New This Week: September 30, 2024
New this week in TV, Music, Movies, and Games
TELEVISION
10/1: “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula” (Shudder/AMC+; Horror, Reality Competition)
Spooky season officially begins with this alt-drag showcase, now on Season 666 (just 6, don’t worry). This horror-themed drag reality competition is equal parts gory, whory, and underdog story.
10/1: “The Real Housewives of New York City” (Bravo; Reality TV)
Season 15 of the series — and the second season of the rebooted cast — takes off with new Housewife Racquel Chevremont, and controversial new Friend Of Rebecca Minkoff, who is already generating headlines for her involvement in Scientology.
10/1: U.S. Vice Presidential Debate (CBS; Politics, Dumpster Fire)
“CBS Evening News” Host Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” Moderator Margaret Brennan moderate this debate between Governor Tim Walz and Senator J.D. Vance. Gird your loins.
10/2: “Joan” (CW; Crime, Drama)
Sophie Turner — Sansa from “Game of Thrones” — stars in this drama exploring the origins of housewife-turned-jewel-thief Joan Harrington, a notorious British figure from the 1980s.
10/3: “Heartstopper” (Netflix; LGBT, Romance)
The squee-inducing LGBT drama returns for Season 3. Between this and “Agatha All Along,” Joe Locke is having a hell of a fall…
10/3: “The Legend of Vox Machina” (Prime Video; Animated, Fantasy)
Critical Role’s surprisingly awesome animated Dungeons & Dragons adaptation returns for Season 3, with our intrepid heroes take on a collective of massively powerful dragons.
10/3: “Law & Order” (NBC; Crime, Procedural)
Maura Tierney joins the cast for Season 24 of NBC’s old-reliable procedural. Note that “Law & Order: SVU” also returns this week.
10/3: “Gremlins: The Wild Batch” (Max; Animated, Adventure)
This sequel to the wonderful “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” moves the action to the American West. Listen for guest spots by Simu Liu, Will Forte, Jimmy O. Yang, Kelly Hu, John Glover, and more.
10/6: American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special (CBS; Music)
Brad Paisley, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Green Day, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, Raye, and Stray Kids all perform in this celebration of all things American and music.
10/6: “The Franchise” (HBO/Max; Comedy, Satire)
Sam Mendes is one of the producers behind this meta-comedy about a film crew working on a creatively bankrupt super-hero franchise. Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Richard E. Grant, and Billy Magnusson star.
MUSIC
10/4: Coldplay Moon Music (Pop/Rock)
The British rock band returns for its 10th (!) studio album, the second installment in its “Music of the Spheres” project.
10/4: FINNEAS For Cryin’ Out Loud (Alt-Pop)
Finneas O’Connell — songwriter and producer best known for his work with sister Billie Eilish — releases his sophomore solo project, this one a more collaborative disc than his isolationist debut.
10/4: Lemon Zestiny Vol. 1 (Rap, Pop)
The “Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World 2” winner releases her new album; if you think a white drag queen can’t throw down a sick verse, check this out. Lemon’s awesome.
10/4: Leon Bridges Leon (R&B)
The R&B singer with a sound evoking 60s soul icons returns for his fourth album.
10/4: The Smile Cutouts (Alt-Rock)
The side project from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke releases its second album of 2024, after January’s Wall of Eyes. And people say Taylor Swift is too prolific…
MOVIES
10/3: Salem’s Lot (MAX; Horror, Suspense)
Lewis Pullman and Alfre Woodard star in this film version of Stephen King’s 1975 novel about a writer who returns to his small hometown to find it under the thrall of a vampire.
10/3: Hold Your Breath (Hulu; Suspense, Drama)
Set in the 1930s Dust Bowl epidemic, Sarah Paulson stars as a woman convinced that something sinister is stalking her family. With Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Annaleigh Ashford.
10/3: House of Spoils (Prime Video; Horror, Suspense)
Ariana DeBose stars in this Blumhouse horror as a chef hired to work on a remote estate, who is plagued by self doubts and possibly a supernatural presence.
10/4: Joker: Folie a Deux (Wide; Action, Musical)
Joaquin Phoenix returns to the DC Comics role that won him an Oscar, with Lady Gaga joining as Harley Quinn, in a gritty drama that is allegedly not a musical, but is absolutely a musical.
10/4: White Bird (Wide; Drama, Inspirational)
Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson serve as supporting characters in this historical drama from the director of Finding Neverland.
GAMES
10/1: Throne and Liberty (PC, PS5, Xbox S|X; MMORPG, Fantasy)
This Amazon-led game — initially part of the Lineage series — finally comes to North American audiences 8 YEARS after beta launching in Asia.
10/3: Kill Knight (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox S|X; Action, Shooter)
You play as a knight condemned to an eternity of suffering — so, basically, 2024 in the real world — as you use various weapons to annihilate swarms of horrifying creatures.
10/4: NHL 25 (PS5, Xbox S|X; Sports)
Some people like to play hockey video games. I don’t presume to know their lives, but this is for them.
10/4: SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox S|X; Adventure)
SpongeBob’s starfish sidekick gets his very own video game, in which he runs around Bikini Bottom searching for treasure, getting into hijinks, etc.
10/4: Until Dawn (PC, PS5; Horror, Remake)
The 2016 horror game has been “rebuilt from the ground up” to provide even more thrills as a group of friends try to survive in a haunted cabin.
