Emma Stone Is Cursed, ‘Beacon 23’ in Space, New ‘Gilded Age’ Adversary, Let Them Eat (Buddy’s) Cake

Series Premiere

10/9c

SUNDAY: This squirm-inducing series brutally satirizes anything it touches, with the primary juicy targets of manipulative “reality” TV and cultural appropriation in the guise of doing good. The sublime Emma Stone stars as the beatific Whitney, married to the neurotic Asher (Nathan Fielder, as always an acquired taste), whom we meet while they’re producing and pitching a fictional pilot for HGTV. Their show: Flip-anthropy, which purports to bring the ethnic enclave of Española in New Mexico into the eco-friendly 21^st century through holistic Passive Homes (“saving the Earth one kilowatt at a time), albeit at the cost of higher rents and gentrification. When a staged stunt backfires and Asher finds himself cursed, the ensuing awkwardness goes off the charts. Fielder co-created the show with Benny Safdie, who co-stars as their unscrupulous producer, Dougie.

Series Premiere

9/8c

SUNDAY: A claustrophobic sci-fi drama, set aboard a futuristic lighthouse at the edge of the galaxy, stars Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey as an enigmatic sole survivor of a crashed vessel, rescued by Halan (Homecoming’s Stephan James), an equally mysterious soldier who may have gone AWOL. Their relationship is clouded by instant distrust, inflamed by a gabby AI named Bart, who accuses Halan of having murdered the most recent beacon keeper (the hilarious Stephen Root). Who they are, why they’re there and what’s up with a cache of glowing space rocks are among the mysteries that might keep genre fans intrigued over eight episodes. (See the full review.)

9/8c

SUNDAY: Last week’s shocker resonates when the Russell household, above and below stairs, reels from the discovery that scheming former lady’s maid Turner (Kelley Curran) is now the wealthy Mrs. Winterton, wed to an elderly rich widower (Dakin Matthews). She’s more than ready to take on her ex-employer Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) in the latest twist of the Opera Wars. Across the street in the Van Rhijn mansion, Ada (Cynthia Nixon) eagerly prepares a luncheon party for Rev. Forte (Robert Sean Leonard), the menu of which prompts my favorite line of the season, from none other than Ada’s haughty sister Agnes (Christine Baranski): “SOUP? At LUNCHEON?” The very idea!

Series Premiere

9/8c

SATURDAY: Cake Boss pastry impresario Buddy Valastro returns to TV with two new shows, the first a travelogue in which he tours the country, visiting famed eateries and trying his hand at recreating their signature dishes. In back-to-back episodes, his itinerary on opening night includes Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in New York, L.A.’s Guelaguetza, specializing in Oaxacan cuisine, the Silver Sands Café in Nashville and Mamoun’s Falafel in Greenwich Village. Followed by Buddy Valastro’s Cake Dynasty (10/9c), a reality show profiling the Valastro family as they expand the Carlo’s Bake Shop empire, including the preparation of a magical cake to celebrate Wicked’s 20^th anniversary on Broadway.

9/8c

SUNDAY: In the 1950s, Hawk (Matt Bomer) and Tim (Jonathan Bailey) leave Washington, D.C. for Rehoboth Beach, MD, where they can be more open in their complicated relationship—and yet not open enough for Tim, who’s miffed when he learns Hawk has another agenda for the road trip. In the 1980s, with Tim ailing, Hawk tries to be of use, even when Tim barks, “I’m too angry to forgive anybody.”

Movie Premiere

8/7c

The Yule Log: The Christmas movie deluge continues. On Hallmark Channel: Christmas Island (Saturday, 8/7c) stars Rachel Skarsten as a pilot diverted to the title location by a snowstorm, where the air-traffic controller of her dreams (Andrew Walker) awaits. In A Heidelberg Holiday (Sunday, 8/7c), Ginna Claire Mason travels to Germany to sell her handmade glass ornaments at the Heidelberg Christmas Market, where she meets a local artisan (Frédéric Brossier). On Great American Family: Christmas Keepsake (Saturday, 8/7c) stars When Calls the Heart alum Daniel Lissing as a father who finds love while seeking the owner of a Christmas time capsule. Lori Loughlin stars in A Christmas Blessing (Sunday, 8/7c) as a TV chef who bonds with a business associate (James Tupper) when she takes over her late aunt’s charity. UPtv offers a Christmas Time Capsule (Sunday, 7/6c) when Tiffany (Emily Alatalo) tries to convince her best friend (Franco Lo Presti) that she’s the one that he wants when he comes looking for his family’s heirloom engagement ring.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• Beyond the Battlefield (Saturday, 8/7c, History): Navy vet Remi Adeleke hosts a two-part Veterans Day special, executive produced by Peyton Manning, featuring tours of San Diego’s Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Top Gun’s birthplace, and headquarters of Army Special Operations Forces at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
• Devil on My Doorstep (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): Real-life engaged couple Jenna Dewan (The Rookie) and Steve Kazee produce and star in a thriller about a social media influencer (Dewan) stalked by a delivery driver (Kazee) and his equally obsessed dispatcher (Lyndon Smith).
• Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (Saturday, 8/7c, HBO): The filmmaker and comedian sits with Rob Reiner to discuss his career, with gushing testimonials from the likes of Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, David Letterman and Sharon Stone.
• OWN Spotlight: Oprah, Courtney B. Vance & Dr. Robin (Saturday, 10/9c, OWN): Oprah addresses the issue of mental health among Black men with Emmy and Tony winner Courtney B. Vance and psychologist Dr. Robin Smith, co-authors of The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power.
• Saturday Night Live (Saturday, 11:30/10:30c, 8:30 pm/PT, NBC): Timothée Chalamet returns to host for the second time, with first-time musical guest boygenius.
• 60 Minutes (Sunday, 7/6c, CBS): Bill Whitaker reports from Kiev, Ukraine, on the destruction and looting of museums and churches by invading Russian forces. Lesley Stahl investigates Iran’s shadow war of using assassins to target the regime’s critics. Cecilia Vega looks into the Justice Department’s crackdown on horse doping.
• The Case Against Bryan Kohberger (Sunday, 8 pm/ET, Court TV): Marking a year ago this week since the shocking murder of four University of Idaho students, a news special examines the evidence against Kohberger, a former PhD student arrested last December.
• Kids Baking Championship: Sweets-Giving (Sunday, 8/7c, Food Network): Kid bakers return for a Thanksgiving special heaped with buttercream, with the winner giving thanks for a $10,000 prize package.
• Sunday Night Football (8:15 pm/ET, NBC): The embattled New York Jets take on the Las Vegas Raiders.
• Candace Parker: Unapologetic (Sunday, 9/8c, ESPN): The three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP is profiled in an intimate documentary.
• Good Cop, Bad Cop (Sunday, 10/9c, Investigation Discovery): Veteran detective Garry McFadden hosts a docuseries revisiting crimes in which the perp was a member of law enforcement.