Screentime September 25-October 1, 2022

CoVer sTory

By Jay Bobbin

In her return to series work, Marcia Gay Harden is laying down the law as both an attorney and a parent.

A recent Primetime Emmy nominee for her guest part on “The Morning Show,” the Oscar and Tony recipient headlines CBS’ seriocomic “So Help Me Todd,” premiering Thursday, Sept. 29. Harden plays Margaret Wright, whose legal professionalism contradicts the scruffier nature of her son Todd (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” and “Pitch Perfect” alum Skylar Astin), an ex-private eye taking whatever jobs he can get. His help on a case prompts her to hire him as her investigator,

and possibly to bridge the gap between them.

“It’s a lovely bubble that’s floating right now,” the pleasant Harden says of her career fortunes lately, “and it feels fantastic, but we know it will pop. What goes up must come down, and that’s the life of being in this business — so when it’s happening (on the positive side), I really cherish every moment. It feels good.”

While cameras aren’t swirling around her constantly as in her last weekly project for CBS, the medical drama “Code Black,” Harden asserts “So Help Me Todd” (on which Dr. Phil McGraw is an executive producer) keeps the rules of the series game largely the same. “You have do it really fast,” she reflects.

“It’s almost like theater, except that you don’t get all the rehearsals, so you have to come in and figure things out right away. And I find that fun.” Harden also finds it challenging to adopt legal jargon in her new role: “What is an arraignment? What is a deposition? These aren’t necessarily words that we all know, other than from television shows, so I find myself looking things up so that I can say them with authority. The writing team is amazing, though, and Skylar and I love to bounce off of each other. They’ve written beautiful banter for us, so ... so far, so good.”

In effect, “Pollock” Oscar winner Harden plays Margaret on two levels, serious when

it comes to law and lighter in her family relations. She notes that Margaret and Todd “are opposites. He’s digital and she’s analog. She’s exacting, he’s not. She goes by the rules, and he’s about breaking them. And because of that, they have to learn to play as a team.”

Still, Harden stresses another individual aspect of Margaret. “She is empathic,” the actress says. “Yes, she’s a good lawyer, but she also has this incredible sensibility to what’s going on and to people’s emotions. There are all these books about analyzing someone’s handwriting or how to tell if someone is lying, and I think Margaret has those abilities in high form and uses them.”

Marcia Gay Harden stars in “So Help Me Todd,” premiering Thursday on CBS.

The STREAM Scene

“Movie: Samaritan”

Sylvester Stallone produced and stars in this actioner from director Julius Avery (“Overlord,” “Son of a Gun”) that casts him as the mysterious Mr. Smith, a recluse whom young neighbor Sam (Javon “Wanna” Walton, “Euphoria”) thinks may be a vigilante believed to have been killed in a firefight years earlier. Pilou Asbaek, Dascha Polanco and Moises Arias also star. (ORIGINAL)

“Chefs vs. Wild” Chef and adventurer Kiran Jethwa is the host of this competition series that drops world class chefs into the wilderness, where they will be challenged to survive and forage enough wild ingredients to create a restaurant worthy, five-star meal. Jethwa will also ser ve as judge alongside wild foods expert Valerie Segrest. (ORIGINAL)

“Movie: Lou” Allison Janney does a stark departure from her “Mom” character to star in this thriller as the title character, a woman trying to put her dangerous past behind her — that is, until a neighbor (Jurnee Smollett, “Lovecraft Country”) begs her to help find her kidnapped daughter. Logan Marshall-Green and Ridley Asha Bateman are also in the cast for director Anna Foerster (“Underworld: Blood Wars”). (ORIGINAL)

In Focus

“My Life Is Murder: Season 3” (Acorn TV — season premiere, Oct. 10)

Lucy Lawless returns as irrepressible Auckland, New Zealand, investigator Alex Crowe for 10 more cases that pit her against fascinating, powerful and surprising suspects — from eccentric billionaires and grieving florists to tango dancers and fiery fashionistas — all of whom are unprepared for her unique brand of crime solving.

