TV This Week, Oct. 23-29: ‘Bill Murray: The Mark Twain Prize’ and more
SUNDAY
Get animated! James Woods and “Doctor Who’s†David Tennant lend their voices to a special behind-the-scenes episode of “Family Guy.†9 p.m. Fox
There’s no rest for “The Walking Dead.†The horror drama is back for a seventh season, with a new episode of “Talking Dead†right on its heels. 9 and 10:06 p.m. AMC
Those terra cotta warriors line up for inspection in the new special “China’s Megatomb Revealed.†9 and 11 p.m. National Geographic Channel
Brrr! It’s back to the “Edge of Alaska†in a third season of this docu-series. 10 p.m. Discovery Channel
MONDAY
Kids pull the darndest stunts in the new hidden-camera show “Rank the Prank.†7 p.m. Nickelodeon; also Tue.-Fri.
Country-music power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill lend their expertise to the contestants on a new episode of “The Voice.†8 p.m. NBC
She’s got our vote: “Wonder Woman’s†Lynda Carter guest stars as the president of these United States on a new episode of “Supergirl.†8 p.m. KTLA
“Joey’s†Matt LeBlanc is on the daddy track in the new sitcom “Man With a Plan.†8:30 p.m. CBS
“Prisoners of War,†the Israeli drama that inspired the hit cable series “Homeland,†comes to local television. 10 p.m. KCET
A programmer and his wife craft a video game inspired by their young son’s battle with cancer in the poignant documentary “Thank You for Playing†airing on a new “POV.†10 p.m. KOCE
Check-in time: Anthony Melchiorri’s “Hotel Impossible†returns with new episodes, followed by the new spinoff “Hotel Impossible: Five Star Secrets.†10 and 11 p.m. Travel Channel
There’s also no rest for Robert Kirkman, creator of “The Walking Dead,†who’ll be Neil deGrasse Tyson’s guest on a new “StarTalk.†11 p.m. National Geographic Channel
TUESDAY
Baseball’s best play for all the marbles — are marbles still a thing? — at the “2016 World Series.†5 p.m. Fox; also Wed., Fri., Sat.
It’s Halloween episodes all around for the sitcoms “The Middle,†“American Housewife,†“Fresh Off the Boat†and “The Real O’Neals.†8, 8:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m. ABC
Goodnight, ladies: A new installment of “The Contenders — 16 for ’16†revisits the failed vice presidential bids of the late Geraldine Ferraro and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. 8 p.m. KOCE
“All in the Family,†“The Jeffersons,†“Good Times†… and then there’s “Maude.†Norman Lear, the writer-producer behind these and other classic TV series, is saluted on a new “American Masters.†9 p.m. KOCE
Adam Conover from “Adam Ruins Everything†gives democracy a swift kick in the pants in “The Adam Ruins Everything Election Special.†10 p.m. TruTV
WEDNESDAY
Why the long neck? “Giraffes: Africa’s Gentle Giants†are looked up to in this new episode of “Nature.†8 p.m. KOCE
Orange is the new “Lip Sync Battle†when “OITNB†costars Laverne Cox and Samira Wiley go toe-to-toe on the reality series. 9 p.m. Spike
The Southern-set drama “Rectify†rises again for a fourth and final season. Aden Young stars. 10 p.m. SundanceTV
Get an altitude adjustment courtesy of mountaineer Jeff Evans and his rescue team in the new six-part docu-series “Everest Air.†10 p.m. Travel Channel
“Parks and Rec’s†Jon Glaser is well equipped for camping, cycling, and so on in the new mocumentary-style series “Jon Glaser Loves Gear.†10 p.m. TruTV
THURSDAY
“The Big Bang Theory†bounces back to Thursdays. 8 p.m. CBS
“Grey’s Anatomy†is teasing a return visit by a familiar face — they won’t say who, but try to look surprised. 8 p.m. ABC
“Community’s†Joel McHale plays a rugged writer stranded in an adventure magazine’s offices with a bunch of millennials — and we know how he feels, because … Oh, hi, kids! — in the new sitcom “The Great Indoors.†8:30 p.m. CBS
The Anna Faris-Allison Janney sitcom “Mom†is back for a fourth season. 9 p.m. CBS
Actor-rocker Rick Springfield puts his devilishly good looks to work guest starring as Lucifer on a new “Supernatural.†9 p.m. KTLA
A Victorian-era psychologist and his wife encounter superstition and, perhaps, the supernatural, in rural England in the six-part thriller “The Living and the Dead.†With Colin Morgan and Charlotte Spencer. 9 and 10:15 p.m. BBC America
Comedy power couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman guest star on the season premiere of the sitcom “Life in Pieces.†9:30 p.m. CBS
A brilliant surgeon (Dermot Mulroney) takes a job at a billionaire’s high-tech hospital in the new medical drama “Pure Genius.†10 p.m. CBS
FRIDAY
Teutonic meets tectonic when filmmaker Werner Herzog explores how volcanoes have shaped geography as well as indigenous cultures in the new documentary “Into the Inferno.†Any time, Netflix
Courageous canines collect kudos at the “2016 American Humane Hero Dog Awards.†Beth Stern and James Denton return as hosts. 8 p.m. Hallmark Channel
The life comedic: The star of “Stripes,†“Ghostbusters,†etc., etc., gets what’s coming to him in the new special “Bill Murray: The Mark Twain Prize.†9 p.m. KOCE
Go on real-time ride-alongs with cops all over the country — tape-delayed on the West Coast, of course — in the new docu-series “Live PD.†ABC News’ Dan Abrams hosts. 9 p.m. A&E
Our favorite sketchy Brit does her best impressions of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Angela Merkel, et al., in the imported comedy series “Tracey Ullman’s Show.†11 p.m. HBO
“The Big Bang Theory’s†Kaley Cuoco and “Community’s†Gillian Jacobs join in the shenanigans when “Comedy Bang! Bang!†returns with back-to-back episodes. 11 and 11:30 p.m. IFC
SATURDAY
Gillian Anderson is back on the case in the third and final season of the Northern Ireland-set detective drama “The Fall.†Jamie Dornan also stars. Any time, Netflix
The claws are out in the new clip-show special “My Cat From Hell: Worst Cat-astrophes.†8 p.m. Animal Planet
Two days before Halloween is apparently not too soon for a new made-for-cable Christmas movie, hence “A Wish for Christmas.†With Lacey Chabert and Paul Greene. 8 p.m. Hallmark Channel
Now this is more like it: A reality-TV crew captures dark proceedings in Amish country in the found-footage thriller “Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County.†8 p.m. Lifetime
It is a truth universally acknowledged that 18th century novelist Jane Austen would be rightly horrified by the 2016 horror/comedy/literary mashup “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.†With Lily James (“Downtown Abbeyâ€). 9 p.m. Starz
A monster’s on the hunt for some tasty human treats “The Night Before Halloween†in this new terror tale. “Good Witch’s†Bailee Madison stars. 9 p.m. Syfy
“SNL†standout “Pete Davidson†cracks wise in a new standup special. 11 p.m. Comedy Central
ALSO:
Wonder Woman joins ‘Supergirl’ cast as the president of the United States
‘American Housewife’ finds comedy in the new normal
Customized TV Listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes
Click here to download
TV listings for the week of Oct. 23 - 29, 2016 in PDF format
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.