What to Watch the Week of October 6: Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth Star in Netflix’s Romantic Drama ‘Lonely Planet’

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Following the internet’s obsession with Adam Brody and Kristen Bell comes another Netflix romantic onscreen pairing worth watching: Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth in the movie Lonely Planet. The unlikely—but very, very hot—duo star in this seductive romantic drama from writer-director Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich). It’s about a newly single novelist (Dern) who travels to an exclusive writer’s retreat in Morocco in hopes of curing her writer’s block. On the retreat she meets Owen Brophy (Hemsworth), and he changes her life in ways she never could have expected.

Grant told Netflix’s Tudum that she wanted to make a film about the transformational power of travel (yes, please) and “how sometimes journeying thousands of miles away from everything you know about your life can make you see it, and yourself, in a revealing new light.” Aside from Dern and Hemsworth heating up the screen, you’ll be drawn to the gorgeous locale in North Africa, which should serve as inspiration for your next trip.

Laura Dern as Katherine Loewe and Liam Hemsworth as Owen Brophy in Lonely Planet

Anne Marie Fox/Netflix

Also this week: Jason Reitman’s retelling of Saturday Night Live’s very first show, with an all-star cast that includes Lamorne Morris, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Finn Wolfhard, Kaia Gerber, J.K. Simmons, Matthew Rhys, Willem Dafoe, and many more. Reviews have been mixed—the Washington Post called it “more fun than the current SNL” while the Associated Press called it “thinly sketched, but satisfying”—and I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s the kind of movie you most likely can’t go wrong with if you’re looking for a night out.

In terms of new TV premieres this week, Abbott Elementary returns for its fourth season. When I caught up with Chris Perfetti (who plays Jacob) at the Emmys last month, he told me, “We’ve done seven table reads of the first seven episodes this season, and I think they are the seven best episodes we’ve ever done. I’m so excited by what we’re doing this year. We’re back to our normal 22-episode order, and we have a big ol’ canvas to paint on and a lot of story to tell. I think this season is going to be the best season yet.”

Check out more of what to expect below on Abbott, especially for all you Janine-Gregory fans.

Also this week, Monday night sees the New Orlean Saints head to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to face off against the Chiefs for Monday Night Football. Taylor Swift wasn’t at the past two games (which took place in Atlanta and Los Angeles) to root on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, so Swifties will be holding out hope for an appearance, especially since her Eras tour resumes on October 18. We’ll keep you posted on that.

Speaking of Travis Kelce, his awesome mama, Donna, will be honored on Tuesday night at Glamour’s Women of the Year awards along with her fellow cover stars Tina Knowles, Mandy Teefey, and Maggie Baird. You can watch the red carpet live on Glamour’s YouTube channel and our homepage (bookmark those links below!). Brooke Shields and her daughter, Rowan, will be hosting and talking to the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Suni Lee, and more.

On that note, I’ll see you back here next week for the new seasons of Tracker (CBS/Paramount+), and Shrinking (Apple TV+), and the highly anticipated premiere of Young Sheldon spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (CBS/Paramount+).

Sunday, October 6American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special (CBS/Paramount+): The AMAs will commemorate half a century of iconic moments and performances with this two-hour special. Original performances include Kane Brown, Mariah Carey, Green Day, Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Stray Kids, Gladys Knight, Brad Paisley, and Raye, with special appearances by Gloria Estefan, Jimmy Kimmel, Jennifer Lopez, and Carrie Underwood. Meanwhile, the actual awards will return in May 2025. 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Central, 5 p.m. Pacific, and streaming live on Paramount+

Queens Court (Peacock): Season two returns with new queens, LisaRaye, K. Michelle, and London “Deelishis” Charles, as they embark on a journey to find their forever partners. Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete return to host the 10-episode hour-long dating series. Streaming

Monday, October 7Trivial Pursuit (CW): LeVar Burton hosts this iconic game show, which kicks off the new CW game night. Check local listings

