October 15 – October 21: Crave Weekly Streaming Overview

Crave continues to deliver weekly alerts highlighting new and noteworthy programming and scheduling changes for the week ahead.   Highlights This Week  

• Crave’s CREEPY CRAVINGS collection is an impressive mix of haunting films and series’ sure to get viewers into the Halloween spirit. With 105 titles from which to choose, this curated collection features a blend of modern and cult classics including: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, HALLOWEEN, THE SHINING, DOCTOR SLEEP, TRUE BLOOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, and many more.

 

• STAR TREK: DISCOVERY returns with its third season premiere on Friday, 16 at 9 p.m. ET. After following Commander Burnham into the wormhole in the second season finale, Season 3 finds the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery landing in an unknown future far from the home they once knew. Now living in a time filled with uncertainty, the U.S.S. Discovery crew, along with the help of some new friends, must work together to restore hope to the Federation. Season 3 cast members include Sonequa Martin-Green (THE WALKING DEAD), Doug Jones (The Shape of Water), Anthony Rapp (Rent: Live), Mary Wiseman (ROOM 104), Wilson Cruz (13 REASONS WHY), and David Ajala (SUPERGIRL). Also appearing this season are Blu del Barrio, Ian Alexander (THE OA), and Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Crazy Rich Asians).

 

• Andrew Lloyd Weber’s 2019 musical feature film CATS joins Crave on Friday, 16. Based on the beloved stage musical, the film follows a tribe of cats called the Jellicles who must decide annually which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life. The film’s star-studded cast includes Taylor Swift (Valentine’s Day, The Lorax), Jennifer Hudson (Dream Girls, Sex and the City), James Corden (Into The Woods, Trolls) Jason Derulo (EMPIRE), Judi Dench (Skyfall), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids), Idris Elba (Molly’s Game, LUTHER), and breakout star, Francesca Hayward.

 

• Directed by Oscar^® and Emmy^®-winner Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing), HBO’s DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA joins Crave on Saturday, 17 at 8 p.m. ET. This special event brings the Talking Heads frontman’s critically acclaimed Broadway show to HBO in a one-of-a-kind film. Recorded during its late 2019 to early 2020 run at Broadway’s Hudson Theatre in New York City, Byrne is joined by an ensemble of 11 musicians, singers, and dancers from around the globe, inviting audiences into a joyous dream-world where human connection, self-evolution, and social justice are paramount. The special is described by The Globe and Mail as “a house party, then a science lesson, then a cultural essay, then a political protest. But always – always – with a fierce rhythm and energy unique to the 68-year-old, eternally impossible-to-classify Byrne.”

 

• The rigorous and unsparing docuseries from STARZ examining the NXIVM sex-cult, SEDUCED: INSIDE THE NXIVM CULT, premieres Sunday, 18. The series chronicles the extraordinary and harrowing journey of India Oxenberg – the daughter of Hollywood actress Catherine Oxenberg and a descendant of European royalty-who was seduced into the modern-day sex-slave cult NXIVM. More than 17,000 people, including India, enrolled in NXIVM’s “Executive Success Programs,” a front for the cult and a hunting ground for its leader, master predator Keith Raniere. Both about a mother trying to save her daughter and recovery from trauma, the series follows India’s seduction, indoctrination, enslavement, escape, and her role as “co-conspirator” in assisting the U.S. government with bringing down Raniere and his criminal enterprise.

 

• As a proud partner of the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, running virtually from October 20-25, Crave’s INDIGENOUS STORIES collection highlights the work of Indigenous filmmakers. The collection features BLOOD QUANTUM, FALLS AROUND HER, RESTLESS RIVER, THE GRIZZLIES, RHYME FOR YOUNG GHOULS, SHADOW TRAP, JOJO RABBIT, MALIGLUTIT (SEARCHERS), SGAAWAAY K’UUNA (EDGE OF THE KNIFE), and TIA AND PIUJUQ.

