What to Watch This Week: September 25 to October 1

From an intriguing sports docuseries narrated by Idris Elba to the long-awaited sequel to Hocus Pocus, we round up our top 10 shows to watch this week

From an intriguing sports docuseries narrated by Idris Elba to the long-awaited sequel to Hocus Pocus, we round up our top 10 shows to watch this week

1. Global Citizen Festival: Take Action Now – Sunday, September 25, ABC

Global Citizen Festival: Take Action NowABCAlthough many of us only became aware of the Global Citizen Festival during the pandemic—when networks were scrambling for fresh content and we all wanted to feel as though we were making a difference—the fest actually celebrates its 10-year anniversary this week. To mark the occasion, there are dozens of artists on-hand to perform at New York City’s Central Park and Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana. Between tunes, they’ll raise awareness around issues like poverty, climate change, the global food crisis and crushing debt. Tune in to see the highlights of those concerts, which include everyone from Metallica to the Jonas Brothers to Mariah Carey.

2. The Murdochs: Empire of Influence – Sunday, September 25, CNN | Series Premiere

The Murdochs: Empire of InfluenceCNNThis CNN original docuseries, premiering with two back-to-back episodes, tells the definitive story of the world’s most powerful media family and their complicated history, delving into the dynasty constructed by Australian mogul Rupert Murdoch.

3. Nick Kroll: Big Little Boy – Tuesday, September 27, Netflix

Nick Kroll: Big Little BoyNetflixYou may know him from The League or Kroll Show, from working alongside John Mulaney in Broadway sensation Oh, Hello, or maybe you just recognize his voice from Big Mouth (which he also co-created with Mulaney). Either way, it’s a fair bet that you’ve had some sort of encounter with the work of Nick Kroll.  

That said, it’s quite possible that you don’t know the man for his standup comedy, if only because Little Big Boy, which was recorded at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., is his first televised routine in about a decade.  

“[In 2018], my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, was like, ‘Why don’t you do a special? How come you haven’t done an hour?’” Kroll told Variety. “I didn’t really have a good reason, except of being busy with other stuff. And at that point, I decided to really commit to doing a special.” 

4. From – Tuesday, September 27, Paramount+ | Series Premiere

FromParamount+If you’re a fan of small-town drama and slow-burning horror, climb aboard this little road trip from hell. Originally debuting on Epix in the U.S., the action kicks off when Jim Matthews (Eion Bailey), his wife Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and their two kids happen upon a tiny ’burgh in Middle America which traps all its visitors. Even worse? There are demon-like creatures that emerge from the forest at night, attacking anyone who dares venture outside. It’s a living nightmare, yet the “townsfolk” have managed to scrape together the appearance of normalcy while demonstrating admirable coping skills.  

Spearheading the façade is Sheriff Boyd Stevens, played by Harold Perrineau, who knows a thing or three about being trapped in an otherworldly purgatory from his time on Lost. Fittingly, the show hails from some former Lost writers, and in that vein, each episode we’ll learn more about the victims’ respective histories via flashbacks, while slowly peeling back the layers of the larger mystery. 

5. So Help Me Todd – Thursday, September 29, Global & CBS | Series Premiere

So Help Me ToddCBSIn a world filled with a plethora of gritty, acronym-themed procedurals (CSI, FBI, NCIS or SVU, take your pick), it’s a real rarity for a broadcast network to deliver a 9 p.m. series that feels like a throwback to a more innocent time when crime-solvers could actually have a few laughs while cracking cases. As such, So Help Me Todd, the new CBS laugher starring Pitch Perfect’s Skylar Astin and Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden, feels out of place… in the best possible way.  

Astin plays the titular Todd, a fast-talking, quick-thinking former private detective who landed on the wrong side of the law due to his loose interpretation of said law. As a result, he’s without a P.I. licence, but he’s still trying to make use of his formidable skills. Although his mother, Margaret (Harden), has never loved the way her boy makes his way through life by the seat of his pants, an unanticipated team-up between them leads her to develop a begrudging respect for his gifts. So much so that she asks Todd to join her law firm as its investigator. But do they get along? If you said, “Yes,” you’re kidding yourself. Harden describes the relationship between Margaret and Todd by using the classic “oil and water” comparison.  

