TV This Week, Oct. 7-13: ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,’ ‘Doctor Who’ and more

SUNDAY

Meet the new “Doctor Who”… definitely not the same as the old Doctor Who. Jodie Whittaker becomes the first woman to play the titular Time Lord as the venerable British sci-fi drama launches a new season. 10:45 a.m. BBC America; repeats at 12:30, 3 and 8 p.m.

Cancer survivors share their inspirational stories in the new special “BET Her Fights: Breast Cancer 2018.” 7 p.m. BET

He said/she said/they said: A new episode of “This Is Life With Lisa Ling” has the correspondent chatting with everyday folks who identify as gender non-conforming. 7 and 10 p.m. CNN

Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey and Imagine Dragons are among the myriad artists featured in the two-night concert special “iHeartRadio Music Festival.” Ryan Seacrest hosts from Las Vegas. 8 p.m. KTLA; also Mon.

Honey Boo-Boo of “Toddlers & Tiaras” and Bristol Palin’s son Tripp are among the young celebs vying for the mirrorball trophy on the new spinoff “Dancing With the Stars: Juniors.” Jordan Fisher and “Malcolm in the Middle’s” Frankie Muniz host. 8 p.m. ABC

“The Girl in the Bathtub” was having an affair with her boss, but he’s just one of several suspects in her murder in this fact-based TV movie. With Caitlin Stasey and Jason Patric. 8 p.m. Lifetime

Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and company go to Washington, D.C., where they encounter ghoulish characters — and some zombies too! — on the expanded Season 9 premiere of “The Walking Dead.” 9 p.m. AMC

Fictional Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) is joined by real-life counterparts Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton and Colin Powell when they guest star as themselves on the Season 5 premiere of “Madam Secretary.” 10 p.m. CBS

Is this all there is? Host Josh Gates seeks the answer in his new series “Expedition Unknown: Search for the Afterlife.” 10 p.m. Discovery Channel

“The Last Jedi’s” Oscar Isaac lends his voice to the debut installment of “Star Wars Resistance,” an anime-style prequel to the 2015 franchise entry “The Force Awakens.” 10 p.m. Disney Channel

MONDAY

A celebrity chef speaks candidly about her own battle with breast cancer in new documentary “RX Early Detection: A Cancer Journey With Sandra Lee. 8 p.m. HBO

Step right up! The decline of a once-popular form of entertainment is lamented in the two-night documentary “The Circus” on a new “American Experience.” 9 p.m. KOCE; also Tue.

The “Breaking Bad” prequel “Better Call Saul” closes out its fourth season. Bob Odenkirk stars. 9 p.m. AMC

Take it off! The resurgence of a once-popular form of entertainment is celebrated in the 2017 documentary “Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story.” 9 p.m. Starz

TUESDAY

“The Flash” and “Black Lightning” are back in action as these two superhero dramas return with new episodes. Grant Gustin stars in the former, Cress Williams in the latter. 8 and 9 p.m. KTLA

Long live the Queen: The late, great Aretha Franklin will be remembered in performances by Gladys Knight, CeCe Winans and others as part of the “2018 American Music Awards.” Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons, Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign and Taylor Swift also perform, and “black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross is the host. 8 p.m. ABC

“SoCal Connected” looks at the state of local journalism in general and at the Los Angeles Times — hey, that’s us! — in particular in a ninth-season premiere that includes an interview with new Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong. 8 p.m. KCET

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” Jack London’s “The Call of the Wild” and Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” are among the classic tomes under consideration on a new episode of “The Great American Read.” Meredith Viera hosts. 8 p.m. KOCE

WEDNESDAY

“United 93” filmmaker Paul Greengrass turns his attention to the lone-wolf terrorist attacks in Norway in 2011 in his new docudrama “22 July.” Any time, Netflix

Archie (KJ Apa) and the gang get back to getting up to whatever it is that kids get up to these days in a third season of the dark, comic book-inspired drama “Riverdale.” 8 p.m. KTLA

A young, gifted and black football star (Daniel Ezra) from Compton gets recruited to play for a high school in the 90210 in the new drama “All American.” Taye Diggs also stars. 9 p.m. KTLA

“Nova” checks up on a pair of active volcanoes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that just might abruptly erupt at any moment in a new two-part episode. 9 and 10 p.m. KOCE