  What Critics Are Saying about HBO’s WARRIOR   “WARRIOR Takes the “Model Minority” Cliche and “Flips It on Its Ass”” “Warrior is far from eat-your-vegetables TV: It’s a handsome, adrenalized ride with a multiracial ensemble cast that engages in fisticuffs on the regular. But the Asian characters are the most important ones, and they are not exoticized or stereotyped as “inscrutable.” – Maureen Ryan, Vanity Fair   “WARRIOR is Cinemax’s last dying breath in terms of original content, but the exciting action series is more than making it count” “Between the excellent stunt work and compelling narrative that digs into politics and racism, no other show is doing quite what Warrior is doing, so catch it while you still can.” – Kaitlin Thomas, TV Guide   “‘WARRIOR’ Is Still the Best Show You’re Not Watching” “Warrior, a supremely kick-ass and criminally underappreciated martial arts Western based on the works of Bruce Lee […] makes itself an extremely entertaining watch through the prioritization of bountiful ass-kicking.” – Miles Surrey, The Ringer   “a collection of the best elements of this era” “For the last decade, “just the usual” on Cinemax on Friday nights has involved fists, knives, pistols, rifles, and the occasional flamethrower or explosive ordnance. It has been one of the most consistently underrated pleasures on TV since 2011 […] It feels right, if frustrating, that Warrior will, at least for now, be the last Cinemax show, because it feels like a collection of the best elements of this era.” –  Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone   Crave Audience Metrics Crave continues to have Canadians covered, delivering the best movies, TV series, and original hits all in one place. After eight weeks in Crave’s Top 10, animated comedy series, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS takes the top spot, followed by HBO’s investigative docuseries THE VOW at #2. SOUTH PARK jumps to #3, and the picturesque adventure film, THE CALL OF THE WILD debuts at #4. Here are the Top 10 most-watched programs on Crave for the week of October 7 – 13:  

1. STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
2. THE VOW
3. SOUTH PARK
4. THE CALL OF THE WILD
5. LOVECRAFT COUNTRY
6. LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
7. SEINFELD
8. RAISED BY WOLVES
9. GAME OF THRONES
10. LOVE ISLAND

  What to Watch for the Week of October 15 – October 21 *All Programming Subject to Change  

• The gripping horror film RABID joins Crave’s CREEPY CRAVINGS Collection, Friday, 16. This remake of the classic David Cronenberg film of the same name, asks what happens when you realize that to achieve your dreams you have to live a nightmare? Rose (Laura Vandervoort) is a quiet, demure, unassuming woman in her looks and actions. Her dream is to become a famous designer in the fashion world, but a terrible accident leaves Rose scarred beyond recognition. She seeks out a radical untested stem cell treatment. The treatment is nothing short of a miracle and wallflower Rose turns into the belle of the ball. It all seems too good to be true. She is now everything she wanted to be. But everything in life comes at a price and this new found perfect life is no exception.

 

• HBO’s action-packed, martial arts series WARRIOR continues Friday, 16 at 10 p.m. ET. In the third episode, with their new enterprise going well, Young Jun (Jason Tobin) shares his worries with Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) about the new men Father Jun (Perry Yung) has brought over from China, and later, the partners are impressed by Hong (Chen Tang), an enthusiastic recruit with a secret. Meanwhile, Chao (Hoon Lee) goes to Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) for help keeping Zing (Dustin Nguyen) away from his business, Sophie (Celine Buckens) grows closer to Leary (Dean Jagger), Nellie’s (Miranda Raison) politics raise questions from her peers, and things take a deadly turn at Bill’s (Kieran Bew) home.

 

• The HBO documentary, THE PREFECT WEAPON, premieres Friday, 16 at 8 p.m. ET. Based on a best-selling book by New York Times national security correspondent David E. Sanger, THE PERFECT WEAPON explores the rise of cyber conflict as the primary way nations now compete with and sabotage one another. ‌Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker John Maggio (Panic: The Untold Story of the 2008 Financial Crisis) and featuring interviews with top military, intelligence, and political officials on the frontlines of cyberterrorism, the documentary brings to light the combatants and innocent victims caught in the crosshairs of a hidden war that has been going on for decades.

 

• SHOWTIME’s bold and outrageous limited series THE GOOD LORD BIRD continues Sunday, 18 at 9 p.m. ET. In the third episode, John Brown travels north with Onion, taking refuge at the home of Frederick Douglass and his two wives. When Brown and Douglass clash over methodology, Onion discovers just how complex the fight for justice and human equality really is.

