Halloween Highlights, a New ‘South Park,’ ‘On Brand’ Finale

It: Welcome to Derry

As a Halloween treat, though some might regard it as a trick, HBO Max makes the second episode of the Stephen King-inspired prequel available ahead of its linear HBO premiere on Sunday (9/8c). Following the terrifying events in the movie theater, the survivors suffer more living nightmares while Derry welcomes a new family, the Hanlons: Korean War pilot Leroy (Jovan Adepo), activist wife Charlotte (Taylour Paige), and 12-year-old Will (Blake Cameron James). They have no idea what they’re getting into. But we do.

Frankenstein

Halloween Marathons: Wherever you look, Halloween is in the air — and airwaves. Turner Classic Movies continues its two-day movie marathon, devoting much of the day to foundational Universal classics from the 1930s: The Invisible Man (1 pm/12c), Dracula (2:15 pm/1:15c) with Bela Lugosi, a Boris Karloff bonanza with The Mummy (3:45/2:45c), Frankenstein (5:15/4:15c) and Bride of Frankenstein (6:30/5:30c). The channel turns to real-life chills in prime time with 1967’s In Cold Blood (8/7c), then reverts to cult favorites overnight, starting with George A. Romero‘s Night of the Living Dead (12:30 am/11:30c).

Syfy‘s full day of more contemporary horror flicks builds to back-to-back showings of 2022’s Halloween Ends (8/7c), the last in the franchise — for now. For more light-hearted Halloween fun, FXX airs 17 consecutive hours of “Treehouse of Horror” episodes from the archives of The Simpsons, starting at 7 am/6c. Antenna TV presents a Bewitched Witch-O-Ween Marathon (starting at 5 am/4c) of the classic sitcom starring Elizabeth Montgomery as the twitchy Samantha Stephens.

South Park

The animated satire that never met a sacred cow it wouldn’t roast is back on a special night, training its gaze on the spectacle of the recent demolition of the East Wing of the White House. Apparently, the destruction has unleashed a disruptive spirit, which is likely to bedevil the president and his Satanic sidekick (as seen in a production photo). Elsewhere, Stan begins to worry that South Park itself has become overly politicized. You think?

On Brand With Jimmy Fallon

The marketing competition reaches its final phase with hosts Jimmy Fallon and Bozoma Saint introducing the final four contestants to Buffalo Bills NFL MVP Josh Allen, an investor in their latest client, Therabody. Whoever comes up with the best cinematic spec commercial for the brand will be named “Innovator of the Year” and leave the show with $100,000.

Fire Country

The grieving for Vince Leone (Billy Burke) continues, with his widow Sharon (Diane Farr) finding it hard to let go of the late battalion chief’s belongings. She finds solace in an unexpected source, Vince’s ex, Renee (guest star Constance Zimmer), while the Station 42 team, now under the leadership of Battalion Chief Brett Richards (Shawn Hatosy), responds to a wildfire that breaks out after a zipline accident involving illegal fireworks.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• World Series (coverage starts at 7 pm/ET, Fox): The Fall Classic returns to Toronto for Game 6, with the Blue Jays holding a 3-2 advantage over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Can they clinch it at home, or will last year’s champs prevail?
• Sheriff Country (8/7c, CBS): Fire Country‘s Kevin Alejandro directs an episode where Sheriff Mickey Fox (Morena Baccarin) deals with a brazen daylight robbery in Edgewater, while her daughter Skye (Amanda Arcuri) faces more suspicion in the murder of her ex-boyfriend.
• The State of BBQ: A Texas Monthly Special (9/8c, PBS): Texas Monthly takes viewers inside the creation of its every-four-years “Top 50 BBQ Joints” list while visiting memorable barbecue establishments in El Paso, Austin, and North Texas.
• True Crime Watch: On Dateline NBC (9/8c), correspondent Blaine Alexander travels to Albania to interview a murder suspect in the 2014 murder case of slain Florida kidney doctor Steven Schwartz. A&E premieres two true-crime series: the new Murder on Trial (9/8c) and the second season of Murder at the Motel (10/9c).
• Boston Blue (10/9c, CBS): Three could be a crowd when Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Lena (Sonequa Martin-Green) work a case alongside Lena’s former partner, Det. Brian Rodgers (Alert: Missing Persons Unit‘s Ryan Broussard).

 ON THE STREAM:

• The Reluctant Traveler (streaming on Apple TV): The Season 3 finale takes Eugene Levy back to Canada for a weekend in Vancouver with crooner and The Voice coach Michael Bublé as tour guide.
• Baby Shu and Fwends (streaming on Tubi): Comedian Shuang Hu‘s YouTube series, about a wildly imaginative teenager, begins airing on the free streamer.
• The White House Effect (streaming on Netflix): A stark documentary depicts how a pivotal moment to act on climate change was squandered by the George H.W. Bush administration.
• The Last Frontier (streaming on Apple TV): Frank (Jason Clarke) puts the Havlock intrigue on pause to attend to a more urgent matter: his son Luke (Tait Blum) being held captive by unhinged escapee Romero (Clifton Collins Jr.).