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Here Are the Best Shows to Watch This Week: The Good Place, Murphy Brown

Plus, get to know Jane Fonda very, very well

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Tim Surette

Looking for the best shows on TV this week?

The start of the new fall season is so overwhelming that no human could possibly get into it on their own. That's why I spent the last two months applying Visine to my face and relentlessly watching what's coming out so I can let you know what to not waste your time on.

Yes, there's plenty to watch on broadcast television with the arrival of the traditional fall season -- including an office favorite -- but cable and streaming still reign supreme here.

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Here are the best shows on television this week:

(And as always, if you're looking for more suggestions of what to watch on TV, we have plenty on our Watch This Now! page.)


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The Good Place
NBC; Thursday, 8/7c
It was TV Guide's No. 1 show for a reason: Because it's forkin' great, duh. Mike Schur's comedy about doing good and becoming a better person is leaving the titular afterlife in favor of resetting things on Earth. How? By reversing the deaths of its four main characters and seeing if they learned anything. We're guessing they won't, because Eleanor (Kristen Bell) is Arizona trash. Season 3 of The Good Place starts with a double episode.

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Jane Fonda in Five Acts
HBO; Monday, 8/7c
Capturing Jane Fonda's life in just two hours is a chore in itself, but
this documentary about the actress and activist does its best to cover it all. The key here is the unfiltered access to Fonda given to director Susan Lacy, and Fonda, even at the age of 80, is still vibrant and sharp as she ever was. Give it a watch, and you'll wish there a few more acts. (Trailer)

Mr Inbetween
FX; Tuesday, 11/10c
There's a quiet charm in this Australian import -- which premieres in the U.S. before it hits its home country -- that's a longing look at a criminal for hire who also tries to live a normal life. Ray (creator and writer Scott Ryan) just wants to get ice cream with his daughter and find a special someone during the day, but at night he's shoving people over balconies because they haven't paid what they owe. Mr Inbetween is sweet and violent at the same time, like a more subtle Barry, while anchored by the strong presence of Ryan. (Trailer)

Hold the Dark
Netflix; Friday
Director Jeremy Saulnier (Green Room) likes to make films that cause panic attacks with their blunt violence and claustrophobic settings, but his latest is a little more out in the open. Westworld's Jeffrey Wright is way less robotic as a wolf expert called to Alaska to help investigate some man-eating wolves. But the clincher? Alexander Skarsgard is in this! Watch everything that Alexander Skarsgard is in, RIGHT NOW. (Trailer)

King Lear
Amazon; Friday
The classic Billy Shakes The Spear story gets a rad update in this film, split into two parts, that stars another Westworld actor, Anthony Hopkins, as old Lear. In King Lear, things are moved to 21st Century London, but good lord look at this cast! Joining Hopkins are Emma Thompson, Emily Watson, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Eccleston, Tobias Menzies and a bunch of other people who will soon be knighted. (Trailer)

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Murphy Brown
CBS; Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9:30/8:30c
Murphy Brown is back! And she's attacking everything from Fox to Roseanne to our president! If you don't watch this, you'll never understand what those Trump tweets on Friday morning will be all about. (Trailer)


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This Is Us
NBC; Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9/8c
The Pearsons are back and your eyeballs aren't ready for what they have in store. Can Season 3 of This Is Usmaintain its emotional grip on its massive audience? Or is the mystery of Jack's death all people were sticking around for? We'll find out as we see Jack back in Vietnam as well as the beginning of Jack and Rebecca's relationship. In between bouts of incredibly affecting monologues about love and family and stuff. ( Trailer)

If you're looking for more recommendations, take a look at TV Guide's Watch This Now! feature, which has hand-picked suggestions for you!