“Under Wraps 2” (Sept. 29) This sequel to the 2021 animated fantasy finds pals Marshall (Malachi Barton), Gilbert (Christian J. Simon) and Amy (Sophia Hammons) banding together when Rose (Rryla McIntosh), the significant other of their mummy friend Harold (Phil Wright), is kidnapped by an undead former friend with a grudge. Adam Wylie from the 1997 version of “Under Wraps” also stars. (ORIGINAL)

Rosanna Pansino and Jet Tila host as five crafty bakers compete to prove their skills by decorating decadent and showstopping creations for the championship title in “Halloween Cookie Challenge,” premiering Monday on Food Network. Find this and more tasty offerings at www.foodnetwork. com/shows

Where all the top choices can be found in one place!

Sports Zone

sunday

12:00 p.m. WGRZ-2 WICU-12 2022 Presidents Cup Day 4, Singles. (N) (Live) GOLF LPGA Tour Golf Walmart NW Arkansas Championship - Final Round. (N) (Live) Å 12:30 p.m. FS1 Horse Racing America’s Day at the Races. (N) (Live) Å 1:00 p.m. WIVB-4 WSEE-35

NFL Football Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins. Miami hosts Buffalo. The Bills have won the past seven meet ings after outscoring the Dolphins 61-11 across a pair of 2022 encounters. Josh Allen (BUF) accounted for four touchdowns during a season-opening road victory against the Rams in Week 1. (N) (Live) Å

WNYW-5 WUTV-29 NFL Football Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots.

Bill Belichick leads the Pa triots into their home opener against the Ravens. New England has won 11 of 15 meetings after a 23-17 tri umph in 2020. Belichick is 9-8 at Gillette Stadium with quarterbacks other than Tom Brady since 2020. (N) (Live) Women’s Col Coralville, (Live)

1:30 p.m. (Live)

3:00 p.m. (Live) p.m.

Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. (N) (Live) Å

4:00 p.m. WPIX-11 MLB Baseball New York Mets at Oakland Athletics. From RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. (N) (Live) Å WNYO-49 MLB Baseball New York Mets at Oakland Athletics. From RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. (N) (Live)

4:25 p.m. WNYW-5 WUTV-29

NFL Football Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buc caneers. The Packers face the Buccaneers for the first time since the 2021 NFC Championship game. Tampa Bay took down Green Bay 31-26 in that conference final, advancing to Super Bowl 55 where it dismantled Kansas City for the Bucs’ second league title. (N) (Live) Å

7:00 p.m. ESPN MLB Base ball Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees. From Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN2 MLB Baseball Sunday Night Baseball with Kay-Rod: Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees. Veteran broadcaster Michael Kay joins former slugger Alex Rodriguez to provide com mentary on Sunday Night Baseball. Plus, discussion on fantasy baseball, predic tive analytics and special guests tied to the game. (N) (Live) Å

8:15 p.m. WGRZ-2 WICU-12 NFL Football San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos. Russell Wilson faces a famil iar foe as his Broncos wel come the 49ers to the Mile HIgh City. San Francisco leads the series 8-7. Wilson is 17-4 versus the 49ers, all while playing with the Se ahawks, with 37 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. (N) (Live) Å

12:00 a.m. ESPN2 2022 FIBA

Women’s South Korea vs United States. From Qudos Bank

Arena in Sydney. (N) (Live) Å

Monday

2:30 p.m. FS1 UEFA Nations League Soccer England vs Germany. League A, Group 3. (N) (Live) Å

6:30 p.m. ROOT MLB Base ball Cincinnati Reds at Pitts burgh Pirates. From PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (N) (Live) 8:00 p.m. WKBW-7 ESPN NFL Football Dallas Cow boys at New York Giants. The Cowboys play their first road game of 2022 as they try to continue their mastery of the Giants. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN2 NFL Football Mon day Night Football with Pey ton and Eli: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants. From MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (N) (Live) Å

Tuesday

2:00 p.m. FS1 Soccer In ternational Friendly: Saudi Arabia vs United States. (N) (Live) Å

6:30 p.m. ROOT MLB Base ball Cincinnati Reds at Pitts burgh Pirates. From PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (N) (Live) 7:00 p.m. SNY MLB Base ball Miami Marlins at New York Mets. From Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y. (N) (Live) 7:30 p.m. TBS MLB Baseball Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

Wednesday

12:30 p.m. ROOT MLB Base ball Cincinnati Reds at Pitts burgh Pirates. From PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (N) (Live)

7:00 p.m. WPIX-11 MLB Baseball Miami Marlins at New York Mets. From Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y. (N) (Live) Å

WNYO-49 MLB Baseball Miami Marlins at New York Mets. From Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y. (N) (Live)

FS1 Women’s College Volleyball Ohio State at Michigan. From Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. (N) (Live) Å

9:00 p.m. ESPN2 Women’s College Volleyball Baylor at Iowa State. From Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. (N) (Live) Å

“On the Waterfront” (1954) In an Oscarwinning drama loaded with great performances, Steiger made a big impression as the deal-making brother of rebellious dockworker Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando).

