This week, cycles come to a close: awards season finally culminates with its most anticipated ceremony and a quirky rom-com series delivers its swan song with its third and final season. British imported goods finally arrive to American soil: a police thriller for the post-Brexit era, a crime drama mixed with a bit of sci-fi, and a hilariously absurd sibling rivalry comedy. We also celebrate Women’s Day and female empowerment with the return of an ass-kicking Marvel heroine and the story of India’s archery champion. Finally, there is also a new gritty cop drama starring Sean Bean thrown into the mix.
To help you keep track of the most important programs over the next seven days, here’s our guide to everything worth watching, whether it’s on broadcast, cable, or streaming for March 4th –10th (all times Eastern):
90th Annual Academy Awards (ABC, Sunday 8pm)
Awards season finally comes to a close with its most glamorous and momentous ceremony. The 90th Academy Awards promise to be cherry on top of a very socially aware and unpredictable season. Jimmy Kimmel returns to host the gala live from the Dolby Theatre, and Mary J. Blige, Sufjan Stevens (with St. Vincent), Common, Miguel (with Gael Garcia Bernal), and Keala Settle will liven up the night with their renditions of the Best Original Song nominees. How will the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements come up in this occasion? Will Christopher Nolan and Roger Deakins will finally go from Oscar bridesmaids to brides? Will The Shape of Water reign supreme or will Three Billboards become this decade’s Crash? Or maybe Get Out will be the dark horse of the night? Check out our predictions, place your bets and set the rules for your Oscar-themed drinking games, it’s going to be an eventful night.
Back (SundanceTV, Wednesday 11pm)
Sibling rivalry is a trope as old as time, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. Peep Show creators and stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb put their own nutty, British spin to it in their latest comedy Back. The six-episode series centers in Stephen (Mitchell), a failed lawyer whose father just passed away and who is now set to take over the family pub. Enter Andrew (Webb), a former foster child briefly raised by Stephen’s parents who suddenly returns, eager to rekindle his relationship with the family. Naturally, petty competition ensues. After a quiet run last fall on Sundance’s streaming service, Sundance Now, Back is now hitting their cable channel. If your comedy diet was low on British absurdist humor, this is just what the doctor ordered.
Hard Sun (Hulu, Wednesday)
There are unlikely combinations that don’t seem to be a good match but somehow work great together, like hummus and bagels, and crime drama and sci-fi. Luther creator Neil Cross tests the latter in his latest project, Hard Sun. In this pre-apocalyptic drama set in modern-day London, mismatched police officers Charlie Hicks (Jim Sturgess) and Elaine Renko (Agyness Deyn) discover that a cosmic event will destroy the Earth in five years. Eluding the shady organizations trying to silence them for good, the duo will try to find a way to warn their loved ones about the impending doom, while also upholding the law in a world that is running out of time.
Ladies First (Netflix, Thursday)
What better way to commemorate International Women’s Day than with a tale of female empowerment? Such is the story of Deepika Kumari. Born in abject poverty in rural India, Kumari stumbled upon archery at age 12. After she learned that team members were given a meal a day and a place to stay, she asked for a tryout. Four years later, she became the number one archer in the world and represented India in two Olympic games. Ladies First follows her path to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, as she strives to achieve her dream to become the first Indian woman to bring the Olympic gold home.
Marvel’s Jessica Jones (Netflix, Thursday)
New York City’s toughest private investigator is finally back in business. Jessica Jones’ sophomore season will find our reluctant heroine trying to put her life back together, in the aftermath of her last encounter with lifelong tormentor Kilgrave, and even attending anger management classes. However, her inner turmoil is far from settled and the hard-drinking detective will dig deeper into the mysteries of her own past, like her family and the origins of her powers, as a new threat rises. Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Eka Darville reprise their original roles, while Leah Gibson, Janet McTeer, and J.R. Ramirez join the cast as intriguing new characters. Keep your eyes peeled: the return of David Tennant’s sinister villain and a potential fellow Defender cameo have also been subtly suggested.
The Oath (Crackle, Thursday)
It’s been a while since we had a gritty drama of a similar vein to Breaking Bad or The Wire, and Crackle’s latest series bravely steps up to try to fill that void. Executive produced by 50 Cent and created by Joe Halpin, a former L.A.P.D sheriff’s deputy who worked undercover for 12 years, The Oath immerse us in the clandestine world of police gangs: tightly-knit cells of corrupt officers who break the very laws they swore to uphold. Sean Bean stars as the top dog of the dirty-cop pack, along with Ryan Kwanten, Cory Hardrict, Arlen Escarpeta, Katrina Law, and J.J. Soria. A crime drama rougher than sandpaper.
Collateral (Netflix, Friday)
David Hare has a knack for crafting complex stories into very brief periods of time. His script for the The Hours intertwines the lives of three different women from different generations within the span of a single day, and his latest project also condenses deep drama in a limited timeframe. Set over the course of four days in contemporary London, Collateral revolves around the murder of an illegal refugee who has been working as a pizza delivery man, and follows the larger spiraling repercussions of that seemingly random act of violence. Co-produced by the BBC and Netflix, this thriller neatly comprises gripping tension and social commentary in four episodes, starring Carey Mulligan, John Simm, Nicola Walker, and Billie Piper.
Love (Netflix, Friday)
Love ends. Not the proverbial abstract concept, but the Netflix alternative romantic comedy series. We’ve followed Gus (Paul Rust) and Mickey’s (Gillian Jacobs) complicated and quirky journey through two seasons, and the third and final chapter finds them finally in a fully committed, exclusive relationship. But since the course of true love never did run smooth, messy shenanigans will naturally ensue. Claudia O’Doherty, Mime Mitchell, Leslie Mann, Iris Apatow and Brett Gelman will reprise their role one more time, as creators Judd Apatow, Paul Rust, and Lesley Arfin paint the last strokes of their honest portrait of modern relationships.
