6 things to watch on TV this weekend

Severance and Cameron Diaz make highly anticipated returns.

By Saloni Gajjar | January 17, 2025 | 8:00am

Severance (Photo: Apple TV+), Back In Action (Photo: John Wilson/Netflix)

TV Features What to Watch

Introducing Endless Mode: A New Games & Anime Site from Paste

Read our announcement | See the 10 Best Games of 2025 (So Far)

Welcome to the weekend edition of What’s On. Here are the big things happening on TV from Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19. All times are Eastern.

Editor’s note: Starting January 19, What’s On will publish only once per week every Sunday. Do you have any suggestions for the feature? Let us know in the comments.

1. Severance returns after a three-year break

Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: The next batch of Apple TV+’s breakout hit promises more suspense as Mark (Adam Scott) searches for his (very much alive) wife, Helly (Britt Lower) copes with being an Eagan, and Lumon addresses the fallout of the OTC. Check out our recap of the season-two premiere.

2. Cameron Diaz is Back In Action

Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: Eleven years after Annie, Cameron Diaz returns to movies with the action-comedy Back In Action, in which she and Jamie Foxx play former spies who are brought back into the espionage world when their CIA identities are exposed. The ensemble also includes Andrew Scott, Kyle Chandler, Glenn Close, and Jamie Demetriou. Look for The A.V. Club‘s review on Friday.

3. Roy Wood Jr. hits Hulu

Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: In Roy Wood Jr.‘s latest special, the comedian talks about American gun culture, retail stores, and—as the title suggests—loneliness.

4. Dave Chappelle takes over SNL

NBC, Saturday, 11:30 p.m.: In SNL‘s first episode of the year, Dave Chappelle makes his way onto the Studio 8H stage for his fourth time as host. Tonight he’s joined by musical guest GloRilla. The A.V. Club‘s recap of the evening publishes early Sunday morning.

5. Sam Heughan leads another sexy Starz drama

Starz, Friday, 10 p.m.: In the British series The Couple Next Door, Sam Heughan and Jessica De Gouw play married swingers whose lives turn upside down when they get entangled with their straitlaced new neighbors (portrayed by Eleanor Tomlinson and Alfred Enoch). Check out The A.V. Club‘s review.

6. Get hooked on A Different Man

Max, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: Sebastian Stan stars in one of 2024’s finest films as a man with facial disfigurement who undergoes surgery—only to realize his life isn’t what he hoped it would be. Adam Pearson, Renate Reinsve, and Owen Kline co-star.