“The Big Knife” (1955) Director Robert Aldrich’s version of Clifford Odets’ play casts Steiger as a movie-studio chief who may have a big part in the future of a troubled actor (Jack Palance).

“Oklahoma!” (1955) Though Steiger wasn’t a singer, he had an important role in this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical as brutish Jud Fr y.

“The Harder They Fall” (1956) Humphrey Bogart’s last film features him as an ex-sportswriter who goes to work for a boxing promoter (Steiger).

“Cry Terror!” (1958) Steiger is properly intense as the leader of a gang trying to extort a sizable ransom from a man (James Mason) whose family is held captive.

“Al Capone” (1959) Steiger made a big leap toward his own stardom with his appropriately showy portrayal of the legendary mobster.

BY GEORGE DICKIE

In the conversation regarding NL MVP candidates, it’s difficult to ignore Mookie Betts.

Indeed, as arguably the best player on the team with baseball’s best record, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ right fielder and leadoff hitter is in the midst of another banner year in a career that is seemingly filled with them.

As of the end of August, the six-time All-Star had already tied his career high in home runs with 32 to go along with 101 runs, a .281 batting average, a .352 on-base percentage and a .917 OPS. Add in his sterling defense and the five-time Gold Glover is a legitimate candidate for baseball’s most prestigious individual honor along with the Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, the Braves’ Austin Riley, the Padres’ Manny Machado and Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman.

Betts previously won the MVP Award in the American League as a member of the Boston Red Sox in 2018, when he batted .346 with 32 homers, 129 runs, a .438 onbase percentage and an eye-popping OPS of 1.078. His Slugger

Thursday

8:00 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, First Round. (N) (Live) Å 12:30 p.m. GOLF LPGA Tour Golf Volunteers of America Classic, First Round. (N) (Live) Å 3:30 p.m. GOLF PGA Tour Golf Sanderson Farms Championship, First Round. (N) (Live) Å

7:00 p.m. WNYO-49 High School Football Starpoint at South Park. (N) (Live)

FS1 Women’s College Soccer Butler at Providence. From Chapey Field at Ander son Stadium in Providence, R.I. (N) (Live) Å

8:00 p.m. ESPN College Football Utah State at BYU. From LaVell Edwards Stadi um in Provo, Utah. (N) (Live) Å

5:55 a.m. ESPN2 Formula 1 Racing Singapore Grand Prix, Practice 1. From Ma rina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. (N) (Live) Å

Friday

8:00 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Sec ond Round. (N) (Live) Å

12:30 p.m. GOLF LPGA Tour Golf Volunteers of America Classic, Second Round. (N) (Live) Å

3:30 p.m. GOLF PGA Tour Golf Sanderson Farms Championship, Second Round. (N) (Live) Å

5:30 p.m. USA NASCAR Xfinity Racing Series Sparks 300, Qualifying. From Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. (N) (Live) Å

7:00 p.m. ESPN College Football Tulane at Houston. From TDECU Stadium in Houston. (N) (Live) Å

ESPN2 High School Foot ball Collins Hill (Ga.) at Bu ford (Ga.). (N) (Live) Å

SNY MLB Baseball New York Mets at Atlanta Braves. From Truist Park in Atlanta. (N) (Live)

8:00 p.m. FS1 College Foot ball San Diego State at Boi se State. From Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. (N) (Live) Å

ROOT MLB Baseball Pitts burgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals. From Busch Sta dium in St. Louis. (N) (Live) 10:30 p.m. ESPN College Football Washington at UCLA. From the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (N) (Live)

Å

ESPN2 CFL Football Ot tawa Redblacks at BC Lions. From BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia. (N) (Live) Å 5:55 a.m. ESPN2 Formula 1 Racing Singapore Grand Prix, Practice 3. From Ma rina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. (N) (Live) Å

saTurday

7:30 a.m. USA Premier League Soccer Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur. From Emirates Stadium in London. (N) (Live) Å

