What to watch this weekend Dec. 6, 2024: TV awards contenders

It’s spy vs. spy (vs. spy vs. spy). 

Hot on the heels of “The Agency,” which debuted right after “The Day of the Jackal,” comes yet another espionage drama fighting for your attention: Netflix’s new six-episode series “Black Doves.” Arguably closer in nature to Apple TV+’s Emmy-winning “Slow Horses” than the two shows listed above, the series stars Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, the wife of a high-ranking British politician who for years has been beautifully decorating her London home and passing on government secrets to the shadowy organization for which she works, the titular Black Doves. But when her lover (“Warrior’s” Andrew Koji) is murdered, Helen uses her skills from the spy game to get to the bottom of what happened and why, sending her down a sometimes humorous, often thrilling path involving multiple hired assassins, a missing party girl, and the death of a different high-ranking politician. Rounding out the cast are Emmy winner Ben Whishaw, who portrays Helen’s best friend Sam (also a trained assassin), and the remarkable Sarah Lancashire, who brings a steely resolve to her role as Helen’s handler. An easy binge and already renewed for Season 2, “Black Doves” is the awards contender to watch this weekend.

SEE What to watch this weekend Nov. 29, 2024: TV awards contenders

However, if you are tired of spies, other contenders include:

• “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”: Two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law is the biggest name in this charming and kid-friendly “Star Wars” series co-created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford. The coming-of-age adventure show follows a group of children lost in space after finding a long-buried spaceship on their planet. Law portrays Jod Na Nawood, a Force-user who offers to help the group for either unselfish or selfish reasons (you’ll have to watch to find out), but he’s not the reason to tune in. No, that would be the reminder that “Star Wars” was always meant for kids, and this show brings that idea home in refreshing fashion. The first two episodes are now streaming on Disney+.
• “Creature Commandos”: This animated series is decidedly not for kids. From the mind of James Gunn, the adult series officially kicks off the new DC franchise under his leadership, so you can forget everything that came before it. The seven-episode first season follows a team of incarcerated monsters who embark on missions deemed too dangerous for little ol’ humans, and each episode digs into a different character’s background. The voice cast is quite bonkers: Steve Agee, Frank Grillo, Maria Bakalova, Anya Chalotra, Zoë Chao, Sean Gunn, David Harbour, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma, and Viola Davis (who reprises her role as Amanda Waller). The first two episodes are now streaming on Max.
• “Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North”: Did you know Joe Burrow has a Batmobile? You would if you were watching the new season of HBO’s long-running documentary series. The four teams of the NFL’s AFC North — Cincinnati, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh — are the subjects this time, which should make for some interesting storylines given how much the teams hate each other and how poorly half of them are playing (and yet somehow Cleveland has beaten both Baltimore and Pittsburgh, go Browns!). The season premiere is now streaming on Max.