What's On Tonight (Friday): Someone Didn't Watch the "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" Episode of Buffy

   

Obsession

This week’s Top Pick is the streaming premiere of the surprise summer horror smash Obsession.  The little indie that cost less than $1,000,000 to produce is still in the top ten after almost nine weeks and has grossed over $250,000,000, making it one of the most profitable movies of all time.  All that and it’s supposed to be good!

 

If you are less of an Obsession person and more of a Backrooms one, perhaps give the streaming premiere of Exit 8 a watch.  Adapted from the video game of the same name, the Japanese psychological horror mystery film follows a man stuck in a seemingly endless subway corridor where he must follow a set of rules if he is ever to escape.  Reviews have been excellent.

Horror isn’t really my thing, so I’m more likely to check out The East Palace.  The South Korean supernatural historical mystery series set in a fictional kingdom follows a man who can slay spirits and a lady of the court who can communicate with them that are both tasked with investigating a sinister force.  I recently binged the first two seasons of The Apothecary Diaries so this would seem to be more up my alley.

⭐🎥 Obsession (Peacock, 3:01 AM) STREAMING PREMIERE. 'After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.'

Elsewhere...

 PREMIERES

Exit 8

🎥 They Fight (Hulu, 12:01 AM) 'A group of adolescent boxers and their formerly incarcerated coach work to defend their national titles.'

🎥 Exit 8 (AMC+ / Shudder, 3:01 AM) 'A man trapped in a endless sterile subway passageway sets out to find Exit 8. The rules of his quest are simple: do not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you discover an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, carry on. Then leave from Exit 8. But even a single oversight will send him back to the beginning.'

🔔 Young Farts Trailer Parts (Amazon, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'It's finally time for the world to get to watch small-town brothers Jagger and Dawson Glowatsky in this comedic six-episode unscripted reality series. Between outrageous schemes, chaotic stunts, and big-hearted hijinks, these brothers chase one wild idea after the next - all for the love of their family and the multi-million-dollar empire they're building by buying beat-up RVs, cashing in on salvaged treasures, and turning trailer trash into a fast-growing, profit-fueled business.'

🎥 23,000 Lives (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Inspired by the true story of ‘Jugend Rettet’, 23 000 Lives tells the story of a group of young people who no longer want to stand by and watch as countless refugees die in the Mediterranean on their way to Europe. With no experience in sea rescue, they launch a crowdfunding campaign, buy an old fishing vessel, and go on to save the lives of more than 23,000 people. '

🎥 Desire (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'When a married lawyer starts an affair with her daughter's swim coach, a torrid romance turns into a twisted game where everyone loses control.'

🔔 The East Palace (Netflix, 3:01 AM) SEASON ONE. 'A man who walks the spirit world and a court lady who hears the dead enter the East Palace by the king's orders — can they unravel its dark secrets?'

🎥 Heartstopper Forever (Netflix, 3:01 AM) 'Nick and Charlie are inseparable, but with Nick preparing to leave for university and Charlie finding new independence at school, the reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on them.'

🗺️ The Map of Longing (Netflix, 3:01 AM) LIMITED SERIES. 'Before her death, Lucy creates a game for her sister, Greta, pushing her into a journey of self-discovery — and toward the charming Will Tucker.'

💖 Best Romcoms Ever! (CW, 8:00 PM) 'counts down the top 20 romantic comedies of all time, featuring commentary from critics, comedians, and the stars, writers, and directors who make the genre.'

🎥 My Daughter's Trapped in a Throuple (LMN, 8:00 PM) 'When Lori learns her daughter, Mia, has entered a throuple, her concern turns to fear when one member of the relationship is found dead. When Mia becomes the prime suspect, Lori must uncover the truth about what happened before it's too late.'

RETURNING SHOWS

🦇 Batwheels (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) SEASON 3 SUMMER PREMIERE.

The East Palace

STREAMING

🔔 Cape Fear (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Los Tempos De Dios Son Perfectos"

🔔 Silo (Apple, 12:01 AM) "A Dark Web"

🔔 Sugar (Apple, 12:01 AM) "Unknowns"

🔔 Alliance (Amazon, 2:31 AM) 

🔔 Escape to the Country (Britbox, 12:01 AM)  

🔔 Deep Revenge (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Proud (HBO Max, 3:01 AM) 

💖 Love Island (UK) (Hulu, 3:01 AM) 

🔔 Agent Kim Reactivated (Netflix, 3:01 AM) "Episode 7" 

🔔 The Chi (Paramount+, 3:01 AM) "Cold Feet" 

🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (Paramount, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

🔔 RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked (Paramount, 3:01 AM) SEASON FINALE. 

