Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, October 24th, 2025:
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING THIS WEEKEND
It's another firehouse of new things to watch this week and here are some of my suggestions:
A House Of Dynamite (Netflix)
There was a time when America worried about a nuclear confrontation and some of the best films and TV movies from the 1960s and 1970s tried to imagine what would happen if the United States was attacked by Russia, China, or some other foreign power. So at first glance, this Katheryn Bigelow film about what might happen when a mysterious nuclear warhead is fired towards the United States might sound almost retro. But it is an incredibly tense and harrowing countdown that offers up a story that feels real. In fact, I received an email yesterday from a reader at the Pentagon who had seen a screening and said that everything in the movie felt real. The way people talked, the way they reacted. He was shook after watching it, and that is as good a recommendation as anything I could provide.
Everything On The Menu With Braun Strowman (USA Network)
Premiering tonight directly following SmackDown, wrestler Braun "The Monster" Strowman travels the country, visiting restaurants and eating everything on the menu. There's nothing subtle about the concept or in Strowman's on-camera personality, but there is a certain joy in the chaos that is weirdly charming. I will say that this is one of those shows you are either going to find hilarious or hate deep down in your soul. I don't think there is a middle ground with this one.
Don't Date Brandon (Paramount+)
Paramount+ seems to be leaning into the true crime/stalker/insane dating documentary genre and Don't Date Brandon certainly falls in that category. Brandon seems like the perfect guy, but his new girlfriend Amber soon discovers that he is much more obsessive and dangerous than she ever could have imagined. As far as these type of programs go, while you might have seen some of this behavior in other documentaries, Brandon certainly takes insane to a scary new level.
A LOOK INSIDE MY STREAMING SERVICE OPTIONS AT HOME
I have had a streaming live TV service since its earliest days. Ten years ago, I was a subscriber to the fondly remembered Playstation Vue and stayed with them until they shut down. I tried a bunch of different options (thanks 7-day free trials!) and ultimately decided on Hulu Live TV. Which, as I have written on numerous occasions, have often felt more like I am participating in an abusive relationship than enjoying a workable Live TV streaming service.
A recent price change, combined with an increase in bad experiences with UI and UX problems, recently convinced me that I needed to look elsewhere. And it is a good time to do so, thanks to the recent increase of streaming services bundles and the launch of the new ESPN and Fox Sports apps. Live sports is an important component for me, because my son is a massive sports fan. And since my son and wife love the NY Islanders (so much so that attending a game in NYC is at the top of their bucket list), having access to the bulk of those games is important.
I've had quite a few readers ask about what I have available at home, and I thought I would quickly run down the subscriptions I have now that I have recently made some changes. Most of these services I pay for, although some of complimentary press accounts. Although the press accounts can be dicey. For instance, both my Apple TV and Peacock Premium press accounts recently expired and I haven't been able to renew them. Luckily, there is a new bundle that covers that.
So here is what I am watching now. And FYI, if you work for a streaming service which isn't on this list, please reach out. Having full access to a service helps insure I can write about it on a regular basis:
ESPN/Fox Sports app bundle
Philo (which comes with free ad-supported HBO Max and Discovery+)
DirecTV My Entertainment (which comes with free ad-supported HBO Max and the Disney Bundle)
Crunchyroll
MHZ Choice
MLB.TV (Go Cubs!)
Prime Video
PBS Passport
Netflix
Paramount+
Apple TV/Peacock Premium bundle
All of these give me coverage of the major streamers and live TV channels. The only thing I won't have access to under this plan are the WBD live TV channels TNT, TBS and TruTV. I don't think it will be an issue because the live sports they carry tend to be those that are least important to us. But if needed, I could upgrade HBO Max to a premium tier in order to add the live linear channels.
There are a few smaller streamers I'd like to have, but just don't have in the budget right now: BritBox, Acorn TV, AMC+, Frndly TV, Magnolia Selects, Film Movement Plus, Arrow Player, BBC Select, PBS Masterpiece, Hallmark+, Criterion Channel.
Sigh. So much to write about and there is never enough time.
TWEET OF THE DAY
ODDS AND SODS
* Netflix has given a straight-to-series order to the I Saw the TV Glow writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s adaptation of the Charles Burns graphic novel Black Hole. Here’s the official logline: “There’s an old myth that haunts the seemingly perfect small town of Roosevelt: if you have sex too young, you’ll contract the ‘bug,’ a virus that literally turns you into a ‘monster’ from your worst nightmares. Absurd, right? That’s what Chris always assumed, until, after one reckless night at the beginning of senior year, she finds herself infected. Now she’ll be cast out to the woods to live with the other infected, where a chilling, new threat emerges: a serial killer who’s hunting them one-by-one.”
* The USA Network has renewed The Rainmaker for a second season.
