October is here, and with the crisp fall air comes a fresh lineup of new movies and shows to watch on Netflix, Apple TV Plus and other streaming services, as well as broadcast and cable channels.
Spooky season lovers can tune into the chilling true crime drama "Monster: The Ed Gein Story," while "Chad Powers" throws a Hail Mary at comedy enthusiasts. On the movie side, "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale" comes to premium video-on-demand so fans can enjoy the sumptuous period saga at home. Plus, "The Lost Bus" takes viewers on a tense ride, while Cillian Murphy fronts the affecting drama "Steve." Here are our top picks for new TV shows and movies to watch this weekend.
New TV shows
‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ (Netflix)
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan return with another gripping true crime story, this time diving into the life of the man who defined modern horror. In the third season of “Monster,” Charlie Hunnam takes on the role of Ed Gein, the Wisconsin recluse whose chilling crimes in the ’50s didn’t just haunt a town, they became the blueprint for “Psycho,” “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Laurie Metcalf is unforgettable as his iron-fisted mother, while Tom Hollander and Olivia Williams portray Hitchcock and Alma Reville, showing how Gein’s monstrous deeds leapt from headlines into legend.
All 8 episodes streaming now on Netflix
‘Chad Powers’ (Hulu)
Hulu is shaking things up with a daring new comedy from Glen Powell, “Loki” creator Michael Waldron, and Peyton and Eli Manning. Forget the warm fuzzies of “Ted Lasso”; this is pure “Eastbound and Down”-style mischief.
Powell plays Russ Holliday, the brash college quarterback whose spectacular flop turned him into a decade-long punchline. Running out of options, he raids his dad’s Hollywood prosthetics kit, dons a new face and crashes a struggling Georgia football program as Chad Powers, the small-town QB with impossibly perfect skills … and a secret that could blow it all wide open.
Episodes 1-2 streaming now on Hulu
‘Abbott Elementary’ season 5 (ABC)
Abbott Elementary is back in session, and chaos reigns from the first bell. Janine (Quinta Brunson) juggles her ambitions with a flood of flashy new teachers, while Gregory (Tyler James Williams) tries to stay one step ahead.
Ava (Janelle James) turns flirtation into an art form without losing her signature sass, and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) finds unexpected delight leading the music class. Toss in newcomer Luke Tennie, oversized classrooms and all the awkward, hilarious staff dynamics you love, and this school year promises more laugh-out-loud moments and heartwarming surprises than ever.
Episode 1 streaming now on Hulu
‘Love Is Blind’ season 9 (Netflix)
The pods are open again, and this time Denver is the stage for 32 singles taking the ultimate gamble: falling in love without ever laying eyes on each other. Nick and Vanessa Lachey guide the proceedings in season 9, where outdoorsy thrill-seekers, nurses, real estate pros, and even a Rolex expert navigate the highs and lows of romance.
From tentative engagements to moving in together and planning weddings, sparks and drama are guaranteed. Will these Mile High hopefuls prove love really is blind, or will the walls coming down reveal all too much?
Episodes 1-6 streaming now on Netflix
‘E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web’ (HBO Max)
“Charlotte’s Web” returns in a charming three-part animated miniseries that brings E.B. White’s beloved story to a new generation. Amy Adams lends her voice to the wise and gentle Charlotte, while Elijah Wood voices Adult Wilbur and Griffin Robert Faulkner captures the innocence of young Wilbur.
Narrated by Jean Smart and featuring a stellar cast including Cynthia Erivo, Randall Park, and Rosario Dawson, this tender adaptation celebrates kindness, bravery, and the small gestures that leave a big impact. Produced by Sesame Workshop and directed by Luke Matheny (“Ghostwriter”), it’s a heartfelt reminder that true friendship makes even the littlest pig shine.
All 3 episodes streaming now on HBO Max
New movies
‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ (PVOD)
The Crawleys take their final bow (sob) in the third and last movie in Julian Fellowes’ aristocratic saga, which began with the six-season TV series. In 1930, the family and estate are wobbling under a divorce scandal, money woes and the creeping sense that the gilded world of Downton may not survive for long.
Pretty much everyone you know shows up for the farewell tour and they’re joined by some new faces, including Noël Coward himself, whose barbed zingers give the Dowager’s ghost a run for her money. It’s an elegant, bittersweet toast to a much beloved franchise.
Streaming now with purchase on Amazon or Apple
‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ (PVOD)
Decades after their glory days, Spinal Tap is back to turn it up to 11 again. The sequel follows David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) as they reunite for one last show. Along the way, they fumble through estranged friendships, artisanal cheese shops, crypto side hustles and the eternal quest for a drummer who won’t die on them.
Rob Reiner reprises his dual role as director and awkwardly nosy documentarian Marty DiBergi, while cameos from Paul McCartney, Elton John and Lars Ulrich add extra sparkle. It’s goofy, nostalgic and absurdly charming — classic Spinal Tap.
Streaming now with purchase on Amazon or Apple
‘Play Dirty’ (Prime Video)
Mark Wahlberg slips into the role of Parker, a hard-nosed antihero, in Shane Black’s new crime caper based on Donald E. Westlake’s “Parker” books (under the pen name Richard Stark). Fresh off a botched job and a bloody betrayal, Parker sets his sights on a bigger prize: a billion-dollar stash of artifacts.
With LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, Tony Shalhoub and more along for the ride, the action thriller leans into double-crosses, sharp banter and messy shootouts for a heist that’s far from clean.
Streaming now on Prime Video
‘The Lost Bus’ (Apple TV Plus)
Based on true events, this survival thriller hurtles straight into the heart of California’s 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in the state’s history. Directed by Paul Greengrass, it follows bus driver Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey) as he’s thrust into an unthinkable mission: guiding 22 children and their teacher (America Ferrera) through an advancing wall of flames.
Greengrass’s tense, ground-level style drives home a community’s fight for survival during one of the most devastating disasters in recent memory.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
‘Steve’ (Netflix)
Cillian Murphy trades atomic blasts for quieter battles in this drama set in a reform school on the brink of collapse. Over the course of one relentless day in the mid-’90s, headteacher Steve tries to keep his boys — and himself — from unraveling as politicians, cameras and personal demons close in.
Murphy delivers one of his most understated performances, matched by rising star Jay Lycurgo as Shy, a student teetering between violence and redemption. “Steve” is far from a blockbuster, but rather a raw, intimate character study that will linger long after the credits.
Streaming now on Netflix
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