American Horror Stories Looks to Our Digital Nightmare for Inspiration

Looking for your next binge-watch, or just need to fill an hour? Welcome to Your Weekly Watch List, our curated collection of the best shows on television. Here's what to watch from Sunday, October 22 through Saturday, October 28.

With just one full week left in October, TV is going all in on Halloween with a series of frightful premieres, including a new season of American Horror Stories (not to be confused with the singular American Horror Story, which just concluded the first half of its season) and Apple TV+'s The Enfield Poltergeist. Of course, streaming also offers plenty of horror-free releases, from Paramount+'s Milli Vanilli documentary to The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion and beyond.

Milli Vanilli

Tuesday, Paramount+

If you think you know the true story of Milli Vanilli — the R&B music duo who famously lip-synched on their Grammy-winning album — think again. Directed by Luke Korem, Milli Vanilli boasts unprecedented access to short-lived superstar Fabrice "Fab" Morvan, who recalls his early partnership with Robert "Rob" Pilatus, the fateful contract they signed with producer Frank Farian, and their eventual downfall in dramatic fashion. (Pilatus died in 1998, but the documentary includes exclusive audio of an interview he recorded two months before his death.) The Milli Vanilli controversy was well documented in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the film goes beyond Morvan and Pilatus to take a more comprehensive look at the people who enabled their deception, revealing a corrupt industry that was all too eager to prop up the fraudulent singers in the name of profit. Like Framing Britney Spears and Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Korem's documentary invites viewers to reassess a major pop culture moment or figure, making for an interesting addition to the current wave of projects that analyze our fascination with fame and the devastating cost of that obsession.

The Challenge Season 39 Premiere

Wednesday, 8:00 PM ET on MTV

The only competitors more fierce than The Challenge champions? Former players looking for redemption after falling short of the finish line. In Season 39 (also known as Battle for a New Champion), 24 contenders return to prove their physical and mental abilities in hopes of winning a $1 million cash prize. But in order to be the best, these competitors must beat the best: Throughout the game, they will go head-to-head with legendary winners like CT Tamburello and Kaycee Clark, who vow to do everything in their power to subdue their opponents.

MTV's refreshed format gives viewers the best of both worlds in that the cast is made up of familiar faces from years past — including Olivia Kaiser, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley, and Ravyn Rochelle — but with everyone determined to leave victorious, the stakes are higher than ever. Their desperation will put old alliances to the test and bring long-simmering feuds to a boiling point, adding an extra dimension to a show that's been on the air for over 25 years.

American Horror Stories Season 3

Thursday, Hulu (Full Season)
*Our must-watch pick of the week

It wouldn't be Halloween (or Huluween) without a fresh batch of American Horror Stories. Season 3 of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's anthology delivers four new tales of things that go bump in the night. As always, FX is keeping specific details close to the vest, but this year's installment seems to be explicitly concerned with the terrors of the digital age: The premiere, "Bestie," follows a young woman who finds solace in a mysterious online friend, while subsequent episodes center on a sinister artificial intelligence device ("Daphne") and a blind date that goes off the rails ("Organ"). As warped as they may be, these stories — as well as an episode about an up-and-coming model who goes to extreme lengths to stay thin ("Tapeworm") — ground the season in something approximating reality, which helps to distinguish between the episodic spin-off and the more fantastical leanings of its parent series.

The Enfield Poltergeist

Friday, Apple TV+ (Full Season)

Apple immerses viewers in one of the world's most famous hauntings in its unique new series The Enfield Poltergeist. In 1977, a family in Enfield, London began experiencing strange disturbances in their home; as the occurrences continued, the story became a national phenomenon that forever altered the world's perception of the supernatural. Decades later, the producers behind Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie return to the scene of the poltergeist with a four-part series based around the recordings captured by paranormal investigator Maurice Gross, who spent more than 250 hours speaking to those affected. In an exact replica of the house in Enfield, actors reenact what's heard on the tapes, while the real family members open up about their harrowing experience in present-day interviews. The result is an eerie reimagining of the case (which inspired various films and TV shows, including The Conjuring 2) that will make even the greatest skeptics question their convictions.

If You Have...

An Hour

Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Fall Premiere: Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on AMC and AMC+
30 Coins Season 2 Premiere: Monday, 10:00 PM ET on HBO
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 13 Premiere: Wednesday, 8:00 PM ET on Bravo
Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Finale: Thursday, Max

An Evening

AKA Mr. Chow: Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on HBO
The Real Housewives of New York City Reunion Part 1: Sunday, 9:00 PM ET on Bravo

A Full Day

Get Gotti: Tuesday, Netflix
Krishnas: Gurus. Karma. Murder.: Tuesday, Peacock
Life on Our Planet: Wednesday, Netflix
Shoresy Season 2: Friday, Hulu

Up Next

Fellow Travelers: Sunday, October 29 on Paramount+
The Gilded Age Season 2: Sunday, October 29 on HBO
Billions Series Finale: Sunday, October 29 on Showtime
Black Cake: Wednesday, November 1 on Hulu
All the Light We Cannot See: Thursday, November 2 on Netflix

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.