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TV This Weekend

LOTR: The Rings of Power Wraps, Charlie Hunnam Headlines Apple Drama Shantaram

ALSO: Tegan and Sara's High School, Fixer Upper: The Castle, Megan Thee Stallion on SNL, and more.
  • Photos: Apple TV+, Prime Video, Amazon Freevee, NBC, Discovery+.
    Photos: Apple TV+, Prime Video, Amazon Freevee, NBC, Discovery+.

    After six weeks of action in Middle-Earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings its inaugural season to a close. Viewers can expect to finally see Sauron and the forging of the rings, which have been teased all season long.

    Also this weekend: Charlie Hunnam leads Apple’s Shantaram adaptation, Amazon Freevee turns Tegan and Sara Quin’s memoir into a coming-of-age drama, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Fixer Upper: The Castle gets a dual release on HBO Max and Discovery+, and more. Here’s what’s new and noteworthy on TV this weekend:

    FRIDAY OCTOBER 14

    The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1 finale. In the wake of Mordor taking control of the Southlands, the Elves, Harfoots, Dwarves and Númenóreans ally themselves against Sauron’s evil forces. Production on Season 2 began earlier this month, though showrunner Patrick McKay says it will be “another couple years” before it hits the screen. Watch preview. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

    Shantaram: Series premiere. Fugitive Lin Ford (Charlie Hunnam) hopes to get lost in vibrant and chaotic 1980s Bombay, but when he falls for an enigmatic woman named Karla (Antonia Desplat), he must choose between freedom or love and the many complications that come with it. Three episodes drop today, followed by one every Friday through December 16. Read our review. Streaming on Apple TV+

    High School: Series premiere. Clea Duvall adapts musicians Tegan and Sara Quin’s bestselling memoir about twin sisters attempting to establish their own identities against the backdrop of ‘90s grunge and rave culture. TikTok creators Railey and Seazynn Gilliland star as high school versions of Tegan and Sara, while Cobie Smulders plays their mom. Four episodes drop today. Watch trailer. Streaming on Amazon Freevee

    Fixer Upper: The Castle: Series premiere. Chip and Joanna Gaines take on the famous castle in Waco, Texas in hopes of breathing new life into the historic landmark, while also preserving its original beauty. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on HBO Max, Discovery+, and Magnolia Network

    Martha Gardens: Series premiere. Martha Stewart invites viewers to her 150-plus acre Bedford Farm and offers gardening tips and tricks. The series was filmed over a full year, with episodes set to drop monthly. Watch trailer. Streaming on The Roku Channel

    See: Series finale. Baba (Jason Momoa) and Sibeth (Sylvia Hoeks) face off one final time as Apple’s fantasy epic comes to an end after three seasons. Watch preview. Streaming on Apple TV+

    Bad Sisters: Season 1 finale. Past and present timelines converge as the Garvey girls and life insurers Matt (Daryl McCormack) and Thomas (Brian Gleeson) finally learn how John Paul (Claes Bang) died. Streaming on Apple TV+

    The Mole: New episodes. The remaining contestants continue to root out the saboteur among them in three new episodes. Streaming on Netflix

    College Football: The SMU Mustangs host the Navy Midshipmen in a Friday night spectacular. 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT on ESPN

    Penn & Teller: Fool Us: Season 9 premiere. Aspiring magicians are invited to perform their best trick to try and fool the world-famous team of Penn & Teller. If they succeed, they win the right to perform with Penn & Teller in their celebrated Las Vegas show. Hosted by Alyson Hannigan. 8:00 PM ET on The CW

    Whose Line Is It Anyway? Season 19 premiere. Guest comedian Jonathan Magnum and cast members Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady, and Colin Mochrie put their skills to the test in a series of improv games prompted by ideas from the studio audience. With host Aisha Tyler. 9:00 PM ET on The CW

    SATURDAY OCTOBER 15

    Saturday Night Live: New episode. Megan Thee Stallion joins a long list of stars who pulled double duty as SNL host and musical guest. Tonight marks her first time as host and second solo performance as musical guest (she first appeared with Chance the Rapper in October 2019). 11:30 PM ET/8:30 PM PT on NBC

    The Winchesters: Encore presentation. The CW travels back to the 1970s to explain how John Wincehster (Drake Rodger) and Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly), the parents of Sam and Dean Winchester, met and began a life of demon hunting in this prequel series. The premiere airs again tonight, four days after the premiere. Read more. 8:00 PM ET on The CW

    Professionals: Encore presentation. After a next-gen medical-data satellite explodes on launch, elite security operative Vincent Corbo (Tom Welling) is hired by billionaire futurist Peter Swann (Brendan Fraser) and his fiancée, Dr. Grace Davila (Elena Anaya) to investigate, but he soon discovers a vast corporate conspiracy that threatens Swann’s empire. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on The CW

    SUNDAY OCTOBER 16

    Chesapeake Shores: Series finale. The popular Hallmark drama comes to an end after six seasons with an episode that sees the O’Briens come together and reunite for good. Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on Hallmark Channel

    House of the Dragon: New episode. Despite Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) plea for unity, accusations of treason fly, escalating the threat of civil war. Watch preview. 9:00 PM ET on HBO

    Magpie Murders: Series premiere. When book editor Susan Reyland (Lesley Manville) attempts to finish a mystery manuscript featuring an unpleasant, prima donna detective, Atticus Pünd (Patrick Melrose), she’s plunged into a shocking mystery case of her own that changes her life in ways she’d never expected. The Masterpiece drama weaves together Susan’s present-day timeline with Pünd’s 1950s-era detective work. Watch trailer. 9:00 PM ET on PBS

    Step Up: High Water: Season 3 premiere. After High Water founder and megastar Sage Odom (Ne-Yo) is arrested for murder, Colette (Christina Milian) attempts to maintain the performing arts school’s reputation while balancing a nationwide tour. Watch trailer. 9:55 PM ET on Starz

    Annika: Series premiere. Masterpiece’s night of detective dramas continues with this series about DI Annika Strandhed, the dry-witted skipper of Glasgow’s newly-formed Marine Homicide Unit who juggles enigmatic cases while trying to raise her rebellious teenage daughter. Watch trailer. 10:00 PM ET on PBS

    Celebrity Jeopardy!: New episode. Simu Liu, Iliza Shlesinger, and Ike Barinholtz face off in the first semifinal round. 8:00 PM ET on ABC

    Sunday Night Football: The Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys in a matchup with major NFC East implications. 8:15 PM ET/5:15 PM PT on NBC

    Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: New episode. It’s a battle of the foodies as Phil Rosenthal, Carla Hall, and Jet Tila spin the wheel to raise money for charity. 9:00 PM ET on ABC

    NCIS: Los Angeles: New episode (special time). After an architect duo who specializes in designing secure buildings is kidnapped, the NCIS team mounts a search to bring them home. Watch preview. 10:30 PM ET on CBS

    Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.

    TOPICS: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Fixer Upper: The Castle, High School, Saturday Night Live, Shantaram, Charlie Hunnam, Megan Thee Stallion