What's On Tonight (Friday): Journey to the Far-Off Future of 2003...

For All Mankind

No, The Killer is not today's Top Pick.  I know there are a lot of David Fincher fans out there, but the truth is I haven't watched any of his films since Fight Club.  Nothing against Fincher, he's a great filmmaker, but the subject matter of his films doesn't always appeal to me.  I might still check out The Killer as I do enjoy films about assassins, and Fassbender and Swinton are two actors I enjoy, but that's not enough to get the big prize today.

Today's Top Pick is going to the fourth season premiere of extremely ambitious alternate history sci-fi series, For All Mankind.  I have been up and down on this show since it first premiered.  I love almost all of the alternate history stuff and the nicely realistic space exploits (realistic for television, anyway).  Unfortunately, I hate almost all of the soap opera nonsense.  I didn't finish the third season before my Apple subscription ran out because of it.

Perhaps I just don't understand what audiences want to watch, but a show like this demands characters who are capable and competent, and there are some characters that fit that bill.  The issue is far too many of the central characters do not.  For instance, Joel Kinnaman's character, astronaut Edward Baldwin, is just plain bad at his job.  He's bad at being an astronaut and he's bad at being a commander.  When NASA didn't pick him to lead the Mars mission last season, I was totally on their side.  Why would you want this idiot leading anything?  I understand the politics that went into their decision, but subsequent events prove that NASA dodged a bullet.

Still, there's so little hard sci-fi on TV these days.  Even my beloved The Expanse (which For All Mankind could easily be a prequel to), indulged its more fantastical elements even while making sure to get the physics of space travel right.  So, I'm fine with my Top Pick decision.  Once I wrangle up another free few months of Apple, I'll catch up on it.

TOP PICK

⭐🚀 For All Mankind (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON FOUR PREMIERE.

Elsewhere...

*Am I the only one who would have loved for Fincher's The Killer to be a remake of John Woo's The Killer?  No?  Just me?  Well, all right then.

*Amazon has a new James Bond themed competition series in the mold of The Amazing Race called 007: Road to a Million.  Somehow the producers managed to get none other than Brian Cox to act as a sort of host for the show, though it doesn't appear that he ever directly interacts with the contestants.  I have to assume Cox made out like a bandit.

*The new Emma Stone/Nathan Fielder series, The Curse, is debuting on Paramount today (and Sunday on Showtime) so we can finally all figure out what the hell this series is actually about.  With Fielder as one of the chief creative people behind the show, I'm sure it will be as weird and off putting as it's trailer.

*Shudder has the umpteenth take on the Frankenstein story called Birth/Rebirth.  In this case the "monster" is a young girl who dies but is brought back to life by a mad scientist mortician.  The girl's mother finds out and decides to try and help rather than stop it.  I'm pretty sure Frankenstein themed stories reached their apex with Frankenhooker and no one is going to convince me otherwise.

PREMIERES

007: Road to a Million

💲 007: Road to a Million (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Follows nine pairs of everyday people as they are unleashed on an epic global adventure through a series of Bond-inspired challenges for a shot at each winning a life-changing £1,000,000 prize.  Featuring Brian Cox as "The Controller."'

😂 Dina Hashem: Dark Little Whispers (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION. 'Dina discusses everything from death threats and existential dilemmas to relationship problems, quiet people, and her upbringing as a first generation Arab American.'

🎥 Pippa (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 'Revolves around Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th Cavalry tank squadron who fought on the eastern front during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 along with his siblings.'

🔔 At the Moment (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'This anthology series set during the pandemic follows 10 unique love stories of passion and heartache.'

🎥 The Killer (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers - and himself - on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn't personal.'

🔔 The Curse (Paramount, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'a genre-bending series that explores how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring in their new home-improvement show. Starring Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder.'

🎥 Birth/Rebirth (Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'A morgue technician successfully reanimates the body of a little girl, but to keep her breathing, she will need to harvest biological materials from pregnant women. When the girl's mother, a nurse, discovers her baby alive, they enter into a deal that forces them both down a dark path of no return.'

🎥 The Engagement Dress (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'As Claudia gets to wear the lucky bridesmaid's dress that has led to all of her friends getting married, she realizes she's been looking for love in the wrong places.'

🔔 After the Blast: The Will to Survive (ABC, 8:00 PM) 'Chronicling Bob Woodruff's emotional journey back to Iraq, where a horrific roadside bombing nearly took his life and left him with a traumatic brain injury and an extensive and painstaking recovery in 2006; interviews with Woodruff's family.'

🎄🎥 Everything Christmas (Hallmark, 8:00 PM) 'A woman and her roommate embark on a road trip to Yuletide Springs, a town where Christmas is celebrated year-round.'

🎭 Salute to Service: A Veterans Day Celebration (PBS, 9:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION. 'John Stewart hosts a musical celebration for Veterans Day featuring the U.S. Army Field Band with special guests Mickey Guyton, Amanda Shires and Mandy Gonzalez.'

The Killer

RETURNING SHOWS

🎄🍰 The Great American Baking Show (Roku, 3:01 AM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION. "Celebrity Holiday"

🔔 Belle Collective (OWN, 9:00 PM) SEASON THREE FALL PREMIERE.

🚗 Super Street Garage (Motortrend, 10:00 PM) SEASON ONE FALL PREMIERE.