* The true crime documentary My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story premieres Thursday, November 13th on Paramount+. Here is a first video look at the documentary. And here is the official logline: "My Nightmare Stalker tells the harrowing true story of how Emmy Award-winning actress Eva LaRue (All My Children, CSI: Miami) and her daughter Kaya endured 12 years of terror at the hands of a relentless stalker. Operating from the shadows, he taunted and terrorized their lives while his identity remained a mystery, even to the FBI. In this gripping account, Eva reveals the constant fear, emotional toll, and the resolve, courage and resilience it took to protect her family."
* The Heist: The Louvre’s Stolen Crown Jewels will premiere on CNN All Access on Sunday, one week after the heist that shook Paris.
* The documentary The New Yorker At 100 premieres Friday, December 5th on Netflix. Here is a first video look at the documentary. And here is the official logline: " It’s the fall of 2024, and editor David Remnick and his team at The New Yorker are preparing to face one of their most important deadlines yet: the magazine's seminal 100th anniversary issue due on newsstands in just a few months. Meanwhile, journalism is facing unprecedented challenges from every direction. In a new documentary by Academy Award-winning director Marshall Curry (The Neighbors' Window, Street Fight) and narrated by Julianne Moore, The New Yorker at 100 gives viewers a rare glimpse inside the century-old machine, showing how the words and images printed on its pages have shaped politics and culture, from changing how we think about nuclear war to introducing the world to the Addams family.
Using archival materials alongside interviews with heavy-hitting contributors like Hilton Als, Roz Chast, and Ronan Farrow as well as notable fans of The New Yorker including Jesse Eisenberg, Ronny Chieng, and Molly Ringwald, the film provides a rare glimpse into the legacy and current dynamics of one of America’s preeminent publications, bringing viewers inside its peerless fact-checking department, lively story meetings, and delightfully idiosyncratic cartoon selection process that showcases the journalistic integrity and intrepid creative spirit required to preserve a celebrated institution."
* Reba McEntire will host NBC's Christmas In Rockefeller Center special this year, which will premiere on Wednesday, December 3rd.
* The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday premieres Monday, November 3rd on The Roku Channel. Here is a first video look at the special. And here is the brief official logline: "The Great American Baking Show is back! Celebrity bakers Baron Davis, Cheri Oteri, Oliver Hudson, and Janelle James swap the spotlight for spatulas, as they take on three holiday-themed challenges and vie for the coveted Star Baker crown."
* The revenge thriller Malice starring David Duchovny and Jack Whitehall, premieres Friday, November 14th on Apple TV. Here is the first look video of the series. And here is the official logline: "Adam (Jack Whitehall) is a charismatic tutor who charms his way into the life of the wealthy Tanner family while they’re on holiday in Greece. When the family’s nanny falls dangerously ill, Adam orchestrates his way into their London home, and his true vengeful nature begins to emerge...
Adam now starts to turn Jamie Tanner (David Duchovny) and Nat (Carice Van Houten) against each other and secretly plots to bring down the entire family. When Adam's obsession with the family raises questions, those who dig deeper into his past find themselves playing a dangerous game. With his world collapsing around him, Jamie starts to realize that Adam may be responsible for all their recent disasters - but is it too late to save his family? In this revenge thriller that proves the past never stays buried, one question remains: how do you protect your family from the enemy within?"
* Semafor is reporting that if Warner Bros. Discovery is sold, CEO David Zaslav is set to make as much as $500 million. Under the terms of his employment contract (which was changed last year thanks to the urging of John Malone) all of his 21 million shares would vest immediately if the company is sold. Which means the higher the number the company eventually sells for, the more money Zaslav will make.
WHAT'S COMING TODAY AND TOMORROW
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24TH:
* A House Of Dynamite (Netflix)
* Being Texan: A Texas Monthly Special (PBS)
* Dancing With A Murderer (LMN)
* East Harbor Heroes Series Premiere (Discovery)
* Everything On The Menu With Braun Strowman Series Premiere (USA Network)
* Joe Bob's Splatterween (Shudder)
* LEGO Frozen: Operation Puffins (Disney+)
* Leslie Jones: Life Part 2 (Peacock)
* Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost (Apple TV+)
* Sudden Outbursts Of Emotions (Film Movement+)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH:
* Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! (Hallmark)
* Once Upon A Christmas Crown (Great American Family)
* Taken At A Truck Stop: A Black Girl Missing Movie (Lifetime)
* The Dream Life Of Mr. Kim Series Premiere (Netflix)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26TH:
* It: Welcome To Derry Series Premiere (HBO)
* Mayor Of Kingstown Season Four Premiere (Paramount+)
* Secret Lives Of Sister Wives (Lifetime)
* See You Again (UP tv)
* Talamasca: The Secret Order Series Premiere (AMC)
* The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession (Oxygen)
* The Heist: The Louvre’s Stolen Crown Jewels (CNN All-Access)
SEE YOU EARLY MONDAY MORNING!