Aldis Hodge Is ‘Cross,’ Eddie Redmayne Is the ‘Jackal,’ Baking Like Harry Potter, Thanksgiving With Georgie & Mandy

Cross

An eight-episode thriller based on James Patterson’s bestsellers introduces Aldis Hodge (Leverage) as iconic Washington D.C. detective and forensic psychologist Alex Cross (played in the movies by Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry). Dealing with grief and anger issues, beset by protesters and targeted by a sinister stalker, Cross has more than a few crosses to bear as he tangles with a doozy of a psycho whose obsession with legendary serial killers takes particularly macabre forms. Not for the squeamish. New Amsterdam’s Ryan Eggold (with platinum hair) has a field day hamming it up as well-connected and secretly sadistic philanthropist Ed Ramsey. (See the full review.)

The Day of the Jackal

A sleek and suspenseful take on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 thriller (previously filmed twice) about a notorious international assassin, this 10-episode series forgoes a real-life target (Charles de Gaulle in the original) in favor of fictional ones. This ratchets the tension as, in classic Hitchcock fashion, you’re never quite sure if you’re rooting for the enigmatic sniper and master of disguise (a compelling Eddie Redmayne) to get caught or to succeed. Lashana Lynch costars as the dogged MI6 agent crisscrossing Europe, following leads to her elusive and deadly prey. Launches with five episodes. (See the full review.)

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking

Magicians of pastry convene on the original London sets of the Harry Potter movies for a whimsical baking competition inspired by the hit fantasy franchise. James and Oliver Phelps, who played those obnoxious Weasley twins Fred and George, are the hosts, welcoming nine pairs of chefs to the movies’ London studio, with Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef as judges. In the opener, the bakers work on impressive Potter-derived showpieces that must be at least 2 feet tall and include a magical effect.

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

In a poignant callback to Young Sheldon, Georgie (Montana Jordan) seeks to bring the Cooper family together — minus Sheldon on the West Coast — for the first Thanksgiving gathering since the death of George Sr. (Lance Barber). It takes some doing to convince Meemaw (Annie Potts), Dale (Craig T. Nelson), and sister Missy (Raegan Revord) to break bread at the McAllister house, but the most stubborn holdout is his mom Mary (Zoe Perry), who doesn’t feel much like celebrating on the occasion of her late husband’s favorite holiday.

Say Nothing

A gritty nine-part historical drama (all episodes available for a grueling binge-watch) depicts the violent conflict known as The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The series focuses largely on the exploits of two young female activists in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the late 1950s and ’60s, culminating in the kidnapping of a Belfast mother suspected of being an informant for the British. Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe are terrific as Dolours and Marian Price, sisters who help IRA leaders including Gerry Adams (Josh Finan), who denied his involvement, and Brendan Hughes (a sensational Anthony Boyle) as they carry out brazen acts of defiance, including bank robberies and bombings. Their story is framed by interviews conducted decades later for an oral history, with Maxine Peake playing an older version of the jaded Dolours.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• 9-1-1 (8/7c, ABC): While Athena (Angela Bassett) mentors a rookie, husband Bobby (Peter Krause) and the 118’s crew head to the set of the fictional firefighter drama Hot Shots (for which Bobby was a consultant) to handle a real emergency.
• Law & Order (8/7c, NBC): Lt. Brady (Maura Tierney) leads an investigation into a murder within a judge’s family. Followed by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (9/8c), where the search is on for a serial rapist.
• A Reason for the Season (8/7c, Hallmark Mystery): Taylor Cole is an heiress who enlists a handsome (of course) lawyer (When Calls the Heart’s Kevin McGarry) to help her locate the people who saved her life on the night she was born, so she can reward them anonymously with gifts from their wish lists.
• Ghosts (8:30/7:30c, CBS): Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) leans on her musical gifts when coaching Sam (Rose McIver) for a local community-theater audition. Imagine if they were doing Blithe Spirit.
• Doctor Odyssey (9/8c, ABC): John Stamos guests as Capt. Massey’s (Don Johnson) brother, embarking on the ship during Gay Week.
• Matlock (9/8c, CBS): Matty (Kathy Bates) is feeling the stress of her double life when she assists in the retrial of a case involving deaths associated with contaminated baby formula. Another complication: an admirer who found her online and could blow her cover. Followed by Elsbeth (10/9c), with guest star Pamela Adlon (Better Things) as a celebrity chef whom Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) suspects was responsible for the death of a kitchen staffer.

 ON THE STREAM:

• Frasier (streaming on Paramount+): The reboot’s Season 2 finale is a heartwarming Christmas episode that gives Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) cause to meddle when best friend Alan’s (Nicholas Lyndhurst) estranged daughter comes to town with no intention of letting the cynical professor meet his baby granddaughter.
• Holidazed (streaming on Hallmark+): An eight-part series (launching with two episodes) is set in a cul-de-sac where a diverse assortment of neighboring families prepares for the holidays. The cast includes Dennis Haysbert, Loretta Devine, Virginia Madsen, John C. McGinley, Erin Cahill, Rachelle Lefevre, and Holland Roden.
• Sherwood (streaming on BritBox): James Graham’s acclaimed crime drama set in a mining town returns for a second season with a strong cast led by David Morrissey and Lesley Manville.
• Style Me for Christmas (streaming on BET+): Mario stars in a holiday romcom as a playboy R&B singer who needs an image makeover and fakes a romance with a stylist (Raven Goodwin) facing eviction. Guess where this is headed?
• Decoding Beauty (streaming on Curiosity Stream): Beauty is in the eye of the beholder — and consumer — in a documentary filmed across three continents, exploring the scientific nature and big business of beauty and self-image in the age of social media.