Los Angeles Times - 04.10.2019

E14 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 S LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR

FridayPrime-TimeTV SportsNewsMovies(N) NewÅClosed Captioning

8 pm 8: 30 9 pm 9: 30 10 pm10: 30 11 pm

CBS Hawaii Five-0(TV14) Deadly

tunnel collapse. (N)Å

Magnum P.I.(TV14) Suspi-

cious textmessage. (N)Å

Blue Bloods(TV14) Frank and

Erin areat odds. (N)Å

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NBC The Blacklist(TV14) (Season

premiere)Kidnapped. (N)Å

Dateline NBCJournals, videos and emails shed new lighton

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CW Masters of Illu-

sion(TVPG)

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(TVPG)Å

Peaking

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Peaking

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(10:45)Å

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ABC American

Housewife(N)

Fresh Off the

Boat(N)Å

20/20A woman who was kidnapped as an infant by the se-

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KCALNews(N)Å News(N)Å News(N)Å Sports(10:45)black-ishÅ

FOX Friday Night SmackDown(TVPG) Brock Lesnar challenges

champion Kofi Kingston for his title. (N)

News(N)Å The Issue Is...

Flex Alexander

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(N)Å

MyNtCSI: Miami(TV14)Å CSI: Miami(TV14)Å SeinfeldÅ SeinfeldÅ King of Queens

KVCRAntiques Roadshow(TVG)

Indianapolis. (Part 3 of 3)Å

Antiques RoadshowPalm

Springs. (Part 1 of 3)Å

The Red Green

ShowÅ

The Red Green

ShowÅ

GZERO World

Colombia.Å

KCETThe Graduate››››(1967) Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft. An aimless college grad lets an older

woman seduce him, then finds himself falling for her daughter. (PG)Å

UNI La Rosa de Guadalupe(TV14) La usurpadora(TV14) (N) El dragón(N) NoticiasÅ

KOCEPenelope Keith at Her Majesty’s

ServiceRoyal residences.Å

Great PerformancesNow Hear

This: Scarlatti. (N)Å

Ruben Salazar: Man in the

MiddleSlain journalist.Å

Rise and Fall of

Brown Buffalo

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(TVPG) James Bay.Å

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musician Buddy Guy.Å

Front and Center(TVPG)

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AMC Ta ke n›››(2008) Liam Neeson. (7:30)Å Ta ke n›››(2008) Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace. (PG-13)

ANP The Crocodile Hunter(N)Å The Zoo: San Diego(TVPG)ÅThe Secret Life of the Zoo(N) Secret Life Zoo

BBC The Breakfast Club(6:45) (R) The Princess Bride›››(1987) Cary Elwes. (PG)Å Graham Norton

BET Blue Streak›(1999) (6:30) Shaft››(2000) Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa L. Williams. (R)

BravoMadea Witness Protect.(6:18) The Hunger Games›››(2012) Jennifer Lawrence. (8:52) (PG-13)Å

CMT Last Man Stand Last Man Stand Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Where the Heart Is››Natalie Portman.Å

CNN CNN Tonight: Don LemonÅ Anderson Cooper 360(TVPG)Cuomo Prime TimeÅ Don LemonÅ

Com South ParkÅ South ParkÅ The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe(TVMA)Å Good Talk(N)

Disc Gold Rush: Pay Dirt(N)Å Gold Rush(TV14) (N)Å Gold Rush(TV14) (N)Å

Disn Raven’s Home Raven’s Home Just Roll With It(TVY7)Å Jessie(10:05)Jessie(TVG) Raven’s Home

E! Freaky Friday›››(2003) Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan.The Devil Wears Prada›››(2006) (PG-13)

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IFC Two & Half Men Two & Half Men Two & Half Men Two & Half Men Two & Half Men Two & Half Men Two & Half Men

Life Unforgettable››(2017) Rosario Dawson, Katherine Heigl. (R)Å The Perfect Soulmate(10:33)

MSN 11th Hour With Brian Williams The Rachel Maddow ShowÅ Last Word—Lawrence O’Donnell 11th HourÅ

MTV Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness Ridiculousness

NGC Inside the American MobÅ Inside the American MobÅ Inside the American MobÅ American Mob

Nick SpongeBobÅ SpongeBobÅ SpongeBobÅ SpongeBobÅ FriendsÅ FriendsÅ FriendsÅ

OWN 20/20: Homicide(TV14)Å 48 Hours: Hard Evidence 48 Hours: Hard Evidence 20/20 on OWN

Para 21 Jump Street›››(6:30) Bellator MMA Live(TV14) Koreshkov vs. Larkin. (N)Å 21 Jump Street

