Will viewers watch a miniseries about an apocalyptic plague in the middle of a real pandemic? The premium streaming service CBS All Access debuts “The Stand,” a nine-episode miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s 1978 novel about a strain of flu developed as a weapon of mass destruction that results in the death of much of the world’s population.
The series takes place in the grim aftermath of the event, as forces of good confront evil. Whoopi Goldberg stars as Mother Abagail, a benevolent 108-year-old survivor, and Alexander Skarsgard portrays “The Dark Man,” representing all of the evil that the moniker suggests.
Unlike some streaming projects that air all episodes simultaneously, “The Stand” offers new episodes every Thursday night, much like a traditional series. In addition to Goldberg and Skarsgard, the series features a sprawling ensemble cast, including James Marsden and Greg Kinnear.
This is the second television adaptation of King’s sprawling epic. ABC broadcast “The Stand” as a miniseries in 1994. Ruby Dee portrayed Mother Abagail in that version.
— Rachel Griffiths appears in her second notable streaming series in as many weeks. She’s a manipulative mother (to say the least) in Amazon Prime’s young adult mystery “The Wilds,” and tonight stars in “Total Control,” an Australian political drama from Sundance Now.
Viewers who know her best from “Six Feet Under” and “Brothers and Sisters” may be surprised to hear her speak in her native accent.
A tale of race, class and undying 19th-century attitudes, “Control” stars Deborah Mailman (“Jack Irish”) as Alex Irving, an indigenous woman thrust into the national spotlight after smartphone cameras capture her confronting an enraged gunman and stopping a mass shooting. Shunning publicity, she returns to her desolate outback community where she is a local political figure without very much status or clout.
After the death of a party member puts her Senate majority in peril, the slick and yet steely Prime Minister Rachel Anderson (Griffiths) nominates Irving to fill the seat. Chafing at the notion that she’s anyone’s “pet Aborigine,” Irving has a hard time settling into an old boys’ club or smoothing down her rough edges to advance the party’s interests.
Just when it looks like she’s about to unravel, she demonstrates some of the audacity that made her a national hero in the first place. A subplot involves a number of unexplained deaths of indigenous girls at local prisons, exactly the kind of scandal that the system saw fit to ignore. Until Irving arrived.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Alyvia Alyn Lind portrays a 9-year-old Dolly Parton in the 2015 autobiographical holiday film “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (8 p.m., NBC, TV-G).
— The Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders meet in NFL action (8 p.m., Fox).
— New lines of communication on “Station 19” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner host the canine countdown “Dogs of the Year” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
— Under siege on “Grey’s Anatomy” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
— Improvisation on “Star Trek: Discovery” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Eddie finds new ways to cope on “A Million Little Things” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
Buried in Amazon Prime’s vault of film noir movies, the 1958 thriller “Cop Hater” offers glimpses at the evolution of television police drama. Based on the first of a series of 87th Precinct novels by Evan Hunter, writing as Ed McBain, it would inspire the 1961 NBC series “87th Precinct” as well as “Hill Street Blues” 20 years later. Robert Loggia stars as a detective in search of the killer during a sweltering New York heat wave. Look for Jerry Orbach (“Law & Order”) in his first credited screen role.
SERIES NOTES
Much ado about D&D on “Young Sheldon” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) … Secret surveillance on “B Positive” (8:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
Bonnie frets about Adam on “Mom” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … “World’s Funniest Animals” (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG), followed by a repeat episode (9:30 p.m.) … A question of style on “The Unicorn” (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Sienna Miller is booked on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) … George Clooney and Black Pumas are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Paul McCartney, Pedro Pascal and The Voidz on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Viola Davis, Daveed Diggs and the Bird and the Bee featuring Dave Grohl appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (11:35 p.m., ABC).
Kristen Wiig and Carrie Underwood visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Gal Gadot appears on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS).
