What to Watch: Quantum Leap, The Spencer Sisters, Sullivan's Crossing
Carissa Pavlica
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My, how time flies. Here we are in the last quarter of 2023, and nothing is as we expected it would be.
With two strikes this year (one still in progress), our beloved fall content slate is eviscerated. The good news is that we’ve got a lot of unexpected broadcast shows, as well as cable and streaming shows beginning in October, so we still have a lot to share!
And being spooky season, we’ve also put together a full list of Halloween-related content for you in a special What to Watch dropping later this afternoon. We won’t leave you high and dry even if our regular content escapes us!
Saturday, September 30
8/7c Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story (Lifetime)
Hallmark fans will be shocked to see Luke Macfarlane in a role we’ve never seen from him before as he crosses networks for an utterly wild and truly scandalous Ripped From the Headlines film as part of Lifetime’s True Crime slate.
MacFarlane costars with Criminal Minds’ Kirsten Vangsness in this shocking tale of Eli Weaver, an Amish man who gave into temptations of the flesh and technology when he posed as the “Amish Stud” on social media and dating sites and embarked on a series of affairs behind his wife’s back.
When he expresses a desire for his devoted Amish wife Barbara to be gone… permanently, he becomes the primary suspect when Barbara turns up dead! We’ll have you covered with a juicy review!
9/8c All Rise (OWN)
Carl Brewer’s murder trial has started, bringing more twists and turns, and favorite guest stars, including DDA Choi (Reggie Lee) and Lola’s rival, Corrine Cuthbert (the late Anne Heche).
If you love drama, you don’t want to miss the confrontation between Robin and Andre.
Emily introduces Luke to her dad, but her dad has other reasons for coming to town.
Judge Lola is not the one to mess with and she is making that very clear! #AllRise pic.twitter.com/IBbJrPLCUK
— All Rise (@AllRiseOWN) September 28, 2023
Sunday, October 1
9/8c When Calls the Heart (Hallmark)
Things are heating up in Hope Valley.
Sure, matters of the heart are still at stake, but the future of our precious town is in peril!
On When Calls the Heart Season 10 Episode 10, the most trusted town members will gather together for a full-force effort to save Hope Valley. Can they do it? We have faith!
Monday, October 2
8/7c Kitchen Nightmares (FOX)
Six months into a brand-new restaurant, a New Jersey gastropub is in dire need of Gordon Ramsay’s assistance as they’re drowning in issues and struggling to keep their footing.
Who and what is the culprit behind this restaurant’s struggles? The chef!
A fiery chef terrorizes the kitchen, and Ramsay has his work cut out for him.
In the meantime, if you need to catch up with the premiere, check out what you’re missing and stream on Hulu!
Who ordered the Lobster DIY? 😂
— Food Club FOX (@FoodClubFOX) September 26, 2023
Watch the #KitchenNightmares premiere streaming now on @hulu: https://t.co/lyH85rcsVH pic.twitter.com/eMvoUFhYwE
9/8c Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (FOX)
If you didn’t tune into the premiere of this series with the slew of celebrities trying and many failing to tackle physically and emotionally grueling tasks with unamused special force members, you’re missing out.
Tara Reid and JoJo Siwa are the new problem children of the bunch for totally opposite reasons, and there’s already a clash of personalities between Blac Chyna and Brian Austin Greene.
Tune in to find out more!
POV: Me watching these recruits walk across the trainasium. These challenges are no joke.
— Reality Club FOX (@RealityClubFOX) September 26, 2023
Catch you next Monday on #SpecialForcesFOX to see who will continue to survive. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/I65b8XIing
Tuesday, October 3
9/8c FBI TRUE (CBS)
Fans of the FBI Franchise and crime TV will appreciate FBI TRUE as real-life FBI agents share gripping and emotional cases.
The series premiere details how Jimmy Lee Sykes abducted a young boy and kept him in a bunker and shows scene-by-scene emotional footage of how they profiled Sykes and the agents’ decisions.
Don’t miss any of these impactful cases or our interview with the series EPs Craig Turk and Anne Beagan.
Wednesday, October 4
8/7c Sullivan’s Crossing (The CW)
If you’re a fan of Virgin River, Sullivan’s Crossing is the perfect show for you.
Based on Robyn Carr’s book series of the same name, Sullivan’s Crossing focuses on a young neurosurgeon caught up in legal drama, so she returns home to Nova Scotia with the aim of reconnecting with her father.
The series has all of the drama you’d expect, complete with a solid cast led by Morgan Kole. The series also marks Chad Michael Murray and Scott Paterson’s returns to The CW.
9/8c The Spencer Sisters (The CW)
We’re so excited to see Lea Thompson back on television again.
She and Stacey Farber star as a mother-daughter duo who reluctantly collaborate to solve cases.
From what we’ve seen so far, the series is charming and witty as the duo helps others and tries to repair their relationship.
