SoCal TV highlights, Oct. 8-14: 'Frasier,' 'Lessons in Chemistry' and more
Kelsey Grammer's back in Beantown, Brie Larson knows what's cooking, "Jurassic Park" gets LEGO-fied and more
Welcome to a new edition of TV … or Not TV? spotlighting new and noteworthy programming on broadcast, cable and streaming TV plus live arts and entertainment options in and around Los Angeles and Orange County. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for the Los Angeles Times’ Calendar section.
Now where’s that confounded remote?
SUNDAY — Oct. 8
The three-day “Austin City Limits Music Festival” winds down in the Texas capital. Featured performers include the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Mumford & Sons. Noon, Hulu
Whodunit? Find out when the mystery dramas “Professor T,” “Unforgotten” and “Van Der Valk” end their respective seasons. 8, 9 and 10 p.m. KOCE
An art student finds herself painted into a corner while studying abroad in the new thriller “The Venice Murders.” With Sophie Hopkins. 8 p.m. Lifetime
They‘re engaged to be engaged as the matrimonially-minded unscripted series “90 Day Fiancé” kicks off a tenth season. 8 p.m. TLC
An Australian man from his tiny town in the Outback disappears under suspicious circumstances — and the suspects are most unusual — in the new documentary “Last Stop Larrimah.” 9 p.m. HBO
All rise! Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke and the late Lance Reddick co-star in a 2023 remake of Herman Wouk’s classic drama “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.” The late William Friedkin directs. 9 p.m. Showtime; also Paramount+
MONDAY — Oct. 9
We’re just wild about “Harry Wild.” This mystery comedy starring “Dr. Quinn’s” Jane Seymour is back for its sophomore season. Anytime, Acorn TV
The 2022 documentary “Lakota Nation vs. United States” tracks the tribe’s decades-long effort to wrest control of the sacred Black Hills in South Dakota from outside business interests and the federal government. Anytime, AMC+
It’s a hard day down at “The Mill” for a Black businessman ensnared in a twisted “Squid Game”-style scenario in this dystopian 2023 sci-fi fable. Lil Rel Howrey stars. Anytime, Hulu
The new documentary “The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime” revisits the shocking murder of gay college student Shepard in Wyoming in 1998. 9 p.m. Investigation Discovery; also Max
Hoops, there it is! The long-running reality series “Basketball Wives” returns followed by the debut of the Florida-set spinoff “Basketball Wives: Orlando.” 9 and 10 p.m. VH1
An American forensic anthropologist and his students investigate politically-motivated murders across Central and South America in the 2023 documentary “El Equipo” on “Independent Lens.” 10 p.m. KOCE
TUESDAY, Oct. 10
Steven Spielberg’s dino-tastic 1993 thriller gets put up on blocks in the animated short “LEGO Jurassic Park: The Unofficial Retelling.” Anytime, Peacock
Michael J. Fox and Eric McCormack are among the Canucks sharing their memories of a beloved Canadian children’s entertainer in the new documentary “Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe.” Anytime, Prime Video
The five-part docuseries “Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders” recalls incidents of product-tampering that resulted in the poisoning deaths of seven people in the Chicago area in 1982. Anytime, Paramount+
Your humble host screens John Carpenter’s chilling 1978 slasher flick “Halloween” on a new “The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs.” 7 p.m. AMC, AMC+ and Shudder TV
Yeah, boy! The three-part special “Welcome to Rap City” toasts the 1989-2008 music-video showcase that helped put hip hop on the map. 8 p.m. BET, VH1; also Wednesday-Thursday
And they don’t stop: Cardi B and 21 Savage lead the field with 12 noms apiece at the “BET Hip Hop Awards 2023” from Atlanta. 9 p.m. BET; also VH1
They’re calling out around the world, they’re going racin’ in the street in the new franchise entry “Street Outlaws vs. the World.” 8 p.m. Discovery Channel
Look on his works, ye mighty, and despair as a billionaire’s purchase of a popular social-media platform goes sideways in “Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover” on a new “Frontline.” 9 p.m. KOCE
The new documentary “No Accident” exposes the underlying conspiracy behind the white supremacist-led “Unite The Right” rally turned riot in Charlottesville, Va. in 2017. 9 p.m. HBO
WEDNESDAY — Oct. 11
A once-dominant electronic-cigarette manufacturer takes a big hit in the new docuseries “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul.” Anytime, Netflix
Hey, hey, they’re Latin American boy band CNCO and people say they monkey around in their new Miami-based series “4 Ever.” Anytime, Disney+
GOOOOOOOOOLLLL! The new docuseries “Messi Meets America” gets up close and personal with Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi. Anytime, Apple TV+
