What to Watch This Week: October 4 to 9

From invading aliens to political foes, we round up the top 10 shows to watch this week

From invading aliens to political foes, we round up the top 10 shows to watch this week

1. Halloween Wars – Sunday, October 4, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m., Food

Join host Jonathan Bennett for a little monster group therapy as this seasonal bake-off rolls along. When the four remaining teams are tasked to create a display about how even the scariest monsters need friends too, these pumpkin carvers, cake makers and sugar masters may be in over their green-hued heads.

2. Family Guy – Sunday, October 4, 9:30 p.m., City & Fox

When Stewie finds out his beloved teddy bear Rupert once belonged to big brother Chris, he feels profoundly betrayed. Given that this episode is titled “The Talented Mr. Stewie” we imagine that his reaction to this revelation will be pretty darn twisted.

3. Blackish – Sunday, October 4, 10 p.m. & 10:30 p.m., City & ABC

Thanks to the pandemic, it feels like it’s been forever since we last saw the black-ish gang, and given that the show’s seventh season doesn’t officially begin until October 21, it’s actually a little surprising that we’re seeing them as soon as we are. Fortunately, the powers that be at ABC have decided to grace viewers with a one-hour “Election Special,” which—if we’re being completely honest—is actually two episodes. Rest assured, however, that you’ll know precisely when one ends and the other begins, because the second episode is animated. Yes, you read that correctly, but hang tight, because we should probably take a moment to talk about the first episode before launching into a conversation about the second.

This “Election Special” kicks off by placing the focus on Junior, who’s excited about voting for the very first time, only for his excitement to turn sour when he discovers that he’s been purged from the voter polls. This sends the kid on a mission to investigate the myriad flaws in America’s voter registration system. Meanwhile, his dad Dre explores the idea of running for local office.

OK, so about that second episode: when Dre’s longtime colleague Stevens decides to run for Congress, Dre drafts his family to campaign against him, only to find himself caught up in the muddle of public interest groups and fundraising. ABC recently previewed the character designs for the Johnson family’s animated selves, and they look absolutely amazing, so we can’t wait to see them in action this week.

4. The 2020 Vice Presidential Debate – Wednesday, October 7, 6 p.m., ABC, NBC, CBS, KCTS, Fox, CNN & WTVS

Things are heating up at the University of Utah this week, as vice-presidential nominees Mike Pence and Kamala Harris take to their respective (socially distanced) podiums to prove they have what it takes to be America’s second-in-command. Not only will the debate be a historic moment (Harris is the first woman of colour to be nominated for national office by a major political party), but it should also be a tense one considering the current climate. Between race relations and the ongoing conversations about how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, there will definitely be a lot to dig into. And, if past vice-presidential debates are any indication, this night could set a major tone in terms of how the American public sees the presidential candidates heading into the November election.

5. War of the Worlds – Wednesday, October 7, 8 p.m., CBC | Series Premiere

This eight-episode series, the latest adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic, begins when astronomers detect a transmission from another galaxy, offering definitive proof of intelligent extraterrestrial life. The world’s population waits for further contact with bated breath, but they don’t have to wait long. Within days, these malevolent aliens stage a devastating attack that leaves humanity all but wiped out, with small pockets of survivors left to make their way in an eerily deserted world.

6. Devils – Wednesday, October 7, 8 p.m., The CW | Series Premiere

Facing a shortage of fresh programming to offer in the fall, The CW grabbed this French-Italian co-production that happens to feature a familiar face to North American television viewers: Grey’s Anatomy‘s McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey. Dempsey plays Dominic Morgan, the cutthroat CEO of powerful investment bank NYL. When his equally ruthless protégé Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi), the bank’s head of trading, watches Dominic appoint another colleague to a coveted position following a bitter promotion battle, he then finds himself as prime suspect in a murder investigation.

Sensing that Dominic is hiding something, Massimo sets about clearing his name and ?nding out the truth behind who set him up, ultimately uncovering a web of conspiracy that encapsulates the Libyan war and the deepening European ?nancial crisis.

Caught in the middle of a covert, intercontinental war, Massimo must make a choice: join them or take them down.

7. Supernatural – Thursday, October 8, 8 p.m., The CW

The late arrival of the final episodes of Supernatural is one of the many television delays brought about by this pandemic, yet fans can at long last rejoice now that the Winchester brothers’ final adventures arrive this week.

The 15th and farewell season premiered earlier this year, but when COVID-19 halted production on the B.C.-filmed series, the remaining seven episodes were pushed back to fall. Production finally resumed in the summer, and wrapped on September 10th.

Way back in summer 2019, Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles were joined by the show’s executive producers at the Television Critics Association press tour, where they teased what fans could expect when the show concluded. Co-showrunner Andrew Dabb promised that the final batch of episodes, culminating with the series finale, will provide “a true ending.”

8. Star Trek: Lower Decks – Thursday, October 8, 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m., CTV Sci-Fi | Season Finale

The absurdist adventures of the U.S.S. Cerritos come to an end this week. But don’t worry: the unpromotable Ensign Mariner (voice of Tawny Newsome) and her fellow Starfleet misfits will be back for a second voyage.

9. Inside the Boys – Friday, October 9, Amazon Prime Video

Host Aisha Tyler and her guests dissect the game-changing season-two finale of Amazon’s smash-hit superhero thriller. As usual, the panel will discuss all the episode’s watercooler moments, while also looking ahead to the already-ordered third season.

10.The Right Stuff – Friday, October 9, Disney+ | Series Premiere

Based on Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book about the early days of NASA’s space program, this new National Geographic drama (starring Suits alum Patrick J. Adams) follows the Mercury Seven astronauts and their death-defying efforts to journey beyond Earth’s atmosphere, ultimately culminating in the moon landing.