“Steel Magnolias" 9 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime
Queen Latifah heads an impressive all-black cast in a lovingly faithful remake of “Steel Magnolias." Phylicia Rashad, Jill Scott and Alfre Woodard also appear. Our advice: Bring your tissues.
“Curiosity" 9 p.m. Sunday, Discovery
The Season 2 opener of “Curiosity" is a complete wreck. Seriously. Experts use a remote control system to crash a full-sized passenger jet in the desert to learn more about chances of surviving a real air disaster.
“Upstairs, Downstairs" 9 p.m. Sunday, PBS
“Downton Abbey" doesn’t return until January, but you can appease your appetite for British period drama with Season 2 of “Upstairs, Downstairs." The action resumes in the year before World War II.
“The Voice" 8 p.m. Monday, NBC
“The Voice" is about to get even more brutal as the show’s battle rounds begin. And in a new twist, coaches can steal a defeated singer from a rival team.
“Frontline" 9 p.m. Tuesday, PBS
In the week when the vice presidential candidates wage their only debate (9 p.m. Thursday), “Frontline" opens its 31st season with rigorous profiles of the main men in the race, from Barack Obama’s early days in Indonesia and Hawaii to Mitt Romney’s missionary work in France. Hundreds of hours of research and dozens of original interviews went into the two-hour documentary with the goal to uncover fresh insights not found in the campaign narratives.
“Arrow" 8 p.m. Wednesday, CW
Hunky Stephen Amell hits the target in “Arrow," a new action series about a shipwrecked castaway who returns home after five years of isolation and takes on the persona of a vigilante crime fighter.
“Nashville" 10 p.m. Wednesday, ABC
“Nashville" is a great new drama with a twangy beat. Connie Britton shines as a fading country star whose throne is coveted by a cunning young phenom (Hayden Panettiere).
“Halloween Tricked Out" 8 p.m. Friday, HGTV
“Halloween Tricked Out" is a fun special that features extravagant home and yard displays from across the country. Included: a West Virginia man who carved 3,000 pumpkins.
“The Walking Dead"
marathon 10 a.m. Saturday, AMC
There’s no better way to prepare yourself for Sunday’s Season 3 of “The Walking Dead" than with a marathon gore fest of past episodes that begins this morning and leads right up to the premiere. Sounds epic.