Sund Law & Order(TV14)Å Law & Order(TV14)Å Law & Order(TV14)Å Law & OrderÅ

Syfy Saban’s Power Rangers››(2017) (PG-13) (7:30)Å Van Helsing(TV14) (N)Å FuturamaÅ

TBS BaseballWashington Nationals at Dodgers. (6:30) (N)Å Inside MLB(N)SeinfeldÅ MLB on Deck

TCM Godzilla Raids Again››(1955) (8:15) Mothra vs. Godzilla››(1964) Akira Takarada. (9:45)

TLC Long Island Medium(TVPG) Melissa Etheridge.Å Long Island Medium(10:05) Island Medium

TNT Transformers›››(2007) Shia LaBeouf. (7) (PG-13)Å Cast Away›››(2000) Tom Hanks. (PG-13)

Toon We Bare Bears We Bare Bears American Dad American Dad Bob’s Burgers Bob’s Burgers Family GuyÅ

TravelHaunted Salem: Live(5)Å Haunted Salem: Live(TV14) A ghost hunt in Salem, Mass.Å

Tru Inside JokesÅInside JokesÅInside JokesÅInside JokesÅImpracticalÅ Inside JokesÅBrooklyn Nine

TV L RaymondÅ RaymondÅ RaymondÅ RaymondÅ Two & Half Men Two & Half Men King of Queens

USA Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family

VH1 Friday After Next›(2002) (7)Baby Boy›››(2001) Tyrese Gibson, Omar Gooding. (R)Å

WGN Last Man Stand Last Man Stand Married ... With Married ... With Married ... With Married ... With How I Met Mom

Cine Rampage››(2018) Dwayne Johnson. (PG-13)Å The Island››Ewan McGregor. (9:50)Å

Encr Role Models›››(7:18)Å Fast Times at Ridgemont High›››(1982) Friends With Benefits

Epix Pennyworth(TVMA)Å Pennyworth(TVMA)Å Pennyworth(TVMA)Å PennyworthÅ

HBO Season of the

Witch(6:50)

Isn’t It Romantic››(2019) Rebel Wilson,

Liam Hemsworth. (PG-13)Å

Real Time With Bill Maher

(TVMA) Anniversary show.

Room 104

(TVMA) (N)

ShowThe House With a Clock in Its

Walls››(2018) (7)Å

Murder in the Bayou(TVMA)

Chapter Four. (N)Å

Couples Thera-

py(TVMA)Å

Young Adult›››(2011)

Charlize Theron. (R)Å

StarzGirl in the Spider’s Web››(R)Power(TVMA) Hostage.Å Vida(TVMA) Slaughterhouse Rulez(10:36)

TMC I Feel Pretty››(2018) Amy Schumer. (PG-13)Å Furlough(2018) Tessa Thompson. (R)Å

TELEVISION

Sometimes it’s not the
best-made shows that make
the best impression. A
seamlessly produced work
can just slide right off you,
where one whose edges are
rougher can stick.
“Raising Dion,” a new sci-
fi series from Netflix, con-
cerns a superpowered sec-
ond-grader and the people
in his life. It’s yet another
story of mutants in a world
in no particular need of an-
other one — “Too Many Mu-
tants” is the superhero mu-
sical I will one day get
around to writing — but it’s
also a story of single mother-
hood, of elementary-school
social Darwinism, of the re-
awakening creative impulse,
of sisters, of sexual jealousy.
There are passing
lessons about racism,
boundaries, the dangers of
wanting to fit in: “Trying to
figure out what to do, say,
wear, buy,” mother Nicole
(Alisha Wainwright) tells 7-
year-old son Dion (Ja’Siah
Young). “I mean, what do
you like? Comic books and
Legos.... If you show people
the real you, you will not only
make friends but you will
make the right friends.”
(Maybe that’s not true, but
it’s nice to think it is.)
The show is a bit of a tonal
jumble. In trying to do many
things at once, “Raising
Dion” can feel wayward and
messy; it suffers fits of senti-
mentality, not always well-
controlled. And yet what’s
ungainly about the series is
also what makes it interest-
ing and distinguishes it from
the great mass of high-gloss
superhero adventures, with
their tortured heroes and
tortured villains, their su-

persized scale and Kevlar

aesthetic.

One thing that keeps the

series compelling is that it’s

structured, across its sea-

sonal arc, as a murder mys-

tery — the words “serial

killer” are raised, figura-

tively, at one point — and

even a bad mystery is hard to

put down once it’s begun. A

story of “Did he fall or was he

pushed” — or rather, “Did he

drown, or was he drowned”

— provides a spine to the se-

ries’ other business. Like an

episode of, say, “Father

Brown,” or “Midsomer Mur-

ders,” or most any detective

show you care to name — not

“Columbo” — it offers a bou-

quet of blind alleys, red her-

rings, likely suspects, un-

likely suspects and things

that aren’t what they seem,

arranged to mystify its he-

roes and viewers alike.

