Between streaming and cable, viewers have a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that are airing or streaming this week, Sept. 8-14. Details and times are subject to change.
A humorous crime show and a threatening thriller.
Tales of social climbers are nothing new. See: “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Saltburn,” to name a few. But what if you can’t parse whether your son’s new girlfriend is just overly eager or actually up to something sinister? That is the plot of the new series “The Girlfriend,” which stars Olivia Cooke as Cherry, the girlfriend of Daniel (Laurie Davidson), whose suspicious mother, Laura, is played by Robin Wright. (Wright also directed the series.) All 10 episodes will be available at once. Streaming Wednesday on Prime Video.
Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Oliver (Martin Short) are on the case once again for the fifth season of “Only Murders in the Building,” the show about a trio who live in the same apartment building, solve mysteries and podcast about them. The fourth season ended on a cliffhanger when the doorman of their building, the Arconia, was found dead. So, naturally, there is a new case to be solved. The show has become known for its roster of A-list guest stars, including Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd, and this season is no different: Christoph Waltz, Renée Zellweger and Logan Lerman join the cast, and Richard Kind, Nathan Lane and Da’Vine Joy Randolph also return. Streaming Tuesday on Hulu.
TV’s biggest night.
This week brings the 77th annual Emmy Awards, and “Severance,” the dystopian drama that stars Adam Scott and has the most nominations, at 27, is a favorite in the best drama race. “The White Lotus,” “The Studio” and “Hacks” are also up for numerous awards. Noah Wyle, first of “ER” fame and now the star of the new medical procedural “The Pitt,” is up for his first best actor in a drama series award in 26 years, and Kathy Bates, 77, is the oldest actress to be nominated in the best actress in a drama series category, for her role in “Matlock.” The ceremony will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
A new documentary.
Issa Rae, the writer, actor and producer, is behind the new two-part documentary series “Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television.” She began working on the project in 2019, when she noticed a trend of Black characters disappearing and re-emerging across the decades on TV screens. Alongside Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross, Norman Lear and Shonda Rhimes, Rae discusses not only the onscreen talent but also the need for diversity behind the scenes. Tuesday at 9 p.m. on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.
This week’s catch-up.
The documentary “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” is holding court in Netflix’s top 10 movie ranking, so if you’re like me and haven’t watched it, now might be the time. The film follows Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny, a teenage couple who received threatening and taunting messages — up to 50 a day — from an unknown phone number for almost two years. Even after they broke up, the torment continued, with both the local police and the F.B.I. becoming involved and questioning the pair’s classmates and families. When the perpetrator is caught — and it’s not who you think it is — it is all there on police bodycam footage. Now streaming on Netflix.
If you’re on TikTok, you might have seen KJ Apa moonlighting as “Mr. Fantasy,” his alter ego. In addition to all that, he stars in the romantic comedy “The Map That Leads to You” with Madelyn Cline. The two, Heather and Jack, meet on an overnight train in Spain as he is following his great-grandfather’s journey in Europe and she is wrapping up a girls’ trip. As is rom-com law, they end up ditching their plans and traveling around together. The New York Times critic Chris Azzopardi wrote in his review of the film that “the cinematographer Elías M. Félix captures the sights and sounds of the Iberian Peninsula with aspirational warmth — the kind that makes you wonder what it might be like to surrender your own heart among such breathtaking vistas.” Now streaming on Prime Video.
Shivani Gonzalez is a news assistant at The Times who writes a weekly TV column and contributes to a variety of sections.
The post ‘The Girlfriend’ and 5 More Things to Watch on TV This Week appeared first on New York Times.
