What to Watch Friday, October 9: ‘Sheriff Country,’ ‘Fire Country’ & ‘Boston Blue’ Return as ‘Avatar: Seven Havens’ Premieres

Friday television is coming in hot! CBS is bringing back its entire Friday night drama lineup, with Sheriff Country, Fire Country and Boston Blue all kicking off new seasons. That's three hours of emergencies, investigations and family complications, because apparently nobody in these fictional towns gets a quiet weekend.

Streaming has plenty to offer, too. Avatar: Seven Havens finally arrives on Paramount+, John Cena headlines Apple's Matchbox The Movie, and Netflix is serving up everything from a kidnapping thriller to Halloween-themed baking disasters. Whether you're looking for action, animation or something spooky, Friday has you covered.

TV Cave Top Pick: Sheriff Country

We're giving tonight's Top Pick to Sheriff Country, which returns for Season 2 at 8 PM ET on CBS.

Morena Baccarin is back as Sheriff Mickey Fox, whose responsibilities in Edgewater extend well beyond keeping the peace. After last season's family revelations and dangerous developments, Mickey has plenty to deal with as the series enters its sophomore season.

The Fire Country spinoff proved during its first season that it could stand on its own, balancing criminal investigations with the personal drama that makes this television universe so addictive. We're especially interested in seeing how Mickey handles the fallout from last season, because Edgewater has never been particularly good at keeping things uncomplicated.

Friday, October 9 TV Schedule

Time (ET)	Show	Network/Streaming	Tonight
Streaming	Avatar: Seven Havens	Paramount+	Series Premiere
Streaming	Animals	Netflix	Film Premiere
Streaming	Haunted Hotel	Netflix	Season 2 Premiere
Streaming	Is It Cake? Halloween	Netflix	Season 2 Premiere
Streaming	Take Charge of My Heart	Netflix	Series Premiere
Streaming	Matchbox The Movie	Apple TV	Film Premiere
Streaming	Benefits with Friends	Disney+ / Hulu	Season 2 Premiere
Streaming	Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc	Hulu	New Episode
Streaming	Playdate with Winnie the Pooh: Shorts	Disney+	Season 3 Episodes
Streaming	R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead 2	Tubi	Film Premiere
Streaming	V/H/S/MIXTAPE	Shudder	Film Premiere
8:00 PM	Sheriff Country	CBS	⭐ TOP PICK — Season 2 Premiere
9:00 PM	Fire Country	CBS	Season 5 Premiere
10:00 PM	Boston Blue	CBS	Season 2 Premiere

All times Eastern. Streaming titles are available on demand. CBS episodes are available live through eligible Paramount+ subscriptions and on demand the following day.

CBS Brings Back Its Friday Night Favorites

Sheriff Country starts the evening at 8 PM, followed by Fire Country at 9 PM. Season 5 brings viewers back to the firefighters of Edgewater, where battling dangerous blazes is often only half the problem. Personal relationships and family tensions have always been just as explosive as the emergencies.

At 10 PM, Boston Blue returns for Season 2, with Donnie Wahlberg reprising his role as Danny Reagan alongside Sonequa Martin-Green as Lena Silver. The new season has plenty of unfinished business following last season's cliffhanger, and Danny's future with the Boston Police Department remains an important question. Between the Reagan and Silver families, there's no shortage of complicated relationships to explore.

‘Avatar: Seven Havens’ Begins a New Era

One of Friday's biggest streaming premieres is Avatar: Seven Havens, arriving on Paramount+. The animated series introduces Pavi, a young Earthbender who discovers she's the new Avatar in a world that no longer welcomes the Avatar's existence.

Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the series takes the franchise into a different era while continuing its exploration of bending, identity and the responsibilities that come with extraordinary power. Fans have waited a long time to return to this universe, and the newest Avatar has quite a legacy to live up to.

Netflix, Apple TV and More

Netflix premieres Animals, a thriller about a political candidate and his wife whose lives unravel when their son is kidnapped. The streamer also welcomes back Haunted Hotel for Season 2 and Is It Cake? Halloween for another round of edible trickery. Because October apparently isn't complete without someone trying to convince us that a household object is actually dessert.

Apple TV brings some big-screen energy home with Matchbox The Movie, starring John Cena, Jessica Biel, Teyonah Parris and Sam Richardson. Inspired by the Mattel toy brand, the action adventure follows childhood friends caught up in an international conspiracy after an old acquaintance returns to their lives.

Horror fans can also check out V/H/S/MIXTAPE on Shudder and R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead 2 on Tubi, giving Friday's streaming lineup a little extra Halloween flavor.

With three returning CBS dramas and several major streaming releases, Friday has plenty competing for viewers' attention. Sheriff Country gets our Top Pick, but Avatar: Seven Havens might be the biggest event for animation fans.