Watchable Nov. 1 to 7, 2021

SHOW OF THE WEEK: Dexter: New Blood (Nov. 7, 10 p.m., Crave)

Dexter the character and Dexter the show both have things to atone for going into this new version of the serial killer series.

For Dexter Morgan, chastened by memories of the friends and loved ones who became collateral damage in his Miami murder spree, atoning means living an uneventful life in a small, upstate New York town and forswearing killing.

For the producers of “Dexter: New Blood,” it means creating something that lets viewers move beyond that hated Season 8 finale, in which — spoiler alert — Dexter escaped not only justice but a deadly hurricane to ridiculously pop up as a lumberjack in Oregon.

Based on the four (of 10) episodes made available for review, I think fans will be able to forgive and forget, as well as enjoy this new version. (Both Michael C. Hall, who plays Dexter, and Clyde Phillips, the original “Dexter” showrunner and the showrunner of this series, are clear this is not “Season 9” but its own thing.)

The Dexter we meet in Iron Lake, N.Y., is now calling himself Jim Lindsay (obviously a nod to Jeff Lindsay, author of the “Dexter” novels). He lives alone in a cabin in the woods, but he’s not isolated. He’s a well-liked member of the community, working at the local fish and game store, dating the police chief (Julia Jones) and even going line dancing at the local tavern. All in all, he’s a more human Dexter than the one we knew in Miami, willingly connected not only to the people around him but to the natural environment.

He also has his beloved sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) for company. No, she hasn’t been brought back to life after dying in the original series; she’s the embodiment of Dexter’s inner voice, supporting him and castigating him by turns.

One other member of Dexter’s family turns up: his now teenage son Harrison (Jack Alcott, “The Good Lord Bird”). Dexter decides to take a second shot at fatherhood, but it’s a fraught choice, not only because he slips up and lets his Dark Passenger resurface, but because he can’t be sure that Harrison isn’t truly his father’s son.

I don’t want to give anything away, but obviously a key theme here is whether Harrison — who, like Dexter, witnessed the gory murder of his mother as a small child — inherited Dad’s taste for blood.

That’s one of the plot lines that keeps this new series interesting. There’s also the fact that Dexter — who after a decade of not killing isn’t quite the criminal mastermind he used to be — has to work to keep his girlfriend and law enforcement in general off his trail, not to mention the wily father of his victim.

And then there’s the case that haunts Chief Bishop, involving young women who have vanished without a trace, suggesting Dexter may not be the only serial killer operating in the Iron Lake area.

I suspect how these threads resolve themselves will provide a clue as to whether Phillips and company are hoping to turn “New Blood” into a new franchise. Phillips demurred during a Television Critics Association panel when asked if this could be the start of an ongoing series, but he didn’t definitively rule it out, saying it was “a network decision.”

But if all we get are these 10 episodes, at least a wrong has been righted and we’re able to enjoy a beloved character anew.

Short Takes

Dalgliesh (Nov. 1, Acorn TV)

If you’re a fan of old-school British murder mysteries, this series will likely appeal. It’s a new adaptation of the P.D. James novels about Metropolitan Police detective, and poet, Adam Dalgliesh. Bertie Carvel (“Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell”) is the third British actor to take on the title role on TV, after Roy Marsden (whom James reportedly didn’t fancy as Dalgliesh) and Martin Shaw. I’m not a Dalgliesh expert, but it seems to me that Carvel is a respectable representative, appropriately cerebral and reserved but perceptive and empathetic. Three of the books are dramatized in two-episode chunks: “Shroud for a Nightingale,” “The Black Tower” and “A Taste for Death.”

