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, Oct. 27-Nov. 1. Details and times are subject to change.
An investigation and an attractive mutated monster.
Mick Herron, the British novelist whose book “Slow Horses” was adapted into the Emmy Award-winning show of the same name, is getting a second book-to-screen adaptation with the new series “Down Cemetery Road.” This one stars Ruth Wilson as Sarah Trafford, a woman who becomes obsessed with uncovering what caused a house explosion and a missing girl in her neighborhood. Emma Thompson plays Zoë Boehm, a private investigator, and the two women find themselves down a rabbit hole of conspiracies. The first two episodes air this week, followed by weekly releases for the rest of the eight-episode series. Streaming Wednesday on Apple TV.
For fans of “The Witcher,” the fourth season, which starts this week, might look a little bit different. Henry Cavill, who played the show’s protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, the monster hunter who also has supernatural abilities, laid down his sword after season 3 in 2022. Now, Liam Hemsworth (of “Hunger Games” fame) will be taking on the role for the penultimate season. The new cast has already filmed the fifth and final season, which will likely be airing sometime next year. Streaming Thursday on Netflix.
Documentaries on a healer and a killer.
Over the course of three years, cameras followed Dr. James Graham in Fairfax, Okla. (population 1,263) for the documentary “Country Doctor.” The emphasis of the story is on the lack of rural medical practices — and Dr. Graham exemplifies that, as he splits his time between a hospital, three clinics and a nursing home, traveling around a 60-mile radius. Tuesday at 7 p.m. on HBO.
From a quick glance at the endless offerings of true crime documentaries, it is clear most serial killers have one thing in common: They are men. That’s one reason the trial and 2002 execution of Aileen Wuornos, a woman who killed seven men and was convicted of first-degree murder for one of them, was so widely discussed. Though Wuornos was portrayed by Charlize Theron in the 2003 film “Monster” (which earned her a best actress Academy Award), the new documentary feature “Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers” uses archival footage and Wuornos’s own words to tell the story. Streaming Thursday on Netflix.
Some Halloween favorites.
One way to get into the Halloween spirit (especially if the gory aspects of the holiday aren’t for you) is cuing up themed episodes of beloved and comforting television. There’s the episode of “How I Met Your Mother” in which Ted (Josh Radnor) repeatedly dresses up as a “hanging Chad” (a reference to wrongly recorded ballots from the 2000 presidential election) in an attempt to get a second chance with a woman wearing a pumpkin costume. Then there’s the “Friends” episode in which Monica (Courteney Cox) dresses up Chandler (Matthew Perry) as the Velveteen Rabbit, and the “Parks and Recreation” episode with Leslie enlisting Andy to track down the high schooler who breaks into City Hall.
Here are some of those episodes, and where to stream them:
“Abbott Elementary,” season 2, episode 6: “Candy Zombies” (Hulu); “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” season 2, episode 6: “Halloween” (Hulu); “Friends,” season 8, episode 6: “The One With the Halloween Party” (HBO Max); “How I Met Your Mother,” season 1, episode 6: “Slutty Pumpkin” and Season 7, Episode 8: “The Slutty Pumpkin Returns”(Netflix); “Parks and Recreation,” season 2, episode 7: “Greg Pikitis”; “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, season 1 episode 6: “Halloween” (Peacock).
But if you’re looking for all things supernatural and spooky, there are plenty of options for you too. There is “Trick r Treat,” which follows five interconnected stories with a central supernatural entity who enforces the rules of the holiday. There is the faux documentary “Ghostwatch,” which first aired on BBC in 1992 and tricked some viewers into believing it was real, and “Dark Harvest,” the 2023 film about a spectral creature that emerges in the cornfields of a Midwestern town.
Here are some film suggestions, and where to stream them:
“Trick r Treat” (HBO Max); “Ghostwatch” (AMC+); “Dark Harvest” (rent on Apple TV or Prime Video); “Ginger Snaps” (AMC+); “Haunt” (streaming on Starz or AMC+); “Halloween” (Philo or AMC+); “Cobweb” (Netflix)
And, if you want a personalized recommendation, we’ve got you covered with a Halloween movie quiz.
Kellina Moore contributed research.
Shivani Gonzalez is a news assistant at The Times who writes a weekly TV column and contributes to a variety of sections.
The post ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ and More Things to Watch on TV This Week appeared first on New York Times.