Dion’s scientist father,

Mark (Michael A. Jordan),

was lost in a storm a year

earlier, and neither mother

nor son have really proc-

essed the loss. They’re ad-

justing with difficulty to a

new apartment in a new

neighborhood with a new

school, where Dion has

made no friends except for

Esmerelda (Sammi Haney),

who “doesn’t count.” (Be-

cause she’s a girl, not be-

cause she’s in a wheelchair.)

Pat (Jason Ritter), Mark’s

childhood friend and science

sidekick, who is also Dion’s

godfather, comes around a

little more often than Nicole

would like, though Dion is

happy to see him. They

share an interest in comics,

and in acting like children.

Discussing telekinesis, Pat

tells Dion, “That’s super-

powers 101, all the greats

have it — Luke Skywalker,

Neo, Mary Poppins.”

Little does Pat know. No

more than three minutes of

the series elapse before an

accident with a bowl of cere-

al reveals to Dion, and to us

— though not yet to Nicole,

who will take another 20

minutes to catch up — that

Dion may be in that number.

Emerging powers are more

often assigned to teenagers

— it’s a killer puberty meta-

phor — who will typically be

recruited into some under-

ground Breakfast Club of

similarly gifted individuals

to fight an epic battle be-

tween light and dark, good

and evil, topsy and turvy. It’s

rare, though, that the new

mutant is an actual child

(offhand I can only think of

Drew Barrymore in

“Firestarter,” and the car-

toon kids in “The

Incredibles”); Dion is a little

boy whose superhero games

become real. But he is al-

ways a little boy, not always

responsible and always in

need of care.

Created by Carol Barbee

(whose writing credits run

from “Judging Amy” to

“Jericho” to “UnREAL”)

from Dennis Liu’s comic

book, “Raising Dion” is cer-

tainly not the only series or

film to take an interest in the

ordinary lives of the extraor-

dinary, though it is more

than usually concerned with

them. Ordinary life is the

goal, really; the super stuff

just gets in the way. No one

here is out to rule the uni-

verse, galaxy or world, or

even to run a city; there are

no armies, no five-story ro-

bots. We do get the tradi-

tional corporate entity

whose seemingly righteous

mission may or may not

serve darker purposes — one

of the guessing games the

series makes you play — and

a modicum of effectively

nerve-racking special-ef-

fects-driven set pieces.

Nevertheless, the drama re-

mains for the most part life-

sized and personal.

Indeed, you could cut out

the supernatural material

and still have a decent little

drama about an over-

whelmed widow, her ram-

bunctious son, her friends,

her family. Much of the se-

ries is concerned with Nicole

getting and keeping a job,

and balancing the demands

of an inflexible boss with the

needs of her child. Her son

has the superpowers, but

Nicole is a hero too.

So what if it builds out a

little more than necessary,

poking into the irrelevant

personal life of Nicole’s doc-

tor sister Kat (Jazmyn Si-

mon)? Nicole’s job hunt

leads her to office work at

the dance company where

she performed before moth-

erhood, and where she will

venture some steps again.

It’s off-topic in one way, and

perfectly on point in anoth-

er. But, also, it’s dancing! In

science-fiction! And why

not?

REVIEW

When a child gets superpowers early

The engaging drama

‘Raising Dion’ bestows

mutant abilities on

a second-grader.

JA’SIAH YOUNGas the superpowered second-grader Dion Warren and Alisha Wainwright as his mother,

Nicole Warren, observe some very unusual flying fish in the Netflix science-fiction series “Raising Dion.”

Netflix

‘Raising Dion’

Where:Netflix

When:Anytime

Rating:TV-PG (may be

unsuitable for young

children)

SERIES

Friday Night SmackDown
The hit wrestling series
marks its 20th anniversa-
ry with a move to its new
network home, preceded
by a kickoff special.
Among the WWE Super-
stars featured are Stone
Cold Steve Austin, Kurt
Angle, Lita, Mick Foley,
Booker T, Hulk Hogan,
Trish Stratus, Jerry
Lawler, Ric Flair and
Sting. 7:30 and 8 p.m. Fox

The BlacklistA new season
of this drama picks up the
action where last season’s
finale left off, after Red
(James Spader) was kid-
napped by Rostova (Laila
Robins). 8 p.m. NBC

American Housewife
Katie’s (Katy Mixon) boss
(recurring guest star Kelly
Ripa) promotes her to
vice president of events.
8 p.m. ABC

Great PerformancesIn a
new installment of “Now
Hear This,” host Scott
Yoo visits Spain and Mo-
rocco to understand how
the Baroque composer
Scarlatti infused Vivaldi’s
melodies and Bach’s
fugues with the sounds of
Spain. 9 p.m. KOCE

