HBO Max introduces The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2. All times are Eastern.

Top pick

Maid (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): Real-life mother-daughter duo Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell star in this poignant limited series based on Stephanie Land’s memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, And A Mother’s Will to Survive. Qualley’s Alex is a single mother of a 3-year-old who leaves an abusive relationship and then struggles with poverty and a flawed justice system. Alex begins working as a part-time maid and starts documenting her experiences. Keep an eye out for a review on the site later today.

Regular coverage

Foundation (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.)
The Great British Bake Off (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.)
Saturday Night Live (NBC, Saturday, 11:29 p.m., season 47 premiere): SNL returns for another season minus Beck Bennett and Lauren Holt, but with three new players added to the cast. Owen Wilson will host the premiere episode with musical guest Kacey Musgraves. Look for Dennis Perkins’ recap after the episode airs.

Movie night

The Many Saints Of Newark (HBO Max, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): “Those jonesing for a Corleonesque rise to power will be disappointed to learn that Tony Soprano plays a rather minor role in The Many Saints Of Newark. In fact, for a solid hour, he’s basically Jake Lloyd-sized: a boy (William Ludwig) watching from the sidelines of a criminal empire in late 1960s Jersey. In so much as this rather decentered epic has a central figure, it’s Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), Tony’s mobster uncle and father of perennial Sopranos fuck-up Christopher.” Here’s the rest of A.A. Dowd’s review of The Sopranos prequel film.

The Guilty (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): “In the single-location, real-time suspense contraption The Guilty, Jake Gyllenhaal steps, at last, into the spotlight alone. He’s been cast as a disgraced cop chained to a desk, a phone, and a life-or-death crisis unfolding somewhere in the city beyond his view. For most of its brisk 90 minutes, it’s just Gyllenhaal, in tight close-up, constructing a movie out of sweat and tears alone: a glorified radio play of a thriller whose thrills are generated almost entirely through his reactions.” Read the full review by A.A. Dowd here.

Diana: The Musical (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): Musicals are ready to thrive in their new home: streaming platforms. After the success of Hamilton, the latest Broadway play to arrive is Diana: The Musical. The show had completed preview performances and was expected to open in March 2020 before the pandemic. Now, a live stage recording will premiere on Netflix before the play resumes on December 1. Jeanna de Waal plays the lead role, as Diana is thrust into the public spotlight after her engagement to Prince Charles, played by Roe Hartrampf.

My Name Is Pauli Murray (Amazon Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.): Directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, this documentary film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2021. It follows the life of lawyer and civil rights activist Pauli Murray, who was instrumental in arguing the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. The film features scholars like Brittney Cooper and Rosalind Rosenberg, as well as a study of Murray’s many papers housed at the Schlesinger library and her influence on Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Wild card

Seinfeld (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.): The streaming giant is adding all nine seasons of this vastly popular ’90s sitcom starring Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards. But it’s also treating it as a Netflix original in its marketing, so enjoy a fun trailer before you binge 180 episodes of the series about nothing yet again. Or, if you need help picking favorites, here’s a handy guide.