What to Watch on TV: A Discovery of Witches, History of Swear Words, Pieces of a Woman
Welcome to a new week and another round of What to Watch on TV for the week of January 3rd! We’ll be sharing our picks for what to watch this week, from marathons to big guest spots, and significant episodes of TV to look forward to while stuck inside.
This week’s picks include Call Me Kat’s debut, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s return, and more.
Here are our recommendations for what to watch on TV this week:
Call Me Kat – Sunday, January 3
Mayim Biyalik returns to television with a new sitcom that centers around a woman who decides to open a cat café and all of the hi-jinks that come along with it as she sets out to prove that you can still live a happy fulfilling life to her mother. Call Me Kat debuts Sunday, January 3 at 8/7c on Fox.
Episode Description: Kat’s former crush and good friend returns to town.
The Watch – Sunday, January 3
From the book to the screen, the latest adaptation takes Terry Pratchett’s Discworld and puts everyone in the middle of the city of Ankh-Morpork, as we watch a group of misfits trying to fight off the corruption in their city. The Watch debuts Sunday, January 3 at 8/7c on BBC America.
Series Description: A group of misfit cops rise up from decades of helplessness to save their corrupt city from catastrophe.
The Great North – Sunday, January 3
From the creators of Bob’s Burgers comes a new series that follows the Tobin family on their Alaskan adventures as the patriarch works to keep his family a tight-knit group. The Great North debuts Sunday, January 3 at 8:30/7:30c on Fox.
Episode Description: The family’s plans to celebrate Judy’s 16th birthday on the family fishing boat go awry after a moose breaks into the Tobins’ home.
Elizabeth is Missing – Sunday, January 3
PBS’s next Masterpiece entry revolves around a woman with dementia on a journey to uncover answers to two big mysteries surrounding her. Elizabeth is Missing debuts Sunday, January 3 at 9/8c on PBS.
Episode Description: Playing feisty grandmother Maud Horsham, who lives alone despite early-stage Alzheimer’s, Jackson is joined by Maggie Steed as Maud’s only friend, Elizabeth, who ominously goes missing, leading to one of the mysteries at the heart of the drama. Helen Behan plays Maud’s dutiful daughter, Helen, and Nell Williams is Maud’s doting granddaughter, Katy.
History of Swear Words – Tuesday, January 5
Nicholas Cage hosts a new show that dives into the history of curse words, from their origins to their evolutions over the years, and how they help us cope. History of Swear Words debuts Tuesday, January 5 on Netflix.
Series Description: An education in expletives: the history lesson you didn’t know you needed. History of Swear Words, hosted by Nicolas Cage, is a loud and proudly profane series that explores the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words. Through interviews with experts in etymology, pop culture, historians and entertainers, the six-episode series dives into the origins of “F**k”, “Sh*t”, “B*tch”, “D**k”, “Pu**y”, and “Damn”.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist – Tuesday, January 5
After a long hiatus, Zoey is back and ready to pick up right where she left off as she’s dealing with the aftermath of that season-ending loss, a new relationship, and a huge change to the company. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist returns Tuesday, January 5 at 8/7c on NBC.
Episode Description: Zoey returns to the world after an extended time away and discovers that a lot has changed at work and in her personal life in her absence.
Revisiting Underground – Tuesday, January 5
OWN is bringing Underground fans a special retrospective on the series, as the producers, cast, and crew reflect on the series and the relevance the show has today. Revisiting Underground premieres Tuesday, January 5 at 10:30/9:30c on OWN.
Episode Description: Executive Producers John Legend, Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, along with cast and crew, share personal stories, reflect on their time working on the show and discuss the power of activism as well as the relevance of the show today.
Pieces of a Woman – Thursday, January 7
Martha and Sean’s lives are turned upside down when they are faced with an unimaginable loss, and what follows is a year in Martha’s life as she works through the grief, the change, and learning how to live again. Pieces of a Woman debuts Thursday, January 7 on Netflix.
Movie Description: Martha and Sean are a Boston couple on the verge of parenthood whose lives change irrevocably when a home birth ends in unimaginable tragedy. Thus begins a yearlong odyssey for Martha, who must navigate her grief while working through fractious relationships with Sean and her domineering mother (Ellen Burstyn), along with the publicly vilified midwife (Molly Parker), whom she must face in court.
Mr. Mayor – Thursday, January 7
Ted Danson returns to NBC with a new sitcom and a whole new position: Mayor of L.A. The new sitcom follows Neil Bremer as he begins his tenure as Mayor and all that comes along with the title. Mr. Mayor begins Thursday, January 7 at 8/7c on NBC.
Episode Description: Neil Bremer starts his first day as mayor of Los Angeles, where he faces new challenges on the job and at home.
Dickinson – Friday, January 8
Emily and company are back ready to continue telling the story of the young woman in the society she was raised in and the expectations lofted upon her. Dickinson Season 2 drops Friday, January 8 on Apple TV+.
Series Description: Dickinson is a half-hour comedy series that audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson. Set in the 19th century, the series is a coming-of-age story that finds Emily to be the unexpected hero for our millennial generation.
A Discovery of Witches – Saturday, January 9
Diana and Matthew are back and ready to continue their search for the Book of Life and their fight against Peter Knox by going back in time. Will they be successful in their search, and what will the rest of the team in the present be fighting? A Discovery of Witches returns Saturday, January 9 on Shudder and Sundance Now.
Episode Description: Reluctant witch Diana Bishop and vampire Matthew Clairmont seek refuge in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London. There, they must find a powerful witch to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life.
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Those are our picks for the week! What are you planning to watch? Share in the comments below!
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Brianna Martinez
Brianna spends her time away from briefs, legal research, and pleadings, watching TV and writing about it. She generally has a lot of feelings about TV, which you can read about here and on Twitter.