The Brainerd Dispatch TV Week October 25th 2020

Thrilling drama

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Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in “The Undoing”

Sunday, Oct. 25

8:05 a.m. ESPN2 F1 Auto Racing Portuguese Grand Prix. (Live) (1:55)

8:55 a.m. NBCSN EPL Soccer Evert. at SOU (Live) (2:05)

9:30 a.m. (9) KMSP Vikings

GameDay Live (Live) (1:30)

10:00 a.m. (15) KVRR (29) WFTC NFL Kickoff (Live) (1:00)

11:00 a.m. (7) KCCO The NFL Today (Live) (1:00)

11:30 a.m. (11) KARE EPL Soccer (Live) (2:00)

Noon (7) KCCO NFL Football Pit. at Blt. (Live) (3:25)

(9) KMSP (15) KVRR NFL Football

G.B. at Hou. (Live) (3:00)

GOLF LPGA Golf Final Round Drive On Championship. (Live) (3:00)

12:30 p.m. ESPN College Football Final (1:00)

1:00 p.m. ESPN2 World of X Games (1:00)

1:30 p.m. (11) KARE IndyCar Auto Racing IndyCar Series Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. (Live) (2:00)

2:00 p.m. ESPN2 Basketball Fifth Place Game Top Flight Invitational. (Live) (1:30)

FSN NCAA Football Fl.A. at Mars. (3:00)

2:30 p.m. (5) KSTP MLS Soccer LA FC vs. LA (Live) (2:15)

NBCSN NASCAR Auto Racing Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500. (Live) (4:00)

3:00 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR The OT (Live) (0:30)

GOLF Golf Central Pre-game (Live) (1:00)

3:25 p.m. (7) KCCO NFL Football Kan. at Den. (Live) (3:05)

3:30 p.m. (11) KARE FIM Motorcycle Racing MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix. (1:30)

ESPN2 Championship Drive (0:30)

4:00 p.m. ESPN2 Basketball Third Place Game Top Flight Invitational. (Live) (1:30)

GOLF PGA Golf Final Round Zozo Championship. (Live) (3:00)

4:45 p.m. (5) KSTP SportsCenter (Live) (0:15)

5:00 p.m. ESPN Baseball Tonight (Live) (1:00)

FSN Destination Polaris (0:30)

5:30 p.m. ESPN2 The Best of This Is SportsCenter (0:30)

FSN Boondock Nation (0:30)

6:00 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR MLB Pre-game Show (Live) (1:00)

(11) KARE Football Night in America (Live) (1:20)

ESPN SportsCenter (1:00)

ESPN2 Basketball Championship Top Flight Invitational. (Live) (1:30)

FSN Strongman Stage 8 2018 Champions League. (1:00)

7:00 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR MLB Baseball World Series. (Live) (3:00)

7:20 p.m. (11) KARE NFL Football

T.B. at L.V. (Live) (3:15)

8:00 p.m. ESPN UFC Unleashed (1:00)

9:00 p.m. ESPN UFC Main Event (0:30)

9:30 p.m. ESPN UFC Main Event (0:30)

Monday, Oct. 26

Noon (9) KAWE Classical Stretch: By Essentrics (0:30)

1:00 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter (1:00)

1:30 p.m. ESPN2 Highly Questionable (0:30)

2:00 p.m. ESPN NFL Rewind (Live) (1:00)

9:00 p.m. GOLF NCAA Golf Individual Championship East Lake Cup. (3:00)

Tuesday, Oct. 27

10:30 a.m. FSN The Kayak Fishing Show (0:30)

11:00 a.m. ESPN SportsCenter (1:00)

Noon (9) KAWE Classical Stretch: By Essentrics (0:30)

1:00 p.m. ESPN Jalen & Jacoby (0:30) 1:30 p.m. ESPN Highly Questionable (0:30)

7:00 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR MLB Baseball Game 7 World Series. (Live) (3:00)

FSN MLS Soccer Col at MIN (Live) (2:00)

