The age of innocence
Steven Spielberg isn't directly involved in the addictive new series "Stranger Things," but his approach to horror, in which the most frightening creature is loneliness, is all over it. The Duffer brothers pay homage to their unofficial mentor by making whip-smart kids the center of a missing-child thriller and lovingly honoring its '80s setting, from the rotary phones to the Yoda action figure. Casting Winona Ryder as the mother trying to hold it all together is the cherry on top.
Now streaming on Netflix
Nothing but net
Fans of "Bend It Like Beckham" may want to get a season ticket for "Soccer Superstar," the returning series that lets female jocks get their kicks. Gold medalist Heather Mitts hosts this competition that searches for the country's best teenage soccer player with the aid of the sport's greatest pros, as well as a professional surfer, circuit golfers and even a magician.
9 p.m. Fri., Nicktoons
Under pressure
Those suffering from claustrophobia may want to steer clear of "Hell Below," a new series that charts the greatest submarine campaigns of World War II, starting with a look at how the Allies tried to counter Adolf Hitler's U-boat assault on Atlantic convoys.
8 p.m. Sun., Smithsonian Channel
Mo' money
"Power," Starz's most watched series, has helped executive producer 50 Cent get out of bankruptcy and given fans an African-American soap rawer than "Empire." The fact that the drama has moved from Saturdays to Sundays is a sign that the network is doubling down on its investment. Tony nominee Anika Noni Rose joins the cast as a street-savvy cop.
8 p.m. Sun., Starz
