What's On Tonight (Friday): McConaughey, Ferrera, a Bus Full of Kids, and a Metric Fuck Ton of Fire...

         

The Lost Bus

Paul Greengrass returns to his life mission of making films about real people in extraordinary situations with this week's top pick, The Lost Bus.  Based on a true story, the film follows a bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) who volunteers to ferry some kids and their teacher (America Ferrera) who are stuck at a school as a huge wildfire approaches.  The trailer is harrowing but the film is just under 90 minutes long so don't worry about it overstaying it's welcome. 

TOP PICK

⭐🎥 The Lost Bus (Apple, 12:01 AM) 'A determined bus driver and a dedicated schoolteacher battle to save 22 children from a deadly wildfire. Starring Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, directed by Paul Greengrass.'✔️

Elsewhere... 

PREMIERES

V/H/S/Halloween

🔔 The Sisters Grimm (Apple, 12:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Based on Michael Buckley's New York Times bestselling book series, "The Sisters Grimm" is a journey of adventure and heart about sleuth-solving sisters descended from the Brothers Grimm who, while very different, make a pretty great team.'✔️

🎥 V/H/S/Halloween (AMC+/Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.'✔️

🎥 The Balloonist (Disney+, 3:01 AM) 'Out of the blue, Gaby’s life is turned upside down when an arrogant hot-air balloon pilot crash-lands on top of her coop full of heritage chickens and sets up home next door to her. The collision exposes a festering family conflict and forces Gaby to confront the haughty balloonist as well as her own problematic past.'

🎥 Bring Her Back (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.'✔️

🧞 Genie: Make a Wish (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'After a millennium, a flamboyant genie returns to grant wishes to a stoic woman. Can his magic turn her routine-bound world into one of love and fantasy?'

💀 Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix, 3:01 AM) LIMITED SERIES. 'The shocking true-life tale of Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and grave robber who inspired many of Hollywood's most iconic on-screen killers.'

🔔 The New Force (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'An understaffed police district in 1950s Sweden launches a bold experiment to introduce its first group of female officers. Inspired by true events.'

🐶 Old Dog, New Tricks (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'Cash-strapped vet Antón takes a job at a fancy pet store, going from treating rural farm animals to peddling premium treats for pampered pooches.'

🔔 Rhythm + Flow France: After the Beat (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SPECIAL PRESENTATION. 'This exclusive documentary features iconic Rhythm + Flow France participants and follows their efforts to build music careers after the competition.'

🎥 Steve (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'a reimagining of Max Porter's Sunday Times bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal day in the life of headteacher Steve and his students at a last-chance reform school amidst a world that has forsaken them. Starring Cillian Murphy, Tracey Ullman and Emily Watson.'✔️

🎥 Honey Don't (Peacock, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'A dark comedy about Honey O'Donahue, a small-town private investigator, who delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.'✔️

🎥 Match (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'After Paola is matched with a handsome online suitor, she arrives for a first date to discover a house full of dark and terrifying secrets.'

🎥 While They Were Sleeping (LMN, 8:00 PM) 'Zoe becomes the prime suspect when she wakes up to find her husband murdered beside her in bed. To clear her name, she must find the real killer before they can finish what they started.' 

RETURNING SHOWS

🏒 Faceoff: Inside the NHL (Amazon, 12:01 AM) SEASON TWO.

🔔 Where We Call Home (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) SEASON FOUR PREMIERE.

🔔 Belle Collective (OWN, 8:00 PM) SEASON SIX PREMIERE.

The Sisters Grimm

STREAMING

👾 Invasion (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Outpost 17" 

🌍 The Reluctant Traveler (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Living the Royal Life in the UK" 

🔔 The Murky Stream (Disney+/Hulu, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 The Graft (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 The Heritage (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

👸 The Prince (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

🐈 Cat's Eye (Hulu, 3:01 AM) "Memory of Dad" 

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

🔔 Reunion (Paramount, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

🔔 Tougen Anki (Netflix, 11:31 AM) 

👮 Crime Cam 24/7 (Fox Nation, 6:00 PM) 

💖`Love Island Games (Peacock, 9:01 PM) 

LIVE SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌️ Korn Ferry Tour Golf: 2025 Compliance Solutions Championship (Final #3) - Round 2 (Golf, 12:00 PM) 

🏌️ PGA Tour Champions Golf: 2025 Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS - Round 1 (Golf, 2:00 PM)

⚽ English Premier League Soccer: Fulham at Bournemouth from Vitality Stadium (USA, 3:00 PM)

🏌️ PGA Tour Golf: 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship - Round 2 (Golf, 4:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Delaware Blue Hens (CBSSN, 7:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Charlotte 49ers at South Florida Bulls (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

🏌️ LPGA Tour Golf: 2025 LOTTE Championship - Round 3 (Golf, 7:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Columbia Lions at Princeton Tigers (ESPNU, 7:30 PM)

⚽ NWSL: Houston Dash vs Orlando Pride (Amazon, 8:00 PM)

🏀 WNBA Finals: Game 1: Teams TBA (ESPN, 8:00 PM)

🏐 Women's College Volleyball: Nebraska Cornhuskers at Penn State Nittany Lions (Fox, 8:00 PM)

🥊 One Fight Night 36: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella II (Amazon, 9:00 PM)

🏈 College Football: Colorado State Rams at San Diego State Aztecs (CBSSN, 10:30 PM)

🐂 PBR Friday Night Live (Fox Nation, 10:30 PM)

Honey Don't

EARLY PRIMETIME

🧽 SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon, 5:30 PM) 'SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star have a spirited Halloween night at the Chum Bucket; Gary's favorite ball falls into monster-filled trench.'

