New on TV this week
It’s almost Scorpio season, and you know what that means. No, really, what does that mean? Do I have to be afraid of scorpions now?
This week’s What To Watch picks include the returns of Ghosts, Shrinking, and Elsbeth, the series premieres of Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? and Hysteria!, an animated Barney reboot, the beginning of Skate America, and a new Rachel Bloom comedy special. Yippee!
New on Max this week
Barney’s World | Max | Animation, family
Series premiere, Monday, October 14: It may not be the Barney & Friends I remember from my youth, but Max’s new animated show Barney’s World aims to bring the purple dinosaur to the Gen Alpha crowd. It’s fine. I don’t feel old at all. Watch trailer
New on Netflix this week
Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show | Netflix | Comedy
Standup special, Tuesday, October 15: If you’ve watched Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, you know Rachel Bloom isn’t afraid to put serious topics into her musical comedy projects. Her latest one-woman show, filmed for your viewing pleasure, centers around her collaborator Adam Schlesinger’s death during the COVID pandemic.
New on Apple TV+ this week
Shrinking | Apple TV+ | Comedy, drama
Season premiere, Wednesday, October 16: Jason Segel and Harrison Ford team up as the “Batman and Robin” of therapy in this Apple TV+ dramedy. Segel plays a therapist who takes waaay too active an interest in his patients’ lives, and Ford is the older mentor figure who occasionally shakes his head in disapproval. Now in its second season! Watch trailer
New on Prime Video this week
Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? | Prime Video | Game show
Series premiere, Wednesday, October 16: Sorry, fifth graders, but you might be out of a job. This new take on the classic game show allows contestants to ask minor celebrities for help on elementary-school-level trivia questions. Also, it’s hosted by Travis Kelce, better known as Taylor Swift’s current boyfriend. And I guess he also does sports or something? Watch trailer
Want more new TV shows?
New on CBS this week
Ghosts | CBS, Paramount+ | Comedy
Season 4 premiere, Thursday, October 17: Who would have thought that the American version of Ghosts would outlive its British counterpart? While the original Ghosts ended with its 34th episode on Christmas Day in 2023, the red-white-and-blue version is going strong with 50 episodes in the can. But does the show’s popularity mean they’ll finally put the rest of Ghosts U.K. up on Paramount+? No, of course not. Watch trailer
New on CBS this week
Elsbeth | CBS, Paramount+ | Drama
Season 2 premiere, Thursday, October 17: The second spinoff to come out of The Good Wife’s cinematic universe, Elsbeth follows Elsbeth Tascioni as she makes a career change. No longer is she just a quirky lawyer; now, she’s also a quirky detective for the NYPD. Don’t hold your breath for any big Good Fight crossovers, though. Maybe Christine Baranski wanted to take a break after over a decade playing the same role. Watch trailer
Looking for your next binge-watch?
New on Peacock this weekend
Hysteria! | Peacock | Drama, horror
Series premiere, Friday, October 18: If the “Satanic Panic” in the most recent season of Stranger Things caught your attention, you might like Hysteria! It follows a heavy metal band who uses Satanic imagery to draw in crowds—which works for them until a series of bizarre murders turns the town against them. Watch trailer
Live on NBC this weekend
Coverage begins Friday, October 18, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: Follow U.S. star skaters Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, and Evan Bates as they take on the first event of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating. Like I keep saying, I’m more of an animation guy than a sports guy, but apparently, they made the sport from Yuri on Ice into a real thing. Neat! Watch trailer
New movie releases available to rent/buy on VOD this week
Alien: Romulus (2024)
If you went to the movies at any point this summer, you might have seen a trailer for a movie where nasty slimy aliens force their way down unsuspecting humans’ throats. Good news: You can now watch that movie from the comfort of your own living room! Just in time for Halloween. And if you’re behind on the Alien movies, catch up with our guide to the franchise straight from CableTV.com horror expert Randy Harward. Watch trailer
- Alien: Romulus (October 15)
- American Homeboy (October 15)
- Between the Beats (October 15)
- Depravity (October 15)
- Modernism, Inc. (October 15)
- Reagan (October 15)
- Stream (October 15)
- All Happy Families (October 18)
- Bookworm (October 18)
- Children of the Pines (October 18)
- Die Alone (October 18)
- Green Night (October 18)
- I Will Never Leave You Alone (October 18)
- Lee (October 18)
- Rippy (October 18)
- The Stoic (October 18)