Scrabble (CW): Raven-Symone also joins the new CW game night lineup by hosting the television version of Scrabble. Check local listings

Superman & Lois (CW): The fourth season premiere is here. 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 7 p.m. Central

Dancing With the Stars (ABC/Disney+): A special two-night event airs tonight and tomorrow to make up for missing last Tuesday due to the vice presidential debate. Now that Anna Delvey’s gone, who’s next to be eliminated? 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 7 p.m. Central, and streaming live on Disney+

Tuesday, October 8Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards (YouTube): The red carpet will be streamed on Glamour.com and on YouTube. Brooke Shields, herself a Woman of the Year in 2023, and her daughter, Rowan Henchy, will host. 6 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Central, 3 p.m. Pacific

Citizen Nation (PBS): The four-part docuseries is an inspiring coming-of-age story that follows teenagers from across the US with diverse personal and political backgrounds as they come together to compete in the nation’s premier civics competition, “We the People.” The series culminates in a championship showdown in Washington, DC. 9 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Central, and PBS.org, and the PBS app. Episodes air weekly on Tuesdays through October 29

Single Lady (Netflix): Ali Wong’s fourth original comedy special drops today, as the Emmy-winner opens up about post-divorce life and the quest for love. Streaming

An Oprah Special: The Presleys—Elvis, Lisa Marie and Riley (CBS/Paramount+): Oprah Winfrey sits down with Riley Keough, Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, at Graceland Mansion for an intimate conversation about her life, her mother, and her famous family. 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 7 p.m. Central, and streaming on Paramount+

Good Girl Jane (Tribeca Films): Here’s what we know: Desperate for connection, lonely young Jane (Rain Spencer from The Summer I Turned Pretty) meets a group of teen misfits who offer her acceptance and camaraderie. She falls hard for their playful but domineering ringleader, Jamie (Patrick Gibson, who plays the title role in the upcoming Dexter: Original Sin), and becomes entangled in his amateur drug operation. As her life spirals violently out of control, Jane must choose between Jamie and her own survival. Andie MacDowell also stars. On demand

Wednesday, October 9The Golden Bachelorette (ABC): It’s already week four for Joan and the remaining men. 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 7 p.m. Central, and streaming the next day on Hulu

Abbott Elementary (ABC): The seaon premiere is appropriately titled “Back to School,” and here’s what we know: The construction site of a new golf course is causing issues at Abbott, forcing the teachers to find creative solutions. But most importantly, Janine and Gregory’s relationship status is revealed following their kiss. 9:30 p.m.–10:02 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 8:30 p.m.–9:02 p.m. Central, and streaming the next day on Hulu

La Maquina (Hulu): After a devastating loss, Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna (played by Gael García Bernal) is at a low point in his boxing career; lucky for him, his manager and best friend Andy Lujan (Diego Luna) is determined to get him back on top. However, when a nefarious organization rears its head, the stakes of this rematch become life or death. Eiza González also stars in this six-episode series. Streaming

Thursday, October 10Doctor Odyssey (ABC): The third episode—titled “Plastic Surgery Week”—sees The Odyssey bring new faces and fresh features to be carefully maintained by the medical team. Meanwhile, when the owner’s wife comes on board, Captain Massey must juggle charm and skillful dodging to sidestep her advances. 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 8 p.m. Central, and streaming the next day on Hulu

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): In tonight’s new episode—titled “I Can See Clearly Now”—Simone and Lucas work to balance their relationship while competing to assist on an awake kidney transplant. Teddy offers Amelia a new opportunity, and Ben’s interview doesn’t go as planned. Meanwhile, Meredith’s secret causes tension with Richard. 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 9 p.m. Central, and streaming the next day on Hulu

