What's On Tonight (Friday): Tired of the Old Cherry Flavor? We've Got Good News...

 

Brand New Cherry Flavor

I was originally going to go with Hitchcockian-looking Beckett for top pick but it's Friday the 13th and that calls for something a little more... Friday the 13th.  Between Battle Angel Alita (I know what the movie was actually called, and I know what it SHOULD have been called) and Undone I have become a fan of Rose Salazar's.  This week she's playing another character grappling with her sanity in Brand New Cherry Flavor.  It's a limited series but if it's a hit I fully expect follow ups based on other fruit flavors.  Might I interest the producers in Brand New Grapefruit Flavor?  No?  Your loss.

Netflix also has the mystery series Gone for Good, Argentinian political thriller The Kingdom and Spanish-language, female-friendship comedy drama Valeria.  Netflix is covering all of the bases this weekend.

Elsewhere we've got the 2021 winner for most cumbersome title in Evangellion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time.  The only thing more confusing than the title is the synopsis I took directly from Amazon's site.  I kind of admire how they obviously have no interest in attracting new people to whatever the hell this this is.  We've also got a new movie from Apple called CODA, which will ensure Marlee Matlin is able to keep her union health insurance for another few months.  

Last and possibly least, Lifetime Movie Network has an original film with the promising title Designed for Death, but once again I could not find a trailer so I couldn't even consider it for Top Pick.  I'm not sure why Lifetime doesn't want us to promote their movies but I'm sensing something personal.  Come on Lifetime, WoT isn't the abusive ex-boyfriend you hide from: we're the sensitive new boyfriend who doesn't care about your past and will totally help your failing business take off.  You just have to give us a chance.

TOP PICK

⭐ 🍒 Brand New Cherry Flavor✔️ (Netflix, 3:01 AM) LIMITED SERIES.  'A filmmaker heads to Hollywood in the early '90s to make her movie but tumbles down a hallucinatory rabbit hole of sex, magic, revenge — and kittens.  Starring Rosa Salazar, Eric Lange and Catherine Keener.'

PREMIERES

🎥 Evangellion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time✔️ (Amazon Prime, 12:01 AM) 'The 4th and final installment of Rebuild of Evangellion.  Mistato and her anti-NERV group Wille arrive at Paris, a city now red from core-ization.  Crew from the flagship Wunder land on a containment tower.  They only have 720 seconds to restore the city.  When a horde of NERV Evas appear, Mari's improved Eva Unit 8 must intercept.  Meanwhile, Shinki, Asuka, and Rei (provisional name) wander about Japan.'

💖 Modern Love (Amazon Prime, 12:01 AM) SECOND SEASON.  'Love breaks all the rules.  Each episode of this anthology series brings to life different stories of relationships, connections, betrayals and revelations - all inspired by true events.'

🎥 Coda✔️(Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) 'As a CODA (child of deaf adults), Ruby is the only hearing person in her home.  When she discovers a passion for singing, Ruby must choose between family obligations and her dreams.  Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner at Sundance Film Festival.'

🔔 Point of View: A Designer Profile (Discovery+, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'Giving a behind-the-curtain look into the mind of interior designers, this anthology series lets viewers in on their creative processes and introduces the inspirations and influences that shape their designs.'

🍒 Brand New Cherry Flavor (Netflix, 3:01 AM) LIMITED SERIES.  'A filmmaker heads to Hollywood in the early '90s to make her movie but tumbles down a hallucinatory rabbit hole of sex, magic, revenge — and kittens.  Starring Rosa Salazar, Eric Lange and Catherine Keener.'

🚘 Fast & Furious Spy Racers (Netflix, 3:01 AM) FIFTH SEASON. 'A government agency recruits teen driver Tony Toretto and his thrill-seeking friends to infiltrate a criminal street racing circuit as undercover spies.'

🔔 Gone for Good (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'Ten years after losing two loved ones, a man is plunged into another dizzying mystery when his girlfriend vanishes. Based on a Harlan Coben novel.'

🔔 The Kingdom (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'After his running mate's murder, a controversial televangelist becomes Argentina's presidential candidate. But nothing about him is as holy as he seems.'

🎥 Beckett✔️ (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'An American tourist goes on the run in Greece after a tragic accident plunges him into a political conspiracy that makes him a target for assassination.  Starring John David Washington, Boyd Holbrook and Alicia Vikander.'

🔔 Valeria (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SECOND SEASON.  'A writer in creative and marital crises finds support from three friends, who are also discovering themselves. Based on the novels by Elísabet Benavent.'

🔔 Eye Candy (Roku, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'Is it real or is it cake? Contestants face off to spot sweets in disguise amongst everyday objects.  Winner tastes all! Hosted by Josh Groban.'

🔔 Squeaky Clean (Roku, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'Leslie Jordan hosts a cleaning competition show pitting three cleaning-obsessed contestants against each other to win a cash prize. Resident cleaning and organization expert Sabrina Soto and celebrity guest judges join Jordan at the judge’s table.'

🔔 Thanks a Million (Roku, 3:01 AM) SECOND SEASON.  'Celebrities kickstart a chain of kindness by gifting $100,000 to an unsuspecting individual who must then pay it forward.'

