Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Hell On Wheels (AMC, 9 p.m., Saturday): Sure, perhaps this dusty drama about the coming of the railroad and the taming of the Old West is never spoken of with the same reverence as AMC’s flagship series like your Breaking Bads, your Better Call Sauls, or your Mad Mens. But, as the fifth and last season kicks off with the first of its final seven episodes on Saturday, it can rest assured that its sturdy, competent storytelling will forever keep it out of Low Winter Sun territory. We can all rest assured in that.
The American West (AMC, 10 p.m., Saturday): Doubling down on the whole “dusty West” thing, AMC is following up each new episode of Hell On Wheels with an installment of this new Robert Redford-produced docudrama series focused on Old West types such as Jesse James, Billy The Kid, Wyatt Earp, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull. In addition to all the reenacting, Western movie stars and aficionados like Redford, James Caan, Burt Reynolds, Tom Selleck, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Harmon, and Ed Harris will be spinning yarns about pretend cowboy adventures.
30 For 30: O.J.: Made In America (ABC, 9 p.m., Friday): After the unexpectedly substantial American Crime Story, one might imagine that there’s not much more to learn about the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and the former football great who (it’s still heavily assumed) killed them. Nevertheless, ESPN and award-winning filmmaker Ezra Edelman are bringing you a five-part documentary series about the O.J. Simpson case. (The first two-hour installment premieres on ABC before the series shifts over to 30 For 30 home base, ESPN.) Those who’ve seen this documentary assert that its mix of new interviews, fresh eyes, and heretofore unseen (and reportedly even more horrifying than you’ve imagined) crime scene images is as morbidly fascinating as ever. In his glowing pre-air review, Noel Murray compares it to the likes of Making A Murderer and The Jinx, calling Made In America “masterful” and asserting that it’s essential viewing—even if you imagine American Crime Story filled in all the blanks.
Premieres and finales
Voltron: Legendary Defender (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., Friday): Netflix and Dreamworks team up, Voltron-style, to reboot the 1980s animated kids’ show about a giant robot made out of smaller (but still giant) lion robots. Which sounds exactly like how a 7-year-old would pitch an animated kids’ show. The series has roped in some cool voice talent, like The Walking Dead’s Steven Yuen, Deadbeat and Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil’s Tyler Labine, and Adventure Time’s Finn, Jeremy Shada, which is all well and good, but everyone’s really here for the big, honking robot made up of smaller lion robots, one assumes. In his review, our own Oliver Sava says the big guy looks great, even if his show’s a little clunky.
People’s List (ABC, 8 p.m., Saturday): It’s People Magazine’s new celebrity newsmagazine show for, one assumes, those who find People’s prose style too challenging. Hosts Jerry O’Connell and SuChin Pak “break down the five people you should be talking about” for you. Which is nice of them.
My Cat From Hell (Animal Planet, 8 p.m., Saturday): The seventh season finale of a show about people angrily yelling at constitutionally unconcerned and uncomprehending creatures who’ve just pissed in someone’s shoe.
Killing Mommy (Lifetime, 8 p.m., Saturday): Did you ever wonder just what the vibe at Lifetime creative is like? Is everyone there laughing when they come up with each slate of “white, suburban enclave of decency menaced by infiltrating outside forces” TV movies? Or are they holed up in there, furiously scribbling down their sweatiest nightmare narratives from their Etsy dream journals while peering repeatedly though the drawn blinds looking for unmarked white vans, charming but shady second husbands, and suspiciously sexy au pairs? Anyway, this week, someone is killing, or contemplating killing, mommy. Our money, as ever, is on Tanya:
Regular coverage
Lady Dynamite (Netflix, Saturday)
Comedy Bang! Bang! (IFC, 11 & 11:30 p.m., Friday)
Outlander (Starz, 9 p.m., Saturday)
Outcast (Cinemax, 10 p.m., Saturday)
Streaming pick
Key & Peele, “Season Two, Episode Nine” (Hulu): The dangers of color-coding your kids’ show heroes, people. New Voltron, take note. (And, hey, apparently Comedy Central’s made all of Key & Peele available online, so go nuts, you nuts.)