Top pick
Hand Of God (Amazon, 12:01 a.m., Friday): Ron Perlman has finally scraped the bugs out of his teeth and traded his leathers for a nice suit for this star vehicle about a corrupt judge who embarks on a violent quest for justice when he starts hearing what he thinks is the voice of God. Is the judge crazy? Is he on a mission from the Lord? Well, with the ever-magnetic Perlman at the helm, it should be interesting to find out, at least. The whole series is available for a divine binge-watch starting at midnight, and Dennis Perkins is on daily reviewing duties for the entire ten-episode run. (Look for noon reviews Friday-Sunday, and then 6 p.m. installments thereafter—and feel free to send him some divine coffee to see him through.) And, while you’re at it, check out Joshua Alston’s TV Review of the first five episodes, which he binge-watched before writing it—so he’s good on the coffee front. Or send him some coffee. People need coffee.
Regular coverage
Blunt Talk (Starz, 9 p.m., Saturday): Surprising pretty much no one, Patrick Stewart’s erratic newsman Walter Blunt gets sentenced to attend Alcoholics Anonymous. Meanwhile, his staff, freed from Walter’s whims temporarily, find themselves at loose ends—and, frankly, getting a little weird. Brandon Nowalk gets weird regularly and relentlessly, so he’s prepared for anything.
Survivor’s Remorse (Starz, 9:30 p.m., Saturday): When Cam’s mom gets back in the dating game, Cam gets weird. Weird’s also the word for the eccentric money man behind team owner Flaherty’s fortunes, as Reggie discovers. Joshua Alston continues to suggest you discover this underrated show. Josh isn’t that weird—he’s just weird enough to know what he’s talking about.
Elsewhere in TV Club
Sure, we here at the A.V. Club are all jaded, seen-it-all types, but we’re still capable of being surprised. Moved even. Like a bolt from the blue. So this week’s AVQ&A sees your favorite A.V. Clubbers listing the times when a work of art stopped them dead in their tracks. Is Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo represented? Read it and see. Then Greg Cwik pays his respects to the deceptively mild-mannered master of horror, the late Wes Craven. And Will Harris continues his string of amazing Random Roles gets, bringing in everyone’s favorite zipper-Mozart-playing Murray brother Joel.
What else is on
American Masters: Althea (PBS, 9 p.m., Friday): Portrait of pioneering athlete Althea Gibson who became the first black player to win at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals, despite facing discrimination so soul-crushing that she only went on to tour with the Harlem Globetrotters, record a jazz album and become the first black member of the LPGA.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church (Showtime, 9 p.m., Friday): No one should really have to say more than “previously unreleased footage of Hendrix from the 1970 Atlanta Pop Music Festival,” right? Sometimes these things just write themselves. Will Harris is on hand with his review—and he’s brought lighter fluid! He’s not burning a guitar, he’s making some barbecue to celebrate the review.
College Football: Virginia At UCLA (Fox, 3:30 p.m., Saturday): Are you ready for some (college) football?!
College Football: Arizona State At Texas A&M (ESPN, 7 p.m., Saturday): Seriously—(college) football! Ready yet?