Tom Hiddleston Climbs Everest in ‘Tenzing,’ Remembering Norm Macdonald, New Seasons of ‘Tulsa King’ & ‘Rainmaker’

Tenzing

After a brief theatrical release — and this would look great on the biggest screens — a soaring and uplifting historical drama begins streaming, starring Loki‘s Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary, the first man to ascend Mount Everest in 1953 — though he’d never have made it without the gifted climber and head sherpa Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok). Director Jennifer Peedom frames this thrilling journey from Tenzing’s perspective, revealing the backstory of a Tibetan refugee seen as an outsider by the Sherpa community, much as New Zealander Hillary is viewed by the rest of his British expedition, led by Col. John Hunt (Willem Dafoe). Together, the men achieve a legendary feat, forging a spiritual connection with the mighty Himalayan mountain.

Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald

You’ll laugh a lot and maybe even cry watching director Judd Apatow‘s affectionate and immersive documentary profile of the subversive comedian best remembered for his stint as Weekend Update anchor on Saturday Night Live, fired in 1998 by the network boss, reportedly for his many unsparing jokes about O.J. Simpson. A fearless master of absurdist and deadpan humor in his stand-up comedy, Macdonald’s story is told through clips of performances, his many late-night appearances with David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and others, his own podcast and Netflix talk show, and excerpts from his mock memoir, making him something of an unreliable but always entertaining narrator.

Tulsa King

Business, legit and otherwise, is looking pretty good for transplanted New York gangster Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone in his element) as the crime drama’s fourth season opens. This probably won’t last, with East Coast mob boss “Quiet” Ray (James Russo) convening a national gathering of kingpins, reluctantly inviting Dwight to the table. And while Arizona’s new governor (Neal McDonough) is a Dwight ally, his right-hand Lieutenant Governor Amanda Clark (new regular Gretchen Mol) won’t even shake Dwight’s hand. Can’t win ’em all over.

The Rainmaker

The John Grisham-inspired drama returns for a second season, with young lawyer Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan) much in demand after last season’s big win. But he still has a thing for the underdog, including a 12-year-old who reaches out for help from a corrupt juvenile detention center. This case promises to put Rudy, his boss “Bruiser” Stone (Lana Parrilla), and loyal paralegal Deck (P.J. Byrne) in the crosshairs of celebrity attorney Amanda Vonn (Merle Dandridge), who Rudy’s down-on-her-luck ex Sarah (Madison Iseman) would love to work for. Austin Nichols co-stars as Bruiser’s ex, a minor-league baseball coach with major legal headaches.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood

The sound of cannon fire, war drums, and bagpipes signal brutal conflict in a vivid depiction of 1715’s Battle of Sheriffmuir. The Highland Jacobites clash with loyalists over the future of Scotland, with romantic heroes Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) on opposite sides of the bloody campaign. They’re not the only ones in danger, as Henry’s beloved Julia (Hermione Corfield) is being held at knifepoint by the jealous prostitute Seema (Lauren McQueen) while Brian’s brassy soulmate Ellen (Harriet Slater) faces a dangerous adversary on her journey home.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• ‘Tis the Season for Setups (8/7c, Hallmark Channel): The “Countdown to Christmas” begins with a multigenerational romcom starring Amanda Schull and Victor Webster as a party planner and ski instructor who clash at a ski resort but find common ground while matchmaking for their respective parents (Barbara Niven and John B. Lowe).
• Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (8/7c, ABC): Musicians Kimberly Perry, Lisa Loeb, and Ally Brooke hope to hit the right notes while spinning the wheel for charity.
• Sheriff Country (8/7c, CBS): Family ties are put to the test when Sheriff Mickey (Morena Baccarin) works with her long-thought-dead mother, Eva (Rachel Ticotin), the DEA Deputy Director, and her father, Wes (W. Earl Brown), on an undercover sting. Followed by Fire Country (9/8c), where Baccarin and Ian Quinlan (Deputy Hank) cross over when a wildfire threatens Edgewater.
• True Crime Watch: On Dateline NBC (9/8c, NBC), Andrea Canning reports on the 2022 murder of successful Mississippi businessman Kirby Carpenter. ABC‘s 20/20 (9/8c) features John Quiñones‘ report on a shocking case involving human remains discovered in two suitcases along a Wisconsin highway.
• Tip Toe (9/8c, Starz): The tension between neighbors Leo (Alan Cumming) and Clive (David Morrissey) escalates when they find Clive’s closeted son George (Jackson Connor) hiding out in Leo’s home.
• Great Musicians of Our Time (10/9c, PBS): Filmed over seven years from 1967 to 1974 and remastered from 16mm, “Pinchas Zukerman: Here to Make Music” follows the famed violinist, violist, and conductor through Israel, Europe and New York.
• Kate Berlant: Parmesan (10/9c, HBO): Nothing cheesy about the boldly eccentric comedian’s debut HBO stand-up special, filmed at L.A.’s Plaza Nightclub.
• Boston Blue (10/9c, CBS): Detectives Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Lena (Sonequa Martin-Green) face off with a biker gang while following a lead in the attack on Det. Rodgers (Ryan Broussard).
• S.W.A.T. Exiles (10/9c, Starz): Hondo (Shemar Moore) and his crew have some explaining to do when they’re called before a review board following a chaotic mission.

ON THE STREAM:

• The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable (streaming on Netflix): A documentary profiles Dutch-Moroccan rapper and producer Cilvaringz, whose devotion to the Wu-Tang Clan led to him producing the visionary 31-track Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
• Sacrifice (streaming on Netflix): A satirical thriller stars Chris Evans as a movie star taken hostage by an unhinged cult leader (Anya Taylor-Joy) who believes throwing him and two wealthy benefactors (Vincent Cassel and Salma Hayek Pinault) into a volcano will avert an extinction event.
• KATSEYE: Wild Hearts (streaming on Hulu and Disney+): A music documentary goes on the road and behind the scenes with the L.A.-based girl group.
• Hometown Giants (streaming on Prime Video): A docuseries explores the world of major junior hockey through the lens of the Vancouver Giants’ celebrity part-owners, Michael Bublé and Drew Scott.
• Masterplan (streaming on Prime Video): Stanley Tucci stars as a master thief who enlists two young associates in a plot to steal the Mona Lisa, only later revealing that they’re all related.
• MobLand (streaming on Paramount+): The body count rises when an enraged Conrad (Pierce Brosnan) declares war.
• Hallowarrior (streaming on Shudder): It’s Halloween in the post-apocalypse in a thriller starring Milly Shapiro as Pumpkin, who thinks she’s the last girl on earth until a gang of raiders invades her home on the holiday.
• The Death of Robin Hood (streaming on HBO Max): Hugh Jackman is the legendary outlaw in a melancholy treatment making its streaming debut and premiering on HBO Saturday at 8/7c. Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, and Murray Bartlett co-star.