Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, October 8 to Thursday, October 12. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]
The biggies
Frasier (Paramount+, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)
Frasier is joining a long list of revivals trying to cash in on sitcom nostalgia. Kelsey Grammar reprises his award-winning role of Frasier Crane (who initially made his debut in Cheers). These 10 new episodes follow the next chapter in Frasier’s life now that he’s back in Boston. The cast includes Nicholas Lyndhurst, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Anders Keith, and Toks Olagundoye, while Bebe Neuwirth reprises her role as the main man’s ex, Lilith. Look for The A.V. Club’s review and other additional coverage of the show this week.
The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)
Mike Flanagan’s fifth and final horror show for Netflix is here. The Fall Of The House Of Usher is a gothic drama inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and centers on corrupt CEO Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), who pays for his past sins with the lives of his spoiled children. The usual roster of Flanagan’s favorite actors form the cast, including Kate Siegel, Carla Gugino, Rahul Kohli, Henry Thomas, Samantha Sloyan, and T’Nia Miller. Look for The A.V. Club’s review of the show as well as a survey of Flanagan’s various Netflix series this week.
Hidden gems
Big Vape: The Rise And Fall Of Juul (Netflix, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Directed by R.J. Cutler, Big Vape is a four-part docuseries that examines vaping device company Juul, which drove the toxic trend to unprecedented popularity, then suffered a gradual unraveling. Based on a book of the same name by Jamie Ducharme, the doc focuses on Pax Labs’ nicotine e-cigarette product and how its rapid usage led to the company’s financial gain ... before it all came tumbling down.
Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders (Paramount+, Tuesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Not to be confused with Netflix’s recent drama on the opioid crisis, Paramount+’s Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders chronicles the 1982 killings of seven people in Chicago via cyanide-laced Tylenol pills. The case led to mass panic across the country because no one knew exactly how widespread it could be. The docuseries uses archival footage and interviews to look at the case through a modern-day lens and asks the biggest question: Can current DNA technology help determine the killer?
More good stuff
Messi Meets America (Apple TV+, Wednesday, 12:01 a.m.)
Apple TV+ drops a six-episode docuseries that might just help fill that Ted Lasso-shaped void in your heart. Messi Meets America is about, yes, acclaimed Argentinian player Lionel Messi as he gears up for his debut in the Leagues Cup and Major League Soccer in Miami. The series explores Messi’s life in America, how he helped transform the Inter Miami CF team, and his impact on the sport worldwide.
House Of Villains (Bravo/USA/SYFY/E!, Thursday, 10 p.m.)
Bravo and E! have put together so-called villains from various reality shows for one massive catfight. (Cool?) House Of Villains pits antagonists like Vanderpump Rules’ Jax Taylor, 90 Day Fiancé’s Anfisa Arkhipchenko, and even Tiger King’s Carole Baskin against each other. The last villain to survive a series of random challenges—sticking their hand in a cage full of snakes, for example—nabs a $200,000 prize.
Can’t miss recaps
The Morning Show (Apple TV+, Wednesday, 12:01 a.m.)
Our Flag Means Death (Max, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)
Loki (Disney+, Thursday, 9 p.m.)
Gen V (Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.)
The Great British Bake Off (Netflix, Friday, 3:01 a.m.)
Arriving now
Harry Wild (Acorn TV, Monday, 12:01 a.m., season two premiere)
Doom Patrol (Max, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season four premiere)
Transplant (NBC, Thursday, 9 p.m., season three premiere)
Ending soon
Psycho: The Lost Tapes Of Ed Gein (MGM+, Sunday, 10 p.m., season one finale)
Mrs. Sidhu Investigates (Acorn TV, Monday, 12:01 a.m., season one finale)