USA WWE NXT (Live) (2:00)

8:00 p.m. (29) WFTC Under Center With Kirk Cousins (0:30)

9:00 p.m. ESPN2 UFC Archival (1:00)

Thursday, Oct. 29

11:00 a.m. ESPN SportsCenter (1:00)

GOLF PGA Golf Round 1 Bermuda Championship. (Live) (3:00)

Noon (9) KAWE Classical Stretch: By Essentrics (0:30)

12:30 p.m. FSN Focused (0:30)

1:00 p.m. ESPN Jalen & Jacoby (0:30)

1:30 p.m. ESPN Highly Questionable (0:30)

2:00 p.m. ESPN NBA: The Jump (Live) (1:00)

2:30 p.m. ESPN2 Jalen & Jacoby (0:30)

3:00 p.m. ESPN NFL Live (Live) (1:00)

3:30 p.m. ESPN2 College Football Live (Live) (0:30)

4:00 p.m. ESPN Around the Horn (0:30)

4:30 p.m. ESPN Pardon the Interruption (0:30)

5:00 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter (1:00)

5:30 p.m. FSN Due North Outdoors (0:30)

6:00 p.m. (9) KMSP Vikings Live (Live) (0:30)

6:30 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR NFL Pre-game Show (Live) (0:30)

ESPN NCAA Football S. Ala. at G. South. (Live) (3:00)

7:00 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR NFL Football Atl. at Car. (Live) (3:30)

8:00 p.m. ESPN2 UFC UFC (3:00)

9:00 p.m. FSN Made for the Outdoors (0:30)

9:30 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter (1:30) FSN Destination Polaris (0:30)

Friday, Oct. 30

10:00 a.m. FSN BMX Pro Challenge. (1:00)

11:00 a.m. ESPN SportsCenter (1:00)

6:30 p.m. ESPN NCAA Football (Live) (3:00)

7:00 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR WWE SmackDown (Live) (2:00)

8:00 p.m. (29) WFTC Vikings Connected (0:30)

GOLF CHAMPS Golf Round 1 TimberTech Championship. (2:30)

9:00 p.m. FSN #VikingsConnected (0:30)

9:30 p.m. (15) KVRR KVRR Sports Extra (0:30)

Saturday, Oct. 31

9:55 a.m. NBCSN EPL Soccer CHE at Burn. (Live) (2:05)

10:00 a.m. (9) KMSP Big Noon Kickoff (Live) (1:00)

10:30 a.m. FSN Made for the Outdoors (0:30)

11:00 a.m. (5) KSTP (9) KMSP (15) KVRR ESPN ESPN2 NCAA Football (Live) (3:00)

GOLF PGA Golf Round 3 Bermuda Championship. (Live) (3:00) Noon FSN Destination Polaris (0:30)

12:30 p.m. (7) KCCO In the Huddle (1:00)

(11) KARE EPL Soccer (Live) (2:00)

1:30 p.m. (7) KCCO College Football: The Drive to Atlanta (0:30)

2:00 p.m. (5) KSTP ESPN ESPN2 College Football Scoreboard (Live) (0:30)

GOLF CHAMPS Golf Round 2 TimberTech Championship. (Live) (2:30)

2:30 p.m. (5) KSTP ESPN ESPN2 FSN NCAA Football (Live) (3:00)

(7) KCCO NCAA Football LSU at Aub. (Live) (3:30)

(11) KARE NASCAR Auto Racing Xfinity Series NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Martinsville. (Live) (2:30)

3:00 p.m. NBCSN RBS6 Rugby Ire. vs. Fra. (Live) (2:00)

3:15 p.m. SHOW ALL ACCESS: Davis vs. Santa Cruz (0:30)

6:00 p.m. (5) KSTP College Football Scoreboard (Live) (0:30)

ESPN NCAA Football MS St. at Ala. (Live) (3:00)

ESPN2 FSN NCAA Football (Live) (3:00)

