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SYFY WIRE The Twilight Zone

TV THIS WEEK: Doctor Who returns, Twilight Zone New Year’s marathon, Tolkien, and more

By Trent Moore
Doctor Who BBC America

The new year is here, and along with it a new season of Doctor Who and a fan-favorite sci-fi marathon to ring in 2020 in style.

After a prolonged break, BBC America's Doctor Who is finally back for a new season, with star Jodie Whittaker still behind the controls of the TARDIS. The two-part premiere drops this week, with one episode on New Year's Day and the other on Sunday (so don't forget to set your DVR). This week also brings the return of SYFY's annual The Twilight Zone marathon, which programs fan-favorite episodes for much of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Digging a bit deeper, there are also plenty of movies on the dial to kick back and watch this week. HBO is debuting the Tolkien biopic, FX has the basic cable premiere of Baby Driver (from director Edgar Wright), and BBC America is digging Monty Python and the Holy Grail out of the vault.

Check out our full rundown below and let us know what you'll be watching. 

HIGHLIGHTS

The Twilight Zone New Year's Eve Marathon (SYFY)

It's a tradition. It's a legacy. It's The Twilight Zone. The annual marathon of the classic sci-fi anthology series is back on SYFY. Welcome the new decade with a tried-and-true genre series that will still be just as great a few more decades down the line.

Doctor Who (BBC America), Wednesday 8PM - "Spyfall, Part 1"

A Time Lord travels through the universe and time.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (BBC America), Friday 9PM

King Arthur (Graham Chapman) goes questing on a pretend horse, followed by his lackey clacking coconut shells.

Tolkien (HBO), Sunday 8PM

NETWORK PREMIERE: As a young student, J.R.R. Tolkien finds love, friendship, and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts. These early life experiences later inspire Tolkien to write the classic fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Doctor Who (BBC America), Sunday 8PM - "Spyfall, Part 2"

A Time Lord travels through the universe and time.


MONDAY

It's a slim night for new TV, so maybe dig into your streaming queue? Between Servant, The Witcher, Runaways, and Lost in Space there's plenty to keep you busy for a night.


TUESDAY

The Twilight Zone New Year's Eve Marathon (SYFY)

See more in our "Highlights" section above.

Unearthed (Science), Tuesday 8PM

CGI animation and other state-of-the-art technology helps answer questions and crack unsolved mysteries surrounding some of the greatest wonders of the ancient and modern world.


WEDNESDAY

The Twilight Zone New Year's Day Marathon (SYFY)

Yep, still here: It's a tradition. It's a legacy. It's The Twilight Zone. The annual marathon of the classic sci-fi anthology series is back on SYFY. Welcome the new decade with a tried-and-true genre series that will still be just as great a few more decades down the line.

Doctor Who (BBC America), Wednesday 8PM - "Spyfall, Part 1"

See more in our "Highlights" section above.

Vikings (History), Wednesday 10PM - "The Key" 

The adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes.


THURSDAY

How the Universe Works (Science), Thursday 9PM - "Asteroid Apocalypse: The New Threat"

If a massive asteroid collides with Earth, it could end life on the planet as one knows it; new discoveries reveal just how close civilization is to apocalypse and what it would take for the world's leading space agencies to stop it.

Ghost Adventures (Travel), Thursday 9PM - "Screaming Room: Iceberg Dead Ahead!"

In a landlocked nautical adventure, Zak and the guys revisit the Titanic Museum in Branson, Mo., where the precocious spirit of a 6-year-old boy runs through the halls of a replica of the infamous ship.


FRIDAY

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (BBC America), Friday 9PM

See more in our "Highlights" section above.


SATURDAY

What on Earth? (Science), Saturday 8PM

An exploration of breathtaking images and unfathomable mysteries.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (SYFY), Friday 9PM

A boy's close encounter with an alien stranded on Earth leads to a unique friendship in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning film.


SUNDAY

God Friended Me (CBS), Sunday 8PM - "A New Hope"

Miles discovers a new clue as to who is behind the God account when Joy reveals that his friend suggestions have all been clients of the same insurance company.

God Friended Me - A New Hope (Preview)

The Simpsons (Fox), Sunday 8PM - "Hail to the Teeth"

Homer and Marge attend Artie Ziff's wedding and become quite uncomfortable when they realize that his bride-to-be is a clone of Marge; Lisa grapples with the misogynistic implications of the popularity she receives after getting her new braces.

Sideshow Bob & Cassandra Sing A Duet | Season 31 Ep. 10 | THE SIMPSONS

Family Guy (Fox), Sunday 9:30PM - "Connie's Celica"

When Lois gets a job as the music teacher at Chris and Meg's school, a mean student decides to make Lois the target of her antics.

Doctor Who (BBC America), Sunday 8PM - "Spyfall, Part 2"

See more in our "Highlights" section above.

Baby Driver (FX), Sunday 7:30PM

NETWORK PREMIERE: Coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), a talented getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.

Tolkien (HBO), Sunday 8PM

See more in our "Highlights" section above.

Unearthed (Science), Sunday 8PM - "Secrets of the Seven Wonders"

The Seven Wonders are the engineering marvels built by great minds of long-lost civilizations, but historians are not sure if some even existed; new discoveries and archaeological methods might prove what they looked like and why they disappeared.

*TV listing information via TV Guide and Zap2it.