What's on TV this week—Kaleidoscope, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Ginny & Georgia
Plus: ABC's Will Trent, Netflix adapts an Elena Ferrante novel, and a Bernie Madoff docuseries
Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, January 1, to Thursday, January 5. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]
The biggies
Kaleidoscope (Netflix, Sunday, 3:01 a.m.)
Netflix experiments with non-linear viewing with Kaleidoscope, a crime action drama from Eric Garcia. No, it’s not interactive like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch or Kimmy Vs. The Reverend. Instead, Kaleidoscope’s first seven episodes can be played in any order by viewers, leading up to the eighth and final outing. The show follows Giancarlo Esposito’s Leo Pap, a heist crew leader who plans on breaking into the world’s most secure vault to steal $7 billion. Tati Gabrielle, Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell, and Peter Mark Kendall co-star.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
After no new episodes in 2022, Star Wars: The Bad Batch finally returns for a second season. The 16-episode season will follow elite clone troopers dubbed the Bad Batch as they take on daring mercenary missions. In the series’ sophomore run, months have passed since the events on Kamino, and the Bad Batch are continuing to navigate the Empire after the fall of the Republic.
Ginny & Georgia (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)
Sarah Lampert’s Ginny & Georgia—often referred to as Gilmore Girls–lite—is back for season two. The show follows the titular mother-daughter duo, played by Brianne Howey and Antonia Gentry, as they move to a small New England town for a fresh start. The new episodes will deal with the aftermath of Ginny discovering why her mother uprooted their lives.
Hidden gems
Paul T. Goldman (Peacock, Sunday, 3:01 a.m.)
Created by Jason Woliner, with Seth Rogen as an executive producer, Paul T. Goldman is a mind-bending six-episode comedy that has been filming for a decade. It might also be a contender for the weirdest series on TV, after The Rehearsal that is, as the show blurs fact and fiction about the making of, well, Paul T. Goldman.
Will Trent (ABC, Monday, 10 p.m.)
A new year brings another new procedural to ABC, this one in the form of Will Trent, which is based on Karin Slaughter’s novels. Ramón Rodríguez plays Trent, an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations who was raised in Atlanta’s foster care system. He’s now determined to ensure no one else has to endure the difficult circumstances he faced growing up. Jake McLaughlin, Erika Christensen, and Sonja Sohn also star in the crime drama.
The Lying Life Of Adults (Netflix, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
After the success of My Brilliant Friend, Netflix wants to cash in on more of Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed work. The streamer’s six-part miniseries, The Lying Life Of Adults, follows protagonist Giovanna (Giordana Marengo) as she comes of age in ’90s Naples, Italy.
More good stuff
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over (CNN, Sunday, 9 p.m.)
Co-directed by Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner, the documentary Don’t Make Me Over traces the career of music superstar Dionne Warwick. The film explores her range and versatility, and details how Warwick’s career soared, including six Grammy wins, despite behind-the-scenes drama. It will also depict how Warwick became a fierce advocate for social issues like racial equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
America’s Got Talent: All Stars (NBC, Monday, 8 p.m.)
Terry Crews will host the new iteration of America’s Got Talent, titled All-Stars, with franchise judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel. The contestants are winners, finalists, fan favorites, and viral sensations from previous seasons worldwide. Each week, 10 acts will compete for the chance to move on to the finals.
Madoff: The Monster Of Wall Street (Netflix, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Prolific documentary maker Joe Berlinger is back with another true-crime docuseries to kick off 2023. The Monster Of Wall Street’s four one-hour episodes will unpack how financier and fraudster Bernie Madoff was able to pull off a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. It will include never-before-seen depositions from Madoff himself, as well as clips and interviews with whistleblowers, investigators, and even his victims.
Can’t miss recaps
Welcome To Chippendales (Hulu, Tuesday, 12:01 a.m., series finale)
Willow (Disney+, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Mythic Quest (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.)
Ending soon
Dangerous Liaisons (Starz, Sunday, 8 p.m., season one finale)
Yellowstone (Paramount, Sunday, 8 p.m., season five winter finale)
Doom Patrol (HBO Max, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season four finale)
Arriving now
The Simpsons season 34, The Great North season three (FOX, Sunday, 8-9 p.m., winter premieres)
Fantasy Island (FOX, Monday, 8 p.m., season two premiere)
Quantum Leap (NBC, Monday, 10 p.m., season one winter premiere)
FBI season five, FBI: International season five, FBI: Most Wanted season four (CBS, Tuesday, 8-11 p.m., winter premieres)
The Resident season six (FOX, Tuesday, 8 p.m., winter premiere)
The Rookie season five, The Rookie: Feds season one (ABC, Tuesday 8-10 p.m., winter premieres)
New Amsterdam season five (NBC, Tuesday, 10 p.m., winter premieres)
Chicago Med season eight, Chicago Fire season 11, Chicago P.D. season 10 (NBC, Wednesday, 8-11 p.m., winter premieres)
Abbott Elementary season two, Home Economics season three, Big Sky season three (ABC, Wednesday, 9-11 p.m., winter premieres)
Law & Order season 22, Law & Order: SVU season 24, Law & Order: Organizational Crime season three (NBC, Thursday, 8-11 p.m., winter premieres)
Young Sheldon season six, Ghosts season two, So Help Me Todd season one, CSI: Vegas season two (CBS, Thursday, 8-11 p.m., winter premieres)
Welcome To Flatch season two, Call Me Kat season three (FOX, Thursday, 9-10 p.m., winter premieres)