🔔 What Happens in Hollywood (Roku, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE.  'What Happens in Hollywood looks at how Hollywood has framed our ideas about sex and sexuality.  With A-list interviews and compelling archive, Emmy-winning director Marina Zenovich looks at how sex and power interact at every stage of filmmaking.'

🎥 Designed for Death (LMN, 8:00 PM) "Obsessed with a handsome homeowner, a deranged interior decorator sets out to eliminate his family and live in the house she created for them."

🎥 Spin (Disney, 8:00 PM) 'Rhea is an Indian-American teen whose life revolves around her friends, her family's Indian restaurant and her tightknit family. Everything changes when she falls for aspiring DJ Max, and her long-lost fervor for music is reignited.'

🔔 Disney's Magic Bake-Off (Disney, 10:05 PM) SERIES PREMIERE.  "Descendants" - 'Three teams of two young pastry chefs race against the clock to design a Disney-inspired cake in the hopes of being named Disney Baking Champion.'

Evangellion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time

STREAMING

🔔 Home Before Dark (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE.  "The Smoking Gun"

🔔 Mr. Corman (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) "Happy Birthday"

🔔 Schmigadoon (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) "How We Change"

🔔 Ted Lasso (Apple TV+, 12:01 AM) "Of the Bells"

🚀 Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE.  TBA

💖 Love Island (UK) (Hulu, 3:01 AM) "Episode 37"

🔔 Explained (Netflix, 3:01 AM) TBA

SPORTS TONIGHT*

🥍 Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse: Team Gold vs. Team Orange (CBSSN, 5:00 PM) 'From Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.'

⚾ Little League Baseball: Great Lakes Regional, Second Semifinal: Ohio vs. TBA (ESPN, 5:00 PM) 'Game 9'

🏀 NBA Summer League Basketball: Miami Heat vs. Utah Jazz (ESPNU, 5:00 PM) 'From Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nev.'

🚘 NASCAR Xfinity Racing Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Indianapolis RC, Practice (NBCSN, 5:30 PM) 'From Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in Speedway, Ind.'

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Korn Ferry Tour Golf: Pinnacle Bank Championship, Second Round (Golf, 6:00 PM) 'From The Club at Indian Creek in Omaha, Neb.'

⚽ Coppa Italia Soccer: Teams TBA (CBSSN, 7:00 PM)

⚾ Little League Baseball: Mid-Atlantic Regional, Second Semifinal: Delaware vs. TBA (ESPN, 7:00 PM) 'Game 9. From Giamatti Field, Bristol, Conn.'

🏀 NBA Summer League Basketball: Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (ESPN2, 7:00 PM) 'From Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nev.'

🚘 IndyCar Racing: Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix, Qualifying (NBCSN, 7:00 PM) 'From Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in Speedway, Ind.'

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Tour Champions Golf: Shaw Charity Classic, First Round (Golf, 8:30 PM) 'From Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Alberta.'

🥍 Premier Lacrosse League: Archers LC vs. Chaos LC (NBCSN, 8:30 PM) 'From Tom & Mary Casey Stadium in Albany, N.Y.'

⚾ Little League Baseball: Northwest Regional, Second Semifinal: Oregon vs. TBA (ESPN, 9:00 PM) 'Game 9'

🥊 Professional Fighters League: Playoffs: Lightweights & Featherweights (ESPN2, 9:00 PM) 'From Seminoles Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.'

🏀 NBA Summer League Basketball: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Sacramento Kings (ESPNU, 9:00 PM) 'From Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nev.'

🥊 Bellator MMA: Bellator 264: Mousasi vs. Salter (Showtime, 9:00 PM) 'Middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi defends his title against challenger John Salter. From Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.'

*Sporting Events Are Subject To COVID-Related Postponements.

CODA

EARLY PRIMETIME

💲 Common Knowledge (Game Show Network, 5:30 PM) "Cabanes Family vs. Chi Town Boys"

💲 America Says (Game Show Network, 7:00 PM) "Christmas Friends vs. Cake Buddies"

🔔 The Patrick Star Show (Nickelodeon, 7:00 PM) "I Smell a Pat" - 'The Patrick Star Show is interrupted by a most peculiar stench.'

🔔 Middlemost Post (Nickelodeon, 7:30 PM) "My Buddy, Buddy; Love Letters" - 'Parker's new friend turns out to be a leprechaun who is looking for gold; when Parker finds mysterious love letters written by Angus, the little nimbus goes all over town to find who they're meant for.'

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🔨 Secret Celebrity Renovation (CBS, 8:00 PM) "Jesse Tyler Ferguson" - 'Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson travels to tiny Dobbin, Texas, to help renovate the dilapidated family farmhouse belonging to a long-time friend.'

🔔 Burden of Truth (CW, 8:00 PM) "From Out the Gloomy Rack" - 'Joanna and Billy are blindsided when Joanna is the target of a mysterious criminal investigation.'

