‘Supermarket Sweep,’ ‘Emergency Call’ & More Can’t-Miss Unscripted Fall TV
Fall Preview
This fall 2020 television season may not be what viewers expected, but thanks to unscripted TV, there’s still plenty of new content to watch!
Whether you’re interested in a game show reboot like Supermarket Sweep (ABC), seeking a foodie extravaganza like Hulu’s Eater’s Guide to the World, or intrigued by a political docuseries like CNN’s First Ladies, there’s something for every taste premiering soon.
Scroll down to learn about the can’t-miss unscripted fare heading your way this fall!
Emergency Call
Premieres Monday, September 28, 10/9c, ABC
Every emergency is like a ticking clock, and the initial moments before help arrives are critical. This ABC docuseries takes us inside 911 call centers to show the heroes on the other end of the line. According to host Luke Wilson (Old School): “911 call takers don’t just save [lives] — they calm and console people until they are safe.” You’ll find that wait is usually suspenseful, occasionally humorous and always riveting.
Photo Ark
Premieres Saturday, October 17, 10/9c, Nat Geo Wild
National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore is on a mission to capture pics of every animal species living in the world’s zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. No biggie. This two-part special follows him on that quest into the heart of the Amazon rain forest, through the Colorado Rockies and across the islands of Indonesia. You won’t believe the lengths he’ll go to in order to get the perfect shot of white-tailed hawks, manatees, spitting cobras and other exotic critters!
Eater's Guide to the World
Premeires Wednesday, November 11, Hulu
If your stomach isn’t growling now, it will be when this series from award-winning foodie site Eater debuts. Maya Rudolph (The Good Place) narrates the seven-episode season, which takes viewers around the globe in search of unexpectedly monumental meals. She gets the lowdown on where the locals chow down in destinations as varied as the Pacific Northwest; Casablanca, Morocco; Tijuana, Mexico; and Costa Rica.
History's Greatest Mysteries
Premieres Saturday, November 14, 9/8c, History
Ever wondered what really crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico? Or whether John Wilkes Booth actually faked his own death after assassinating Abraham Lincoln? With Emmy winner Laurence Fishburne (black-ish) narrating, this series delves into these and other historical debates. Evidence never before made public includes an investigator’s 1912 notes on the sinking of the Titanic that detail crew behavior and hint at a possible cover-up.
Supermarket Sweep
Premieres Sunday, October 18, 8/7c, ABC
The shelves are stocked and the carts are ready to roll. Emmy-nominated Saturday Night Live alum Leslie Jones hosts the latest revival of Supermarket Sweep. After ending a cable run in 2003, the classic game show returns to ABC, its home from 1965 to 1967, for a brand-new era of shopping shenanigans. As in the old-school version, teams of two answer questions about household items to gain extra time for their epic grocery grab and dash. The team that succeeds in wracking up the biggest bill — it’s about volume and the price tags, people! — wins the chance to race for $100,000. Coupons, shmoupons!
That Animal Rescue Show
Premieres Thursday, October 29, CBS All Access
Get ready to say awww! From executive producer Richard Linklater, the Oscar-nominated writer-director of Boyhood, comes this heartwarming docuseries about humans and animals changing each other’s lives for the better in his hometown of Austin. We’ll meet extraordinary Texans who rehabilitate injured wildlife and care for abandoned pets. And we’ll also learn how friendly goats help patients heal and how steady horses aid disabled children who are learning to walk.
A World of Calm
Premieres Thursday, October 1, HBO Max
Forget Netflix-and-chill. HBO Max’s new show will probably put you to sleep — but that’s the point! Based on the popular bedtime stories for adults found on the sleep, meditation and relaxation app Calm, A World of Calm enlists A-list actors to read tales meant to soothe your mind. Idris Elba, Nicole Kidman, Keanu Reeves, Oscar Isaac, Mahershala Ali, Lucy Liu, Zoë Kravitz and Cillian Murphy are some of the famous voices lulling you into a state of bliss as serene imagery plays onscreen. Warning: Do
not watch while driving or operating heavy machinery.
Becoming You
Premieres Friday, November 13, Apple TV+
Growing up isn’t mere child’s play. This documentary series, narrated by Oscar winner Olivia Colman (The Crown), takes us around the world to reveal how kids develop from tiny bundles of joy into walking, talking miniature people. More than 100 little ones — from Nepal, Borneo, Japan and other nations — share the formative experiences of their first five years. It turns out, what happens in the initial 2,000 days can affect the rest of their lives, and the truth of child-rearing “taking a village” is universal.
The Comedy Store
Premeires Sunday, October 4, 10/9c, Showtime
David Letterman, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Carrey, Martin Lawrence and more legendary laugh-getters explain how this revered Los Angeles venue ignited their careers and influenced the evolution of stand-up. The five-part docuseries, from fellow alum Mike Binder, charts the history of Mitzi Shore’s iconic Sunset Boulevard club—at the center of the scene for nearly half a century now—with both immense love and brutal honesty. (Would you expect anything less from comics?) For true aficionados, there’s also unearthed footage of gut-busting groundbreakers like Richard Pryor, Freddie Prinze and Sam Kinison!
First Ladies
Premieres Sunday, October 4, 10/9c, CNN
“There are a few first ladies who really are…cultural milestones,” journalist and author Michele Norris says of Michelle Obama in the premiere episode of CNN’s new six-part docuseries. Of course, she could have been talking about any of the women profiled in First Ladies. Narrated by Golden Globe winner Robin Wright (House of Cards), each hourlong installment takes an in-depth look at an iconic presidential wife such as Lady Bird Johnson, Nancy Reagan, Eleanor Roosevelt and Jackie Kennedy. From the campaign trail to the White House and beyond, their lives and careers are illuminated through interviews, archival footage and reenactments. One thing in common: They did way more than just redecorate! As Obama herself says, “Get comfortable with a little greatness.”
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