Sharon Horgan in ‘Youth,’ Jon Hamm in ‘American Hostage,’ ‘Lioness’ Finale, ‘Lanterns’ Whodunit

Youth

SUNDAY: An expert at portraying deliciously hot messes in shows including Catastrophe and, more recently, Apple TV‘s Bad Sisters, Sharon Horgan hits a nerve of midlife neuroticism once again in her bawdy, bittersweet, and unapologetically raunchy new comedy. She’s Alex, a divorced literary agent who observes of her latest milestone that “No decade moves faster than 50 to 60” (I can attest to that), and “You have to make every single second of your time count.” That includes attending to her sex drive’s ticking clock, now that her son is heading to college, though not without hiccups. Rupert Friend (Homeland) plays Patrick, a desirable friend Alex can’t decide whether to take seriously. We hope she does. The series opens with two episodes.

American Hostage

SUNDAY: Mad Men Emmy winner Jon Hamm is back in another period piece, this time set in 1977, starring in a docudrama as Indianapolis radio news anchor and reporter Fred Heckman, “the most trusted voice in news.” Mulling an offer to leave the Midwest for a New York gig, Fred finds himself becoming the news when a desperate hostage taker (Giovanni Ribisi), who’s holding a mortgage banker (Kristoffer Polaha) at gunpoint, demands to be interviewed live on air by Fred. There’s an absurdist quality to this heightened situation, with police, lawyers, and a frenetic station manager all breathing down Fred’s neck as he tries to keep the apoplectic caller from pulling the trigger. The eight-part series opens with two episodes.

Lioness

SUNDAY: Joe’s (Zoe Saldaña) harrowing rescue was just the beginning. In the Season 3 finale of Taylor Sheridan‘s espionage thriller, the Lioness, her team, and the intelligence top brass hunt for who was behind her kidnapping and torture. “One can’t apply logic to politics,” warns Joe’s CIA boss Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) as they sort through a geopolitical minefield of conspiracy in which Secretary of State Mullins (Morgan Freeman) is reminded, in no uncertain terms, “The whole world hates you, even your friends.” It’s a grim final hour that reveals the personal cost their clandestine duty takes on their personal lives.

Lanterns

SUNDAY: After last week’s explosive showdown in Rushville, the superhero saga jumps forward to 2026 to confront the mystery that was teased at the end of the first episode: the death of Earth’s first Lantern, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). Though his former partner/adversary John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) has moved on after rejecting the powerful ring, he’s called back to Rushville to help sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) investigate the murder while coming to terms with his own complicated Lantern history. As seen in trailers, this also prompts a visit by the current Lantern, Guy Gardner, played (as in 2025’s Superman movie) by Nathan Fillion, who sees the whole situation as “bad optics.” (We agree when it comes to his unfortunate bowl cut.)

Trespasses

SUNDAY: Lola Petticrew gave one of the standout performances of the year as a damaged and vengeful serial killer in Hulu‘s Furious. The actor is just as impressive in this four-part drama, based on Louise Kennedy’s novel, that returns to the period of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the subject of Petticrew’s breakout role in FX‘s 2024 series Say Nothing. The setting: a small Irish town near Dublin in 1975, where Catholic schoolteacher Cushla (Petticrew) is drawn against her better judgment to Michael (Tom Cullen), a lawyer whose red flags include being married, Protestant, and a pariah to both sides of the conflict because of his high-profile defense of young Catholic protesters. Their secret, dangerous romance plays out against an unforgiving climate of bigotry, violence and oppression. Gillian Anderson co-stars as Cushla’s mother, who buries her own disillusionment in drink.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• Live from Roku City (Saturday, streaming on Roku): Five-time country-music Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan performs an exclusive concert the day after the release of his ninth studio album, Signs.
• College GameDay (Saturday, 9 am/ET, ESPN): Mississippi native and movie/TV legend Morgan Freeman makes his first appearance as a celebrity guest picker on the pregame show, broadcast from Oxford, Mississippi, on the Ole Miss campus in advance of the primetime game between Ole Miss and LSU (7:30 pm/ET, ABC).
• Crossroad Springs (Saturday, 8/7c, Great American Family): Willis’ (Shaun Johnston) prize blue-ribbon cow goes missing on the eve of the town’s Strawberry Social, igniting a new chapter in the Hamilton-Newman feud.
• Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): When Jennifer’s (Lori Loughlin) book club reenacts the Lizzie Borden case (probably not inspired by the new season of Netflix‘s Monster), someone ends up dead.
• The Ocean Between Them (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): Rebecca Gayheart stars as a mother who launches a desperate search for her daughter (Jessica Lord), who’s gone missing while kayaking during a storm off the coast of Belize.
• 60 Minutes (Sunday, 7/6c, CBS): New correspondent Ross Douthat interviews Patrick Clancy, ex-husband of Lindsay Clancy, whose trial for the murder of their three children ended in a mistrial.
• Best Medicine (Sunday, 8/7c, Fox): A mermaid washes up in Port Wenn in the quirky comedy’s Season 2 premiere, with the great Andrea Martin guest-starring as a local who causes a ruckus while on prescribed oxygen. The episode repeats Tuesday in its regular time period (8/7c).
• The Marlow Murder Club (Sunday, 8/7c, PBS): Amateur sleuth Becks (Cara Horgan) ends up on the other side of the investigation when a man is killed during her university reunion. Followed by a new episode of Marble Hall Murders (9/8c).
• Best of VMAs: Unforgettable Moments (Sunday, 9/8c, CBS): In advance of next week’s MTV Video Music Awards, former MTV VJ Vanessa Lachey looks back at standout moments from past years.
• The Detour with David Chang (Sunday, 9/8c, CNN): The celebrated chef takes a road trip through America, discovering regional culinary treasures with the help of a new companion each week. His first stop: Tennessee, where chef and Milk Bar owner Christina Tosi introduces him to Benton’s smokehouse.
• High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam (Sunday, 9/8c, TNT): While Baghdad burns, CIA analyst John Nixon (Joel Kinnaman) finally comes face to face with Saddam Hussein (Waleed Zuaiter).
• A Tale of Two Cities (Sunday, 10/9c, MGM+): It’s a tale of two suitors when Lucie (Mirren Mack) is torn between Sydney (Kit Harington) and Charles (François Civil) while the Revolution erupts in Paris.

ON THE STREAM:

• Cold as Balls (Sunday, streaming on Netflix): Kevin Hart returns for a new season of his interview show, grilling sports greats while they both soak in ice tubs. Guests include Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Rob Gronkowski, Cooper Flagg, UFC‘s Sean O’Malley, soccer’s Zlatan Ibrahimović, and influencer IShowSpeed, with Saturday Night Live‘s Marcello Hernandez making a special appearance.
• Rock Out (Sunday, streaming on Revry): Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black‘s (Milk) docuseries explores the intersection of rock & roll and queer culture, discovering LGBTQ+ trailblazers who helped shape the popular music of our time. Among those interviewed are the late Dolly Parton, Roger Daltrey, and Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner. Also streaming on Revry: Season 2 of the reality competition King of Drag.