What's on TV this week—American Primeval, The Pitt

Plus, a docuseries on Jerry Springer, Tim Allen's latest sitcom, and Gabriel Iglesias' comedy special

By Saloni Gajjar  |  January 5, 2025 | 10:00am
Photo: American Primeval (Netflix), The Pitt (Warrick Page/Max)
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What's on TV this week—American Primeval, The Pitt
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Welcome to What’s On, our weekly roundup of notable shows. Here is what’s happening from Sunday, January 5 to Thursday, January 9. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]

The biggies

American Primeval (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)

Friday Night Lights‘ Peter Berg reunites with Taylor Kitsch for a six-part Western drama. The 1857-set American Primeval centers on a collision of religion and culture in a new frontier. Kim Coates plays LDS church President Brigham Young, and the cast also features Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Jai Courtney, Shawnee Pourier, and Kyle Bradley. Look for The A.V. Club‘s review this week.

The Pitt (Max, Thursday, 9:01 p.m.) 

Noah Wyle scrubbed out of ER decades ago, but another medical drama beckons. He leads The Pitt as an ER doctor in Pittsburgh, with season one’s 15 episodes covering a 15-hour shift (yes, 24-style). Fiona Dourif, Tracey Ifeachor, Supriya Ganesh, Isa Briones, Shabana Azeez, and Patrick Marron Ball co-star. The A.V. Club will recap the show weekly.

More newbies

Shifting Gears (ABC, Wednesday, 8 p.m.)

After Home Improvement and (most of) Last Man Standing, Tim Allen makes a grand return to ABC with the sitcom Shifting Gears. He plays a stubborn widower who welcomes his estranged daughter (played by Kat Dennings) and her kids into his house. Seann William Scott, Jenna Elfman, and Daryl Mitchell round out the cast.

On Call (Prime Video, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.) 

Dick Wolf finds a new home in Prime Video with his first half-hour procedural, On Call. A training officer (played by Troian Bellisario) and her rookie partner (played by Brandon Larracuente) struggle with the loss of a friend while responding to emergency calls in Long Beach, California. The ensemble features Eriq LaSalle and Lori Loughlin.

Other picks

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)

The two-part Fights, Camera, Action dives into the rise of Jerry Springer’s talk show and its meteoric success despite criticisms. The docuseries also reveals behind-the-scenes information about the controversial The Jerry Springer Show with the help of archival footage and interviews.

Gabriel Iglesias: Legend Of Fluffy (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)

In his fourth standup act for Netflix, comedian Gabriel Iglesias chronicles his career achievements and perils, including his dating life and going through a break-in.

Can’t miss recaps

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+, Tuesday, 9:01 p.m.) 

Arriving now

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches (AMC, Sunday, 9 p.m., season two premiere) 

Will Trent, The Rookie (ABC, Tuesday, 8 p.m., season premieres) 

High Potential (ABC, Tuesday, 9 p.m., season one winter premiere) 

The Irrational (NBC, Tuesday, 10 p.m., season two winter premiere) 

Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. (NBC, Wednesday, 8-11 p.m., winter premieres) 

Abbott Elementary (ABC, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., season four winter premiere) 

The Upshaws (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season six premiere) 

The Traitors (Peacock, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season three premiere) 

Ending soon

Brilliant Minds (NBC, Monday, 10 p.m., season one finale) 

Creature Commandos (Max, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season one finale) 

Vera (Britbox, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., series finale) 

 
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