Corner Gas Animated series finale (Nov. 1, 8 p.m., CTV Comedy Channel)

There’s no telling whether the “Corner Gas” franchise will rise again, but it’s the end of the road for this cartoon spinoff of the original comedy after CTV declined to pick it up for a fifth season. While much has been made of the cameo by Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds, his scene with Wanda (Nancy Robertson) is, while entertaining, but a blip in the episode. It’s really about the bonds between the denizens of Dog River, particularly after a devastating fire at the Ruby cafe has Lacey (Gabrielle Miller) considering leaving town and Brent (series creator Brent Butt) forced to step outside his comfort zone if he wants her to stay.

The Fence (Nov. 5, CBC Gem)

With Halloween behind us, our screens are about to fill with Remembrance Day programming. This Canadian-made documentary by Viveka Melki focuses on the 1,975 Canadian soldiers held prisoner by the Japanese for almost four years following the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. Obviously, World War II veterans are a dwindling resource, so hearing their stories from their own lips is to be valued. Two share their experiences here: George MacDonell of the Royal Rifles of Canada and George Peterson of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, both of whom were held at the Sham Shui Po camp in Hong Kong. They were systematically starved, made to perform hard labour and witnessed horrible atrocities. Peterson was so traumatized by one particular incident that he took it to the grave with him when he died in September at the age of 100. The film also features the testimony of Luba Estes, a Russian woman whose father was held at Sham Shui Po, a replica of which the filmmakers built in Cuba. She, her mother and sister remained in Hong Kong, where they would walk outside the camp fence to catch glimpses of her father, until near starvation drove them to Shanghai in search of food. Hong Kong historian Chi Man Kwong and Japanese professor Yuki Tanaka are the other voices we hear. It’s worth remembering that the Japanese weren’t the only combatants who committed atrocities during the war, but it’s also worth noting that 35 per cent of the Allied soldiers captured by the Japanese died compared to 1 per cent of those captured by the Germans, and that Japan has yet to fully acknowledge its war record. Meanwhile, Estes, who claims in the doc to have no hangups due to her wartime experience, still carries an emergency piece of bread in her purse when she leaves the house.

Odds and Ends

Among the shows I had hoped to review was Season 3 of “Dickinson” (Nov. 5, Apple TV+), Alena Smith’s audaciously modern retelling of the life of poet Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld). Unfortunately, the first three episodes were missing from Apple’s press site, but I suspect it will be worth watching nonetheless. Apple also has the Tom Hanks movie “Finch” debuting the same day.

I was also unable to screen Season 3 of “Narcos: Mexico” (Nov. 5) due to time constraints, but this final season follows drug dealers Amado Carrillo Fuentes (José María Yazpik) and “El Chapo” Guzman (Alejandro Edda) among others, with Scoot McNairy returning as DEA Agent Walt Breslin. Netflix also has the catfishing movie “Love Hard” and Season 5 of “Big Mouth” on Nov. 5.

Based on the single episode I screened, “One of Us Is Lying” (Nov. 3, 9 p.m., W/StackTV) seems like “Gossip Girl” crossed with a teen murder mystery, with four schoolmates under suspicion after nasty student Simon (Mark McKenna), who was about to reveal their secrets in a blog post, is murdered. W also has “Unidentified With Demi Lovato” (Nov. 7, 11 p.m.), in which the celeb searches for the truth about UFOs.

Amazon Prime Video has a few new titles this week, including “The Alpinist” (Nov. 4), about Canadian solo rock climber Marc-Andre Leclerc; “A Man Named Scott” (Nov. 5), about American rapper and actor Kid Cudi; and “Tampa Baes” (Nov. 5), a reality show about a group of lesbian friends in Florida.

Finally, Hollywood Suite has the TV debut of the Canadian-made Indigenous thriller “The Corruption of Divine Providence” (Nov. 4, 9 p.m.) by Ojibway filmmaker Jeremy Torrie.

NOTE: The listings here are in Eastern Standard Time, and reflect information provided to me and cross-checked where possible, but it’s always best to check listings for your own area. The selection of programs reviewed reflects what I’m given access to by networks and streamers, whether reviews are embargoed, how many shows I have time to watch and my own personal taste.