What's On Tonight (Friday): Hire a Monster to Kill a Monster...

         

 Dust Bunny

Today's Top Pick goes to the streaming premiere of Dust Bunny. A film that's either about a guy who kills monsters or about a guy who a little girl thinks kills monsters but actually kills bad guys.  It was difficult for me to tell from the trailer.  It stars Mads Mikkelson and Sigourney Weaver (though she appears to be a supporting role) and was written and directed by Bryan Fuller.  And unlike last week's Top Pick, this one is at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.  

If that sounds too high falootin' for you, Amazon has the series premiere of American Gladiators.  I watched the original one on occasion because there were attractive women in spandex (more the contestants than the gladiators), but now I can see attractive women in spandex anytime I want.  I guess I just don't get the point of bringing it back.

⭐🎥 Dust Bunny (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'Ten-year-old Aurora has a mysterious neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) who kills real-life monsters. He's a hit man for hire. So, when Aurora needs help killing the monster she believes ate her entire family, she procures his services.  Directed by Bryan Fuller.'✔️

Elsewhere...

 PREMIERES

American Gladiators

🔔 Innate (Hulu, 12:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. '25 years after Sara discovered that her father was a murderer, a new death seems to be connected to his crimes from the past. The psychologist's calm life comes crashing down when she suspects that her father's not the one behind the crime this time, but rather her own teenage son.'

💖 Absolute Value of Romance (Amazon, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'Blending awkward teenage moments with bittersweet humour, and heartfelt storytelling, the series follows a young aspiring writer navigating high school, friendship, and relationships.'

💪🏻 American Gladiators (Amazon, 3:01 AM) SERIES PREMIERE. 'features amateur male and female Contenders from across the nation stepping into the Arena to face 16 powerful new American Gladiators. From classic events like Joust, Powerball, Hang Tough, and The Wall, to high-impact new events including The Ring and Collision, every showdown demands strength, strategy, and pure grit.'✔️

🎥 Night Patrol (AMC+ / Shudder, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'An LAPD officer must put aside his differences with the area's street gangs when he discovers a local police task force is harboring a horrific secret that endangers the residents of the housing projects he grew up in.'✔️

🎥 180 (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'When an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition, an enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.'

🎥 A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (Netflix 3:01 AM) 'This intimate documentary blends the remarkable story of David Attenborough’s first encounter with the baby gorilla Pablo with a deep dive into how Pablo’s direct descendants are doing today in the mountains of Rwanda.'✔️

✂️ The Master Cutter (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'A former scout ranger–turned–tailor and secret man-hunter takes in a street-smart girl and her guardian, then is hired to hunt the girl down.'  

🎥 My Dearest Señorita (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'A young woman from a traditional family learns she's intersex, sparking a journey of self-discovery, gender identity and love found in unexpected places.'

🎥 Roommates (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'When a hopeful, naive college freshman, Devon, asks the cool and confident Celeste to be her roommate, a blossoming friendship spirals into a war of passive aggression.'

🎥 The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels (Peacock, 3:01 AM) 'This intimate look at Michaels spotlights his incredible ability and the personal struggles that led to one of the most improbable redemption stories in WWE history.'✔️

🎥 Hive (Tubi, 3:01 AM) 'An anxious teenager who loses the child she's babysitting must brave a sinister force hiding in plain sight among the children of a playground.'

😂 Rammy Youssef: In Love (HBO, 9:00 PM) 'Ramy playfully approaches a vast spectrum of personal topics, both hilariously relatable and genuinely serious, all while doing so with the belief that you can find light and hope in all things if you just try to see them through a lens of love.'✔️

RETURNING SHOWS

🔔 Alpha Males (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON FIVE.

🏌🏻 Full Swing (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON FOUR.

They Vampires Night Patrol

STREAMING

🚀 For All Mankind (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Open Source" 

👹 Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Separate Ways" 

🔔 Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple, 12:01 AM) "We Never Supposed to Get This Old" 

🥇 Medalist (Hulu, 12:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

❄️ Snowball Earth (Hulu, 12:01 AM) 

 👊🏻 Fist of the North Star: Hokuto No Ken (Amazon, 3:01 AM) 

⚖️ Judy Justice (Amazon, 3:01 AM) "Scheming Siblings" 

⚖️ Tribunal Justice (Amazon, 3:01 AM) "Feline Fraud and a Cat Fight" 

🧑‍🌾 This Farming Life (Britbox, 3:01 AM) "Heartache on Arran"

🎬 Dream Stage (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Mira: Life After Divorce (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Privileges (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🧼 Days of Our Lives (Peacock, 3:01 AM) 

👑 Perfect Crown (Disney+ / Hulu, 10:21 AM) 

👮🏻 Cops (Fox Nation, 6:00 PM) 

LIVE SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌🏻 Senior PGA Championship: Round 2 (Golf, 10:00 AM)

🥒 US Open Pickleball Championships: Semifinals - Naples Florida (CBSSPT. 12:00 PM)

🏌🏻LIV Golf: Mexico City: Round 2 (Fox, 2:00 PM)

🏌🏻 PGA Tour Golf: 2026 RBC Heritage - Round 2 (Golf, 2:00 PM)

🏌🏻 LPGA Tour Golf: 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship - Round 2 (Golf, 6:00 PM)

