Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Wednesday, October 5. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Arrow (The CW, 8 p.m.): Arrow is back for its fifth season, which will hopefully bring forth a clean slate. We just want to love you again, Arrow. It helps that this season finally gives us flashbacks of Oliver’s time with the Bratva in Russia. So what’s in store for Team Arrow? “A deadly new criminal, Tobias Church,” threatens Star City. Church is supposedly a “Stringer Bell-like villain,” and while Arrow didn’t spend the money to get “Hip Hop DJ Idris Elba” on board, it at least got a Wire alum in the role in the form of Chad L. Coleman. Alasdair Wilkins was never on The Wire, but he does know a thing or two about Arrow. This all sounds like the type of thing that can snap him out of retirement.
Total Bellas (E!, 8 p.m.): Let’s be real though—Arrow has let a lot of us down. But the Bella twins (and their significant others, Daniel Bryan and John Cena) are on our good sides. This is why we can’t wait to watch the series premiere of their Total Divas spin-off, Total Bellas. The gang’s all here. Nikki. Brie. Bryan. John. The Bella mom. Johnny Ace? The extra Bella brother. His significant other, we guess. In the series premiere, “The Cena House Rules” (hehe), Total Bellas makes good on its promise from the trailer to show perfect John Cena as a bit of a psycho robot.
Frequency (The CW, 9 p.m.): You know how you feel about Arrow, but do you know how you feel about Frequency? Not the new television adaptation of the 2000 New Line Cinema film, Frequency, but the 2000 New Line Cinema film, Frequency. Remember seeing that trailer on whatever VHS you were all about in 2000? Of course you do. The VHS was probably Boys And Girls or Keeping The Faith, by the way. Jim Caviezel as the son and NYPD detective. Dennis Quaid as the dead firefighter dad.
So now we can talk about the CW adaptation. Peyton List as the daughter and NYPD detective. Riley Smith as the dead NYPD officer dad… who was also a major corrupt dirtbag. Wait, what? In his pre-air review, Erik Adams doesn’t believe that 2000 New Line Cinema film was the best source material to make a TV show out of, but Gwen Ihnat will be diving in weekly to check it out regardless.
Premieres and finales
Survivor (CBS, 8 p.m.): Consider this a public service announcement: Survivor coverage is back. Sort of. Carrie Raisler’s following Gotham coverage’s lead in the discussion post format. Classic millennial (versus Gen X) mentality.
MLB Playoff: Giants @ Mets (ESPN, 8 p.m.): Wild Card, bitches! The San Francisco Giants take on the New York Mets in the National League Wild Game game tonight, both teams hoping to face the Cubs in the Division Series. Are the Giants going on to win the World Series? Well, your friendly neighborhood What’s On Tonight contributor knows the Dodgers definitely aren’t going to do that now, so… Go Mets.
Kids Baking Championship (Food Network, 8 p.m.): Food Network has a “one-hour special presentation” of Kids Baking Championship tonight, just for the Halloween season. Why have the kids trick or treat when they can “Trick Or Treat”? Here’s the episode synopsis: “Four fan favorites compete to win two spooky challenges. First, they make something that’s both sweet and scary. Later, they are tasked with being mad scientists and baking up a hybrid monster dessert.” They made The Mash / They made The Monster Mash.
Forces Of Nature (PBS, 8 p.m.): For all the nerds in the building, PBS’ Forces Of Nature ends its first season tonight with “Motion”: “The finale examines the forces that have kept Earth in motion since its formation billions of years ago.” Well, duh. It’s obviously the wind.
Full Circle (DirecTV Audience Network, 9/9:30 p.m.): Full Circle ends its third season tonight with two episodes, “Sturgis And Dellahunt” and “Dellahunt And Faulkner.” “Name And Name”—one of our favorite episode titling schemes. First up, “a link between Sturgis and Senator Isaac Dellahunt, who Faulkner blames for orchestrating the scandal, is established.” Then, in the final episode of the season, “results from the primary roll in, and the truth about the scandal is uncovered.” Scandal! Sorry, we should only reserve that for Scandal.
Catching Kelce (E!, 9 p.m.): “50 Girls, 1 Tight End.” Gag. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has apparently earned himself his own Burning Love, only this is not a parody. Kelce “hopes to find true love among 50 eligible women, one representing each state in the U.S.” Is it too soon to make a secession joke?
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS, 10:30 p.m.): Full Frontal With Samantha Bee continues its Wednesday night experiment. We wish it would do a daily experiment, but we’ll take what we can get with Full Frontal, no matter what day and time it’s on. Tonight, it’s on Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.
Unlocking The Truth (MTV, 11 p.m.): As the season finale of MTV’s Unlocking The Truth says, “Hope Is A Hell Of A Thing.” Hopefully it’s enough to get any wrongfully convicted folks out of prison in this episode.
Regular coverage
Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix)
Modern Family (ABC, 9 p.m.)
Designated Survivor (ABC, 10 p.m.)
American Horror Story (FX, 10 p.m.)
You’re The Worst (FXX, 10 p.m.)
Documentary Now! (IFC, 10 p.m.)
Streaming pick
South Park, Season 19 (Amazon Video/Hulu/iTunes/South Park Studios): There’s no new episode of South Park tonight, so if you don’t know how to deal with that—and there are plenty of other shows you could watch—you could always just watch the previous season on streaming services. You have options, kids.