What's on Tonight (Friday): Severed from Severance No Longer...

Neurofibromatosis             

Severance

Some days the selection of Top Pick is a long and arduous process that entails sifting through trailers and synopses in the hope that something will stand out from the pack as being worthy.  Other days you get the premiere of the second season of Severance, and you get to knock off for the rest of the day and drink pina coladas by the pool.

TOP PICK

⭐Severance (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON TWO PREMIERE. 'Continues Mark and the team’s quest to fully unravel the mystery of what it is they actually do at Lumon.'

Elsewhere...

*Today's "boring suburban parents are actually former superspies whose past lives come back to kill them" movie is the Netflix original, Back in Action.  The only reason this one stands out is it stars Cameron Diaz, who seems very game, and Jamie Foxx, who seems very Jamie Foxx.  It might be good, but I am about as sick of this premise as most people are of superhero films.

*A more interesting film, and almost certainly much better, is Memoir of a Snail, which is making its streaming premiere on AMC+.  Featuring the voices of Sarah Snook and Eric Bana, this Australian import is stop-motion animated, and the style probably won't be for everyone (it ain't trying to be pretty), but it's at 95% Fresh over at Rotten Tomatoes and is almost certainly going to get an Oscar nom for Best Animated Film.  

*Another film with some Oscar buzz is A Different Man, which stars Sebastian Stan as a man with a disfiguring disease who undergoes a procedure to look normal.  Later he encounters another man with the same disfigurement who is confident and charming.  Shit goes downhill from there.  Stan is getting the buzz, but the other disfigured man is played by Adam Pearson who actually does have Neurofibromatosis in real life.  Both actors are said to be excellent in their respective roles.

PREMIERES

😂 Roy Wood Jr.: Lonely Flowers (Hulu, 12:01 AM) 'Roy Wood Jr explores how lack of connection has sent society spiraling into a culture full of guns, rude employees, self-checkout lanes, and why some of us would rather be alone rather than be connected.'

🔔 La Liberación  (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Addresses the story of three women who join forces to prevent an allegation of sexual harassment against a renowned film director from being made public. This controversial mission will take them to the doors of a group that will make them embark on a fantastic journey inside themselves: to a medieval village where their patriarchal wounds are represented.'

🔔 Molly-Mae: Behind it All (Amazon, 3:01 AM) PART ONE. 'Gives viewers an unprecedented access into Molly-Mae's life, behind the vlog camera. Probably only of interest to those who know who the hell, or what the hell, Molly-Mae is.' 

🎥 Memoir of a Snail (AMC+, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Follows the trials and tribulations in the life of lonely misfit Grace Pudel, from childhood to adulthood.'

🎥 A Different Man (Max, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.'

🎥 Back in Action (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Former CIA spies Emily and Matt are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed. Starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx.'

🎥 Incognito (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Follows seven individuals, each facing personal challenges and aspiring for a second chance at life. The series explores their journey as they come together to face a common enemy in high-stakes missions.'

🔔 The Roshans (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Chronicles the trials and triumphs of Bollywood’s iconic Roshan family — musician Roshan Lal Nagrath, Rajesh, Rakesh and Hrithik.'

🎥 Henry Danger: The Movie (Paramount, 3:01 AM and Nickelodeon, 7:00 PM) 'After meeting Kid Danger superfan Missy Martin and being pulled into a portal that opens alternate realities, Henry and his inexperienced new sidekick must find their way back to Dystopia or be trapped forever.'

🎥 A Kill for a Kill (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'A deceptive motivational speaker becomes entangled in a deadly game with a fan who suggests they kill each other's spouses.'

🐺 Yellowstone Wolves: Succession (National Geographic, 7:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENATION. 'Discovering both the iconic and newest dynasties of Yellowstone wolves.'

🎥 The Lies We Bury (Lifetime, 8:00 PM) 'A young lawyer gets drawn into a dangerous world of murder and corruption when she investigates a 25-year-old case that she believes led to a wrongful conviction.'

🔔 The Couple Next Door (Starz, 9:05 PM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'When Evie and Pete move into an upscale neighborhood to start a family, they soon find friendship with the couple next door, traffic cop Danny and his yoga instructor wife Becka. The two couples get closer to each other and one fateful night, become sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever.'

Memoir of a Snail

RETURNING SHOWS

😂 LOL: Last One Laughing Poland (Amazon, 3:01 AM) SEASON THREE PREMIERE.

🔔 Young, Famous & African (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON THREE.

🦈 Shark Tank (ABC, 8:00 PM) SEASON SIXTEEN WINTER PREMIERE.

🏈 NFL Icons (MGM+, 10:00 PM) SEASON FOUR PREMIERE. 

🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) SEASON TWENTY-THREE PREMIERE.

