Top pick
Hand Of God (Amazon, 12:01 a.m., Friday): Ron Perlman has finally scraped the bugs out of his teeth and traded his leathers for a nice suit for this star vehicle about a corrupt judge who embarks on a violent quest for justice when he starts hearing what he thinks is the voice of God. Is the judge crazy? Is he on a mission from the Lord? Well, with the ever-magnetic Perlman at the helm, it should be interesting to find out, at least. The whole series is available for a divine binge-watch starting at midnight, and Dennis Perkins is on daily reviewing duties for the entire ten-episode run. (Look for noon reviews Friday-Sunday, and then 6 p.m. installments thereafter—and feel free to send him some divine coffee to see him through.) And, while you’re at it, check out Joshua Alston’s TV Review of the first five episodes, which he binge-watched before writing it—so he’s good on the coffee front. Or send him some coffee. People need coffee.
Regular coverage
Blunt Talk (Starz, 9 p.m., Saturday): Surprising pretty much no one, Patrick Stewart’s erratic newsman Walter Blunt gets sentenced to attend Alcoholics Anonymous. Meanwhile, his staff, freed from Walter’s whims temporarily, find themselves at loose ends—and, frankly, getting a little weird. Brandon Nowalk gets weird regularly and relentlessly, so he’s prepared for anything.
Survivor’s Remorse (Starz, 9:30 p.m., Saturday): When Cam’s mom gets back in the dating game, Cam gets weird. Weird’s also the word for the eccentric money man behind team owner Flaherty’s fortunes, as Reggie discovers. Joshua Alston continues to suggest you discover this underrated show. Josh isn’t that weird—he’s just weird enough to know what he’s talking about.
Elsewhere in TV Club
Sure, we here at the A.V. Club are all jaded, seen-it-all types, but we’re still capable of being surprised. Moved even. Like a bolt from the blue. So this week’s AVQ&A sees your favorite A.V. Clubbers listing the times when a work of art stopped them dead in their tracks. Is Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo represented? Read it and see. Then Greg Cwik pays his respects to the deceptively mild-mannered master of horror, the late Wes Craven. And Will Harris continues his string of amazing Random Roles gets, bringing in everyone’s favorite zipper-Mozart-playing Murray brother Joel.
What else is on
American Masters: Althea (PBS, 9 p.m., Friday): Portrait of pioneering athlete Althea Gibson who became the first black player to win at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals, despite facing discrimination so soul-crushing that she only went on to tour with the Harlem Globetrotters, record a jazz album and become the first black member of the LPGA.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church (Showtime, 9 p.m., Friday): No one should really have to say more than “previously unreleased footage of Hendrix from the 1970 Atlanta Pop Music Festival,” right? Sometimes these things just write themselves. Will Harris is on hand with his review—and he’s brought lighter fluid! He’s not burning a guitar, he’s making some barbecue to celebrate the review.
College Football: Virginia At UCLA (Fox, 3:30 p.m., Saturday): Are you ready for some (college) football?!
College Football: Arizona State At Texas A&M (ESPN, 7 p.m., Saturday): Seriously—(college) football! Ready yet?
College Football: Louisiana (Lafayette) At Kentucky (ESPNU, 7 p.m., Saturday): (College) football time. Gotta be ready. Maybe do some limbering up.
College Football: Wisconsin Vs. Alabama (ABC, 8 p.m., Saturday): Genuinely concerned about the state of your (college) football readiness at this point.
College Football: Texas At Notre Dame (NBC, 8 p.m., Saturday): Please take the proper precautions to ensure that you are, in your soul, ready for some (college) football? Maybe just send an email to assure everyone that you are? Your mom is kinda worried.
Rocky Movie Marathon (El Rey, beginning 6 p.m., Saturday): Apparently Rocky Balboa is non-canon or something, but you can watch a never-ending reel of Rockys 1-5 straight through the weekend until Monday at 6 p.m. Honestly, the sine wave of good to god-awful and back again sounds genuinely soothing, in its own, pummel-y way.
River Raft Nightmare (Lifetime, 8 p.m., Saturday): Lifetime takes its “women in constant peril from all sides at all times” formula to the white water rapids of somewhere inexpensive with this tale of a mother and daughter menaced by a trio of escaped convicts that is in no way inspired by, nor similar to in any legally actionable way, to The River Wild.
Cedar Cove (Hallmark, 8 p.m., Saturday): Will overstays his welcome at Olivia’s house. Sample dialogue: “A tea cozy isn’t goddamned optional, Will—that’s what keeps the goddamned tea warm! Jesus, Will! Just… Jesus!”
Mythbusters (Discovery, 9 p.m., Saturday): Can you really dodge a stormtrooper’s gun? which is traveling, seemingly, at the speed of light? The answer… may surprise you. (No, no it won’t.) Still—Star Wars myths, potentially busted!
Kevin Hart Presents: Lil Rel Howery: RELevent (Comedy Central, 11 p.m., Saturday): Standup superstar Hart keeps lending his imprimatur to up-and-comers, which is a nice thing to do, really. Tonight, it’s a new hour from costar of The Carmichael Show Howery. (And, while you’re at it, check out Marah Eakin’s Hatesong interview with Howery about why the comic is genuinely not fond of “No Scrubs.”)
In case you missed it
Review: When Emily L. Stephens gives an episode an A, you’d better believe you have to read about it.