With William Jackson Harper in the lead, HBO Max’s Love Life becomes a must-watch

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Thursday, October 28. All times are Eastern.

Top picks

Love Life (HBO Max, 3:01 a.m., season-two premiere): The new season of Sam Boyd’s anthology series changes protagonists, from Anna Kendrick’s Darby to from Anna Kendrick to William Jackson Harper’s Marcus, while Keith David(!) replaces Lesley Manville as narrator. If you thought Chidi Anna Kendrick Harper would be more decisive in love when not in the afterlife, you’d be wrong. According to Joshua Alston’s review, “Here, Harper reaches his final form as a leading man, further delivering on the promise he showed in turning The Good Place’s Chidi Anagonye from a neurotic milquetoast to a surprisingly credible (not to mention shredded) heartthrob. There are occasional flashes of that character in this one—with Marcus just as eager to please and prone to ruinous indecision—and Harper is as sharp as ever at channeling Marcus’ nuances with his expressive face.” Jessica Williams provides her magnetic presence, alongside Saturday Night Live’s Ego Nwodim and Punkie Johnson; Janet Hubert (the original Vivian Banks), and Kimberly Elise (Beloved, Dope, Ad Astra).

Star Trek: Prodigy (Paramount+, 3:01 a.m.): Danette Chavez wrote about this show in our October preview: “As the first kids show set in the Star Trek-verse, Prodigy checks boxes for all-ages entertainment and a solid addition to the generation-spanning story that first came to life more than 50 years ago. An untested crew that eventually grows as close as a family? Check. Very cool visuals and sound effects? Pew-pew-pew (or yes). Mettle-testing adventures and a variety of alien life forms? Absolutely. A beloved Trek character to offer wisdom and tie things together? A resounding yes, thanks to Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway.” Zack Handlen’s review will be on the site later this morning.

Regular coverage

What We Do In The Shadows (FX, 10 p.m., season-three finale): Katie Rife will be on coffin watch, as usual. Look for Saloni Gajjar’s post-mortem interview with [REDACTED] on the site overnight as well.

Wild card

Horror Noire (Shudder, season premiere, 3:01 a.m.): A new horror anthology composed of six stories and one film, with new and adapted stories from the likes of Victor LaValle, and starring…many favorites of Black genre shows, including Lesley-Ann Brandt (Lucifer, Spartacus), Luke James (The Chi, Thoughts of a Colored Man), Erica Ash (Survivor’s Remorse, A Black Lady Sketch Show), Brandon Mychal Smith (Four Weddings and a Funeral, You’re the Worst), Sean Patrick Thomas (Macbeth, The Curse of La Llorona), Peter Stormare (American Gods, Fargo) Malcolm Barrett (Genius: Aretha Franklin, Timeless) and Rachel True (The Craft, Half & Half), among others.