Citadel: Diana (Prime Video): This six-episode Italian spy series, executive-produced by the Russo Brothers, takes place in Milan 2030. The logline is as follows: Eight years ago, the independent global spy agency Citadel was destroyed by the powerful enemy syndicate, Manticore. Since then Diana Cavalieri (played by Matilda De Angelis), an undercover Citadel agent, is alone and trapped behind enemy lines as a mole in Manticore. When she finally sees a way out and the chance to disappear forever, the only way to do so is trusting the most unexpected ally, Edo Zani (Lorenzo Cervasio), the heir of Manticore Italy and son of the head of the Italian organization, Ettore Zani (Maurizio Lombardi), who’s vying for leadership against the other European families. Streaming

Roller Jam (Max): Executive-produced by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the new six-episode roller-skating competition series features the top roller-skating crews in the country dancing through the decades for a chance to win a $150,000 cash prize and a $10,000 donation to their local rink. Jordin Sparks will host, with US figure skating Olympian Johnny Weir and roller-skating legend Terrell Ferguson serving as judges. One episode streaming weekly; the finale premieres on November 14

Teacup (Peacock): The horror thriller series (which is a refreshing 30 minutes per episode) follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. Inspired by the New York Times best-selling novel Stinger by Robert McCammon, the cast includes Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman, Chaske Spencer, Kathy Baker, Boris McGiver, Caleb Dolden, Emilie Bierre, and Luciano Leroux. Two episodes premiere today, followed by two episodes weekly through Halloween

Caddo Lake (Max): The new film from producer M. Night Shyamalan and writer-directors Celine Held and Logan George centers on an eight-year-old girl who mysteriously vanishes, forever altering a broken family’s history, especially as it becomes apparent that past deaths and disappearances are connected. Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Diana Hopper, Caroline Falk, Sam Hennings star, along with Eric Lange and Lauren Ambrose. Streaming

Friday, October 11Lonely Planet (Netflix): According to Netflix, the story goes something like this: “At a retreat in Morocco, a woman meets a young man whose acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair.” Oh, and did we mention that Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth star? Streaming

Disclaimer (Apple TV+): Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline lead this seven-part psychological thriller created and directed by five-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón and based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Renée Knight. Blanchett plays acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft, who built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she’s horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys both her own life and her relationships with her husband, Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen), and their son, Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge, Leila George, and Hoyeon also star. Two episodes streaming at launch, followed by new episodes every Friday through November 15

Saturday Night (Sony): Based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975, the movie stars Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J.K. Simmons. Jason Reitman directs. In theaters

We Live in Time (A24): Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh play Tobias and Almut, respectively, who are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through snapshots of their life together—falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family—a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation. In theaters

The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+): Here’s the official description: An extraordinary band of feisty grandmother warriors wage a spirited battle against vast oceanic threats. Often called real-life mermaids, the haenyeo of South Korea’s Jeju Island are renowned for centuries of diving to the ocean floor—without oxygen—to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Today, with most haenyeo now in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, their traditions and way of life are in imminent danger. But these fierce, funny, hardworking women refuse to give an inch, aided by a younger generation’s fight to revive their ancestral lifestyle through social media. Streaming

Saturday, October 12Nobody Dumps My Daughter (Lifetime): In this new Lifetime original movie, Mary (Ana Ortiz) becomes obsessed with mending the relationship between her daughter, Theresa (Jasmine Vega), and Theresa’s ex, Jimmy, after learning Jimmy took the girl”s virginity and then broke up with her. But when Mary’s tactics (including bribery) fail, she becomes desperate and her meddling ways turn murderous when she enlists the services of a fortune teller named Anna (Sheila E.) and a hitman to murder Jimmy in attempts to reclaim her daughter’s purity. Spicy! 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT

Saturday Night Live (NBC/Peacock): Ariana Grande hosts for the second time (you might have heard she has a new movie—ahem, Wicked—coming out next month), while icon Stevie Nicks returns as musical guest (her first appearance was in 1983). 11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. PT and streaming on Peacock