Solving Marble Hall Murders, Embarking to Treasure Island, Christmas Comes Early, True Crime on HBO

SUNDAY: It’s billed as fictional detective Atticus Pünd’s (Tim McMullan‘s) final case. It’s also likely the end of the line for book editor Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville), implicated in the actual hit-and-run murder of the author penning the continuation of the popular Pünd series. In the satisfying conclusion of Anthony Horowitz‘s clever meta mystery, Susan’s detective ally Ian Blakeney (Danny Sapani) tries his hand at finishing the victim’s unfinished novel, which leads to the solution of a real-life cold case. (Also wrapping its third season on PBS: The Marlow Murder Club at 8/7c.)

SUNDAY: This channel’s fondness for new versions of timeless literary classics (The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities) now results in a lavish six-part interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s oft-filmed pirate adventure. Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter) brings a feminist spark to an expanded role as young Jim Hawkins’ (Tom Sweet) determined mother, Bess, who accompanies him on a fateful journey to discover buried treasure located on a map that Jim has committed to memory.David Oyelowo has a ball chewing the nautical scenery as peg-legged Long John Silver, who, as the ship’s cook, isn’t about to let Jim out of his sight.

SATURDAY: Someday the annual onslaught of new Christmas movies will start sometime around Valentine’s Day. Early October still feels pretty extreme — though likely not to fans with a bottomless appetite for these yuletide romances. First out of the gate is GAF’s “Great American Christmas” — Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” starts next weekend. Channel favorite Candace Cameron Bure stars in the inaugural movie as Anna, a divorcee who reunites with her ex, James (Jonathan Scarfe), when they visit their daughter for the holiday at the family’s Smoky Mountain cabin to meet her new boyfriend. An ice storm traps the former couple, and guess what happens next. If you’re thinking “only good things, plus a happy ending,” you know the drill.

SUNDAY: Even the true-crime genre is getting into the Halloween spirit. A three-part docuseries, airing weekly, tells a literally haunting story from the Louisiana bayous that stems from a cold case reaching back to 1985. Dorothy Lou Thompson, owner of a pet cemetery in St. Bernard Parish, was found dead and wrapped in chains in the Mississippi River, a mystery that went unsolved for decades until a witness came forward in 2009, alleging he’d seen Dorothy’s ghost. The trappings may feel like Anne Rice by way of Stephen King, but the reality is more sordid, grounded in the region’s clouded criminal past.

SUNDAY: Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Bad Sisters) is a master at wringing the maximum cringe out of any situation. As the unhappily unattached-at-50 Alex, Horgan has created another harried heroine for our time. Alex is feeling especially exposed and vulnerable when she travels to gorgeous Ibiza, with her sullen son Ruarí (Aran Murphy) as her plus-one, for her boss Sam’s (Sharlene Whyte) 10th-anniversary celebration, which turns out to be a couples’ holiday including her clueless ex Lorcan (Owen McDonnell) and her longtime crush Patrick (Rupert Friend), each with their latest squeezes. Awkward!

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• The Banana Bowl (Saturday, 7 pm/ET, streaming on Disney+): The Savannah Bananas takes on the Texas Tailgaters in the inaugural season championship, entertaining fans at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park.
• College GameDay (Saturday, 9 am/ET, ESPN, ESPNU, Disney+, and the ESPN App): Panelist and former coach Nick Saban returns to the Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, with Heisman Trophy winner and Alabama alum Bryce Young as the celebrity guest picker. (No. 6 Alabama plays No. 2 Georgia on ABC at 7:30 pm/ET).
• The Spirit of Halloween (Saturday, 8/7c, Hallmark Channel): A Halloween twist on A Christmas Carol stars Meghan Ory as Halloween-averse bridal designer Everly, who’s visited by three spirits who remind her of the season’s fun and of the guy (Kevin McGarry) who still carries a torch for her.
• The Monster She Married (Saturday, 8/7c, Lifetime): Glee‘s Matthew Morrison is the monstrous pediatrician who groomed Shelley (Molly Saunders) since she was a teen and trapped her into marriage. When another of his teenage patients is killed before she can testify against him, Shelley decides it’s time to speak out.
• Saturday Night Live (Saturday, 11:30/10:30c, 8:30 pm/PT, NBC): Comedian Shane Gillis returns for his third time as guest host, with Rosalía making her second appearance as musical guest.
• Major League Baseball (Sunday, 8 pm/ET, Fox): The National League Championship Series opens with reigning World Series champ L.A. Dodgers facing the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Sunday Night Football (Sunday, 8:15 pm/ET, NBC): The Baltimore Ravens play the Atlanta Falcons in the primetime game.
• Marshals (Sunday, 8/7c, CBS): The team pursues a former cop who’s targeting those he blames for ruining his career. Followed by Tracker (9/8c), with Colter (Justin Hartley) on the hunt for a mother and daughter who disappeared on the Pacific Divide Trail while being stalked as they hiked.
• The Real Housewives of Potomac (Sunday, 8/7c, Bravo): Robyn Dixon rejoins the inner circle after a two-season hiatus, with event designer Courtney Ajinça signing on for Season 11.
• Trespasses (10/9c, PBS): In the finale of the sobering drama set during the Troubles in 1970s Belfast, Cushla (Lola Petticrew) grieves and searches for answers after a terrible tragedy.
• Dragon Ball Super: Beerus (Sunday, streaming on Crunchyroll): The anime franchise returns, depicting the arrival of Beerus, the God of Destruction.