8:00 a.m. GOLF DP World Tour Golf Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Third Round. (N) (Live) Å 12:00 p.m. WGRZ-2 WICU12 IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship MOTUL Petit Le Mans. From Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. (N) (Live) Å

WIVB-4 WSEE-35 College Football Navy at Air Force. From Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. (N) (Live) WNYW-5 WKBW-7 WUTV29 ESPN ESPN2 College Football Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

Betts leads the Dodger attack into October MOVIES

12:30 p.m. FS1 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Talladega 250. From Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. (N) (Live) Å 1:00 p.m. GOLF LPGA Tour Golf Volunteers of America Classic, Third Round. (N) (Live) Å

SNY College Football Princeton at Columbia. From Robert K. Kraft Field at Law rence A. Wien Stadium in New York. (N) (Live) 3:30 p.m. WIVB-4 WSEE-35 College Football Alabama at Arkansas or LSU at Au burn. (N) (Live) Å WNYW-5 WKBW-7 WUTV29 ESPN ESPN2 FS1 Col lege Football Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å 4:00 p.m. WGRZ-2 WICU-12 Horse Racing Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. Featuring the Champagne Stakes and Miss Grillo Stakes. (N) (Live) Å GOLF PGA Tour Golf Sanderson Farms Cham pionship, Third Round. (N) (Live) Å 7:00 p.m. WNYW-5 WUTV-29 MLB Baseball Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å ESPN ESPN2 College Football Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

ROOT MLB Baseball Pitts burgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals. From Busch Sta dium in St. Louis. (N) (Live) SNY MLB Baseball New York Mets at Atlanta Braves. From Truist Park in Atlanta. (N) (Live)

7:30 p.m. WKBW-7 FS1 Col lege Football Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

10:15 p.m. ESPN2 College Football Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å 10:30 p.m. ESPN College Football Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å 11:00 p.m. FS1 College Foot ball Teams TBA. (N) (Live) Å

“Convicts 4” (1962) This fact-inspired prison

drama puts Steiger on the wrong side of the law yet again, though Ben Gazzara has the central role.

“The Longest Day” (1962) Steiger was just one of the many international “name” stars in producer Darryl F. Zanuck’s elaborate re-creation of D-Day.

“The Pawnbroker” (1964) Superb in the title role, Steiger plays a man whose deeply haunting past affects his minimalist behavior in the present in this Sidney Lumet-directed masterpiece. Turner Classic Movies shows it on Sunday, Sept. 25.

“Doctor Zhivago” (1965) An excellent Steiger plays Komarovsky, an influential Russian with a special and strong interest in heroine Lara (Julie Christie), in the David Lean-directed epic based on the Boris Pasternak novel.

“In the Heat of the Night” (1967) A bestactor Oscar came Steiger’s way for his searing performance as a bigoted small-town police chief forced to work with a Black metropolitan detective (Sidney Poitier) on a murder case.

“No Way to Treat a Lady” (1968) An unsettling and superb Steiger plays a serial killer who adopts a variety of identities in committing his crimes.

“The Illustrated Man” (1969) As the title suggests, Steiger spent a good amount of this Ray Bradbury-story adaptation wearing very little in the title role of a man whose body drawings tell stories.

“Duck, You Sucker!” (1971) Also known as “A Fistful of Dynamite,” this Western from director and co-writer Sergio Leone (“A Fistful of Dollars”) casts Steiger as an outlaw who becomes caught up in the Mexican Revolution.

“F.I.S.T.” (1978) Director Norman Jewison’s drama features Steiger as a senator investigating a labor-union leader (Sylvester Stallone).

“The Amityville Horror” (1979) In one of his last prominent movie roles, Steiger plays a priest trying to rid a famously haunted house of its curse.

“The Chosen” (1981) In an adaptation of Chaim Potok’s bestseller, Steiger is typically solid as a man who has concerns about his son’s (Robby Benson) new friendship.

Simone

Simone

Christopher

Christopher

Carter

Carter (Hope)

Laura

Laura (Stensen)

Brendon (Acres) (Niecy) Nash (Frankie R.) Faison (James) Lesure (Britt) (Kevin) Zegers

Spinoff (Oldest FBI) Rookie Second (Act) (Life) Experience (Los) Angeles

Spinoff (Act) (Life) Experience (Los) Angeles

BY JAY BOBBIN

BY JAY BOBBIN

“Quantum Leap” seemed like a diversity-minded show in its original incarnation. Given the times we’re in, do you find it even more so with the new version you’re starring in?