🏉 Women's Rugby: New Zealand at Canada (CBSSPT, 6:15 PM)

⚾ MLB Baseball: Tampa Bay Rays at Pittsburgh Pirates (Apple, 6:45 PM)

⚾ College Baseball: Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers (ESPN, 7:00 PM)

🥎 College Softball: Kentucky Wildcats at Alabama Crimson Tide (ESPN2, 7:00 PM)

⚾ MLB Baseball: Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox (Apple, 7:15 PM)

⚾ College Baseball: Southeastern Louisiana Lions at UTRGV Vaqueros (ESPNU, 7:30 PM)

🏈 UFL Football: Dallas Renegades at Columbus Aviators (Fox, 8:00 PM)

⚾ MLB Baseball:  St Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros (ESPN App, 8:10 PM)

🏉 Women's Rugby: Australia at United States (CBSSPT, 9:00 PM) 

🥎 College Softball: Arkansas Razorbacks at Oklahoma Sooners (ESPN2, 9:00 PM)

⚽ Women's International Friendlies: United States at Japan (TNT / TruTV, 9:00 PM)

🥊 Boxing: Baumgardner vs. Shin (Main Card) (ESPN, 10:00 PM)

🥍 NLL Lacrosse: Las Vegas Desert Dogs at San Diego Seals (ESPNU, 10:30 PM)

The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels

EARLY PRIMETIME

🔊 Loud House (Nickelodeon, 5:30 PM) 'While house sitting, Stella lets her friends use Principal Ramirez's pool on a super hot day; Luna and Luan get competitive when they find out they are competing for the same performance grant.'

💲 America Says (GSN, 6:00 PM) "Comedy Crew vs Fitness Fanatics" 

🕖8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

👮🏻‍♀️ Sherriff County (CBS, 8:00 PM) 'To save one of her own, Sheriff Mickey Fox launches a race-against-time investigation that exposes long-buried secrets and a chilling pattern haunting Edgewater County.'

🍺 Happy's Place (NBC, 8:00 PM) 'After Bobbie and Isabella request that Steve find how the tavern can save money, he discovers a way by replacing himself with an AI accountant; Gabby gives Emmett a crash course on proper texting etiquette.'

🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 8:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 'The top queens face off in an epic evening of performances and lip syncs, as they compete for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar and a grand prize of $200,000.'

🔔 Outlander (Starz, 8:01 PM) 'After serving as a British Army nurse in World War II, Claire Randall is enjoying a second honeymoon in Scotland when she is transported to 1743; dealing with a mysterious world where her freedom and life are threatened.'

💲 Celebrity Jeopardy (ABC, 8:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush (Discovery, 8:00 PM) 

🎥 The Guest Who Wouldn't Leave (LMN, 8:00 PM) 
🔔 Belle Collective (OWN, 8:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

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

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

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

👨🏻‍🚒 Fire Country (CBS, 9:00 PM) 'A routine response to a reported minor fire turns dangerous when the Station 42 team discovers the threat is far greater than dispatch indicated.'

🎭 Great Performances (PBS, 9:00 PM) 'Uncovering the lasting impact of ragtime composer Scott Joplin on today's orchestras; a restaging of Joplin's magnum opus "Treemonisha" for the 21st century.'

👽 Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd (History, 9:00 PM) 'How did a pet pig spring into action to save its owner's life?'

🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:00 PM) 
💰 Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan (Discovery Channel, 9:00 PM) 
🍽️ Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
😂 Rammy Youssef: In Love (HBO, 9:00 PM) ✔️
🏠 My Lottery Dream Home (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
🔔 Belle Collective: Birmingham (OWN, 9:00 PM) 
👮 On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🤮 Mama June: From Not to Hot (WE, 9:00 PM) 
💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 9:01 PM) 

Rammy Youseff: In Love

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

👮🏻 Boston Blue (CBS, 10:00 PM) 'When a Brooklyn homicide leads to a dangerous cross-city case, Danny and Lena reunite with Danny's former NYPD partner Maria Baez to uncover the truth and protect a vulnerable victim; the team confronts difficult family dynamics.'

👽 The Proof is Out There (History, 10:03 PM) 'Is a famous volcano in Mexico actually home to a UFO base?'

💰 Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan (Discovery Channel, 10:00 PM) 
🔔 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 'Musician Sting; actress Minnie Driver; chef Ruthie Rogers; Sting and Shaggy performance from "The Last Ship."'

🔔 Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC, 12:37 PM) 'Actress Tessa Thompson; actor Steve Zahn; comic Mark Normand.'

🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS, 12:35 PM) 
🔔 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); Living Single (TV One, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); M*A*S*H* (TVLand, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM); Friends (TBS, 10:00 AM - 4:00  PM); Gunsmoke (TVLand, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 2:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Andy Griffiths Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); Three's Company (Antenna, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Barney Miller (Antenna, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM); Everybody Loves Raymond (TVLand, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM); One Day at a Time (Antennae, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM); The Jeffersons (Antenna, 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM); Sanford & Son (Antenna, 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM); The Golden Girls (Hallmark, 10:00 PM - 2:00 AM); The King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Becker (Antenna, 12:00 - 1:00 AM); Wings (Antenna, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 11:00 PM) 'Actor Craig T. Nelson; actor Michael Crawford; journalist Bob Costas.'

A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough

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

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