6 things you have to watch on TV this weekend
Brie Larson leads Lessons In Chemistry, Saturday Night Live returns, and a bunch of horror shows drop
Welcome to the weekend edition of What’s On. Here are the big things happening on TV from Friday, Oct 13 to Sunday, October 15. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekly What’s On will publish on Sundays.]
1. Brie Larson is ready to teach Lessons In Chemistry
Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Based on Bonnie Garmus’ novel of the same name, Lessons In Chemistry is a limited series starring Brie Larson, Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Rainn Wilson, and Stephanie Koenig. Set in the 1960s, it follows the brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott (Larson), who uses her new job as the host of a cooking show to educate housewives about science. The show premieres with two episodes, with the remaining six airing weekly. Check out The A.V. Club’s review.
2. Saturday Night Live kicks off a new season with Pete Davidson
NBC, Saturday, 11:30 p.m.: Saturday Night Live is back, baby, as the end of the WGA strike opens the door for NBC’s late-night sketch series to finally kick off season 49. The show has tapped former cast member Pete Davidson as host for the season opener, with Ice Spice joining as the musical guest. Look out for The A.V. Club’s recap of the night on Sunday.
3. Horror comedy Shining Vale starts round two
Starz, Friday, 9 p.m.: Sharon Horgan and Jeff Astroff’s delightful, moving Shining Vale is back for another season. The horror comedy centers on Pat Phelps (Courteney Cox), a recovering addict and erotica writer who moves with her family to the titular town. Her new house may or may not be haunted—is she seeing spirits or is her mental health declining? Shining Vale attempts to answer this question with eight new episodes. Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club’s review:
Cox captures her character’s paranoia wonderfully. While best known for playing Monica Geller in a sitcom and Gale Weathers in a slasher, Shining Vale is a challenging mashup of both vibes for her—and she’s clearly up to the task.
4. Hulu offers its own spin on Goosebumps
Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Just in time for Halloween, Goosebumps resurfaces as a five-part limited series. The show follows five teens who accidentally release spirits into the world—and to rectify their mistake, they need to uncover secrets from their parents’ past. The cast includes Justin Long, Rob Huebel, Anna Yi Puig, Zack Morris, Will Price, Isa Briones, and Rachael Harris. Here’s an excerpt from The A.V. Club’s review:
It’s kind of remarkable what the Goosebumps team has done here: taken a campy horror franchise and made it resonant, managing to mix frights and feels.
5. Creepshow cooks up a new batch of horror tales
Shudder, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: A continuation of Stephen King’s 1982 film, Creepshow is a horror anthology that also takes inspiration from the comic books of the same name. Executive-produced by The Walking Dead’s Greg Nicotero, the series returns to Shudder for six new installments.
6. John Carpenter presents Suburban Screams
Peacock, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: After a long break, John Carpenter gets behind the camera again for this unscripted anthology. The horror mastermind helms one of the six episodes and composes the score as well. Check out The A.V. Club’s review of the show.