TV

‘Star Wars Rebels,’ Another Stephen King Adaptation, and More TV You Must See This Week

Also a new Patton Oswalt stand-up special, a comedy about Jamie Foxx, and a varied selection of documentaries.
By  · Published on October 15th, 2017

Also a new Patton Oswalt stand-up special, a comedy about Jamie Foxx, and a varied selection of documentaries.

This week, documentaries rule: the directors behind Jesus Camp once again explore a religious community, a Hulu exclusive dives into why The Dana Carvey Show failed, the latest POV presentation goes inside one of the most active maternity hospitals in the world, and George Michael narrates his rise to fame in his own words. There’s also the last season of Star Wars Rebels, a new Patton Oswalt stand-up special, and a new show based on Jamie Foxx‘s early years providing the right amount of comedy and sci-fi to balance things out. Finally, to keep the spirit of Halloween alive, Netflix premieres its second Stephen King adaptation.

To help you keep track of the most important programs over the next seven days, here’s our guide to everything worth watching, whether it’s on broadcast, cable, or streaming for October 15th – 21st (all times Eastern):

1. Star Wars Rebels (Disney XD, Monday 12:30am)

Despite Star Wars Rebels being on Disney XD, it has never been an animated show just for children. Now the fourth and final season promises to be even darker than its predecessors. The same way past seasons had Ezra, Kanan, Hera, C1-10P, and the rest of the team cross paths with Darth Maul, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader and travel to familiar planets, the show will keep digging into the events that take place between Episode III and Episode IV. For example, we’ll be seeing the return of Saw Gerrera and Mon Mothma. While this season is focused on giving Rebels proper closure, creator Dave Filoni has admitted that it might also help tie some of the loose ends of its animated precursor, The Clone Wars. Catching up with it is a good way to quench the wookie thirst until The Last Jedi arrives on December 15th.

2. 1922 (Netflix, Friday)

With IT and Gerald’s Game, the faith of many Stephen King fans has been restored and The Dark Tower feels like an awkward memory from the distant past. Now Netflix keeps up the quality adaptation streak with 1922. Based on King’s novella of the same name, the film follows Wilfred James (Thomas Jane), a proud farmer who conspires with his son (Dylan Schmid) to kill his wife (Molly Parker). However, after the deed is done, their ranch is infested with rats and, as everything begins to fall apart, they become convinced that she is haunting them from beyond. Zak Hilditch’s take on King might not be the best option for murophobics, but it is a good way to keep the eerie spirit of the month of October going.

3. Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (Netflix, Tuesday)

If we had to describe Patton Oswalt in one word, “candid” might be a good choice. Since his wife’s sudden death last year, the actor has been very open about his grief, and his second Netflix stand-up comedy special seems to be the culmination of his process to overcome it. Filmed at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre, Patton Oswalt: Annihilation tackles some of the issues that distinguish the Trump era — the angst in social media and the unstable political climate — but it mainly deals with the challenges of facing personal tragedy. Oswalt wears his heart on his sleeve but delivers with his trademark wit.

4. One of Us (Netflix, Friday)

The directors of the Oscar-nominated documentary Jesus Camp, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, tread similar territory in their latest film. For three years, they followed three individuals: Luzer is a young man in his twenties who abandoned his wife and children to pursue an acting career; Ari is a teenager who battles with cocaine addiction and the psychological scars of abuse; and Etty is a mother of seven who tries to leave her violent husband. What they have in common is all of them are trying to break away from the Hassidic Jewish community. Ewing and Grady revisit some recurring themes, including the relationship between the individual and his/her community and insular religious societies, through an impartial eye, in an effort to shed some light on a controversial subject.

5. White Famous (Showtime, Sunday 10pm)

Way before he won the Oscar or started rapping alongside Kanye West, Jamie Foxx used to do stand-up. Those early years are the inspiration behind White Famous, a new comedy that follows a young black entertainer (played by SNL vet Jay Pharoah) as he tries to break out from the comedy club scene and reach universal fame. Written by Tom Kapinos (Californication and Lucifer), the show also stars Utkarsh Ambudkar, Cleopatra Coleman, and Jacob Ming-Trent, while Michael Rapaport, Steve Zissis, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Foxx himself make guest appearances. If you’re looking for something in a similar vein to Black-ish and Atlanta, Sunday’s double episode might be it. And between this and the Jim Carrey-produced I’m Dying Up Here, we’re wondering which In Living Color cast member gets a stand-up-based series on Showtime next.