“Quantum Leap” seemed like a diversity-minded show in its original incarnation. Given the times we’re in, do you find it even more so with the new version you’re starring in?

There’s a lot more complexity to life now, and we’re just exposed to a lot more information. I think it behooves us to make a show that can do right by everything that is out there. We do want to address a lot of things that people are thinking about and that surround us.

There’s a lot more complexity to life now, and we’re just exposed to a lot more information. I think it behooves us to make a show that can do right by everything that is out there. We do want to address a lot of things that people are thinking about and that surround us.

We’re not trying to answer questions, but to address them. We have a very diverse writers’ room and a very diverse cast, and everybody matters. And we want to make sure we’re making a show where everybody feels that.

In Focus

In Focus

“Shantaram: Season 1”

Original “Quantum Leap” executive producers

Donald Bellisario and Deborah Pratt also get credits on the revival. Do you hear from them much?

We’re not trying to answer questions, but to address them. We have a very diverse writers’ room and a very diverse cast, and everybody matters. And we want to make sure we’re making a show where everybody feels that.

Original “Quantum Leap” executive producers Donald Bellisario and Deborah Pratt also get credits on the revival. Do you hear from them much?

Don has been at all of our table reads over Zoom, and Deborah is very involved. She’s on the set pretty much every day, and if she’s not, she’ll text us and just make sure we feel supported. It’s really nice to have her presence, since we want to honor the original as much as we can, but we are creating a new show.

You’re also in the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.” How is it for you to be a part of such a blockbuster?

When I knew that project was coming around, I did everything I could to be a part of it. It didn’t matter how big or small my role was.

Don has been at all of our table reads over Zoom, and Deborah is very involved. She’s on the set pretty much every day, and if she’s not, she’ll text us and just make sure we feel supported. It’s really nice to have her presence, since we want to honor the original as much as we can, but we are creating a new show.

You’re also in the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.” How is it for you to be a part of such a blockbuster?

The first “Top Gun” had a big impact on me and what I chose to do with my life, and Tom Cruise is obviously Tom Cruise ... so any opportunity to see him work up-close, I would have paid money to be a part of that. The fact that they paid me money for it was crazy! I’m just so glad it worked out.

When I knew that project was coming around, I did everything I could to be a part of it. It didn’t matter how big or small my role was.

The first “Top Gun” had a big impact on me and what I chose to do with my life, and Tom Cruise is obviously Tom Cruise ... so any opportunity to see him work up-close, I would have paid money to be a part of that. The fact that they paid me money for it was crazy! I’m just so glad it worked out.

R Y A H E E G E I D J L F O E S U R E X P C S X S A E I A B P V E O P R G E M T R C Y I M I H P Z E L A U N Y A E H J I N G M E R L X A Z R T G T O L O G X U I H S E T S N S L U N F N K G E H E E L I Z Z A I O F P R P N U R A W M E E S C A H O R L C N U A N O T G N O T O B I O E R Z L R N X E S U K O D Z B A K E V R E I R B I N U P U L B K X U R S N S E C O N D O O F A H P E O R R Q U L Z E A N C A G R B B I D V A H

“The Rookie: Feds” on ABC (Words in parentheses not in puzzle)

Based on the novel Gregory David this Hunnam of the run in 1980s Bombay, must choose between his and the B P V E O P R G E M T R C I M I H P Z E L A U N Y A E H J I N G M E R L X A Z R T G T O L O G X U I H S E T S N S L N F N K G E H E E L I Z Z A I O F P R P N U R A W M E E S C A H O R L C N U A N O T G N O T O B I O E R Z L R N X E S U K O D Z B A K E V R E I R B I N U P U L B K X U R S N S E C O N D O O F A H P E O R R Q U L Z E A N C A G R B B I D V A H “The Rookie: Feds” on ABC (Words in parentheses not in puzzle)

Brendon Faison Zegers

Crossword Puzzle “The __ Breed”; Stewart Anna Paquin’s Actor Fillion Winnebago Slimy swimmer “Panic __”; Foster “__ Hard”; diller, “FBI: 90 degrees NNW “American __ __” Guacamole Personalities “__ the Movies” Initials for Hanks “__ __ Manhattan”; Jennifer Lopez “__ to Amish” __ Lang; “Smallville”