There’s a lot to fear in Salem’s Lot. Hulu begins streaming the second season of "Castle Rock," a blending of various threads from the dozens of novels and short stories written by Stephen King. It’s not giving too much away to say that viewers can approach this new season without having seen the first.
Lizzy Caplan ("Party Down," "Masters of Sex") stars as Annie Wilkes, a nurse on the run with her daughter, Joy (Elsie Fisher). Annie’s work as a freelance nurse keeps her close to the anti-psychotic medicines she needs to function. But they’re not enough to keep the demons at bay. And this being a Stephen King "multiverse," they’re never in short supply.
Careful King readers and followers know that Annie Wilkes is the main character from "Misery" (played by Kathy Bates in the film adaptation).
Rather slow-moving at times, "Castle Rock" allows viewers plenty of time to contemplate the nature of Annie’s psychosis and the fine line separating mental illness from the supernatural.
— Tyler Perry never let a little thing like subtlety get in the way of becoming one of the most prolific television and movie producers working today.
So when the White House melodrama moves to "Tyler Perry’s The Oval" (9 p.m., BET, TV-14), expect plenty of cat fights, bodice ripping and booty calls in the West Wing.
Stranger things have certainly happened (and continue to occur) in the executive mansion. But events have a way of being less contrived (and hackneyed) than this fiction.
"Tyler Perry’s Sistas" (10 p.m., BET, TV-14) follows. In addition to creating a Wednesday night block for BET, Perry has partnered with the network to launch an ad-free subscription streaming service named BET+.
— Fans of Jenna Coleman, who plays the spunky monarch on PBS’s costume history "Victoria," are in luck. They get a second chance to see her in the four-part limited BBC series "The Cry" (11 p.m., Sundance, TV-MA). It was seen previously on the premium streaming service Sundance Now.
Coleman is well cast here as a somewhat naive young schoolteacher who marries a government bureaucrat (Ewen Leslie), who drags her back to his native Australia to meet his family (and where he can fight with his ex-wife over custody of his teenage daughter).
Tragedy strikes soon after a 24-hour flight with a crying baby. Then we discover what really transpired, over four rather intense and unsettling hour-long episodes.
— Chef David Chang visits new cities and shares meals with notable personalities in every episode of the new series "Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner," now streaming on Netflix.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— A patient’s pain management sparks a debate on "Chicago Med" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Game two of the World Series (8 p.m., Fox).
— Two car accidents share strange parallels on "Chicago Fire" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— "NOVA" (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) explores self-driving cars.
— Few witnesses emerge after a murder in an immigrant neighborhood on "Chicago P.D." (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— Foreign royals chat on "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey" (10 p.m., ABC). They pre-empted "Stumptown" for this?
— Survivors take stock on "American Horror Story: 1984" (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).
— A day at the zoo on "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (10 p.m., FXX, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
After foiling a robbery by chance, a hapless drinker (W.C. Fields) assumes responsibility in the 1940 comedy "The Bank Dick" (9:30 p.m., TCM, TV-PG). Written by Fields under the name Mahatma Kane Jeeves.
SERIES NOTES
Castaways connive on "Survivor" (8 p.m., CBS) … Erica tries to bamboozle Beverly on "The Goldbergs" (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … The time is now for Edgar Evernever on "Riverdale" (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) … A difference of philosophy on "Schooled" (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
Jason must choose a new team member on "SEAL Team" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … A grandparent intervention on "Modern Family" (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Stormy and a chance of poltergeists on "Nancy Drew" (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … Will’s soccer coaching dream on "Single Parents" (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Deacon’s family finds itself on the wrong side of a drug lord on "S.W.A.T." (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
LATE NIGHT
Tim Robbins appears on "Conan" (11 p.m., TBS) … Ronan Farrow and Andrea Savage are booked on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jessica Biel, Jesse Plemons, Brooks Wheelan and Terence Higgins visit "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Demi Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jay Larson appear on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" (12:35 a.m., CBS).