GOLF NCAA Golf Individual Championship East Lake Cup. (Live) (3:00)

3:00 p.m. ESPN NFL Live (Live) (1:00)

3:30 p.m. ESPN2 Highly Questionable (0:30)

4:00 p.m. ESPN Around the Horn (0:30)

4:30 p.m. ESPN Pardon the Interruption (0:30)

5:00 p.m. ESPN Monday Night Countdown (Live) (2:00)

5:30 p.m. GOLF Golf Central (0:30)

6:00 p.m. ESPN2 Baseball Tonight (Live) (1:00)

6:30 p.m. FSN Made for the Outdoors (0:30)

7:00 p.m. ESPN NFL Football Chi. at L.A. (Live) (3:15)

USA WWE Raw (Live) (3:00)

8:00 p.m. NBCSN Poker After Dark (1:00)

GOLF PGA Golf Round 2 Bermuda Championship. (Live) (3:00)

Noon (9) KAWE Sit and Be Fit (0:30)

1:00 p.m. ESPN Jalen & Jacoby (0:30)

1:30 p.m. ESPN Highly Questionable (0:30)

2:00 p.m. ESPN NBA: The Jump (Live) (1:00)

2:30 p.m. ESPN2 Jalen & Jacoby (0:30)

3:00 p.m. ESPN NFL Live (Live) (1:00)

3:30 p.m. ESPN2 Max on Boxing (0:30)

4:00 p.m. ESPN Around the Horn (0:30)

4:30 p.m. ESPN Pardon the Interruption (0:30)

5:00 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter (1:00)

5:30 p.m. FSN Boondock Nation (0:30)

6:00 p.m. ESPN College Football Countdown (Live) (0:30)

6:30 p.m. (5) KSTP Nissan Pre-game Rush (Live) (0:07)

6:35 p.m. (5) KSTP NCAA Football (Live) (3:23)

7:00 p.m. (9) KMSP (15) KVRR NCAA Football (Live) (3:30)

8:00 p.m. GOLF CHAMPS Golf Round 2 TimberTech Championship. (2:30)

9:15 p.m. ESPN NCAA Football (Live) (1:45)

9:30 p.m. FSN Vikings Game Plan (0:30)

10:00 p.m. ESPN2 SportsCenter (2:30)

10:30 p.m. (23)

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The presidential race is tight, although not nearly as tight as The Rock’s sweater — come on! It’s like a pile of cantaloupes squeezed into a onesie from the Baby Gap.

Volume isn’t everything. The nuclear bomb did more in

Hiroshima in one day than any politician did in history, but something tells me it might have cost Truman the Japanese vote.

Just because a lot of people watch something doesn’t mean something is good. I hear public executions were quite popular in their day.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Tonight we got to see white guys brutally attack each other for two hours, so it was a pretty good preview of tomorrow night’s debate.

Extreme Sudoku

The debate was full of hurtful insults, constant fighting and vicious personal attacks — or, as Americans call it, Thanksgiving.

After the debate was over, [Chris] Wallace said he wants to moderate something a little more civil, like a Real Housewives reunion or a back-alley knife fight.

The Late Late Show with James Corden

There’s a new dating app out there, but this one is for connecting lonely pets. It’s called “Pinder,” and it’s intended for pet meet-ups with the added bonus of owners connecting as well. It’s a great app if you’re looking to do some heavy petting.

The crazy part isn’t that [Trump] spent $70,000 on his hair. It’s that clearly $70,000 wasn’t enough.

Tonight, it was the first presidential debate — the only person who enjoyed that was Vladimir Putin while he was stroking a cat.

Big drama, small screen

By Kyla Brewer TV Media

As movie theaters struggle to survive in the wake of shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, fans missing their favorite Hollywood stars find themselves turning to television to fill the void. Luckily, a few of the industry’s biggest talents are headed to the small screen in a gripping drama that will keep viewers guessing.

Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman (“Big Little Lies”) stars as Grace Fraser, a therapist who discovers that her seemingly idyllic life may be far from perfect in the wake of a shocking death in “The Undoing,” premiering Sunday, Oct. 25, on HBO. Based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel “You Should Have

Known,” the six-part thriller also stars Hugh Grant (“Notting Hill,” 1999) as Grace’s husband, Jona than, and Donald Sutherland (“MASH,” 1970) as her father, Franklin Renner.

When the series opens, Grace becomes fascinated with another mom from her son’s school. Shortly thereafter, tragedy strikes the school community, setting off a chain of events that leads Grace to question whether she really knew her now-missing husband as she deals with a very public disaster. All the while, she tries to come to terms with the fact that she’s failed to heed her own advice as she

‘The Undoing’ premieres on HBO

struggles to rebuild a life for her family.

The story was adapted for the small screen by 11-time Emmy winner David E. Kelley (“Ally McBeal”), and this isn’t the first time he’s worked with Kidman. He created the recent hit HBO drama “Big Little Lies,” in which Kidman starred. In fact, her stint on two seasons of “Big Little Lies” led to Golden Globe and Emmy wins for the talented actress, who has also had high praise for Kelley’s work on “The Undoing.”

“David has created another propulsive series with a fascinating, complicated female role at its center,” Kidman said in an official HBO.com release.

Lauded as one of the most successful actors of her generation, Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Kidman first came to the at-

ous fare such as her role as Virginia Woolf in “The Hours” (2002), the role that earned her an Oscar. Apparently, her co-star Grant wasn’t so quick to sign on to “The Undoing” because he had already decided to quit acting. Earlier in October, Kidman explained to Australia’s the Sunday Telegraph that she practically had to beg him to play the part of her husband in the series. The dramatic role marks a departure from the kinds of roles he rose to fame playing in romantic comedies such as “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” (1994) and “Notting Hill” (1999), however Grant has proven he’s far from one-dimensional, thanks to other dramatic turns in “Sense and Sensibility” (1995), “Florence Foster Jenkins” (2016) and the BBC miniseries “A Very English Scandal.”

Kidman and Grant are joined onscreen in “The Undoing” by a

films “The Dirty Dozen” (1967), “MASH” (1970), “Klute” (1971), “Animal House” (1978) and “Ordinary People” (1980). He was also seen in “JFK” (1991), “A Time to Kill” (1996) and “Cold Mountain” (2003), which starred Kidman as well.

“The Undoing” also stars Edgar Ramírez (“Zero Dark Thirty,” 2012) as NYPD Det. Joe Mendoza, who rattles Grace as she tries to cooperate with the investigation. Some action-movie fans may remember the Venezuelan actor as CIA assassin Paz in “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007), but Ramírez has more recently garnered acclaim for his portrayal of Gianni Versace in FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.”

The rest of the cast includes young actor Noah Jupe (“Wonder,” 2017) as Grace and Jonathan’s son, Henry, Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”) as Sylvia Steineitz, Norma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns,” 2018) as Haley Fitzgerald, Sofie Gråbøl (“The Killing”) as Catherine Stamper, Matilda De Angelis (“The Prize,” 2017) as Elena Alves, and Ismael Cruz Córdova (“Ray Donovan”) as Fernando

Behind the scenes, Danish director Susanne Bier took the reins for all six episodes of the series. She’s best known in North America for her work on the film “Bird Box” (2018) and the TV miniseries “The

From the list, find each word and circle its letters in the puzzle to reveal a message relating to this week's theme

Spooky Specters

by KNUTE NELSON

Videoreleases

Friendsgiving

Sudoku

American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules

Adams, Lily Bleu Andrew. 2020. 95 mins. Comedy.

Sudoku

Molly’s old flame Gunnar (Hansen) — the intimate holiday dinner quickly evolves into a chaotic adventure filled with both awkward and wholesome memories.