THURSDAY

“Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” — these are a few of my favorite things and also the title of a new four-part culinary tutorial based on Samin Nosrat’s bestseller. Any time, Netflix

The brothers Winchester (Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki) are back in business for a 14th season of “Supernatural.” 8 p.m. KTLA

“Shelby the Swamp Man” returns in the new reality series “The Return of Shelby the Swamp Man.” 10 p.m. History Channel

FRIDAY

It’s “Downton Abbey’s” Dan Stevens versus a creepy turn-of-the-last-century religious cult led by “Masters of Sex’s” Michael Sheen in the new horror fable “Apostle.” Any time, Netflix

“Feminists: What Were They Thinking?” That is the question in Johanna Demetrakas’ new doc, which revisits a 1977 book of photographic portraits that includes famous faces like Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Any time, Netflix

We got scared just watching the trailer for “The Haunting of Hill House,” a new horror series inspired the classic Shirley Jackson novel. Carla Gugino stars. Any time, Netflix

Maggie Gyllenhaal is “The Kindergarten Teacher” who takes it upon herself to mentor a pint-sized poetry prodigy in Sara Colangelo’s new indie drama. “Mozart in the Jungle’s” Gael García Bernal also stars. Any time, Netflix

They will never be royals — royals — like “The Romanoffs.” “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner dramatizes the stories of everyday folks who believe themselves descended from the old Russian ruling family in this new globe-spanning anthology series. Any time, Amazon Prime

The action-drama “Blindspot” kicks off a fourth season. With Sullivan Stapleton and Jaimie Alexander. 8 p.m. NBC

Speaking of dynasties, the rebooted version of the prime-time soap “Dynasty” is back. With Elizabeth Gillies, Grant Show and Nicollette Sheridan. 8 p.m. KTLA

The three real-life America tourists who thwarted a lone-wolf terrorist attack on “The 15:17 to Paris” in 2015 portray themselves in director Clint Eastwood’s fact-based 2018 drama. 8 and 11:35 p.m. Cinemax

Orange is the new Becca: Our heroine (Rachel Bloom) finds herself in the big house, the hoosegow, the gray-bar hotel, the stoney lonesome, as the kooky musical comedy “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” begins its fourth and final season. 9 p.m. KTLA

Helen Hunt make much ado about “Much Ado About Nothing,” then F. Murray Abraham assays the quality of “The Merchant of Venice” when “Shakespeare Uncovered” returns with back-to-back new episodes. 9 and 10 p.m. KOCE

California dreaming takes its toll on one upwardly mobile family in the 2017 coming-of-age drama “The Tribes of Palos Verdes.” With Jennifer Garner and “Weeds’ ” Justin Kirk. 9 p.m. Showtime

SATURDAY

“El Cucuy: The Boogeyman” will get you if you don’t watch out in this new terror tale. With “Riverdale’s” Marisol Nichols and Brian Krause (“Charmed”). 7 p.m. Syfy

They’re still making these? 2018’s “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” is the closing entry in dystopian YA franchise. 8 p.m. HBO

“The Sinister Surrogate” isn’t going to give them their baby without a fight in this new thriller. With Kelly Thiebaud and Brian Ames. 8 p.m. Lifetime

Here comes Rhymin’ Simon: Singer-songwriter Paul Simon takes his 15th turn as musical guest on a new “Saturday Night Live.” Former cast member Seth Meyers is the guest host. 8:29 and 11:29 p.m. NBC

Rory Kennedy’s new documentary “Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow” salutes the astronauts, scientists and engineers who inspire all of us to reach for the stars. 9 p.m. Discovery Channel

Woman visits dude ranch, meets dude in the romantic new TV movie “Under the Autumn Moon.” With Lindy Booth and Wes Brown. 9 p.m. Hallmark Channel

“Karma” will also get you if you don’t watch out in this other new terror tale. With Mandela Van Peebles and Brytni Sarpy. 9 p.m. Syfy

Hello in there: Veteran singer-songwriter John Prine returns to perform on a new “Austin City Limits.” 11 p.m. KOCE

Customized TV listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes

Click here to download TV listings for the week of Oct. 7 - 13, 2018, in PDF format

This week’s TV Movies