6. Motherland (PBS, Monday 10pm)

This week’s installment of POV offers a look at the Dr. Jose Fabella Hospital in the Philippines, which has one of the most active maternity wards in the world, with an average between 60 and 100 births per day. Directed by Ramona S. Diaz (Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey), Motherland pictures not only the action and the hectic rhythm of everyday life in the hospital, but it also portrays the state of Philippine healthcare and the influence of religion and tradition over population and culture. Over at Nonfics, our own Kieran Fisher calls it “compelling and immersive.”

7. Too Funny to Fail (Hulu, Saturday)

Sometimes a success story is not as interesting as a tale of failure, and the case of The Dana Carvey Show is a good example of the latter. This documentary explores the reasons why a television show led by a well-established comedian, with a primetime slot and a cast and writing staff that included future comedy stars such as Louis C.K., Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Robert Smigel, and Charlie Kaufman managed to flop so spectacularly. Too Funny to Fail is not about how fast they all crashed as much as it is about how bright they burned.

8. George Michael: Freedom (Showtime, Saturday 9pm)

Last year was marked by the deaths of many pop culture icons: it all started with David Bowie in January, and along the way we lost Alan Rickman, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Leonard Cohen, and Carrie Fisher, and the year closed with a sad note on Christmas with George Michael. However, before his untimely death, the pop star worked on a documentary that looks back at his career and focuses on his first years as a performer and the making of the album “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1.” Narrated by Michael himself, the film also features interviews with Naomi Campbell, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Nile Rogers, Liam Gallagher, Cindy Crawford, and many others.

SUNDAY

Bob’s Burgers S8E2 “The Silence of the Louise” (FOX, 7:30pm)

The Simpsons S29E3 “Whistler’s Father” (FOX, 8pm)

Ghosted S1E3 “Whispers” (FOX, 8:30pm)

Star Trek: Discovery S1E5 “Choose Your Pain” (CBSAA, 8:30pm)

Berlin Station S2E1 “Everything’s Gonna Be Alt-Right” (Epix, 9pm) – season premiere

Family Guy S16E3 “Nanny Goats” (FOX, 9pm)

Fear the Walking Dead S3E15 &E16 “Things Bad Begun” & “Sleight Ride” (AMC, 9pm) – season finale

Ray Donovan S5E10 “Bob the Builder” (Showtime, 9pm)

The Deuce S1E6 “Why Me?” (HBO, 9pm)

The Last Man on Earth S4E3 “Skeleton Crew” (FOX, 9:30pm)

Curb Your Enthusiasm S9E3 “A Disturbance in the Kitchen” (HBO, 10pm)

Good Behavior S2E1 “The Heart Attack is the Best Way” (TNT, 10pm) – season premiere

White Famous S1E1 (Showtime, 10pm) – series premiere

Vice Principals S2E5 “A Compassionate Man” (HBO, 10:40pm)

MONDAY

Acceptable Risk S1 (Acorn TV) – series American debut

Star Wars Rebels S4E1&E2 “Heroes of Mandalore” (Disney XD, 12:30am) – season premiere

Lucifer S3E3 “Mr. & Mrs. Mazikeen Smith” (FOX, 8pm)

Supergirl S3E2 “Triggers” (The CW, 8pm)

The Gifted S1E3 “eXodus” (FOX, 9pm)

Scorpion S4E4 “Nuke Kids on the Block” (CBS, 10pm)

The Good Doctor S1E4 “Pipes” (ABC, 10pm)

TUESDAY

Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (Netflix) – stand-up comedy special

Slasher (Netflix) – season premiere

The Mindy Project S6E6 “The Midwife’s Tale” (Hulu)

The Flash S4E2 “Mixed Signals” (The CW, 8pm)

NCIS S15E4 “Skeleton Crew” (CBS, 8pm)

Lethal Weapon S2E4 “Flight Risk” (FOX, 8pm)

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S3E2 “Freakshow” (The CW, 9pm)

