October 2022 Television Preview

Nothing screams fall quite like creepy, unnerving entertainment — at least for Halloween lovers like us. Fortunately, October will offer plenty of chills and thrills.

The month kicks off with “A Friend of the Family,” directed by “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” filmmaker Eliza Hittman and premiering on Peacock October 6. Based on a true story, McKenna Grace stars as Jan, a young girl kidnapped multiple times by a family friend. For those seeking a supernatural twist, Ji Hyo (Jean Yeo Been) enlists the help of UFOs to track down her boyfriend who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in “Glitch,” which premieres October 7 on Netflix. Sci-fi and thrillers are also dropping this month, with Prime Video’s “The Peripheral” (October 21) and “The Devil’s Hour” (October 28). The former sees Chloë Grace Mortez getting caught in a time travel loop, and the latter tells the story of a woman who becomes linked to a series of murders. Vampire lovers have another adaptation of “Let the Right One In” to look forward to. The story of a 12-year-old girl with a taste for blood is heading to Showtime October 9.

Once you’ve had your fill of the fantastical, there are a number of series premiering this month that offer more grounded explorations of identity. Written by Clea DuVall and Laura Kittrell and based on the memoir and lives of queer singing duo Tegan and Sara, Netflix’s “High School” (October 14) revisits the sisters’ teen years. Brought to us by Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis on October 22, “The Hair Tales” is a Hulu/OWN docuseries that celebrates the beauty of Black women through their hair. Ross describes the series as “personal and universal, American and global. It is a love letter to Black women.”

And finally, the wait is over for some highly anticipated returning series, including the third season of “Derry Girls.” The coming-of-age comedy returns to Netflix October 7.

Here are October’s premiering and returning women-driven and women-created TV projects. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.

TV and Episodic Premieres:

“A Friend of the Family” – Directed by Eliza Hittman (Premieres October 6 on Peacock)

“A Friend of the Family” is a new drama series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter was kidnapped multiple times throughout her life by the family’s charismatic neighbor. The series stars Mckenna Grace and Anna Paquin among others.

“Walker: Independence” — Created by Anna Fricke (Premieres October 6 on the CW)

Abby Walker’s (Katherine McNamara) husband is murdered before her eyes. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr). Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter residents running from their own pasts.

“Glitch” (Premieres October 7 on Netflix)

After a mysterious flash of light was cast over the boyfriend of Hong Ji Hyo, he disappeared in the blink of an eye. To find her boyfriend, Hong Ji Hyo, played by Jeon Yeo Been, seeks out members of the UFO community to help her solve the strange mystery.

“Let the Right One In” — Directed by Hiromi Kamata, Viet Nguyen, and Seith Mann (Premieres October 9 on Showtime) 

An adaptation of the acclaimed 2008 Swedish horror film, “Let the Right One In” follows a 12-year-old girl (Madison Taylor Baez) who lives a closed-in life after turning into a vampire, only able to go out at night. Her father (Demián Bichir) does his best to provide her with the minimal amount of human blood she needs to stay alive.

“The Winchesters” — Created by Danneel and Jensen Ackles (Premieres October 11 on the CW)

A prequel to the long-running series “Supernatural,” “The Winchesters” tells the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester (Drake Rodger) met Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly) and put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world.

“Sue Perkins: Perfectly Legal” (Docuseries) (Premieres October 13 on Netflix)

Sue Perkins confronts middle age by experiencing Latin American countries in adventurous, shockingly legal and sometimes dangerous ways.

“High School” – Directed by Clea DuVall; Written by Clea DuVall and Laura Kittrell (Premieres October 14 on Netflix)

Based on the 2019 memoir of the same name by indie pop duo Tegan and Sara Quin, the eight-episode drama series revolves around the memories of the twin sisters while growing up in the ’90s and searching for their own identities. “High School” stars TikTok creators Railey and Seazynn Gilliland and features special guests star Cobie Smulders.

“Annika” — Written by Lucia Haynes, Frances Poet, and Nick Walker (Premieres October 16 on PBS)

The sharp, witty and enigmatic DI Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker), as she heads up a new specialist Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) that is tasked with investigating the unexplained, brutal, and seemingly unfathomable murders.

“Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March” (Documentary) — Directed by Titi Yu (Premieres October 17 on PBS)

Explore the fight against Asian American hate following the March 2021 mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta. Examine how this critical moment of racial reckoning sheds light on the struggles, triumphs and achievements of AAPI communities.”Rising Against Asian Hate” features narration by Emmy-nominated actress Sandra Oh.

“From Scratch” – Created by Attica Locke (Premieres on October 21 on Netflix) 

Inspired by Tembi Locke’s memoir of the same name, “From Scratch” follows an American student studying abroad in Italy who falls in love with a Sicilian chef. The series stars Zoë Saldaña and Eugenio Mastrandrea. 

“The Peripheral” – Written by Bronwyn Garrity, Scott B. Smith, Jamie Chan, Greg Plageman, and William Gibson (Premieres on October 21 on Amazon Prime Video) 

Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, “The Peripheral” tells the story of a video game enthusiast named Flynne who when playing a virtual reality game realizes that she’s traveled to the future. Flynne then searches to discover what’s linking the two time periods and is faced with dangerous forces that are trying to destroy her world.

“The Hair Tales” (Docuseries) – Created by Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis (Premieres October 22 on Hulu and OWN) 

Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Michaela Angela Davis, the series focuses on the beauty and identity of Black women through their black hair.

“Shouting Down Midnight” (Documentary) – Directed by Gretchen Stoeltje (Premieres October 23 on MSNBC and Peacock)

The first film from MSNBC’s “The Turning Point” documentary series, “Shouting Down Midnight” focuses on a group of women who shared their personal experiences with reproductive rights to help Texas State Senator Wendy Davis filibuster in defense of Texas women’s access to reproductive healthcare in 2013. Sen. Davis read testimony from women strongly opposed to the bill which would effectively force draconian, pre-Roe v. Wade conditions on women again. The bill ultimately passed, but not before Texas women made it clear that day that the Texas legislature had gone too far.

“The Devil’s Hour” – Directed by Isabelle Sieb and Johnny Allan (Premieres October 28 on Amazon Prime Video) 

“The Devil’s Hour,” starring Jessica Raine, tells the story of a young woman who is woken up by nightmares every night at 3:33 a.m. and who becomes inexplicably linked to a series of murders. 

Returning Series

“Stargirl” (The CW, October 5)

“Derry Girls” — Created by Lisa McGee (Netflix, October 7)

“Big Shot” (Disney+, October 12)

“Step Up” — Created by Holly Sorensen (Starz, October 16)

“Inside Amy Schumer” — Created by Amy Schumer (Paramount+, October 20)

“One of Us is Lying” — Created by Erica Saleh (Peacock, October 20)