October is the best month of the year to spook yourself. But this month’s television releases are not necessarily frightening in the traditional sense. Lots of things can be scary, including falling in love, having your secrets exposed or forging a new career late in life. October TV promises all this and more.
‘Love is Blind’ season 7 (Oct. 2)
Getting married to a stranger far too quickly is a common enough premise on reality TV — but falling in love with that stranger through a wall is the genius spin that made this Netflix original series a hit. With the 2024 election only a month away, now is the perfect time for the show to head to Washington, D.C. — a city “notorious for its difficult dating scene, often blamed on ambitious professionals who prioritize their careers over everything else,” said The Washington Post. The grand reveal, which happens when two lovers finally meet each other in-person after choosing to get engaged, “doesn’t always go so well,” the Post said, “making for some fascinating television. Someone might fall for the person on the other side of the wall for their curiosity and great wit, but what happens when they discover that person, say, lied about their height?” (Netflix)
‘The Franchise’ (Oct. 6)
Ever wonder what it is like to make a big-budget superhero or franchise flick? HBO’s new original comedy series, from “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci, will give you an insider peek into the studio filmmaking process. Just don’t expect it to be glamorous or flattering. “Casting superhero movies not as cinema but as wildly expensive content, it’s a show that’ll be music to Martin Scorsese’s ears,” said Nick Schager at The Daily Beast. “The Franchise” is “unafraid to mock the entire phenomenon of spending hundreds of millions of dollars on absurd and juvenile fantasies whose every element, when viewed from a distance, look borderline ridiculous.” (HBO)
‘Teacup’ (Oct. 10)
If you are on the hunt for a seasonally appropriate binge watch, Peacock’s new series “Teacup” should meet all your spooky needs. Executive-produced by beloved horror director James Wan (“Saw,” “The Conjuring”), the show is loosely based on the bestselling 1988 novel “Stinger” by Robert McCammon and “follows a group of people desperately trying to grapple with forces far beyond their control,” said NBC. It has already been praised on X by the reigning horror king himself, novelist Stephen King: “If you like FROM or LOST, I think you’ll enjoy this,” he said. “It’s strange, creepy, claustrophobic, and scary.” (Peacock)
‘Disclaimer’ (Oct. 11)
Talk about prestige television. Everyone’s favorite blonde Aussie actor, Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, stars in this new mystery miniseries from Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón. It is Cuarón’s first project as writer/director since 2018’s “Roma.” Based on the novel “Disclaimer” by Renée Knight, the psychological thriller follows a documentary filmmaker named Catherine who receives a book from an unknown author only to discover that she is its main character — and that the book uncovers her darkest secrets. This is “Cuarón’s most provocative project since ‘Y Tu Mamá También,'” said Ben Travers at IndieWire. “The way ‘Disclaimer’ preys on our own bloodthirsty nature to dole out judgment could seem like a screed against cancel culture, if it wasn’t so well-positioned to appreciate accountability.” (Apple TV+)
‘Matlock’ (Oct. 17)
From “Jane the Virgin” creator Jennie Snyder Urman comes a CBS reboot of a classic legal drama from the ’80s that stars Kathy Bates as clever septuagenarian lawyer Madeline Matlock. The series kicks off when Matlock, under the guise of being a harmless old lady, sneaks her way into a prestigious law firm and “uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases and expose corruption from within,” reads the show’s official synopsis. “While it could have been a train wreck of an intellectual property grab,” the series is “actually a darling little legal drama,” said Kelly Lawler at USA Today. “For those who miss a ‘Good Wife’-style procedural in their lives, it might just scratch an itch.” (CBS)