Videoreleases

Friendsgiving

Ready to enjoy a relaxing and drama-free Thanksgiving with her best friend, Molly (Akerman), Abby’s (Dennings) plans are quickly derailed when Molly’s new boyfriend, Jeff (Donnelly), and overbearing mother, Helen (Seymour), also join in on their holiday festivities. When a plethora of other party crashers eager to escape their own family celebrations arrive — including a surprise appearance from

Ready to enjoy a relaxing and drama-free Thanksgiving with her best friend, Molly (Akerman), Abby’s (Dennings) plans are quickly derailed when Molly’s new boyfriend, Jeff (Donnelly), and overbearing mother, Helen (Seymour), also join in on their holiday festivities. When a plethora of other party crashers eager to escape their own family celebrations arrive — including a surprise appearance from

Director: Nicol Paone. Stars: Kat Dennings, Malin Akerman, Aisha Tyler, Christine Taylor, Jane Seymour, Chelsea Peretti, Ryan Hansen, Jack Donnelly, Wanda Sykes, Fortune Feimster, Margaret Cho, Deon Cole. 2020. 95 mins. Comedy.

Molly’s old flame Gunnar (Hansen) — the intimate holiday dinner quickly evolves into a chaotic adventure filled with both awkward and wholesome memories.

Director: Nicol Paone. Stars: Kat Dennings, Malin Akerman, Aisha Tyler, Christine Taylor, Jane Seymour, Chelsea Peretti, Ryan Hansen, Jack Donnelly, Wanda Sykes, Fortune Feimster, Margaret Cho, Deon Cole. 2020. 95 mins. Comedy.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Solution below

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Solution below

American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules

Set in the familiar town of East Great Falls, high school seniors

Set in the familiar town of East Great Falls, high school seniors Annie (Pettis), Kayla (Curda), Michelle (Behnam) and Stephanie (Broadway) decided to band together and create a new set of rules to finally achieve their goals during their final year of high school. With rules in place to fix their romantic lives and support their fellow women, the group of friends make plans to end their senior year with a bang.

Attack of the Unknown

“American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules” is the fifth installment of the American Pie Presents film series and is a spinoff of the American Pie franchise.

Director: Mike Elliott. Stars: Madison Pettis, Lizze Broadway, Natasha Behnam, Piper Curda, Darren Barnet, Lucas

Annie (Pettis), Kayla (Curda), Michelle (Behnam) and Stephanie (Broadway) decided to band together and create a new set of rules to finally achieve their goals during their final year of high school. With rules in place to fix their romantic lives and support their fellow women, the group of friends make plans to end their senior year with a bang.

“American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules” is the fifth installment of the American Pie Presents film series and is a spinoff of the American Pie franchise.

Director: Mike Elliott. Stars: Madison Pettis, Lizze Broadway, Natasha Behnam, Piper Curda, Darren Barnet, Lucas

The landfill is open only to residents of Crow Wing County for recycling and disposal needs.

During Winter months Household Hazardous Waste will be open only for emergencies and by appointment only.

Adams, Lily Bleu Andrew. 2020. 95 mins. Comedy.

Attack of the Unknown

After finally capturing and arresting violent crime boss and drug lord Hades (LaSardo), elite SWAT team leader Vernon (Grieco) and his team are tasked with the final leg of the journey, transporting the criminal to the jail cell that will hold him the rest of his days. When SWAT team members find themselves trapped inside a Los Angeles County detention center as strange occurrences begin to happen around them and Los Angeles starts to burn, they realize they now have to contend with an alien invasion.

Director:BrandonSlagle.Stars: TaraReid,RobertLaSardo. 2020. 103 mins. Action.

After finally capturing and arresting violent crime boss and drug lord Hades (LaSardo), elite SWAT team leader Vernon (Grieco) and his team are tasked with the final leg of the journey, transporting the criminal to the jail cell that will hold him the rest of his days. When SWAT team members find themselves trapped inside a Los Angeles County detention center as strange occurrences begin to happen around them and Los Angeles starts to burn, they realize they now have to contend with an alien invasion.