🔔 Magic of Disney: Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (National Geographic, 10:00 PM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

STREAMING

🔔 Silo (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. "Into the Fire" 

🔔 Übel Blatt (Amazon, 3:01 AM) 

 

🔔 X-Rated Queen (Max, 3:01 AM) 

💖 Love is Blind: Germany (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

🔔 The Agency (Paramount+, 3:01 AM) "The Rubicon" 

🦸 DC Studios Showcase: The Official Podcast (Max, 3:01 PM) 

👽 TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution (Tubi, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

💖 Love Island All Stars (Peacock, 9:01 PM) 

🔔 The Graham Norton Show (AMC+, 11:00 PM) 

SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌️ Golf: Latin America Amateur Championship, Second Round (ESPN2, 1:00 PM)

🏌️ PGA Tour Golf: The American Express, Second Round (Golf, 4:00 PM)

🏐 Men's College Volleyball: First Point Collegiate Challenge: Penn State vs. Stanford (ESPNU, 5:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Ohio at Akron (CBSSN, 6:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (ESPN, 7:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: VCU at Saint Joseph's (ESPNU, 7:00 PM)

🏌️ PGA Tour Champions Golf: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, Second Round (Golf, 7:00 PM)

🏀 Unrivaled Basketball: Mist Basketball Club vs. Lunar Owls Basketball Club (TNT & TruTV, 7:00 PM)

🤸 Women's College Gymnastics: Florida at LSU (ESPN2, 7:30 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: DePaul at Georgetown (CBSSN, 8:00 PM)

🏀 College Basketball: Indiana at Ohio State (Fox, 8:00 PM)

🏀 Unrivaled Basketball: Rose Basketball Club vs. Vinyl Basketball Club (TNT & TruTV, 8:00 PM)

🎾2025 Australian Open: Third Round (ESPN2, 9:00 PM)

🏐 League One Volleyball: LOVB Salt Lake at LOVB Madison (ESPNU, 9:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Basketball: Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (ESPN, 9:35 PM)

🏒 College Hockey: Minnesota-Duluth at Colorado College (CBSSN, 10:00 PM)

A Different Man

EARLY PRIMETIME

🐺 Yellowstone Wolves: Succession (National Geographic, 7:00 PM) 
🎥 Henry Danger the Movie (Nickelodeon, 7:00 PM) 

🕗 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🦈 Shark Tank (ABC, 8:00 PM) 'A self-tanner geared toward men; a new-and-improved flashlight; a reusable cup service for marathoners; an authentic instant pho.'

🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 8:00 PM) 'The queens take fashion inspiration from the board game Monopoly and must create from scratch an outfit that screams that they own everything; actress and comedian Sandra Bernhard becomes a guest judge.'

🔔 Outlander (Starz, 8:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 'Denzell must perform a dangerous operation with the skills he's learned from Claire; William asks for help from an unexpected source in his mission to save Jane.'

🔔 Happy's Place (NBC, 8:00 PM) 
👮‍♂️ The First 48: Room Full of Lies (A&E, 8:00 PM) 

💰 Gold Rush (Discovery Channel, 8:00 PM) 
🧙 Wizards Beyond Waverley Place (Disney Channel, 8:00 PM) 

🎥 The Lies We Bury (Lifetime, 8:00 PM) 
👮 On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

🤼‍♂️ WWE's Friday Night Smackdown (USA, 8:00 PM) 
💖 Love During Lockup (WE, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC, 8:30 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

👮 Cold Case Files (A&E, 9:00 PM) 'Frank McAlister disappears from the quiet town of Redding, California; he is a teen with a recent cash windfall who leaves only a blood-stained car behind; 25 years will pass before someone makes a stunning on-air confession.'

🔔 The Way Home (Hallmark, 9:00 PM) 'Alice and Kat get a lesson in asking the right questions; Del rails against changes to the family dynamic; Elliot tries to understand his father.'

🐶 My Best Friend's an Animal (Nat Geo Wild, 9:00 PM) 'Exploring the softer side of Tasmanian devils; meeting a pioneering sea turtle and enjoying family dinner with Buttons, the deer; playing football with a bull.'

💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🍴 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 My Lottery Dream Home (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
👽 The Unbelievable with Dan Ackroyd (History, 9:00 PM) 
👮 On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:01 PM) 
🔔 The Couple Next Door (Starz, 9:05 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery Channel, 9:07 PM) 
🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked (MTV, 9:30 PM) 
🔔 Evolve and Flex (TruTV, 9:30 PM) 

The Couple Next Door

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👮‍♂️ Cold Case Files: Murder in the Bayou (A&E, 10:01 PM) 'When Betty Jones and Kathryn Crigler are brutally attacked in a home invasion, the tiny community of Starkville, Mississippi, is left living in fear; decades pass and a detective devotes himself to cracking the case using new technology.'

👽 Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo (History, 10:03 PM) 'From a deadly discovery hiding under one of America's most loved national parks, to a Nazi era weapon sunk off the coast of New Jersey, or even a blood thirsty predator found in Canada--you never know where a killer find is hiding.'

🐶 My Best Friend's an Animal (Nat Geo Wild, 10:00 PM) 'Flapping around with Banksi the fruit bat and his human surrogate mom; eyeing a mischievous emu; celebrating a pig's rescue-versary; touring manatee heaven; learning to speak baboon with Dingani.'

🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 Magic of Disney: Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (National Geographic, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Graham Norton Show (BBC America, 11:00 PM) 'Graham's guests are Hollywood stars Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, and star of Bridgerton and Wicked, Jonathan Bailey. With music from Griff.'

🔔 After Midnight (CBS, 12:37 AM) 'Comic Rachel Scanlon; actress Taylor Ortega; actor Jared Goldstein.'

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 12:05 PM) 
🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:37 AM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 1:07 AM)

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (Sundance, 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Futurama (Comedy Central, 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM); Living Single (TV One, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM); South Park (Comedy Central, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 11:50 AM - 4:00 PM); Seinfeld (Comedy Central, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); Archie Bunker's Place (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Three's Company (Antenna, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TVLand, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 8:00 PM -9:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antennae, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); Designing Women (Antenna, 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM); The King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Becker (Antenna, 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM); The Drew Carey Show (Antennae, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 10:00 PM) 'Actress Dyan Cannon; comic Brian Haley.'

Back in Action

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

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