Hitch a ride to Moonbase 8
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Sunday, November 8. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Moonbase 8 (Showtime, 11 p.m., series premiere): “The original premise for Moonbase 8, a new comedy from John C. Reilly, Tim Heidecker, Fred Armisen, and Jonathan Krisel, was one rooted in the isolation horror of The Thing—a group of people stuck in a remote area, facing the unknown together. Like the creature in John Carpenter’s classic sci-fi film, that idea quickly took on a new form, eventually turning into a winning office comedy that laps other recent entrants in the ‘work-space’ genre.
Moonbase 8 stars Reilly, Heidecker, and Armisen as a trio of would-be astronauts training at one of a number of NASA lunar camps in the U.S. desert. Each member of the group primarily goes by a call name—Robert ‘Cap’ Caputo (Reilly), Dr. Michael ‘Skip’ Henai (Armisen), and Professor Scott ‘Rook’ Sloan (Heidecker)—save for Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end who throws his weight around like they’re already on the moon. They all come to NASA from different walks of life: Cap, a pilot for scenic helicopter tours, claims to be a military man, while Skip is following in his astronaut father’s footsteps, and Rook mostly wants to spread ‘the Gospel of Jesus Christ out into the universe.’ Kelce’s presence is tantamount to stunt casting (by NASA, not Showtime), but even he quickly finds himself out of his depth.” Click to read the rest of Danette Chavez’s pre-air review.
Regular coverage
The Undoing (HBO, 9 p.m.)
The Good Lord Bird (Showtime, 9 p.m.)
Fargo (FX, 10 p.m.): Tonight’s Fargo will run long, ending at 11:09 p.m.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond (AMC, 10:12 p.m.)
Wild cards
Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult (Starz, 9 p.m., series finale): “If we’re going to get multiple documentaries about NXIVM, they should focus on the women involved. There are still people who haven’t come forward about Raniere’s abuses. There are still literal lost women. Seduced displays the difficult path to healing necessary before some can even begin to reckon with the pain NXIVM caused them… This docuseries duel, unlike the Fyre Fest competition, feels like Raniere’s principles come to life, as a far better documentary made by women arrives just as NXIVM fatigue may be settling in. Of course some people will watch both, but I fear most will just throw on the one from HBO. It’s nine episodes and has already been renewed—what could it possibly be missing?” Read the rest of Ashley Ray-Harris’s excellent piece on Seduced and The Vow, and look for Gwen Ihnat’s interview with Seduced director Cecilia Peck and editor Inbal B. Lessner to post after the finale.
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO, 11 p.m.): This shit is going to be good.