Rueben's Ramblings

Here is the long list of the programming options to expect on TV this coming week:

On October 3, the season premiere of The Good Doctor will air on ABC at 10 PM; while that same day, the season finale of the Acorn TV drama Recipes for Love and Murder will air online.

The delayed season finale of FBI (that was pulled last TV season) will be aired on CBS on October 4 at 8 PM. That same night, the season finales of Leonardo and Devils will air on The CW at 8 and 9 PM respectively; and also that night, the season premiere of Cherish the Day will air on OWN at 9 PM.

On October 4, the new series Sherwood will debut online on Brtibox. Lesley Manville stars as Julie Jackson, the wife of a former union activist, whose 2004 murder in Nottinghamshire, England kicks off this drama about a small, fractured community shattered by two unexpected killings and the manhunt that followed. The investigation also unearths historic divisions among lifelong neighbors and the police force that resulted from a union strike three decades before. The cast includes David Morrissey and Joanne Froggatt.

The season premiere of Kung Fu will air on The CW at 9 PM on October 5.

On October 6, the season premieres of Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy will air on ABC at 8 and 9 PM respectively followed by the debut of the new series Alaska Daily at 10:01 PM. Alaska Daily stars Hilary Swank as Eileen Fitzgerald, a recently disgraced reporter who leaves her high-profile New York life behind to join a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage on a journey to find both personal and professional redemption. The cast includes Jeff Perry, Matt Malloy, Craig Frank and Grace Dove.

The Peacock series A Friend of the Family will debut online on October 6. Based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (Hendrix Yancey and later played by Mckenna Grace) was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs – devoted to their faith, family, and community – were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. The cast includes Anna Paquin, Austin Stowell, Colin Hanks, Jake Lacy and Patrick Fischler.

On October 6, the third season of Pennyworth will premiere on HBO Max online.

The season premiere of Walker will air on The CW at 8 PM followed by the debut of the spin-off prequel series Walker: Independence at 9 PM on October 6. The prequel series is set in the late 180os, following Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara from Shadowhunters and Arrow), an affluent and tough-minded Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. After crossing paths with Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez from 911: Lone Star), a curious Apache tracker, Abby arrives in the town of Independence, Texas, where she encounters diverse and eclectic residents running from their pasts, chasing their dreams, and keeping their own secrets. The cast includes Katie Findlay (The Carrie Diaries), Lawrence Kao (Wu Assassins) and Matt Barr (Blood & Treasure and Walker) [among others].

On October 6, the Nickelodeon movie Monster High: The Movie will debut at 7 PM. This live-action movie musical, based on the iconic Monster High franchise, is about the children of famous monsters and creatures. It follows Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris from Just Beyond), who was born half human and half werewolf, after she arrives at her new school, Monster High. She quickly makes friends with her classmates Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot from Dispatches from Elsewhere) and Draculaura (Nayah Damasen from Grey’s Anatomy), and for the first time in her life, Clawdeen feels like she has finally found a place where she fits in and can truly be herself, despite keeping her human half a secret. When a devious plan to destroy Monster High threatens to reveal her real identity, Clawdeen must learn to embrace her true monster heart and find a way to save the day alongside her new friends. The cast includes Steve Valentine (Crossing Jordan) as Dracula and Lilah Fitzgerald as Ghoulia.

The Netflix movie Luckiest Girl Alive will debut online on October 7. The film centers on Ani FaNelli (Mila Kunis), a sharp-tongued New Yorker who appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Brentley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life. The cast includes Finn Wittrock, Scoot McNairy, Jennifer Beals and Connie Britton.

On October 7, the season premiere of S.W.A.T. will air on CBS at 8 PM followed by the debut of the new drama Fire Country at 9 PM and ending with the season premiere of Blue Bloods at 10 PM. Fire Country stars Max Thieriot (SEAL TEAM) as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining an unconventional prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region The series also stars Billy Burke, Diane Farr, Jordan Calloway and Kevin Alejandro.

The Hallmark Channel movie Pumpkin Everything will debut on October 8 at 8 PM. Amy (Taylor Cole) is a novelist who returns to her hometown to look after her stubborn grandfather Tom (veteran actor Michael Ironside) and his pumpkin-themed store. While there, she crosses paths with a man (Corey Sevier) from her past.

On October 8, the GAC Family movie How to Find Forever will debut at 8 PM. Marley’s brilliant at organizing other people’s engagements, but unlucky in finding romance herself. When designing her most important proposal yet, the man who could jeopardize it all may be the one who helps find her own love story. The film stars Erin Agostino and Aaron Ashmore.

The UPtv movie Infamously in Love will debut on October 9 at 7 PM. A frustratingly micromanaged popstar who dreams of the “ordinary” that life has to offer finds herself torn between her celebrity ex, the machinations of her controlling manager, and a developing romance with a down-to-earth record store owner. Will she gain more autonomy over her life – especially her love life – and start making decisions for herself, or will the celebrity machine be too powerful for her to ever feel even remotely normal? The film stars Jennifer Freeman and Adam Huss.

On October 9, the season finale of Van der Valk will air on PBS at 9 PM; and that same night, the season premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles will air on CBS at 10 PM.

Lastly, also on October 9, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Mid-Love Crisis will debut at 9 PM. With her 50th birthday a week away, Mindy (Teri Hatcher), a divorced teacher, finds herself in the throes of a bonafide mid-life crisis. The timing isn’t ideal, as it coincides with a long weekend visit from her daughter Rita (June Laporte) and Rita’s girlfriend Emma (Matreya Scarrwena), who comes along with her uncle Sam (James Tupper)… Mindy’s former high school sweetheart she hasn’t spoken to in over three decades. Her ex-husband Marc (Brian Markinson) gets thrown into the mix at Rita’s request, adding to Mindy’s angst. Between two exes under one roof vying for her affection and trying to talk Rita out of the big 50th birthday party she’s planning, Mindy has a lot to navigate as she learns to embrace her life and discover what she truly wants as she starts the next chapter.

Mark your calendars!