SUNDAY
90th Annual Academy Awards (ABC, 8pm) – live event
Counterpart S1E7 “The Sincerest Form of Flattery” (Starz, 8pm)
Our Cartoon President S1E5 “State Dinner” (Showtime, 8pm)
Ash vs. Evil Dead S3E2 “Booth Three” (Starz, 9pm)
The Walking Dead S8E10 “The Lost and the Plunderers” (AMC, 9pm)
Victoria S2E8 “The Luxury of Conscience” (PBS, 9pm)
Divorce S2E8 “Alone Again, Naturally” (HBO, 10pm) – season finale
The Chi S1E8 “Wallets” (Showtime, 10pm)
Sundays With Alec Baldwin (ABC, 11:35pm) – talk show sneak peak
MONDAY
Delicious S2 (Acorn TV) – series American debut
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes (Netflix) – season premiere
Cleopatra (Smithsonian, 8pm) – documentary miniseries premiere
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S3E13 “No Country for Old Dads” (The CW, 8pm)
Lucifer S3E16 “Infernal Guinea Pig” (FOX, 8pm)
Star Wars Rebels S4E14&E15&E16 “A Fool’s Hope” & “Family Reunion and Farewell” (Disney XD, 9pm) – series finale
The Alienist S1E7 “Many Sainted Men” (TNT, 9pm)
Living Bibically S1E2 “False Idols” (CBS, 9:30pm)
Good Girls S1E2 “Mo Money, Mo Problems” (NBC, 10pm)
Scorpion S4E18 “Dork Day Afternoon” (CBS, 10pm)
TUESDAY
Gad Elmaleh: American Dream (Netflix) – standup comedy special
Lethal Weapon S2E17 “The Odd Couple” (FOX, 8pm)
NCIS S15E16 “Handle with Care” (CBS, 8pm)
The Flash S4E15 “Enter Flashtime” (The CW, 8pm)
Black Lightning S1E7 “Equinox: The Book of Fate” (The CW, 9pm)
LA to Vegas S1E7 “Things to Do in Vegas When You’re Grounded” (Fox, 9pm)
This Is Us S2E17 “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life” (NBC, 9pm)
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World S1E16 “The Right Thing” (ABC, 10pm) – season finale
Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. S1E2 “Nobody Talks” (USA, 10pm)
WEDNESDAY
Hard Sun S1 (Hulu) – series premiere
The Looming Tower S1E4 “Mercury” (Hulu)
The Blacklist S5E15 “Pattie Sue Edwards” (NBC, 8pm)
The X-Files S11E8 “Familiar” (FOX, 8pm)
Riverdale S2E14 “Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Hills Have Eyes” (The CW, 8pm)
Speechless S2E15 “U-n-Unforgettable P-a-Pain” (ABC, 8:30pm)
9-1-1 S1E8 “Karma’s a Bitch” (Fox, 9pm)
Law & Order: SVU S19E15 “In Loco Parentis” (NBC, 9pm)
Life Sentence S1E1 (The CW, 9pm) – series premiere
Modern Family S9E15 “Spanks for the Memories” (ABC, 9pm)
Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block S3E5 “The Red Door” (Syfy, 10pm)
Criminal Minds S13E15 “Annihilator” (CBS, 10pm)
Designated Survivor S2E12 “The Final Frontier” (ABC, 10pm)
Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway (Ovation, 10pm) – documentary premiere
Hap and Leonard: The Two-Bear Mambo S3E1 (Sundance, 10pm) – season premiere
The Assassination of Gianni Versace S2E7 “Ascent” (FX, 10pm)
Back S1E1 (Sundance, 11pm) – series American debut
THURSDAY
Ladies First (Netflix) – short documentary premiere
Marvel’s Jessica Jones S2 (Netflix) – season premiere
The Oath S1E1 (Crackle) – series premiere
Gotham S4E13 “A Beautiful Darkness” (FOX, 8pm)
Grey’s Anatomy S14E14 “Games People Play” (ABC, 8pm)
RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars S3E7 (VH1, 8pm)
Supernatural S13E15 “A Most Holy Man” (The CW, 8pm)
Superstore S3E14 “Safety Training” (NBC, 8pm)
Champions S1E1 (NBC, 8:30pm) – series premiere
Arrow S6E15 “Doppelganger” (The CW, 9pm)
Project Runway All-Stars S6E9 (Lifetime, 9pm)
Scandal S7E13 “Air Force Two” (ABC, 9pm)
Will & Grace S9E13 “Sweatshop Annie & the Annoying Baby Shower” (NBC, 9pm)
Atlanta S2E2 “Sportin’ Waves” (FX, 10pm)
How to Get Away With Murder S4E14 “The Day Before He Died” (ABC, 10pm)
Portlandia S8E8 “Peter Follows P!nk” (IFC, 10pm)
S.W.A.T S1E14 “Ghosts” (CBS, 10pm)
FRIDAY
Collateral S1 (Netflix) – miniseries premiere
Love S3 (Netflix) – final season premiere
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman S1E3 (Netflix)
The Outsider (Netflix) – movie premiere
Sneaky Pete S2 (Amazon) – season premiere
Once Upon a Time S7E12 “A Taste of the Heights” (ABC, 8pm)
Jane The Virgin S4E12 “Chapter Seventy-Six” (The CW, 9pm)
SATURDAY
Planet Earth: Blue Planet II (BBC America, 9pm) – special making of episode