“Margaret sees what her other two kids [an E.R. doctor and a governor’s chief of staff] have achieved,” the actress told TV Guide. “What is Todd’s gift? What does she brag about? She learns.” Astin added: “Both people think that they are in the right, but they also want respect out of the other person. Often Todd’s zany antics are onto something.”  

The end result is a series that feels like a lost USA Network series from the “Characters Welcome” era, which is to say that it’s a welcome addition to the 2022 primetime landscape.

6. The Capture – Friday, September 30, Prime Video | Season Premiere

The CapturePrime VideoIt’s no secret we live in a world of distrust. With so many duelling news sources (reliable and otherwise), technology improving at a terrifying pace, and politicians pivoting on a dime, the fear of surveillance and fake news is real. In that regard, this British thriller definitely captured the zeitgeist.  

In season one, The Capture introduced us to Shaun Emery (Callum Turner), a British soldier who fought to clear his name after he was seemingly caught on live CCTV committing a brutal assault. From there, Shaun and a dogged cop named Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) went tumbling down the rabbit hole of deep-fake technology and international conspiracy.  

When season two arrives on Friday, it will resolve that cliffhanger ending, in which Rachel appeared to join forces with the same cabal she’d been working to take down. Shaun’s story, of course, reached its conclusion in season one, and the show now welcomes Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) as its new co-lead, an ambitious young MP named Isaac Turner. According to the press release, we can also expect hacked news feeds, manipulated media and political interference, in a country that’s under siege from forces it can’t comprehend. Rachel will be caught in the middle of it all, with a fresh “target” to surveil and absolutely no one she can trust. 

“[This] meticulously researched world challenges the boundary between possible and probable dark truths and constantly keeps you guessing,” Grainger said in a release. “I can’t wait to explore what [is] in store for Rachel Carey next.” Judging by the way season two trended online in the U.K. earlier this year when it debuted, she wasn’t overselling. 

    7. The Greatest Beer Run Ever – Friday, September 30, Apple TV+

    The Greatest Beer Run EverApple TV+Based on a true story, this film from director Peter Farrelly (Green Book) follows an average guy (Zac Efron) who embarks on an epic journey to bring American beer to his buddies fighting in the Vietnam War. Also featuring Russell Crowe and a captivating cameo from Bill Murray. 

    8. Rainbow – Friday, September 30, Netflix

    RainbowNetflixLoosely based on The Wizard of Oz, this highly anticipated film from acclaimed Spanish director Paco León tells the coming-of-age tale of musically talented teenager Dora, who leaves home after a fight with her father, her dog Toto in tow, to journey to the big city. Along the way, she meets a trio of eccentric companions and must avoid the clutches of a certain “wicked” woman, all while immersing herself in contemporary Spanish culture via dance, fashion, plastic arts and music.  

    9. Hocus Pocus 2 – Friday, September 30, Disney+

    Hocus Pocus 2Disney+It’s been almost three decades since the Black Flame Candle was last lit, which led to the unfortunate resurrection of the Sanderson sisters, a trio of 17th-century witches who were executed for their heinous crimes by the citizens of Salem. Now they’re back (again) and out for revenge, and it’s up to a trio of teenagers (Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo and Lilia Buckingham) to stop the wicked witches from wreaking a whole new kind of havoc. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprise their roles as sinister siblings Winifred, Sarah and Mary in this long-awaited sequel to the 1993 comedy. Veep alums Tony Hale and Sam Richardson play, respectively, the mayor of Salem and the owner of an occult bookstore who proves to be instrumental in helping the teens uncover the sorcery secrets that they’ll need if they want to vanquish the sisters. In addition, Doug Jones is back as zombie Billy Butcherson, and Ted Lasso standout Hannah Waddingham is playing a mysterious, top-secret character known only as “The Witch.”

    10. Human Playground – Friday, September 30, Netflix | Series Premiere

    Human PlaygroundNetflixIt’s been said that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and play is the focus of this six-part series narrated by actor Idris Elba. Exploring the origins and evolution of sports, Human Playground explores how our species’ innate urge to jump, run, wrestle, dive or master moving a ball around a field spawned age-old rituals that have emerged in the modern era as billion-dollar sports franchises. From bullfights in Madagascar to Sumo wrestling in Japan, filmmaker Hannelore Vandenbussche also introduces us to Buzkashi players on horseback in Central Asia, Donga stick fighters in Ethiopia, Tarahumara runners in Mexico, big wave surfers in Portugal and more.