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

👮🏻 Cops (Fox Nation, 6:00 PM) 

LIVE SPORTSBALL TODAY/TONIGHT

🏌🏻 The 154th Open Championship: Round 2 (USA, 6:00 AM)

🏌🏻 PGA Tour Golf: 2026 Corales Puntacana Championship - Round 2 (Golf, 2:30 PM)

⚾ MLB Baseball: Chicago White Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (Apple, 7:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Summer League Basketball: Teams TBA (ESPN, 7:00 PM)

🏀 WNBA Basketball: Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever (Ion, 7:30 PM)

⚽ NWSL Soccer: Kansas City Current vs San Diego Wave (Amazon, 8:00 PM)

🥎 Athletes Unlimited Softball: Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever (ESPN2, 8:00 PM)

⚽ MLS Soccer: Teams TBA (Fox, 8:00 PM)

🏀 NBA Summer League Basketball: Teams TBA (ESPN, 9:00 PM)

⚽ USL Soccer: Portland Hearts of Pine at AC Boise (CBSSPT, 9:30 PM)

🏀 WNBA Basketball: Phoenix Mercury at Connecticut Sun (Ion, 10:00 PM)

⚽ MLS Soccer: Los Angeles FC at Los Angeles Galaxy (Fox, 10:30 PM)

🏀 NBA Summer League Basketball: Teams TBA (ESPN, 11:00 PM)

23,000 Lives

🕖EARLY PRIMETIME🕖

🧽 SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon, 5:00 PM) 'When Squidward sets out to prove that anyone can write a comic book, his work garners an obsessed fan base. An actor shadows SpongeBob in preparation for his next big movie.'

🪨📃✂️ Rock Paper Scissors (Nickelodeon, 5:30 PM) 'Paper and Sandpaper are on a train that gets hijacked by The Algebra Villain, who will make them crash unless Paper solves an algebra problem. Rock and Scissors think of the perfect prank.'

⭐ The Patrick Star Show (Nickelodeon, 6:00 PM) 'Patrick is mistaken for a corporate retreat leader. Patrick and Squidina hold auditions for a Patrick Show sidekick.'

🐢 Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon, 6:30 PM) 'All Raph's dreams have come true as he fights against Rocksteady, Bebop and Mondo Gecko in the Mutant Battle Arena; he doesn't realize that it's a trap set by the Purple Dragons!'

🕖8:00 EASTERN / 🕖 7:00 CENTRAL

🐟 Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel, 8:00 PM) 'When Wizard deckhand Lynn Guitard falls overboard in 15 foot seas, Keith and Monte scramble to rescue him before hypothermia sets in. On the Northwestern, Sig lets Sophia prove herself at the Russian line.'

💖 Best Romcoms Ever! (CW, 8:00 PM) 
💀 Scott Peterson: The New Evidence (A&E, 8:00 PM) SEASON FINALE. 
🎥 My Daughter's Trapped in a Throuple (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 (WE, 8:00 PM) 

🕗 9:00 EASTERN / 🕖 8:00 CENTRAL

🔔 Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness (HBO, 9:00 PM) 'Bob Woodward receives some questionable intel. Henry Ford is forced to take a local mensch out for a test drive. Bachelor president James Buchanan tries his luck with the ladies. Vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk makes his mother a little too proud.'

👽 The Unexplained (History, 9:00 PM) 'For centuries, certain objects have been deemed to heal the sick, summon spirits, legitimize kings, curse their owners, and even alter the fate of nations.'

🔔 20/20 (ABC, 9:00 PM) 
🍽️ Diners, Drive-In's & Dives (Food, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 My Lottery Dream Home (HGTV, 9:00 PM) 
👮 On Patrol: Live (Reelz, 9:00 PM) 
🏠 Zillow Gone Wild (HGTV, 9:30 PM) 
💖 This is Poly (WE, 9:30 PM) SEASON FINALE. 

They Fight

🕗 10:00 EASTERN / 🕖 9:00 CENTRAL

🍽️ Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman (USA, 10:00 PM) 'The Monster takes on Manhattan, devouring critically acclaimed slices and Korean with Sal Vulcano. / Braun takes a revolutionary ride through Boston in search of lobster rolls and chowder.'

👽 Mysteries from Above (History, 10:03 PM) 'Unlock an abandoned site on a remote Antarctic isle and check out mysterious shapes in the Finnish snow; puzzle over an inexplicable monolith in the far reaches of Norway, then get shocked by a blood-red frozen waterfall at the bottom of the world.'

💀 Dateline NBC (NBC, 10:00 PM) 

LATE NIGHT

🔔 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:34 PM) 'Actress Millie Bobby Brown; actor Sam Worthington; somber talks and performs.'

🔔 Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC, 12:37 PM) 'Professional basketball player OG Anunoby; actress Kerry Washington; actor Alden Ehrenreich.'

🔔 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, 11:35 PM)
😂 Comics Unleashed (CBS, 11:35 PM) 
🔔 Nightline (ABC, 12:37 AM)
😂 Funny You Should Ask (CBS, 12:37 PM)

📺Broadcast/Cable/Satellite - RETRO BINGE📺

South Park (Comedy Central, 5:00 AM -2:00 PM); The Andy Griffiths Show (Sundance, 5:00 AM - 1:30 PM); Law & Order (Pop, 6:00 AM - 8:00 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 (11:00 AM - 4:00 PM); Seinfeld (Comedy Central, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM); The Big Bang Theory (TBS, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM); The Andy Griffiths Show (TVLand, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM); Family Ties (Antenna, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM); The Office (Comedy Central, 5:00 PM - 11:00 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 King of Queens (TVLand, 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM); Becker (Antenna, 12:30 - 1:00 AM); The Golden Girls (Hallmark, 12:00 AM - 4:00 AM); Wings (Antenna, 1:00 AM - 2:00 AM)

📺 Johnny Carson (Antenna, 11:00 PM) 'Comic George Carlin; actor Jackie Cooper; composer Marvin Hamlisch; songwriter Jack Knight.'

The Map of Longing

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

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