It’s all for “Nada” — or maybe not — when a Buenos Aires food critic (Luis Brandoni) looks for a new personal assistant in this new imported series. Robert De Niro guest stars. Anytime, Hulu
You can’t get there from here: Maine is the destination in the Season 2 finale of travel series “America Outdoors With Baratunde Thurston.” 8 p.m. KOCE
PBS and chill as the five-part “Nova” miniseries “Ancient Earth” looks back at our home planet’s icy distant past in the new episode “Frozen.” 9 p.m. KOCE
“Archer,” we hardly knew ye. The animated spy comedy featuring the voices of H. Jon Benjamin and Aisha Tyler ends its run after 14 seasons. 10 p.m. FX
Belly up to “Cooper’s Bar” for a second season of this L.A.-set showbiz satire starring Lou Mustillo and “Better Call Saul’s” Rhea Seehorn. 11 and 11:30 p.m. IFC
THURSDAY — Oct. 12
The building inspector tried to warn them in the new horror drama “The Fall of the House of Usher” inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe short story. With Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell and Carla Gugino. Anytime, Netflix
Did he ever figure out what to do with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs? Find out when Kelsey Grammer returns in a reboot of his Emmy-winning 1993-2004 sitcom “Frasier.” Anytime, Paramount+
The family that plays together, stays together when they unknowingly team up in the same online game in the manga-inspired animated series “Good Night World.” Anytime, Netflix
The dark side of immersive horror experiences — the really dark side — is illuminated in the new documentary “Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House.” Anytime, Hulu
The doctor will see you now as the Toronto-set medical drama “Transplant” returns for a third season. With Hamza Haq. 9 p.m. NBC
It’s “Keke Wyatt’s World” and we’re all just living in it in this new reality series starring the veteran R&B singer and her family and friends. 9 p.m. WE tv
The worst of reality TV’s worst cohabitate in the new all-star competition “House of Villains” hosted by “Community’s” Joel McHale. 10 p.m. E!, also Bravo, Syfy, USA
Everyday folks lace up their gumshoes and investigate in the new franchise entry “True Crime Story: Citizen Detective.” 10 p.m. Sundance TV; also AMC+ and Sundance Now
FRIDAY — Oct. 13
A cantankerous funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) retains a crafty attorney (Jamie Foxx) to help win a lawsuit in the fact-based 2023 courtroom dramedy “The Burial.” Anytime, Prime Video
Those lodgings are haunted — haunted, I tells ya! — in the 2023 thriller “Dante’s Hotel.” Judd Nelson and “90210’s” AnnaLynne McCord star. Anytime, tubi
Give yourself “Goosebumps” all over again with a reboot of the kid-friendly 1995-98 series based on the R.L. Stine books. With Justin Long. Anytime, Hulu, Disney+
Have lab coat, will travel: Oscar winner Brie Larson (“Room”) dishes out “Lessons in Chemistry” in this new limited series set in the 1950s and based on the Bonnie Garmus bestseller. Anytime, Apple TV+
There goes the neighborhood! The aforementioned horrormeister presents the new unscripted anthology series “John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams.” Anytime, Peacock
“The Puppetman” is the one who’s really pulling the strings in this 2023 terror tale. “The Philadelphia Experiment’s” Michael Paré stars. Anytime, Shudder and AMC+
Let the good times roll! Female cast members from “Ready to Love” try their luck in New Orleans this time ’round in the new spinoff “Ready to Love: Make a Move.” 8 p.m. OWN
The goodies are there for the grabbing in the new primetime game show “Raid the Cage” hosted by Jeannie Mai and Damon Wayans Jr. 9 p.m. CBS
Grammy-winning musical polymath Robert Glasper lays it down in a new installment of the performance series “Next to the Kennedy Center.” 9 p.m. KOCE
Courteney Cox will be there for you in new episodes of the Connecticut-set suburban horror comedy “Shining Vale.” Greg Kinnear also stars. 9 p.m. Starz
Jeepers creepers! The rebooted horror anthology “Creepshow” scares up a fourth season. 10 p.m. AMC; also Shudder, AMC+
SATURDAY — Oct. 14
A single mom has a “Field Day” with a hunky PE teacher at her kid’s school in this new TV movie. Rachel Boston stars. 8 p.m. Hallmark Channel
“The Sinner’s” Bill Pullman portrays the patriarch of a notorious South Carolina family in the new two-night fact-based TV drama “Murdaugh Murders: The Movie.” 8 p.m. Lifetimel; concludes Oct. 15
Former cast member Pete Davidson takes a break from his busy dating life to host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” With musical guest rapper Ice Spice. 8:29 and 11:29 p.m. NBC
(All times Pacific; programming subject to change without notice)
DVR set for the PBS Frontline Twitter doc and the HBO "No Accident" doc!