Amid the plentiful usual Halloween treats, the second season of “The Diplomat” (Netflix, streaming) arrives, with Keri Russell doing her best Samantha Power impression as a determined if somewhat disheveled ambassador to the UK. The six-episode second season pretty much wholly involves the terrorist explosion that ended season one and who was actually behind it. If you think the series has the ambitions of “The West Wing,” well, Allison Janney eventually appears as the U.S. vice president.
It only seemed a matter of time until the hunks on the nonstop Christmas movies would be chosen “Bachelor” style, so here is “Finding Mr. Christmas” (Hallmark+, streaming), in which looks are pretty much everything. Maybe eventually it will move from the relatively new streaming service to the cable channel (there’s certainly a lot of time until the Yuletide.
From Germany comes the new series “Murder Mindfully” (Netflix streaming, starring Tom Schilling as a lawyer who unexpectedly becomes a murderer.
“Ghosts” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) pretty much has to have a Halloween episode.
A student is accused of killing his teacher on “Law & Order” (NBC, 8 p.m.); a TV reporter is a victim of extortion on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 9 p.m.).
“Elsbeth” (CBS, 10 p.m.) has her own Halloween episode, concerning a former child star who awakens to find she might have committed murder.
Georgie finds that Mandy has been hiding her sizable debts on “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
A missing person case is reopened after an unidentified 4-year-old appears in the D.C. area on “Found” (NBC, 10 p.m.).
“Matlock” (CBS, 9 p.m.) is encouraged to get close to her client, fighting a wrongful death suit. An earlier Kathy Bates can be seen in “Misery” (BBC America, 9:30 p.m.).
Bakers are given a few crumbs and have to decide what dessert it’s from, on “Crime Scene Kitchen” (Fox, 9 p.m.).
“Hell’s Kitchen” (Fox, 8 p.m.) offers a head chef position to the winner of the fiery cooking competition.
Game shows tonight include “Scrabble” (CW, 8 p.m.), “Press Your Luck” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “Trivial Pursuit” (CW, 9 p.m.).
“House of Villains” (E!, 10 p.m.) has a friendship put to the test.
Jake discovers a gruesome lion kill on “Mountain Men” (History, 9 p.m.).
“Jersey Shore Family Vacation” (MTV, 8 p.m.) has its Feast of Peace.
A headless skeleton is discovered on “Mysterious Islands” (National Geographic, 9 p.m.). More human remains are found on “Ancient Bodies: Secrets Revealed” (National Geographic, 10 p.m.).
It’s Michael Myers’ busiest night, with the original 1978 “Halloween” (AMC, 7 p.m.), followed by “Halloween II” (Syfy, 6:15 p.m.; AMC, 9 p.m.), the 2021 “Halloween Kills” (Syfy, 8:30 p.m.), the 2018 “Halloween” (FX, 10:30 p.m.) and the hopefully-named 2022 “Halloween Ends” (Starz, (10:35 p.m.).
The conclusion Mario Cantone’s series of creepy cinema on Turner Classic Movies — tonight with “The Other” (8 p.m.) and “Willard” (10 p.m.) — comes amid a day of Halloween horror films, with “Doctor X” (6 a.m.), “Mystery of the Wax Museum” (7:30 a.m.), “Thirteen Women” (9 a.m.), “Freaks” (10:15 a.m.), “The Bat” (11:30 a.m.), “The Wolf Man” (1 p.m.), “The Black Cat” (2:15 p.m.), “Dracula” (3:45 p.m.), “Frankenstein” (5:15 p.m.), “Bride of Frankenstein”(6:30 p.m.), “Night of the Living Dead” (midnight), “The Devil’s Own” (1:45 a.m.) “The Devil Rides Out” (3:30 a.m.) and “Eye of the Devil” (5:15 a.m.).
Thursday Night Football has Houston at Jets (Prime Video, 8:15 p.m.).
NBA action has Milwaukee at Memphis (NBA, 8 p.m.) and Phoenix at Clippers (NBA, 10:30 p.m.).
Hockey includes Edmonton at Nashville (Hulu, 8 p.m.).
College football has Tulane at Charlotte (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos: Halloween show. The View: Halloween show. The Talk: Bill Bellamy. Kelly Clarkson: Reba McEntire, Rex Linn, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, the Boulet Brothers. Drew Barrymore: Mariah Carey. Jennifer Hudson: Janelle Monáe, Lance Bass.
Late Talk
Stephen Colbert: Seth Meyers, Mohanad Eishieky. Jimmy Kimmel: Anthony Anderson, Science Bob Pflugelder. Jimmy Fallon: Anthony Mackie, Sarah Sherman, Shin Lim. Seth Meyers: Jesse Eisenberg, Mika Brzezinski. Taylor Tomlinson: Marcella Arguello, Justin Willman, Caroline Rhea. Daily Show: Connie Chung.