October TV Preview: ‘VisionQuest,’ ‘East Of Eden,’ ‘Carrie,’ ‘Crystal Lake’ & More Must-Watch Shows
October brings major literary adaptations, franchise horror, returning crime favorites, Marvel’s “VisionQuest,” and one of the fall’s deepest months for television.
October marks the point when the fall television season really hits full speed. As we noted in our 62 TV Shows To Watch This Fall, the month was already unusually crowded, and several additional premiere dates have since taken shape.
Netflix starts things off with Zoe Kazan and Florence Pugh’s ambitious “East of Eden,” while HBO counters with George Kay’s legal drama “War.”Mike Flanagan returns to Stephen King with “Carrie,” Josh Hartnett and Mackenzie Davis head beneath the waters of Newfoundland in “Below,” and Marvel finally puts Paul Bettany’s Vision back at the center of the MCU.
Elsewhere, “The Diplomat,” “The Lowdown,” “Tulsa King,” “The Terminal List,” and “Lupin” return, while David Oyelowo and Hayley Atwell headline a new “Treasure Island.” Hulu adds the stranger coming-of-age mystery “Phony,” before the month closes with Apple’s serial-killer drama “Nocturne” and another round of “Dexter: Resurrection.” Here are 15 shows worth watching.
“East of Eden”
Zoe Kazanbrings a particularly personal dimension to adapting John Steinbeck’s sprawling American novel. Her grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the celebrated 1955 James Dean adaptation, but Netflix’s seven-episode version has room to embrace considerably more of Steinbeck’s multigenerational story. Florence Pugh stars as Cathy Ames, alongside Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, Ciarán Hinds, Joseph Zada, and Joe Anders. Kazan writes and co-showruns with Jeb Stuart, while Garth Davis directs the first four episodes and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre handles the final three. It’s easily one of Netflix’s biggest literary swings of the year.
Premiere Date:October 1 on Netflix.
“War”
Divorce becomes a blood sport in George Kay’s new legal drama, which pits two elite London law firms against each other during the ugly separation of tech billionaire Morgan Henderson and international movie star Carla Duval. Dominic West and Sienna Miller play the warring couple, with Phoebe Fox, James McArdle, Nina Sosanya, Pip Torrens, Archie Renaux, Archie Panjabi, and Celia Imrie rounding out the ensemble. “Sex Education” veteran Ben Taylor directs and serves as executive producer. Kay, best known for “Lupin” and “Hijack,” turns extreme wealth, reputation, ambition, and family into the ammunition for what promises to be a particularly vicious legal battle.
Premiere Date:October 1 on HBO and HBO Max.
“Carrie”
Mike Flanagan and Stephen King have already proved a potent combination with “Gerald’s Game” and “Doctor Sleep,” and “Carrie” gives the filmmaker eight episodes to reconsider King’s landmark debut novel—SummerH. Howell stars as Carrie White, with Samantha Sloyan playing her fanatically religious mother Margaret. Matthew Lillard, Amber Midthunder, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, and Josie Totah round out the cast. Flanagan updates Carrie’s bullying and humiliation for the social-media age while retaining the story’s essential mix of repression, cruelty, and adolescent rage. All eight episodes arrive at once.
Premiere Date: October 7 on Prime Video.
“Below”
A fishing town, a mysterious sea creature, and Josh Hartnett unraveling under pressure give “Below” a straightforward, enjoyable genre hook. Created by Jesse McKeown, the six-part Netflix thriller stars Hartnett as Calvin Penney, a Newfoundland fisherman whose troubled family life worsens when something begins terrorizing his coastal community. Mackenzie Davis plays marine biologist Fonda Howander, who joins Calvin in figuring out what lurks beneath the water. Charlie Heaton, Ruby Stokes, Willow Kean, Rohan Campbell, Natasha Henstridge, and Mary Walsh co-star. Creature feature, maritime mystery, and family drama make this one of October’s more intriguing wild cards.
Premiere Date:October 8 on Netflix.
“Treasure Island”
Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure classic returns to television with David Oyelowo taking on Long John Silver and Hayley Atwell playing Jim Hawkins’ mother. The MGM+ adaptation revisits the familiar story of buried treasure, piracy, betrayal, and rapidly shifting loyalties, with enough room to expand the adventure beyond the streamlined versions usually seen on film. Oyelowo is a particularly intriguing casting choice for Silver, a character whose charisma has always mattered as much as his menace, while Atwell brings another formidable presence to the story. Amid a month heavy on serial killers, political intrigue, and franchise horror, an old-fashioned seafaring adventure offers some welcome variety.
Premiere Date: October 11 on MGM+.
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