In Search OfHost Zachary
Quinto tries to find the
Loch Ness Monster in the
season premiere of this
unscripted series. 10 p.m.
History Channel

SPECIALS

Haunted Salem: Live An
all-star cast of paranor-
mal investigators is on
hand to participate in this
new four-hour live ghost
hunt in Salem, Mass., site
of the infamous Salem
witch trials. 5 and 9 p.m.
Travel Channel

MOVIES

Godzilla A month-long
salute to the “King of the
Monsters” kicks off with
this original 1954 Japa-
nese kaijuthriller. 5 p.m.
Turner Classic Movies

The House With a Clock in
Its WallsA 10-year-old boy
(Owen Vaccaro) is sent to
live with his eccentric un-
cle (Jack Black) after his
parents are killed in a car
accident in director Eli
Roth’s kid-friendly 2018
supernatural comedy;
with Cate Blanchett.
7 p.m. Showtime

The GraduateDustin Hoff-

man plays the titular col-

lege grad in director Mike

Nichols’ classic 1967 social

satire; with Anne Ban-

croft. 8 p.m. KCET

The Harvey Girls (1946)

11:15 a.m. TCM

Snatch (2000) 12:15 p.m.

Epix

Shaun of the Dead(2004)

12:40 p.m. Encore

A Ticklish Affair(1963) 1:15

p.m. TCM

X-Men: Days of Future Past

(2014) 1:30 p.m. FX

Young Bess(1953) 3 p.m.

TCM

Eve’s Bayou(1997) 4:40 p.m.

Cinemax

The School of Rock(2003)

5 p.m. Showtime

Godzilla, King of the Mon-

sters(1956) 6:45 p.m. TCM

TALK SHOWS

CBS This MorningFormer

U.N. ambassador Susan

Rice. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

TodayAuthors Adam Grant

and Allison Sweet Grant.

(N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News(N)

7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning AmericaWill

Smith and director Ang

Lee (“Gemini Man”). (N)

7 a.m. KABC

Good Day LASinger-song-

writer Mandy Harvey;

chef Stephanie Izard. (N)

7 a.m. KTTV

Live with Kelly and Ryan

Penélope Cruz; Nick

Kroll; guest co-host Lisa

Rinna. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The ViewJessica Lange. (N)

10 a.m. KABC

Rachael RayHenry Wink-

ler. (N) 10 a.m. KTTV

The Wendy Williams Show

Elvis Duran. (N) 11 a.m.

KTTV

The Talk Kristin

Chenoweth. (N) 1 p.m.

KCBS

The Dr. Oz Show(N) 1 p.m.

KTTV

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Wanda Sykes; “Property

Brothers”; chef Ludo Le-

febvre. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC

Dr. Phil(N) 3 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Adam Devine; Lewis Ca-

paldi performs; guest host

Sean Hayes. (N) 3 p.m.

KNBC

The RealSinger Mary Wil-

son. (N) 3 p.m. KTTV

The Doctors (N) 3 p.m.

KCOP

Washington Week(N) 7 p.m.

KOCE

The Issue Is...With Elex

Michaelson Democratic

presidential candidate

Andrew Yang. (N) 10:30

p.m. KTTV

The Graham Norton Show

Helen Mirren; RuPaul.

(N) 11 p.m. BBC America

Amanpour and Company

11:30 p.m. KCET, 1 a.m.

KLCS

The Tonight Show Starring

Jimmy Fallon Joaquin

Phoenix; Zoey Deutch;

entrepreneur Gary Vayn-

erchuk. (N) 11:34 p.m.

KNBC

The Late Show With

Stephen Colbert Jon

Hamm; baseball player

Pete Alonso. (N) 11:35 p.m.

KCBS

Jimmy Kimmel Live For-

mer Vice President Joe

Biden; Cobie Smulders;

James Blake performs.

11:35 p.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With

James Corden Michael

Douglas; comic Nicole

Byer. 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Seth Mey-

ersGlenn Howerton; An-

drew Yang; author Mar-

garet Atwood. 12:37 a.m.

KNBC

Nightline (N) 12:37 a.m.

KABC

A Little Late With Lilly

Singh Chelsea Handler.

1:38 a.m. KNBC

SPORTS

BaseballIn playoff action,

the Rays play the Astros,

11 a.m. FS1; the Cardinals

battle the Braves, 1:30

p.m. TBS; the Twins take

on the Yankees, 4 p.m.

MLB; and the Dodgers

host the Nationals, 6:30

p.m. TBS

TV HIGHLIGHTS

Virginia SherwoodNBC

LAILA ROBINSguest

stars as a spy on the

season premiere of “The

Blacklist” on NBC.

ROBERT LLOYD
TELEVISION CRITIC