SoCal TV, Oct. 20-26: Bruce Springsteen, NBA opening day, the World Series, ‘Mormon Mom Gone Wrong’ and more
TV shows, movies, sports and specials on broadcast, cable and streaming this coming week
Welcome to an all-new TV or Not TV roundup of new and noteworthy programming on broadcast, cable and streaming this coming week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for the Los Angeles Times’ Calendar.
Sunday — Oct. 20
Will she say “yes”? Find out in “A Christmas Castle Proposal,” a new sequel to the 2023 TV movie “A Royal in Paradise.” With Rhiannon Fish. 5 p.m. GAF
The darker side of the City of Angels is explored in the new true-crime special “Serial Killer Capital: Los Angeles.” 7 p.m. Oxygen
Elsewhere, investigative reporter David Scott has some face time with five different convicted murderers in the new true-crime series “Interview With a Killer.” 8 p.m. Court TV
“Sister, Sister’s” Tamera Mowry-Housley stars as a harried single mom who hooks up with a hunky baker in the new TV movie “Scouting for Christmas.” 8 p.m. Hallmark Channel
A woman suffering from temporary amnesia tries to piece it all back together in the new thriller “The Life I Can’t Remember.” With Morgan Bradley. 8 p.m. Lifetime
Queen Latifah returns to balance the scales in a fifth season of the rebooted action drama “The Equalizer.” 9:30 p.m. CBS
Who’s the Boss? The new special “Bruce Springsteen: Backstage and Backstreets” features the rock music legend and his bandmates in conversation with George Stephanopoulos ahead of a new documentary (see Friday). 10 p.m. ABC
Monday — Oct. 21
That pumpkin is evil — evil, I tells ya! — in the 2024 horror comedy “Carved.” With Chris Elliott, DJ Qualls and “Andi Mack’s” Peyton Elizabeth Lee. Anytime, Hulu
There’s no rest for the DC Universe’s finest in the concluding installment of the animated trilogy “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths — Part Three.” Anytime, Max
Our girl Pearl and her partner in crime-solving DCI McGuire are back on the case as the cozy mystery drama “Whitstable Pearl” returns for a third season. With Kerry Godliman and Howard Charles. Anytime, Acorn TV
“A Night With Bill Murray” features the beloved comic and actor presenting three personal favorites from his lengthy filmography: “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization,” “Mad Dog and Glory” and “Broken Flowers.” 5, 7 and 9 p.m. TCM
The suburban sitcom “The Neighborhood” rolls out the welcome wagon for a seventh season. With Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield. 8 p.m. CBS
Damon Wayans stars as a divorced radio personality saddled with a new co-host (Essence Atkins) and a son (Damon Wayans Jr.) who hasn’t quite made the transition to adulthood in the new sitcom “Poppa’s House.” 8:30 p.m. CBS
You’re allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item so don’t push it in the new spinoff series “Contraband: Seized at the Airport.” 9 p.m. Discovery Channel
But I’m hungry now! The culinary series “Rachael Ray’s Meals in Minutes” serves up a second season. 9 and 9:30 p.m. FYI
Ride along with an aspiring filmmaker as he cycles around one of the world’s most populous cities delivering food orders during the pandemic in the 2021 documentary “Tokyo Uber Blues” on a new “POV.” 10 p.m. KOCE
The vampire-themed satirical series “What We Do in the Shadows” returns for a sixth season with not one, not two, but three new episodes — Ah, ah, ah! 10, 10:30 and 11 p.m. FX
Tuesday — Oct. 22
Pivotal moments from baseball, basketball and hockey playoffs past are replayed in the new five-part docuseries “Game 7.” Anytime, Prime Video
The new special “Hasan Minhaj: Off With His Head” sees the award-winning comic/commentator weighing in on politics, race relations, and charges that he had “embellished” some of the stories told in his stand-up act. Anytime, Netflix
Aspiring young female songwriters of color put their best tunes forward under the tutelage of Grammy winner Alicia Keys in the new documentary “Uncharted.” Anytime, Paramount+
A new season of NBA Basketball tips off with a full slate of games that includes your Los Angeles Lakers versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. 7 p.m. TNT
Outwit, outplay, out-what now? The debut season of the long-running reality competition “Survivor” is revisited on a new “Dark Side of Reality TV.” 9 p.m. Vice Network
Filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz gets the lay of the electoral landscape in Latino communities in swing states such as Arizona, Florida and California in the documentary “Latino Vote 2024” on a new “Voces.” 10 p.m. KOCE
Life-long plus-size BFFs Vannessa, Meghan and Ashely are back in new episodes of their reality series “1000-Lb. Best Friends.” 10 p.m. TLC
Wednesday — Oct. 23
That’ll buff right out in new episodes of the auto-centric renovation series “Car Masters: Rust to Riches.” Anytime, Netflix
The hunt for the identity of the serial killer who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s continues in the new docuseries “This is the Zodiac Speaking.” Anytime, Netflix
Tattoo you? They’d be happy to in new episodes of the reality competition “Ink Master.” Joel Madden hosts. Anytime, Paramount+