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (Fox, 8:00 PM) TBA

🐟 River Monsters: Deadliest Man-Eaters (Animal Planet, 8:00 PM) "Aquatic Thai Terror" - 'In Thailand, Jeremy Wade encounters the giant freshwater stingray; in India's Himalayas, Wade investigates savage attacks and his plan to catch the monster quickly takes a turn when he discovers it's a sacred animal.'

💰 Gold Rush (Discovery, 8:00 PM) "Winter's Fortune: Force of Nature" - 'Rick resurrects monster red to capture nuggets with help from master fabricator Freddy Dodge; Tony builds a massive excavator; Dustin Hurt returns to Haines after a devastating landslide; Parker remembers those who lost their lives.'

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🎵 Icon: Music Through the Lens (PBS, 9:00 PM) "On the Wall" - 'The transition of music photography from a niche pastime to a highly collectable and valuable art form is examined through conversations with industry insiders.'

💖 Love Island (CBS, 9:00 PM) "Episode 28"

🔔 Dynasty (CW, 9:00 PM) "But I Don't Need Therapy" - 'Dominique is disappointed in the sales for her new business, and Jeff advises her to remain patient; Fallon and Sam face a very difficult task; Kirby wants to jump back into modeling, ignoring the concerns of her friends.'

🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives (Food Network, 9:00 PM) "Mouthwatering Meat" - 'Brisket and burgers at a butcher shop-restaurant in Palm Beach, Fla.; Latin-style pork belly and Caribbean oxtails in Houston, Texas.'

👽 Ancient Aliens (History, 9:00 PM) "Top 10 Mysterious Sites" - 'Texts, archaeology and legend contain evidence of past human-extraterrestrial contact.'

🐕‍🦺 Cesar Milan: Better Human, Better Dog (Nat Geo Wild, 9:00 PM) "Pack Attack" - 'Cesar faces the ultimate red zone case: a hound that killed her pack mate.'

👻 Ghost Adventures (Travel, 9:00 PM) "Echo of Darkness" - 'Zak, Nick and Aaron face a living nightmare inside an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Cedar Grove, N.J.; the crew confronts pure evil behind the high stone walls of the Old Idaho Penitentiary.'

💖 Love After Lockup (WE, 9:00 PM) "Can't Buy Me Love" - 'Nicolle risks all with a sexy night out behind Daonte's back; Jeff's spending spree shocks Anissa, but a secret changes everything; Doug's surprise stuns Rachel; Lisa's big demand sparks tension with Stan; Ray's family grills Britney.

🔔 Dino Hunters (Discovery, 9:04 PM) "Mammoth Mass Mortality" - 'When a wildfire surrounds his hometown, Clayton Phipps drops everything to help fight the flames; the Harris-Bolan crew excavates a new Triceratops' site; and the Abercrombie family discovers a mammoth fossil map on its ranch in New Mexico.'

🔔 Descendants: The Royal Wedding (Disney, 9:40 PM) "Happily-ever-after continues for Auradon's power couple as they prepare to say "I do" at an epic celebration with their friends and family, but Hades threatens to ruin it all."

Beckett

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

🎵 Icon: Music Through the Lens (PBS, 9:00 PM) SEASON FINALE.  "On the Net" - 'A look at where music photography sits in the contemporary, popular culture landscape, and whether music photography still has a role to play.'

💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 10:00 PM) "The Investigation" - 'A Philadelphia murder reveals decades of misconduct in the city's criminal justice system and raises questions aout whether police caught the right person; Key insiders in the case speak out for the first time on national television.'

🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 'Interview: Martin Short and Steve Martin; Panel: Donna Brazile and Michael Moynihan.'

🐕‍🦺 Cesar Milan: Better Human, Better Dog (Nat Geo Wild, 9:59 PM) "Blind Faith" - 'Cesar rehabs a blind chihuahua and a young, overexcited Belgian Malinois.'

💖 Put a Ring on It (OWN, 10:00 PM) "Vision of Marriage: Sabotage"

👻 Surreal Estate (Syfy, 10:00 PM) "Ft. Ghost Child" - 'When a rap star rents a client's recording studio, a tragic secret is revealed in the playback.'

👽 Ancient Aliens: Declassified (History, 10:03 PM) TBA

💰 Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge's Mine Rescue (Discovery, 10:06 PM) "Young Guns" - 'Freddy and Juan help skyrocket a 23-year-old Oregon man's mining operation.'

LATE NIGHT

🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 PM) TBA

🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM)

Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO Binge

📺 The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 5:45 AM - 1:00 PM); ER (Pop, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); The Golden Girls (Hallmark, 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM); The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (VH1, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Living Single (TVONE, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Friends (TBS 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); House (Pop, 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM); King of Queens (CMT, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM); Law and Order (Sundance, 1:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Bones (TNT, 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antenna, 8:00 & 8:30 PM); Mom (CMT, 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TV Land, 8:00 PM - 11:05 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 9:00 & 9:30 PM); Coach (Antenna, 11:30 PM) 

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actor Gregory Peck; actor Edgar Bergen; actor George Gobel; actor Jim Bouton."

More TV Listings: The Futon Critic; Zap2it

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; Zap2it; Netflix; Wikipedia; Horrornews.net; Sysfy.com
⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included