Damián Bichir in Let The Right One In; Jensen Ackles in The Winchesters; Jennifer Coolidge in The WatcherPhoto: Francisco Roman/Showtime; Matt Miller/The CW; Netflix
Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, October 9 to Thursday, October 13. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]
Let The Right One In | Official Trailer | SHOWTIME
Demián Bichir leads the horror drama Let The Right One In, which is based on Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel of the same name. Bichir plays Mark, whose daughter Eleanor’s (Madison Taylor Baez) life changed 10 years ago when she turned into a vampire. Frozen in time at the age of 12, she’s lived a closed-in life, while her father does his best to provide the human blood she needs to stay alive. The duo returns to New York City in hopes of finding a cure. Anika Noni Rose, Grace Gummer, and Željko Ivanek also star.
“The Winchester story, it’s always been a mystery,” Jensen Ackles says about this spin-off of the 15-season-long drama Supernatural. The actor reprises his role as Dean Winchester in The Winchesters to narrate this ’70s-set tale of how his parents, John (Drake Rodger) and Mary (Meg Donnelly), met while hunting demons together. You’ll have to tune in to find out if any other actors will return in some form or another.
The Watcher (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)
The Watcher | Official Trailer | Netflix
Ryan Murphy co-produces The Watcher, a psychological thriller that’s based on a true story documented in this The Cut article. Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts portray Dean and Nora Brannock, who move to their dream home in suburban New Jersey with their two kids. The cul-de-sac ideals are shattered when they begin receiving letters from a stalker and harasser who is obsessed with the house and family. The impressive cast includes Jennifer Coolidge, Margo Martindale, Richard Kind, Noma Dumezweni, and Mia Farrow.
Hidden gems
Avenue 5 (HBO, Monday, 10 p.m.)
Avenue 5 Season 2 | Official Trailer | HBO
Armando Ianucci’s sci-fi comedy Avenue 5 finally returns for a second season after its January 2020 debut. Set in the future, the show follows an eight-week interplanetary cruise ship that gets delayed by three years while returning to Earth. Ryan Clark (Hugh Laurie) struggles in his position as the captain, and in season two, it only gets harder when they realize the ship will now take eight years to reach their home planet. Zach Woods, Josh Gad, Suzy Nakamura, Rebecca Front, and Himesh Patel also star.
Iliza Schlesinger: Hot Forever (Netflix, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
18 Minutes of Iliza Shlesinger
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger returns to Netflix for yet another standup special, Hot Forever. In it, she’ll cover everything from ugly bras to how all adult men need to own a box spring. The special was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio.
I Love You, You Hate Me (Peacock, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
I Love You, You Hate Me | Official Trailer | Peacock Original
The two-part docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me chronicles the rise and fall of Barney the Dinosaur. Everyone’s favorite purple host was popular amongst kids in the ’90s, but was also met with a lot of hate even before the days of social media. Al Roker, Bill Nye, Bob West, and David Joyner appear to talk about the legacy of this character.
More good stuff
Grimcutty (Hulu, Monday, 12:01 a.m.)
Grimcutty | Official Trailer | Hulu
Written and directed by John Ross, Grimcutty is a horror drama about a suburban teen girl and her brother, who team up to stop a terrifying meme brought to life by the hysteria of their parents. The internet continues to be a nightmare, even in a fictional world, huh? The ensemble includes Shannyn Sossamon, Alona Tal, Usman Ally, and Callan Farris.
38 At The Garden (HBO, Wednesday, 8 p.m.)
38 At The Garden | Official Trailer | HBO
Directed by Frank Chi, 38 At The Garden charts the rise of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin, an undrafted Harvard graduate who shocked fans and teammates and also galvanized Asian Americans with his hot streak against the Los Angeles Lakers. The film also features interviews with Lin, Ronny Chieng, Hasan Minhaj, and Jenny Yang, among others.
Exception (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)
exception | Official Trailer | Netflix
Created by Otsuichi, Exception is a Japanese space horror anime set in the distant future, in which human beings are forced to leave Earth and migrate to another galaxy when an advanced spacecraft team arrives to be terraformed.