STREAMING

🦸‍♂️Invincible (Amazon, 12:01 AM) 

🔔 Upload (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

⚗ Lessons in Chemistry (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Poirot" 

👮‍♂️ Basch: Legacy (Freevee, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

⚖ Tribunal Justice (Freevee, 12:01 AM) 

🧟‍♂️ Goosebumps (Hulu, 12:01 AM & Disney+, 3:01 AM) "Night of the Living Dummy, Part 2" 

🏠 Beach Cottage Chronicles (Discovery+ & Max, 3:01 AM) 

🏠 Diary of an Old Home (Discovery+ and Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔨 First Time Fixer (Discovery+ & Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Jack Osborne's Buried Bloodlines (Discovery+ & Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Who's Talking to Chris Wallace (Max, 3:01 AM) 

🍰 The Great British Baking Show (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Fellow Travelers (Paramount, 3:01 AM) "Hit Me"

🔔 Undead Unluck (Hulu, 2:01 PM) 

💖 Love Island Games (Peacock, 9:00 PM) 

Pippa

LIVE SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌️‍♂️ PGA Tour Champions Golf: Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Second Round (Golf, 4:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: College of Charleston vs. Duquesne (CBSSM, 6:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Arizona at Duke (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Asheville Championship: Davidson vs. Maryland (ESPNU, 7:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics (ESPN, 7:30 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Temple at Navy (CBSSM, 8:30 PM)

🏈 College Football: North Texas at SMU (ESPN2, 9:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Grambling State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (ESPNU, 9:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns (ESPN, 10:00 PM)

Birth/Rebirth

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🔔 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (CW, 8:00 PM) 'Featured magicians include Cash, Aleš Hrdlička, Henry and Klauss, and Jonah Babins and Ben Train.'

🔔 Power Book IV (Starz, 8:02 PM) SEASON FINALE. 'Tommy orchestrates the grand finale of his long game to take over Chicago's drug world; when he is faced with devastating personal sacrifices, he finds that he might just lose more than he ever stood to gain.'

🔔 After the Blast: The Will to Survive (ABC, 8:00 PM) 
💲 Let's Make a Deal Primetime (CBS, 8:00 PM) 
🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (Fox, 8:00 PM) 
💲 The Wall (NBC, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 The Very, Very Best of the 80s (AXS, 8:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery, 8:00 PM) 
🎄🎥 Everything Christmas (Hallmark, 8:00 PM) 
🚗 Engine Masters (Motortrend, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 Ridiculousness (MTV, 8:00 PM) 
💖 Ready to Love: Make a Move (OWN, 8:00 PM) 
🎄💀 Homicide for the Holidays (Oxygen, 8:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

👽 The Unexplained (History, 9:00 PM) 'There are many bizarre tales involving U.S. presidents that defy explanation and are still shrouded in mystery.'

🔔 Shining Vale (Starz, 9:02 PM) 'The fractured family is brought back together by unexpected news while Terry embarks on a healthier lifestyle; Jake struggles to reconnect with an old friend in the house and Gaynor meets a sexy new friend.'

🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:00 PM) 
💰 Raid the Cage (CBS, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Fboy Island (CW, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🎭 Salute to Service: A Veterans Day Celebration (PBS, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Killer Cases (A&E, 9:00 PM) 
💰 Bering Sea Gold (Discovery Channel, 9:00 PM) 
🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
🔨 Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation (Magnolia, 9:00 PM) 
🚗 Runs Good (Motortrend, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Ridiculousness (MTV, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Belle Collective (OWN, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Real Murders of Los Angeles (Oxygen, 9:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
💖 Love After Lockup (WE, 9:00 PM)  

At the Moment

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👽 The Proof is Out There (History, 10:03 PM) There are many bizarre tales involving U.S. presidents that defy explanation and are still shrouded in mystery.'

🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 
🚗 Super Street Garage (Motortrend, 10:00 PM) 
🤼‍♂️ All Elite Wrestling: Rampage (TNT, 10:00 PM) 
💀 Murder in the 21st Century (A&E, 10:01 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

💰 Mysteries of the Abandoned (Discovery Channel, 11:05 PM) 'his decaying fortress once stood between the Ancient Roman and Persian Empires; though the stronghold's location attracted great wealth, it also attracted attention from unfriendly neighbors.'

🔔 The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 'Actor Eric Idle; Rick Ross and Meek Mill perform.'

🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:35 PM) 'Actor David Duchovny; Reneé Rapp talks and performs; Connor Denis sits in with the 8G Band.'

🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM)
🔔 The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS, 12:37 AM) 

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 6:04 AM - 12:00 PM); Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); South Park (Comedy Central, 10:10 AM - 2:00 PM); Living Single (TVOne, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); Hawaii Five-0 (Ion, 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM); Seinfeld (Comedy Central, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); One Day at a Time (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM); Three's Company (Antenna, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TVLand, 7:00 PM - 11:05 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 8:00 PM -9:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antennae, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); King of Queens (TVLand, 11:05 PM - 2:00 AM); Designing Women (Antenna, 11:30 PM); Becker (Antenna, 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM); Wings (Antennae, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM); Alice (Antenna, 2:00 AM - 3:00 AM); Mom (TVLand, 2:00 AM - 3:45 AM); Benson (Antenna, 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actor Don Rickles; singer Frank Sinatra; singer Olivia Newton-John; actor David Janssen.'

The Curse

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; Zap2it; Netflix; Wikipedia; Horrornews.net; Sysfy.com; hollywoodreporter.com

⭐: Top Pick
💲: Game show
🎥: Movie
📺: Throwback
✔️: Video/gif/photo included