9/8c Chucky (Syfy/USA)
The doll with a thirst for blood returns with the first part of its third season.
After the events of Chucky Season 2, Chucky makes his way to Washington, D.C., where he gets into the White House and causes a whole host of problems.
Devon Sawa is along for the ride and delivers another excellent performance.
It wouldn’t be Chucky without Tiffany, and she’s back in a big way, too!
10/9c SurrealEstate (Syfy/USA)
After two long years, this surprisingly fun Syfy series out of Canada makes its return.
SurrealEstate Season 1 Episode 10 set up the second season, but with so much time between seasons and a temporary cancellation before Syfy brought it back to life, who knows if it will follow those events?
With this desolate fall, will you be giving SurrealEstate Season 2 a try? Let us know if you’d like us to cover it!
8/7c Quantum Leap (NBC)
Dr. Ben Song is BACK! The only thing is… he isn’t back home.
Despite everything promised in the Season 1 cliffhanger finale, Ben continues to leap through the lives of people throughout history (and the future?), putting right what once went wrong.
The Season 2 premiere finds him in a covert US Special Ops mission shot down in Russian airspace in 1978. What could possibly go sideways in this scenario? Oh boy, you’re about to find out!
Thursday, October 5
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
Stede and his band of misfits are back for another season of sailing the high seas and causing plenty of problems.
Unfortunately, the rift between Stede and Ed is still strong, and not even a love letter can repair things.
There are plenty of new faces along for the ride, and some of them are in the trailer below.
Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
The Cerritos have had some sweet gigs come their way, but escorting three Betazoid diplomats from Angel One to Risa? That’s a hedonistic all-points party to end all missions.
Sitting back and observing the debauchery proves illogical to provisional Lieutenant Junior Grade T’Lyn, but as the crew descends into chaos, she must step up to help set things right.
Meanwhile, Boimler learns the true calling of the ship’s security team. It’s a lot less pouncing and a lot more poetry than he’d expect!
We get the feeling that you won't want to miss these special Betazoid guests in tomorrow's new episode of #StarTrekLowerDecks. pic.twitter.com/43y2TuNOcg
— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) September 27, 2023
Lupin Part 3 (Netflix)
The French caper thriller returns with an all-new chapter.
Assane plots with one of his biggest heists yet, but he’s determined to reunite with his son and ex-wife, recognizing the difficult time they’re having with him being wanted.
However, the ghosts of his past are back to haunt him!
Friday, October 6
The Wheel of Time (Prime Video)
Let the epic battle against the Seanchan commence!
The Wheel of Time Season 2 finale is here, and it promises to be an explosive ending to a season that everyone agrees was miles ahead of the first. How will it all end?
With Moiraine finally able to use the One Power again and everyone on their way to Falme, we are excited to see all the main players reunite with their powers ready to use. What will happen? Will everyone survive?
Fair Play (Netflix)
This movie’s got quite a bit of buzz surrounding it.
The premise? An unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a young couple's relationship to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement.
Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) star. Looks good, right?
Totally Killer (Prime Video)
Horror fans should get excited about this exclusive new flick with a fun concept and a great cast!
The infamous Sweet Sixteen Killer returns on Halloween night 35 years after murdering three teenagers and searches for a new victim.
Enter Jamie, a 17-year-old who comes face to face with the killer only to end up time-traveling three and half decades back. What does she do? Team up with her teenage mom in 1987 to take down this psycho while trying to adjust to a totally different timeline and 80s culture! Sounds rad, yes?
Pet Semetary: Bloodlines (Paramount+)
Oooh! We love October.
In this prequel to Pet Semetery, in 1969, a young Jud Crandall is set to leave his hometown of Ludlow, Maine, in search of his life’s purpose.
Before he makes it out, however, Jud and his childhood friends encounter an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its founding.
Yes, please!
V/H/S 85 (Shudder/AMC+)
This is the franchise that keeps on giving.
In the latest installment, the creators want you to experience harrowing tales of found footage horror that pull you into the 1980s with V/H/S/85.
Raw fear awaits you… they say. Hey, we’ll give it a whirl!
8/7c Power Book IV: Force (Starz)
Have you recovered from that shocking Power Book IV: Force Season 2 midseason finale yet?
Yeah, neither have we. But we’ll have to soldier on, just like everyone else in Force land, and deal with the fallout from a few shocking deaths.
While Diamond looks to bring Jenard back home, Vic will be in his snitch era as he begins his quest to help the FEDs.
9/8c A Zest for Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (HMM)
House hunting takes an unexpected turn with the discovery of an undesirable feature – a dead body.
Convinced the prime suspect isn’t the culprit, Hannah launches her own investigation as she learns the shocking truth about the killer’s identity.
More importantly, will Hannah and Mike patch things up so they can keep working together and loving each other? We’ve got our fingers crossed!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
