Welcome to What To Watch, your weekly guide to recommendations for television viewing. There is so much broadcast on the small screen these days, it can sometimes be daunting to figure out how to spend your hard-earned time. Well, worry no more! We at JoBlo.com are TV fanatics and have prepped a handy guide for you to follow over the next seven days. Each week, we will bring you picks catered to your viewing mood. If you have recommendations you think we missed, let us know in the comments below or email your selections to alexmaidy@joblo.com.
OUR PICKS FOR OCTOBER 14th – 20th
Wanna watch something….for fans of Girls?
CAMPING (Premieres October 14th on HBO) – There are a lot of you who dislike Lena Dunham. Whether it be her acting style or her personal politics, she is a divisive personality. But, she is also a truly accomplished writer, director and producer at a very young age. Camping is adapted from the British series of the same name about a group of 40-somethings on a camping trip whose relationships begin to crumble. Sounds heavy for a comedy series, but I would expect nothing less from Dunham and her co-creator, Girls' writer and producer Jenni Konner.
Wanna watch something….for fans of DC superheroines?
SUPERGIRL (Premieres October 14th on The CW) – The various DC series on The CW have only changed slightly over the years and Supergirl has changed the least. Melissa Benoist still plays Kara as a painfully optimistic hero who wants to help everyone but gets sidetracked by the most minor personal hurdles. Each episode has a subplot that somehow ties into the villain of the week, which can grow tiresome, but the trailers for the upcoming season look like they may be changing up the formula a bit.
Wanna watch something….with superheroes turned inmates?
ARROW (Premieres October 15th on The CW) – Speaking of formulas, Arrow has not lived up to the excellent first two seasons it delivered in a long time. Last season suffered from a boring villain but ended on the surprising incarceration of Oliver Queen. I doubt he will stay in prison for even half the season, but I do hope this story arc takes a cue from David Goyer's unproduced Green Arrow movie SUPERMAX. The prospect of a hero in prison with those he put away is a great idea and I hope they stick the landing.
Wanna watch something….about Roseanne's family (but without Roseanne)?
THE CONNERS (Premieres October 16th on ABC) – I am nowhere near the politics of Roseanne Barr but I still found the revival of the classic 90s sitcom to be a fun watch. With Roseanne having finally crossed the line in real life, her namesake sitcom continues without her. The cast is all solid enough that this just could work, especially with John Goodman pulling more screen time than ever. I am cautious about whether this series will make it past one season, but if it is as good as last year, we can look forward to seeing the Conners for a while.
Wanna watch something….for fans of Nathan Fillion?
THE ROOKIE (Premieres October 16th on ABC) – There is a dedicated base of fans who will consume every project Nathan Fillion takes part in, hoping it will be the next Firefly. Coming off the long-running yet generic Castle, Fillion is trying for a series that doesn't vary much from the tried-and-true network setup but may give him a bit more range than that procedural series. Fillion is a talented guy but I cannot get past the glossy and neutral feel I get from the trailers for this show.
Wanna watch something….scary but true?
LORE (Premieres October 19th on Amazon Prime) – The Lore podcast made the jump from audio to visceral series last year to great effect. Each episode combines reenactments with a documentary style feel aided by creator Aaron Mahnke's trademark vocals. The second season adapts more episodes of the original series, leaving me wondering what the appeal is listening to the same episodes again but now with actors on a screen. Thankfully, the production values are so good that you will be willing to sit through these macabre tales and you will likely recognize some familiar actors, too.
Wanna watch something….that is the best MCU television series to date?
DAREDEVIL (Premieres October 19th on Netflix) – With each new Netflix/Marvel series hitting in rapid succession this year, the streaming service has saved the best for last. Pitting a broken Matt Murdock against his nemesis, Wilson Fisk, and new villain Bullseye helps give Daredevil an edge that was not quite there for the second season. With a taught plot that doesn't really slow down, this season of Daredevil is the best yet. Check out our full review here.
Wanna watch something….about the guy from Fantasy Island?
MY DINNER WITH HERVE (Premieres October 120th on HBO) – When Peter Dinklage makes a movie, you watch it. Even if you are too young to know what Fantasy Island even was, I implore you to learn more about the diminutive actor. This story will make him more than just a stereotype and prove that his life was much more cinematic than any of the roles he actually played on screen. Ever since this was announced, I was curious and the trailers have just shown it is more than a mere biopic but could be something unique.
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