Kiefer Sutherland in ‘Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,’ Inside the Political ‘Circus,’ Expanded ’60 Minutes,’ ‘Unforgotten’ Finale

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

SUNDAY: This classic courtroom drama, taken from Herman Wouk’s stage adaptation of his popular 1952 wartime novel, has been a TV favorite since the Golden Age. First shown live as part of Ford Star Jubilee in 1955, then filmed by Robert Altman in 1988, the new Court-Martial is of special interest as the final film directed by Oscar winner William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist). His camera glides with purposeful restraint, keeping the focus on the combatants in a story updated to 2022, including a female prosecutor (Monica Raymund). She clashes with a naval lawyer (Jason Clarke) who is assigned to defend, albeit reluctantly, first officer Lt. Steve Maryk (The White Lotus’ Jake Lacy), for seizing control from the allegedly unstable Captain Queeg (a masterfully understated Kiefer Sutherland) aboard the minesweeper USS Caine during a terrible storm. The late Lance Reddick, to whom the film is dedicated, stands out as the steely lead judge, describing these proceedings as “a strange and tragic trial.”

The Circus

SUNDAY: Winning this week’s good-timing award: The Emmy-nominated political docuseries returns for a six-week run, just in time to try to make sense (or not) of the disarray in the Speaker-less House of Representatives. The legal battles involving the former president and the current president’s son, and the GOP fight for the next nomination are bound to be key topics in the weeks to come.

60 Minutes

SUNDAY: Network TV’s most distinguished newsmagazine expands to 90 minutes with a fourth segment in a special edition. The reports include CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell’s in-depth interview with Gen. Mark Milley, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Scott Pelley debriefing “Godfather of A.I.” Geoffrey Hinton, Bill Whitaker’s profile of powerful sports agent Rich Paul and Lesley Stahl’s double-length segment on the future of 3D-printed buildings, including on the Moon.

Unforgotten

SUNDAY: “Why do any of us do things we know are wrong?” laments one of the many suspects of the top-drawer Masterpiece cold-case mystery, wrapping its fifth season. Sordid family secrets and more ghosts of the past are unearthed as the tragic truth is revealed, with twists coming to the very last scene. In good news for the franchise, which has been renewed for a sixth season, the animosity between DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) and new boss DCI Jessie James (Sinéad Keenan) has subsided, though Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) will never be forgotten. Also closing shop for now: Season 2 of Professor T (8/7c) and Van der Valk (10/9c).

Swing Into Romance

SATURDAY: Runner-up for this week’s good-timing award: a traditional romance with a Dancing with the Stars vibe. Danica McKellar, the Wonder Years alum who made it to 6th place in Dancing’s 18th season, stars opposite current Dancing pro Gleb Savchenko (paired this season with Mira Sorvino) as a former dancer who, get this, returns to her hometown to discover her family’s General Store is struggling. What’s a dancer to do? Perhaps her special skill will save the day. In the process, she contends with her ex-fiancé (Savchenko) while falling for a bloke played by David Haydn-Jones.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom (Saturday, NBC, check local schedules): The iconic wildlife series, marking the 60th anniversary of its launch on NBC, joins the Saturday morning “The More You Know” block with co-hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant upholding the tradition set by Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler. Their first stop: the Mojave Desert, where they study the desert tortoise, first shown on Wild Kingdom in 1964.
• 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): A pre-Halloween romcom with a blithe spirit stars Supergirl’s Julie Gonzalo as Anna, a real-estate agent whose new listing is haunted by a 1920s ghost who can’t “pass over”—the sitcom Ghosts has a different name for that—until Anna reunites with her ex (Chris McNally).
• Buying Back My Daughter (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): Ariana Madix, another current contestant on Dancing with the Stars, plays a police officer investigating this “Ripped from the Headlines” story of desperate parents (Meagan Good, Roger Cross) who learn their missing teenage daughter (Faith Wright) is listed for sale in an online escort ad.
• Johnson (Saturday, 8/7c, Bounce): The comedy about Black male friendship ends its third season with Greg Johnson (series creator Deji LaRay) signing up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to mentor a teen.
• Talking in Circles with Clint Black (Saturday, 10/9c, Circle Network): The country-music star returns to the music-themed network for a fifth season of candid conversations with celebrities, starting with Paula Abdul.
• 2023 WNBA Finals (Sunday, 3 pm/ET, ABC): Defending champ Las Vegas Aces take on fellow “superteam” New York Liberty as the best-of-five series gets underway.
• 90 Day Fiancé (Sunday, 8/7c, TLC): The hit long-distance relationship show introduces six new couples and one returning duo for its milestone 10th season.
• The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (Sunday, 8/7c, CNN): Correspondent David Culver travels to Pamplona, Spain, where he embeds in a group preparing for the treacherous annual running of the bulls at the San Fermín Festival.
• Krapopolis (Sunday, 8:30/7:30c, Fox): Ben Stiller is the guest voice as Prometheus, freed from his rock by Tyrannis (Richard Ayoade), who’s bummed to learn the ancient god is buddies with his goddess mom, Deliria (Hannah Waddingham).
• Last Stop Larrimah (Sunday, 9/8c, HBO): A quirky true-crime documentary descends on Larrimah, a town of 11 eccentrics in the middle of the Australian Outback, all suspects when one of their own goes missing.