BENJAMONSTER NEWSLETTER: November 2, 2026
Welcome back to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am looking at Apple TV's Nocturne plus the latest episodes of The Lowdown, Eternally Yours and Ghosts. I am also ranking my Top 10 TV shows starting with W and giving some NFL musings!
WHAT'S NEW
Apple TV's newest drama is a slow burn serial killer drama that has some intriguing elements and some frustrating elements. To start with the intriguing episodes, this show has a great cast. There are some interesting parts with Zazie Beetz and the cast also includes Liev Schreiber, Chrissy Metz, Poorna Jagannathan and Bill Camp but what really got me was every scene with Stephen Graham and Rory Culkin. Graham plays Jurek Walter, a very dangerous serial killer in isolation while Culkin plays a nurse who is befriended/manipulated by Walter. Their scenes are by far the most dynamic in the series and they crackle with tension. Every time I saw them on screen in the first two episodes, I perked back up. Which brings me to my complaints.
This show is moving at a glacial pace so far. Two episodes in and everything not involving Graham and Culkin feels like it could not possibly move slower. That is especially true for the scenes with Schreiber, who just seems to be doing various forms of brooding when he's on camera. There's only six episodes in this season and we've hit the end of the second episode. The episodes are long and yet it feels like there really hasn't been a lot of plot yet. That's fine when it's all about ambiance building like The Lowdown, but this show isn't doing that either. I was hopeful that the setting of Western Pennsylvania would make it a bit like Task, just on the opposite side of the state. But so far, I don't think the show is using the setting to its advantage.
I'm going to definitely keep watching because of Graham and Culkin, but I really hope things pick up soon. The end of the second episode gave me a bit of hope that it will.
LAST WEEK ON...
For my Benjamonster Awards, I chose to keep The Lowdown in Drama even though it was moved to Comedy for the Emmys (after being in Drama at the winter awards). Unlike The Bear, which I never gave a thought to following the Emmys lead to Comedy, I was torn on this one. So far in the second season, it's certainly feeling like more of a comedy to me even as some of the stakes and plots more resemble a drama. But Ethan Hawke is dialed up to an 11 this season and seems to be really playing up the comedy. Betty Gilpin is also delivering a very comedic performance. And now we have Martha Plimpton on board and I'm already excited about the comedic sparks that will fly between her and Hawke. I have never moved a show to a new category for a subsequent season, but I may have to make a change here. We'll see how the rest of the season unfolds.
Eternally Yours & Ghosts
This week had a Halloween episode of Eternally Yours as well as a one-off, one-hour Halloween special for Ghosts (there will also be a Christmas special before the new season begins at midseason). Of course, both shows come from the same auspices and are both supernaturally themed. But having them in the same week made it clear how far Eternally Yours has to go. I thought this was the best episode yet of CBS's new vampire comedy but it still isn't in the same ballpark as Ghosts. Ghosts is so sure of its world and its characters and some of that comes with years of episodes, but it has really always been that way. Eternally Yours just doesn't have well defined characters at all and that's the biggest problem in the early going. As for the Ghosts special, I thought it was an effective start to what will be a weird season with the scheduling. The show had to force some things to accommodate for Rose McIver's pregnancy, but the show continues to find new ways to expand what seemed to be a limiting premise, something Eternally Yours could learn from.
THE BEST TV ALPHABETICALLY: LETTER W
In honor of 2026, I am looking at the 26 letters of the alphabet and listing my Top 10 TV Shows of All Time that start with that letter (no "The" or "A" don't count as the first letter of a show). This week, I am looking at letter W! And before you close this tab in anger, I have never watched "The Wire" - I know, it's a major blind spot for me that I need to correct!
"Baby if you ever wondered," - a great theme song and a pretty good TV show. WKRP in Cincinnati has some great characters and some really great episodes (yes, "Turkeys Away" is as funny as advertised). It is inconsistent though and a bit dated compared to some other MTM shows from that era.
9. WandaVision (Disney+, 2021)
This is the only Marvel show I have ever enjoyed and it had very little to do with the Marvel element of it and much more to do with the unique and ambitious nods to classic sitcoms from all different eras. The attention to detail and style was very unique and worth me actually dabbling in Marvel content for awhile.
8. Wings (NBC, 1990-1997)
This was sort of an "also ran" during NBC's run of comedy dominance in the 1990s even as it quietly put together a very long run. It's not as good as the best sitcoms of that era, but it has its charms and maybe deserves a bit more respect than it got.
7. Who's the Boss? (ABC, 1984-1992)
I know this show is sort of dumb, but I've always had a soft spot for it and always enjoyed it when I watched it. It's the perfect example of comfort food. The dynamics of the show never really changed over eight years but it managed to keep the show lively thanks to fun performances. I haven't watched it in quite awhile but always enjoy it when I do.
6. Whose Line is it Anyway? (ABC, 1998-2004)
All those years of watching repeats of this on ABC Family gets it on the list. I know it has been revived but the original American run with Drew Carey hosting and Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie and Wayne Brady along with a fourth rotating player had so many hilarious moments. Yes, Drew laughed a lot but he was a jolly host and the brilliance of the rep players made for a unique watching experience.
5. Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? (ABC/Syndication, 1999-Present)
In any incarnation, this has always been a favorite of mine. The original phenomenon with Regis had my family, like so many others, glued to the TV. The daytime version with Meredith Viera was always fun to jump in on. And the current version with Jimmy Kimmel and celebrity guests proves that the format remains incredibly durable.
4. What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 2019-2024)
This is such an unlikely favorite of mine. I don't typically like any type of vampire fiction, but this is just so darn funny. There are incredible performances across the board but Kayvan Novak had incredible timing, Matt Berry had unparalleled line readings and Mark Proksch's Colin Robinson should be considered an iconic sitcom character. You might think you don't like vampire stuff, this is still worth checking out.
3. The West Wing (NBC, 1999-2006)
It's hard to imagine now that this was once a type of show a broadcast network would put on. Always with a desire to be high-minded, The West Wing sometimes verged on preachy and it was often inconsistent. But its best moments (the entire first season, the Season 2 finale, the final season presidential race), are among the best dramas ever created for TV with an impeccable cast.
2. The White Lotus (HBO, 2021-Present)
There have been three seasons of HBO's satirical anthology and I've loved each one. I will always remember watching the Hawaii-set first season in the Summer of 2021 and being completely hooked. The second season in Italy was perhaps an even tighter construction of a story and the third season in Thailand, while more maligned, was still a must watch every week. I love Mike White's writing and the incredible stars this show gets. Bring on the fourth season in the French Riviera!
1. The Wonder Years (ABC, 1988-1993)
A classic that is perhaps the best coming of age TV show ever. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the late 60s and early 70s, The Wonder Years is a voice to adolescence and watching it for the first time (on Nick at Nite) around the same age as Fred Savage's Kevin Arnold made it an all time favorite of mine. Watching it more recently, I identify with the parents more but it's no less moving.
NFL MUSINGS
Here are some thoughts on an eventful Week 8 before the week wraps up tonight with a heavyweight showdown in Seattle between the Seahawks and Bears:
- I saw an article earlier this week that the Cowboys had found their offense and could now go on a run with a favorable schedule. I laughed at the time and I'm laughing even more now. Because we always do this with the Cowboys. I say we because I've been guilty of it too. "America's Team" gets a good looking win and all of the sudden, we think they're gonna pull it together. And they never do. They might still end up winning their weak division but this is not a Cowboys team ready to take the next step. Not even close.
- After a thorough domination of the Colts, it's clear the Jaguars are going to run away with the AFC South and could be in a strong position to snag the AFC's top seed because the other AFC divisions are all big battles. Their biggest threat is the Texans and they are way up in the division (despite a loss to the Texans). And now they get the snakebitten Ravens on Thursday night. All arrows are pointing up for the Jags and it feels like they are not getting a lot of attention, which is probably just how they like it.
- The NFC South makes no sense and there is no more confounding team than the Falcons. They beat the undefeated 49ers and follow that up with a shutout loss to the Bucs where the opposing team doesn't complete a pass. Yes, I know it was torrential rain. But I don't even know what to make of this team which bounces between looking like one of the league's best and like a JV squad. And as for the division, the Bucs are right back in it after looking completely out early in the season.
- I don't know how bold of a prediction this is, but I think the first offensive snap for the Ravens today was the last time we'll ever see Lamar Jackson on the field in a Ravens uniform. Yes, I know Jackson isn't technically out for the season but the Ravens will probably be buried by the time he could possibly return. And I know they could work things out in the offseason but this just feels like a divorce waiting to happen. The Ravens just cannot rely on Jackson to be healthy and it's not just an unavailability issue, it's also that they have tailored their offense around someone who can't be there to see it through. Maybe Jackson has a second act somewhere else but he strikes me as someone who burned bright and fast and may never be the QB he once was, even as recent as earlier this season.
- The Vikings looked like they were playing their type of game against the Lions for much of the day but ended up getting their first loss. I don't think they are going to suddenly spiral downward, but that offense is still a major concern and the defense will get a second straight major test with the Bills coming to town.
COMING UP
With the calendar turning to November, there are a few premieres this week. Tonight has the return of NBC's sitcom block of St. Denis Medical (for Season 3) and The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins (for Season 2). Both have their fans but haven't been able to break into awards chatter like Abbott Elementary. On Tuesday, Netflix premieres the "adult animated steampunk Western" Bass x Machina. It will likely have its niche fans. On Wednesday, Hulu has the return of All's Fair for a second season. After the first season was pretty reviled, I imagine the interest will be a pretty big drop-off for the second season. Also premiering Wednesday is the Muhammad Ali bio-drama The Greatest. This show seems to have very little buzz or promotion. And Stick returns for a second season on Apple on Wednesday. The Owen Wilson golf dramedy has been one of Apple's stronger performers. On Thursday, Netflix has the second season of Black Doves. The first season had some critical love but didn't break through. Also premiering Thursday is the third season of the holiday themed Mistletoe Murders on Hallmark. Finally on Sunday, MGM+ has the second season premiere of The Institute. Like all MGM+ shows, it didn't seem to make much of a dent.
I am now a contributor to The TV Ratings Guide and posting them there on Tuesdays. Check it out!
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