 

• It’s a big week for HBO programming, as three compelling series’ reach their finale this week. Catch the final episodes of LOVECRAFT COUNTRY (Sunday, 18 at 9 p.m. ET), THE VOW (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. ET), and THE THIRD DAY (Monday, Oct. 19 at 9 p.m. ET).

 

• WE ARE WHO WE ARE, HBO’s stunning coming-of-age series set on an American military base in Italy, continues Monday, 19 at 10 p.m. ET. In this week’s episode, Sarah (Chloë Sevigny) is thrilled to learn about her son’s burgeoning friendship with Jonathan (Tom Mercier) and, grateful for a strong male influence in Fraser’s (Jack Dylan Grazer) life, encourages them to spend more time together – even if Maggie (Alice Braga) doesn’t understand. Richard (Scott Mescudi) uses a father-daughter hunting trip to get inside Caitlin’s (Jordan Kristine Seamón) head. Later, Sarah receives a phone call that will forever alter life on base.

 

• All-new episodes this week include; DESUS & MERO (Thursday, Oct. 15 at 11 p.m. ET); REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER (Friday, Oct. 16, live at 10 p.m. ET, on-demand the following morning); WARRIOR (Friday, Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. ET); THE CIRCUS (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET); OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET); LOVECRAFT COUNTRY (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET); THE GOOD LORD BIRD (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET); THE COMEDY STORE (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. ET); THE VOW (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET); LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER, (Sunday, Oct. 18, live at 11 p.m. ET, on-demand the following morning); DESUS & MERO (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 11 p.m. ET); JANN (Monday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. ET); THE THIRD DAY (Monday, Oct. 19 at 9 p.m. ET); WE ARE WHO WE ARE (Monday, Oct. 19 at 10 p.m. ET)

  Complete listings for the week of October 15 – October 21 *All Programming Subject to Change HBO THE PERFECT WEAPON *Documentary* (October 16 at 8 p.m. ET) REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER (October 16, live at 10 p.m. ET, on-demand the following morning) WARRIOR, Season 2, Episode 3 (October 16 at 10 p.m. ET) DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA *Special* (October 17 at 8 p.m. ET) LOVECRAFT COUNTRY, Season 1, Episode 10 *Season Finale* (October 18 at 9 p.m. ET) THE VOW, Season 1, Episode 9 *Season Finale* (October 18 at 10 p.m. ET) LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER, Season 7, Episode 26 (October 18, live at 11 p.m. ET, on-demand the following morning) THE THIRD DAY, Season 1, Episode 6 (October 19 at 9 p.m. ET) WE ARE WHO WE ARE, Season 1, Episode 6 (October 19 at 10 p.m. ET) Movies RABID (October 16) RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE (October 16) CATS (October 16) SHOWTIME DESUS & MERO, Season 2, Episode 56 (October 15 at 11 p.m. ET) THE CIRCUS, Season 5, Episode 18 (October 18 at 8 p.m. ET) OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT, Season 3, Episode 15 (October 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET) THE GOOD LORD BIRD, Season 1, Episode 3 (October 18 at 9 p.m. ET) THE COMEDY STORE, Season 1, Episode 3 (October 18 at 10 p.m. ET) DESUS & MERO, Season 2, Episode 57 (October 18 at 11:05 p.m. ET) STARZ BOOGIE NIGHTS (October 16) I NOW PRINOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY (October 16) SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (October 16) THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT (October 16) THE FLY (October 16) TWO WEEKS NOTICE (October 16) SPANISH PRINCESS, Season 2, Episode 2 (October 18) SEDUCED: INSIDE THE NXIVM CULT *Series Premiere*, Season, 1, Episode 1 (October 18) More Riveting TV to Watch STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, *Season Premiere* Season 3, Episode 1 (October 16 at 9 p.m. ET) THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES, Season 1 – 2 (October 16) ZO ZO ZOMBIE, Season 2 (October 16) W5, Season 55, Episode 3 (October 16) JANN, Season 2, Episode 5 (October 19 at 8 p.m. ET) THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, Season 34, Episodes 16 – 20 (October 20)