5 things you have to watch on TV this weekend
Aubrey Plaza hosts SNL, Fox drops a new courtroom drama, Vox Machina returns, and more
Welcome to the weekend edition of What’s On. Here are the big things happening on TV from Friday, January 20, to Sunday, January 22. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekly What’s On will publish on Sundays.]
1. Aubrey Plaza graces Saturday Night Live
NBC, 11:30 p.m.: SNL returns with its first episode of 2023, welcoming the perfect host—The White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza. Let’s just hope the writers can tap into the actor’s dry, unflinching humor. Sam Smith sits in as the musical guest. Check out The A.V. Club’s recap on Sunday.
2. Fox doles out another procedural with Accused
Fox, Sunday, 9 p.m.: Accused, based on a BBC drama of the same name, is an anthology crime drama told from the defendant’s point-of-view. Each episode opens in a courtroom, ultimately peeling back on the complex case to reveal whether or not the, yes, accused is guilty. Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club’s review:
The show largely lives up to its billing as a promising freshman series, telling a diverse array of stories that illustrate the blurring divide between guilt and innocence in today’s world.
3. Israeli drama Fauda is back
Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: This actioner follows Commander Doron (played by series co-creator Lior Raz) as he pursues a Hamas terrorist known as the Panther. Season four continues to delve into the two-sided story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
4. Octavia Spencer returns for another round of Truth Be Told
Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Each season of Truth Be Told, inspired by Kathleen Barber’s novel Are You Sleeping?, follows investigative reporter Poppy (Octavia Spencer) on a new case. In the third season, she looks into the disappearance of several Black girls whose disappearances were largely ignored by the media. Gabrielle Union joins the cast as an unorthodox principal who helps Poppy out, and the returning ensemble includes Mekhi Phifer, David Lyons, Ron Cephas Jones, Merle Dandridge, and Haneefah Wood.
5. The Legend Of Vox Machina expands its legend
Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: The Dungeons & Dragons-set animated series The Legend Of Vox Machina returns for a sophomore season. The show follows a band of eight unlikely heroes called Vox Machina who find themselves on a quest to save the realm of Exandria from dark magical forces. Season two consists of 12 episodes, and the voice cast includes Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson, Taliesen Jaffe, Henry Winkler, Lance Reddick, Cree Summer, Alanna Ubach, Sendhil Ramamurthy, and Ralph Ineson.