Director:BrandonSlagle.Stars: TaraReid,RobertLaSardo. 2020. 103 mins. Action.

locations within the County. Visit our webpage for drop-off locations: www.crowwing.us and search “oil.”

• Demolition materials may be disposed in the demolition landfill for a fee

Large appliances, electronics, tires with or without rims, scrap metals, glass, and plastic can be disposed at the site for a nominal fee for recycling.

To schedule an appointment or for questions please call 218-824-1290.

By Dana Simpson TV Media

WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX

“Holidate” (2020)

Grab your plus one this holiday season and catch “Holidate,” new to Netflix as of Wednesday, Oct. 28. When, during every holiday social event, her family intensely nags her about finding a boyfriend, Sloane (Emma Roberts, “The Art of Getting By,” 2011) decides on a clever alternate arrangement so she will never have to fly solo to any event ever again. Inspired by a scheme devised by her fun-loving Aunt Susan (Kristin Chenoweth, “Four Christmases,” 2008), Sloane takes on a like-minded stranger named Jackson (Luke Bracey, “The Best of Me,” 2014) as her official platonic date for every possible holiday. But as the two spend increasingly more time together and come to depend on each other’s company for all of their celebratory occasions, Sloane and Jackson begin to wonder if their little “holidate” game is, in fact, the one playing them. From Tiffany Paulsen, the writer of “Turkey Drop” (2019), this heartwarming holiday romantic comedy also stars Jessica Capshaw (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Abby and Francis Fisher (“Titanic,” 1997) as Sloane’s meddling mother, Elaine.

“Bronx” (2020)

Try not to get caught in the crossfire as rivals forces duke it out in “Bronx,” coming to Netflix on Fri-

day, Oct. 30. Also known by the title “Rogue City,” this new film is set in Marseille, France, immediately following a gang shooting at the local hub, Bar du Telephone.

Richard Vronski (Lannick Gautry, “David Nolande,” 2006), an offbeat police officer working for the gangs unit, finds himself heading up the shooting’s subsequent investigation and, when he begins to uncover sensitive information regarding police corruption in his own department, the investigation gets tricky, forcing Vronsky and his team to work quickly and smoothly to avoid making more sacrifices than they had originally bargained for. Directed by popular French actor and filmmaker Olivier Marchal (“36th Precinct,” 2004), this crime drama also stars Stanislas Merhar (“The Count of Monte Cristo,” 1998) and the legendary Jean Reno (“Léon: The Professional,” 1994).

“The Day of the Lord” (2020) Come to the dark side with “The Day of the Lord,” available Friday, Oct. 30, on Netflix. Also titled “Ménendez: The Day of the Lord,” this Mexican horror film recounts the story of the tortured Father Ménendez (Juli Fàbregas, “[Rec] 2,” 2009), a retired priest who lives in quiet seclusion and remains haunted by his past. Doing his best every day to try to deal with his past sins, Ménendez gets pulled back into the dark side of Christianity when his friend Sebastián (Hector Illanes, “Dodo,” 2014) begs for

his help in exorcizing his troubled daughter. While Sebastián is aware of the priest’s controversial methods and Ménendez struggles with the idea of getting involved again, he finally agrees to help his friend, seeing it as a chance to redeem himself and start anew. Written in part and directed by Santiago Alvarado (“Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” 2006), this Spanishlanguage possession film also stars Dolores Heredia (“Vantage Point,” 2008), Ximena Romo (“This Is Not Berlin,” 2019) and Oscar Gordillo (“El Señor de los Cielos,” 2015).