⭐ The Patrick Starr Show (Nickelodeon, 6:00 PM) 'The Stars rent haunted video tapes.'

🔔 The Wyld Pack (Nickelodeon, 6:30 PM) 'In an anthology of Halloween stories told by Mrs. Withers, Min encounters a terrifying doppelganger, Will fends off a Toastpocalypse, Jack and Lily bury the wrong pet and the kids get sucked into a video game.'

🧙 Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (Disney Channel, 7:00 PM) 'When Justin forbids Billie from having a haunted house, she takes Justin to Halloween future, present and past in an attempt to help him rediscover his Halloween spirit. / Justin embraces mortality to live with his family; his new challenge arises when Alex introduces Billie, a wizard-in-training, seeking Justin's mentorship.'

🕖 8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🦀 Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel, 8:00 PM) 'When the Time Bandit loses power with a storm at its tail, Johnathan deploys a camera probe to find what's snarling his propeller; Keith sets a decoy string to lure Sig away from good fishing, but risks his own secret plan by trusting the wrong ally.'

🧛 Vampirina (Disney Channel, 8:00 PM) 'A Moon Imp helps Vee redo Halloween; Demi sets out to see if he can still be frightening in his real boy form with help from Elijah. / A gargoyle visit prevents Elijah from sharing a secret; Sophie and Demi help Elijah with a dance assignment by using a skeleton toy.'

💲Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 On Brand with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 8:00 PM) 

🎥 While They Were Sleeping (LMN, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 Belle Collective (OWN, 8:00 PM) 

👮 On Patrol: First Shift (Reelz, 8:00 PM) 

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

💖 Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup (WE, 8:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🎭 Great Performances (PBS, 9:00 PM) 'Opera performer Grace Bumbry overcomes racial barriers to triumph in her 1966 performance as Carmen and achieves global opera fame.'

💰 Bering Sea Gold (Discovery Channel, 9:00 PM) 'Last-minute hopes hang in the balance; Shawn follows old mining evidence as he hunts for his biggest gold haul yet; but Kris suffers a failure.'

👽 The Unexplained (History, 9:00 PM) 'Stories of unidentified creatures living deep beneath the surface of oceans and lakes include sightings of giant sharks, prehistoric serpents, and even razor-toothed mermaids.'

🔔 The Couple Next Door (Starz, 9:01 PM) 'To mark 20 years together, Jacob plans a surprise trip to Antwerp for Charlotte; when a third person joins, things take an erotic, dangerous turn; cul-de-sac outcast Alan dusts off his telescope.'

🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:00 PM) 
🍽️ Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
👻 Scariest House in America (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
👮 On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 90 Day Diaries (TLC, 9:00 PM) 
👻 My Haunted Hometown (Travel, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Deb's House (WE, 9:30 PM) 

Steve

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

🌧️ The Rainmaker (USA, 10:00 PM) 'Rudy and Deck tail Melvin Pritcher, igniting a chain of events.'

👽 The Proof is Out There (History, 10:03 PM) 'Host Tony Harris and his team investigate footage of strange lights said to be aliens from outer space, claims that a cow fell through a roof after an attempted abduction, and more.'

🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 PM) 'Actor Tom Hanks; director Spike Lee.'

🔔 Late Night with Seth Myers (NBC, 12:37 AM) 'Actor Bobby Cannavale; singer Lola Young; Day Drinking with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.'

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:35 PM)
🤼 All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite (TruTV, 12:30 AM)
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM)

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

The Andy Griffiths Show (Sundance, 5:00 AM - 1:00 PM); Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM); South Park (Comedy Central, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM); Roseanne (CMT, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM); Living Single (TV One, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); The Facts of Life (Logo, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM); Parks and Recreation (Comedy Central, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM); The Andy Griffith Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM); 227 (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Three's Company (Logo, 6:00 PM - 1:30 AM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 7:00 PM -9:00 PM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TVLand, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antennae, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); Becker (Antenna, 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Golden Girls (Hallmark, 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM); The King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Wings (Antenna, 12:30 AM); The Drew Carey Show (Antenna, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 11:00 PM) 'Actress Loni Anderson; actor Tim Thomerson; zoologists Delia & Mark Owens.'

Bring Her Back

Key Sources: The Futon Critic; Rotten Tomatoes; YouTube; TV Guide; TV Passport

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