly 2022