Is the past prelude or playground? We seem to be living through a golden age, or perhaps a glut, of historical period pieces. From HBO’s “The Gilded Age” to Apple TV+ “Buccaneers,” there’s never been more chances to see a woman in a bustle.
Want mid-century Cold War intrigue? Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers” recalls the gay-hunting side of the McCarthy era. And (spoiler alert) the forthcoming second season of “Julia,” streaming on Max on Nov. 16, also recalls the chef’s time in the OSS, the precursor to the CIA.
Now entering its fourth season on Apple TV+, the historical fiction series “For All Mankind” not only plays with the past, but with a future that is already in our rearview mirror. Granted, it’s a future that never really happened.
In this ambitious effort, we’ve already been to Mars, with the help of a Soviet Union that did not expire in the early 1990s. Maybe that’s because they beat us to the moon in 1969.
As season four begins, the colonization of Mars proceeds, allowing for some remarkable discoveries that whet the appetites of some corporate speculators. Perhaps one side of the 1980s has not been rewritten. Greed has always been good.
— Prime Video streams “007: Road to a Million.” This adventure reality series takes nine pairs of everyday people and sends them on a world-spanning scavenger hunt. At each pit stop, they must answer a new question and get through an obstacle course right out of a James Bond movie. There will be tarantulas.
The last pair left standing wins 1 million pounds sterling. Yes, this is a U.K. import. Brian Cox, fresh from “Succession” is Charlie to these Angels. Just don’t call him “Dr. No.” He’s “The Controller.”
You don’t need to be a Bond buff to find this all pretty familiar. Strip away the Aston Martins and John Barry music and you’ve got a shaken-and-stirred remake of “The Amazing Race.”
— After a brief theatrical run following film festival exposure, Netflix streams the 2023 thriller “The Killer” about a globetrotting chase to capture a professional assassin (Michael Fassbender) after a hit goes awry.
Directed by David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “Seven,” “The Social Network,” “Mank”), it co-stars Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, and Tilda Swinton. “Killer” has received praise for its soundtrack, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
— Hulu welcomes another binge-worthy favorite from the past. In the last several weeks, they’ve begun streaming “Moonlighting” and “L.A. Law.” Now you can add “House” to the collection. Series star Hugh Laurie can also be seen in Netflix’s recent miniseries adaptation of “All the Light We Cannot See.”
— ABC correspondent Bob Woodruff returns to Iraq for the first time since a roadside explosive nearly killed him in 2006 in the hourlong special “After the Blast: The Will to Survive” (8 p.m., ABC).
After life-saving care by U.S. military doctors, Woodruff faced life with serious brain injuries and other ailments. His trauma and this account sheds light on the injuries sustained by countless surviving veterans of the Iraq war.
— Streaming on Shudder, the 2023 thriller “Birth/Rebirth” becomes the latest film to reimagine the “Frankenstein” story. In this case, it involves the reanimation of a young girl, kept alive by a rather grim harvest of nutrients.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart hosts “Salute to Service: A Veterans Day Celebration” (9 p.m., PBS, check local listings), featuring performances by musical artist Mickey Guyton, singer/songwriter Amanda Shires, and Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez.
— Drive-by shootings seem inspired by revenge on “Blue Bloods” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
An American tourist (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy) meet on a train to Venice and spend the night endlessly talking and falling in love in director Richard Linklater’s 1995 romance “Before Sunrise” (9:30 p.m., TCM, TV-14).
SERIES NOTES
“Let’s Make a Deal Primetime” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … “The Wall” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG) … “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … “Raid the Cage” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC) … “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC).
LATE NIGHT
Jim Gaffigan and Caroline Polachek appear on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Eric Idle, Rick Ross and Meek Mill on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC).
David Duchovny and Renee Rapp visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Ant, Andrew Norelli, Al Jackson and Sarah Colonna appear on “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
