Return of ‘The Jinx,’ Secrets of the Octopus and Nature’s Predators, Looney Tunes All Weekend

Season Premiere

10/9c

SUNDAY: Andrew Jarecki’s true-crime phenom The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst made headline news in 2015 when its eccentric subject, real-estate heir Durst, inadvertently blurted into a hot mic “Killed them all, of course” during a lengthy interview process. Durst, who was arrested on the eve of the airing of the Jinx finale, returns in Jarecki’s six-part docuseries sequel, in which The Jinx and its director become a key part of the story. Much of Part Two follows L.A. deputy district attorney John Lewin’s dogged efforts to get Durst’s associates to flip on him, one mulling the moral quandary, “What do you do when your best friend kills your other best friend?”

Series Premiere

SUNDAY: James Cameron’s Secrets of nature series has invited us into the lives of whales and elephants in previous outings, and with Monday’s Earth Day looming, a new three-part docuseries observes the fascinating world of the octopus, revealing aspects of the bizarre eight-tentacled creatures’ intelligence and social skills. Paul Rudd narrates, with National Geographic Explorer Dr. Alex Schnell getting close to octopuses including Scarlett, whose mating ritual with a male companion in the Great Barrier Reef is among the behaviors caught on camera.

Series Premiere

SATURDAY: Apex predators are the stars of a nature docuseries that uses innovative 3D graphics to freeze time and manipulate the image to reveal the tricks of their trade as lions, wolves, tigers and crocodiles stalk and hunt their prey. The opener focuses on the kings of the jungle, the lions, on the prowl for large prey like buffalo, zebra and, in the case of one aggressive pride, an elephant. Cameras also follow a lioness as she scavenges to provide for her newborn cubs.

Special

SATURDAY: What’s up, Doc? Reconnect with your inner child this weekend for a great escape into the vault of classic Looney Tunes cartoons, with 234 consecutive shorts airing through Monday morning at 6 am/5c. The iconic Bugs Bunny leads the pack, with 1943’s WWII propaganda toon SuperRabbit kicking things off, and fan favorites including “What’s Opera Doc” following. Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, the Road Runner and his Coyote nemesis, Tweety and Sylvester among others all get their moments.

7:30/6:30c

SUNDAY: You know you’ve made it in show business when the august newsmagazine decides it’s time for a celebrity profile interview. This time it’s comedian and movie star Kevin Hart’s turn, with Anderson Cooper visiting the burgeoning mogul backstage in Pasadena as Hart tries out new stand-up material for an upcoming tour. Other segments include contributing correspondent Holly Williams’s visit to Britain’s Channel Islands, exploring its WWII history of Nazi occupation, and Lesley Stahl’s interview with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• NBA Playoffs (Saturday, 1 pm/ET, ESPN; 8:30 pm/ET, ABC; Sunday, 1 pm/ET, ABC): Let the games begin, and there are plenty of them, with the full-court action beginning in Cleveland, with the Cavaliers facing the Orlando Magic. Games continue through the day, with an ABC prime-time matchup of the L.A. Lakers taking on the reigning champs the Nuggets in Denver. More basketball continues Sunday afternoon.
• Falling in Love in Niagara (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): Jocelyn Hudon stars as a jilted bride-to-be who takes her sister on her would-have-been Niagara Falls honeymoon, only to fall for a tour guide (Dan Jeannotte), as one does.
• 48 Hours (Saturday, 10/9c, CBS): Murder by poisoned eye drops: Agatha Christie might appreciate the scenario of this crime, in which felonious caregiver Jessy Kurczewski was convicted for the 2018 murder of Wisconsin’s Lynn Hernan.
• American Idol (Sunday, 8/7c, ABC): Gene Simmons of Kiss is the mentor as the Top 14 tackle songs made famous by inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This year’s roster will be announced live.
• The Simpsons (Sunday, 8/7c, Fox): Homer goes on a road trip with his buddies from Moe’s to scatter the ashes of someone close to them. Later in Fox’s animation lineup, Amy Sedaris is a guest voice on the private-eye spoof Grimsburg (9:30/8:30c), when former child star Lil’ Betsy is the prime suspect in the death of a TV morning-show host.
• Parish (Sunday, 9/8c, AMC, streaming on AMC+): An intense episode of the New Orleans crime thriller presents Gray (Giancarlo Esposito) with an ultimatum: work with his old boss Anton (Bradley Whitford) to betray Horse (Zackary Momoh) or put his family at risk. Wife Rose (Paula Malcolson) and daughter Makayla (Arica Himmel), held hostage at home by Anton’s thugs, are understandably freaked out by the situation.
• A Gentleman in Moscow (Sunday, 9/8c, Showtime): A pivotal episode catches up with Count Rostov (Ewan McGregor) 10 years into his confinement—but who’s counting? His clandestine relationship with the Secret Police’s Osip (Johnny Harris) takes a turn when Rostov is coerced to play spy, and a grown Nina (Leah Balmforth) returns with a request that will change the life of everyone in the Hotel Metropol.
• The Sympathizer (Sunday, 9/8c, HBO): The Vietnamese war refugees start an uneasy new life in Los Angeles, and while the double-agent Captain (Hoa Xuande) finds pleasure in his acquaintance with the more sensually experienced Ms. Mori (the terrific Sandra Oh), he’s put in a bind when the General (Toan Le) orders him to find the traitor in their midst, never suspecting the Captain. Robert Downey Jr. makes his first appearance in his second guise, as the Captain’s smug former professor of Oriental Studies.
• Tracker (Sunday, 9/8c, CBS): Series star Justin Hartley’s This Is Us co-star Jon Heurtas directs an episode in which Colter’s (Hartley) search for a missing girl plunges him into the world of amateur ghost hungers. Followed by CSI: Vegas (10/9c), where the team dons hazmat suits to investigate a radioactive crime scene.
• Blue Carbon: Nature’s Hidden Power (Sunday, 9/8c, CNN): A CNN Films special explores the planet’s blue carbon ecosystems, a natural ally in the climate-change battle, including seagrass meadows in Florida, salt marshes in France and mangrove in Vietnam and Senegal.
• Alice & Jack (10/9c, PBS): The unorthodox Masterpiece romantic drama reaches its beyond-bittersweet finale, when Jack (Domhnall Gleeson) and Alice (Andrea Riseborough) face their toughest hurdle yet: a health crisis.