“Subbura” Season 3

Put your fight face on and prepare yourself for Season 3 of “Suburra,” coming to Netflix on Friday, Oct. 30. If there’s one thing this popular Italian series has taught us, it’s that the romantic city of Rome isn’t always just about sunshine and pasta. When the first season debuted in 2017 and began to tell the story of the epic battle for seaside land outside of the Italian capital, all manner of deceptive factions joined in on the war — from crime lords to corrupt politicians, even the Vatican: everyone wanted a piece of the action! Now, three years later, the fight wages on for one final season. Based upon Giancarlo De Cataldo and Carlo Bonini’s Suburra book series and written as a prequel to Stefano Sollima’s 2015 action film of the same name, this series stars Alessandro Borghi (“Devils”), Giacomo Ferrara (“Guarda in alto,” 2017) and Eduardo Valdarnini (“Qualcosa di nuovo,” 2016) in leading roles.

WHAT’S NEW ON DISNEY+

“The Mandalorian” Season 2 May the Force guide you to Disney+ on Friday, Oct. 30, as “The Mandalorian” Season 2 makes its debut on the streaming platform. Following the immense popularity of its first season, Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” stars Pedro Pascal (“Narcos”) in the title role alongside the adorable — and now-famous meme icon — “Baby Yoda,” or, officially, The Child. While Disney is, understandably, remaining very secretive about the new season’s specifics, the coming eight episodes will focus largely on The Child’s origins and, at some point, we know that the bounty hunter will finally meet villain Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito, “Breaking Bad”) up close and personal. Created by superstar actor-director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” 2008), this Star Wars spinoff series also stars Carl Weathers (“Rocky,” 1976) as Greef Karga, Gina Carano (“Fast & Furious 6,” 2013) as Cara Dune and consists of several cameo performances from the ranks of Hollywood’s finest — Season 1 featured episodes with the award-winning German director Werner Herzog (“Into the Abyss,” 2011), famed actor Nick Nolte (“The Ridiculous 6,” 2015) and quirky New Zealand director Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit,” 2109), to name a few.

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (2010)

Double, double toil and trouble. Get out your cauldron and watch “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Friday, Oct. 30, on Disney+. Based on the

of total supernatural domination, Balthazar and Dave must present a united and powerful front to defend their city and the world beyond. Directed by Jon Turteltaub (“While You Were Sleeping,” 1995), this family-friendly film also stars Teresa Palmer (“I Am Number Four,” 2011) and James A. Stephens (“Sherlock Holmes,” 2009) as Merlin.

WHAT’S NEW ON PRIME

“Truth Seekers”

Goethe poem of the same name from 1797 (titled “Der Zauberlehrling” in the original German) — and also sharing the name of a segment in the 1940 animated Disney musical “Fantasia” — this magical film takes place in modernday New York City as master sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicholas Cage, “National Treasure,” 2004) seeks out a living descendent of the great Merlin, who bears the overwhelmingly ordinary name of Dave (Jay Baruchel, “How to Train Your Dragon,” 2010), to help him defend the city against his nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina, “Spider-Man 2,” 2004). When the dark sorceress Morgana la Fée (Alice Krige, “Thor: The Dark World,” 2013) also rises to hatch an evil plot

Prepare yourself to dig up some scary truths with “Truth Seekers,” coming Friday, Oct. 30, to Prime. This new series, directed by Jim Field Smith (“The Wrong Mans”), bears a striking comedic resemblance to British cult film favorites “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) and “Hot Fuzz” (2007) — as it should, given that the series was written by the same creative team, including funny men Nick Frost (“Paul,” 2011) and Simon Pegg (“Run, Fat Boy, Run,” 2007). Over the course of eight hilarious episodes, a team of part-time paranormal investigators (and full-time tech geeks) — played by Frost, Samson Kayo (“Timewasters”) and Emma D’Arcy (“Wanderlust”) — use homemade devices to connect with spirits and share their encounters online. When their adventures begin to get more terrifying and border on too intense to handle, the team must push through their fears to help uncover a very real apocalyptic conspiracy. Pegg, Malcolm McDowell (“A Clockwork Orange,” 1971) and Susan Wokoma (“Crazyhead”) also star in supporting roles.

Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey in “Holidate”

Pedro Pascal in a scene from “The Madalorian”

Emma D’Arcy, Nick Frost and Samson Kayo star in “Truth Seekers”

The Big Three are back Season 5 of ‘This Is Us’ premieres on NBC

By Rachel Jones TV Media

The last episode of Season 4 of NBC’s viral series “This Is Us” aired on March 24, which seems like an eternity ago. Usually, by now we’d already be deep into Season 5 and surrounded by tissue boxes but, thanks to the filming difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the new season was considerably delayed. But now the wait is finally over.

Originally slated for broadcast in November, the Season 5 premiere is being shown a little earlier and is now firmly scheduled to return to NBC on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The even better news? The show will kick off the latest season with an unexpected, twohour episode.

Your favorite Pearson family characters — Jack (Milo Ventimiglia, “Heroes”), Rebecca (Mandy Moore, “A Walk to Remember,” 2002), Randall (Sterling K. Brown, “Black Panther,” 2018), Kevin (Justin Hartley, “Smallville”) and Kate (Chrissy Metz, “American Horror Story”)

— are all slated to return for the new season.

Spoiler alert! Season 4 ended with a memorable and devastating fight between Randall and Kevin, so the Season 5 premiere will likely open with them still not on speaking terms. After everything that was said, it will probably be a while before they figure things out. But try not to worry, there’s plenty to keep fans coming back for more.

In an interview for TV Insider, Moore said that although it is always going to be Jack and Rebecca that fans cherish, getting viewers invested in the somewhat controversial Rebecca and Miguel storyline is sparking their interest, too. And Metz has revealed that the season will include a new back story of a trauma that shaped Kate’s character as an adult.

There are also likely to be some newcomers to the season, but who they will be is still a bit

of a mystery. It could have something to do with the major twist they’re predicting for Kate. The teenage version of her character left off with relationship struggles, but the show’s creators are promising some twists we definitely won’t forget.

Interestingly, “This Is Us” is expected to address events that have happened in the real world this year. Brown has hinted that the upcoming fifth season of the show might even address issues and events such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the coronavirus pandemic, making it one of the first shows to weave these current events into their actual storylines instead of just a special or side note.

For those of you who haven’t watched this top-rated NBC series, you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is about. “This Is Us” revolves around the Pearson family and tells the tale of their triumphs and heartaches across the decades from the ‘80s to the present day. Unlike many other shows that revolve around dysfunctional families, “This Is Us” is remarkably life-affirming rather than dwelling on all things negative.

It shows that where family and friends are concerned, we’re all connected, and that even the smallest of decisions can ultimately change your life completely. The format of the show is unique as well, with some episodes taking place in the present, some in the past and some stories that are told, in their majority, through flashbacks. This makes it even easier to see how choices made decades ago can have consequences in the present. “This Is Us” is an addicting look at a family you can’t help but love.

Series creator Dan Fogelman (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” 2011) has commented that Season 5 will be an uplifting experience for viewers, which is something that’s sorely needed right now. Given its tremendous popularity, it is not surprising that “This Is Us” has won a medley of awards both for its individual ac-

tors and the show itself. In 2018, Brown became the first AfricanAmerican actor to win a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama.

That same year he also became the first African-American actor to win a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.

In 2017, Brown also won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2017

for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and that same year, Gerald McRaney (“The Best of Me,” 2014), who plays Dr. Nathan Katowski in the series, won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Ron Cephas Jones (“Luke Cage”), who played Randall’s biological father, William H. Hill, also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in

both 2018 and 2020 — that’s a lot of accolades in just a few years, but the awards just keep coming. The show also received the prestigious GLAAD Media Award in 2018 — an award celebrating works that accurately represent the LGBTQ community and its relevant issues — while for two years running, 2018 and 2019, “This Is Us” also had the pleasure of winning the Screen Ac-

tors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Impressive wins aside, the series (and many of its actors) have been continuously receiving praise for their uplifting and genuine performances, proving that the world truly needs the inspiration and positivity that this show heralds. Make sure you catch the Season 5 premiere of “This Is Us” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, on NBC.

Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown and Justin Hartley star in “This Is Us”