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, March 9-15. Details and times are subject to change.
Crime forensics and spray-tan cover-ups
Nicole Kidman loves to portray a woman in suspicious circumstances. Think “Eyes Wide Shut,” “The Perfect Couple” and “The Undoing,” just to name a few. She steps back into that archetype in the new show “Scarpetta,” which is based on a book series by Patricia Cornwell. It revolves around the titular character, Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist who is grappling with the psychological toll of investigating crimes. The series follows two timelines: one in the 1990s, when Scarpetta is starting her career as a chief medical examiner; and another in the present day, when she investigates a particularly heinous set of murders while trying to identify a serial killer. All eight episodes will be released at the same time. Jamie Lee Curtis and Simon Baker also star. Begins streaming Wednesday on Prime Video.
A comedy from Australia is coming to American airwaves this week. “Sunny Nights” stars Will Forte and D’Arcy Carden as Martin and Vicki, siblings who are trying to level up the spray-tan business they run out of the back of their van. Things take a turn when their ambitions lead them to cross paths with threatening criminals. The series consists of eight episodes that will be released together. Begins streaming Wednesday on Hulu.
Grief, new romances and wily baby daddies
If you feel like Hulu is cranking out seasons of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” you are not wrong. The show premiered in September 2024, and the fourth season is set to air this week. It will follow the same MomTok group, this time with plotlines including Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck’s experience on “Dancing With the Stars” and Taylor Frankie Paul preparing to start her run as “The Bachelorette.” There are sure to be plenty of fights, baby-daddy drama and dirty sodas drank. Begins streaming Thursday on Hulu.
The most adored couple on “Virgin River,” Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson), are back with an eye toward their future. Having tied the knot last season, they are now looking to adopt a baby and keep the clinic in town afloat. When the show was renewed for a seventh season (the one that will begin airing this week), it became Netflix’s longest running English-language original drama series. There is also a prequel in the works, set to follow the back story of Mel’s parents. Begins streaming Thursday on Netflix.
Taylor Sheridan, the showrunner behind “Yellowstone,” “Landman” and “1923,” among others, has a new show, “The Madison.” It follows the Clyburn family (Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Patrick J. Adams and others), who move to the Madison Valley area of southwest Montana from New York City after experiencing a tragedy. The six episodes will air in two chunks: The first three will be available to stream this weekend and the second half will air a week after that. Begins streaming Saturday on Paramount+.
And the award goes to …
Awards season is wrapping up this weekend with the Oscars, which will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Conan O’Brien is set to host as Timothée Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, Jessie Buckley and many others vie for awards. “Sinners,” the horror film directed by Ryan Coogler, has been nominated for a record-breaking 16 awards including best picture and best director; “One Battle After Another” is second with 13 nominations. Before Sunday’s show, see a full list of nominees here. Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC.
Spanish language offerings
The United States wasn’t the only country to make its own version of the British workplace sitcom “The Office.” Mexico did too, with a show called “La Oficina,” set in the state of Aguascalientes. It is coming stateside this week, and in this version, the story follows Jerónimo Ponce III (the Michael Scott character, in this case played by Fernando Bonilla), who is running (or trying to run) his family business, Jabones Olimpo (Olimpo Soaps). Begins streaming Friday on Prime Video.
Another Spanish-language show, “That Night,” deals in far less silly fare. Set in the Dominican Republic, the new series begins when a young mother, Elena (Clara Galle), hits a man with her car while on vacation. Instead of taking the appropriate actions, like notifying the police, she calls her sisters, and together they make all the wrong choices. Begins streaming Friday on Netflix.
Shivani Gonzalez is a news assistant at The Times who writes a weekly TV column and contributes to a variety of sections.
The post ‘Scarpetta,’ Plus 7 Things to Watch on TV This Week appeared first on New York Times.