This Is Us S2E4 “Still There” (NBC, 9pm)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine S5E4 “HalloVeen” (FOX, 9:30pm)

The Mayor S1E3 “Buyer’s Remorse” (ABC, 9:30pm)

American Horror Story S7E7 “Valerie Solanas Died for Your Sins: Scumbag” (FX, 10pm)

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World S1E3 “Sweet Little Lies” (ABC, 10pm)

Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders S1E4 (NBC, 10pm)

Loudermilk S1E1 “A Girl in Trouble is a Temporary Thing” (DirecTV/AT&T, 10:30pm) – series premiere

WEDNESDAY

Chance S2E4 “The Coping Mechanism” (Hulu)

Freakish S2 (Hulu) – season premiere

Empire S4E4 “Bleeding War” (FOX, 8pm)

Riverdale S2E2 “Chapter Fifteen: Nighthawks” (The CW, 8pm)

The Blacklist S5E4 “The Endling” (NBC, 8pm)

Speechless S2E4 “T-r-Training D-a-Day” (ABC, 8:30pm)

Law & Order: SVU S19E4 “No Good Reason” (NBC, 9pm)

Modern Family S9E4 “Sex, Lies and Kickball” (ABC, 9pm)

Channel Zero S2E5 “The Damage” (Syfy, 10pm)

Criminal Minds S13E4 “Killer App” (CBS, 10pm)

Designated Survivor S2E4 “Equilibrium” (ABC, 10pm)

Liar S1E4 “Catherine” (Sundance Channel, 10pm)

Mr. Robot S3E2 “eps3.1_undo.gz” (USA, 10pm)

You’re the Worst S4E8 “A Bunch of Hornballs” (FXX, 10pm)

Broad City S4E5 “Abbi’s Mom” (Comedy Central, 10:30pm)

Baroness von Sketch Show S2E6 “It’s a Garment of Liberty” (IFC, 11pm)

Rosehaven S1E7 & S1E8 (Sundance Channel, 11pm) – season finale

THURSDAY

Gotham S4E5 “The Blade’s Path” (FOX, 8pm)

Supernatural S13E2 “The Rising Son” (The CW, 8pm)

Superstore S3E4 “Workplace Bullying” (NBC, 8pm)

The Good Place S2E6 “The Trolley Problem” (NBC, 8:30pm)

Arrow S6E2 “Tribute” (The CW, 9pm)

Project Runway S16E10 (Lifetime, 9pm)

Scandal S7E3 “Day 101” (ABC, 9pm)

Van Helsing S2E3 “Love Bites” (Syfy, 9pm)

Will & Grace S9E4 “Grandpa Jack” (NBC, 9pm)

Great News S2E4 “Award Show” (NBC, 9:30pm)

Better Things S2E6 “Eulogy” (FX, 10pm)

Ghost Wars S1E3 “The Curse of Copperhead Road” (Syfy, 10pm)

How to Get Away With Murder S4E4 “Was She Ever Good at Her Job?” (ABC, 10pm)

FRIDAY

1922 (Netflix) – movie premiere

One of Us (Netflix) – documentary premiere

Red Oaks S3 (Amazon) – season premiere

Wheelman (Netflix) – movie premiere

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S3E2 “To Josh, With Love” (The CW, 8pm)

Once Upon a Time S7E3 “The Garden of Forking Paths” (ABC, 8pm)

Active Shooter: America Under Fire S1E4 (Showtime, 9pm)

Jane The Virgin S4E2 “Chapter Sixty-Six” (The CW, 9pm)

Marvel’s Inhumans S1E5 “Something Inhuman This Way Comes…” (ABC, 9pm)

The Exorcist S2E4 “One of Sorrow” (FOX, 9pm)

Z Nation S4E4 “A New Mission: Keep Moving” (Syfy, 9pm)

Superstition S1E1 (Syfy, 10pm) – series premiere

SATURDAY

Too Funny to Fail (Hulu) – documentary premiere

The Watcher in the Woods (Lifetime, 8pm) – movie premiere

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency S2E2 “Fans of Wet Circles” (BBC America, 9pm)

George Michael: Freedom (Showtime, 9pm) – documentary premiere

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