The new NBA Basketball season continues with your Los Angeles Clippers in their home opener against the Phoenix Suns. 7 p.m. ESPN, Bally Sports West
A desperate attempt to save Africa’s endangered eastern lowland species of gorilla is detailed in veteran wildlife cameraman Vianet Djenguet’s documentary “Silverback” on a new “Nature.” 8 p.m. KOCE
The new four-part docuseries “Breath of Fire” uses the story of a present-day influencer/guru to pose serious questions about the way the practice of Kundalini yoga was introduced in the West in the 1960s. 9 p.m. HBO
Efforts to locate the final resting place of a band of Black soldiers who fought on the side of the Union are examined in “The Civil War’s Lost Massacre” on a new “Secrets of the Dead.” 10 p.m. KOCE
Thursday — Oct. 24
An exotic dancer’s life becomes entangled with that of a cosmetics mogul in the soapy new drama “Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black.” With Taylor Polidore Williams and Crystle Stewart. Anytime, Netflix
“Underworld’s” Kate Beckinsale stars a CIA assassin whose husband has no idea what she really does for a living in the 2024 action thriller “Canary Black.” The late Ray Stevens (“Rome”) also stars. Anytime, Prime Video
It’s kill or be killed on the mean streets of Tokyo in the new Japanese-language crime drama “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” based on the popular video game. With Ryoma Takeuchi. Anytime, Prime Video
“The Pasta Queen” is your guide to the many varieties of regional Italian cuisine in this new culinary series featuring chef and social media star Nadia Caterina Munno. Anytime, Prime Video
Live long and prosper: The animated workplace comedy/franchise entry “Star Trek: Lower Decks” blasts off for a fifth season. Anytime, Paramount+
If you like “Yellowstone” but wish the characters all had Australian accents, take a gander at “Territory.” “Fringe’s” Anna Torv stars in this new ranching-themed drama set in the Land Down Under. Anytime, Netflix
We ain’t getting any younger and Jeff Bridges ain’t either as the espionage drama “The Old Man” ends its second season. John Lithgow and Alia Shawkat also star. 10 p.m. FX
Friday — Oct. 25
A young woman in a remote female-led religious community is sentenced to be sacrificed to a mysterious entity in the woods in the 2024 thriller “Azrael.” With Samara Weaving. Anytime, Shudder
When Billy met Judith: Billy Crystal goes the serious route as a child psychiatrist grieving the loss of his wife (“Transparent’s” Judith Light) in the new supernatural mystery drama “Before.” Anytime, Apple TV+
A young woman is injected with a slow-acting paralytic agent and then hunted by a madman in the 2024 thriller “Don’t Move.” With Kelsey Asbille and Finn Wittrock. Anytime, Netflix
The new documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band” captures the Boss and company on stage and backstage on their most recent world tour. Anytime, Hulu and Disney+
Golden girl: Watch as the winningest gymnast of all time takes the Paris Olympics by storm in Season 2 of the docuseries “Simone Biles Rising.” Anytime, Netflix
It’s a “Trap”! A serial killer (Josh Hartnett) takes his teen daughter to a pop diva’s concert where police wait in secret to ensnare him in this 2024 thriller from M. Night Shyamalan. With Ariel Donoghue, Hayley Mills and Alison Pill. Anytime, Max
“The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs” goes live once more with “Joe Bob’s Beezlebub Bash” featuring a pair of B-movie horror thrillers to be announced. 6 p.m. Shudder
The New York Yankees or the Cleveland Guardians meet the New York Mets or — fingers crossed, don’t want to jinx it — your Los Angeles Dodgers in Games 1 & 2 of the 2024 MLB World Series. 5 p.m. Fox; also Saturday
“Artbound” visits a storied Leimert Park gallery founded in the aftermath of the 1965 Watts Uprising in the new episode “Black Art: A Brockman Gallery Legacy.” 8 p.m. KOCE
Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust find sanctuary in WWII-era Shanghai in a semi-staged New York Philharmonic presentation of composer Aaron Zigman’s “Émigré: A Musical Drama” on a new “Great Performances.” 9 p.m. KOCE
Saturday — Oct. 26
An historic preservationist hooks up with a hunky developer in the new TV movie “A Vintage Christmas.” With Merritt Patterson. 5 p.m. GAF
A risk-averse librarian hooks up with a hunky FBI agent in the new TV movie “The Christmas Charade.” With Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier. 8 p.m. Lifetime
A Utah wife, mother and social media personality’s “strict” parenting style lands her in legal jeopardy in the new fact-based TV movie “Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story.” With Emilie Ullerup and Heather Locklear. 8 p.m. Lifetime
The darker side of the City of Brotherly Love is explored in the new true-crime series “Philly Homicide.” 9 p.m. Oxygen
The new standup special “Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking” sees the former “SNL” star and current “Late Night” host waxing comedic about his life as paterfamilias. 10 p.m. HBO
(All times Pacific; programming subject to change without notice)