October 21, 2025: NBA, ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ and New Episodes Dominate Tuesday TV
Table of Contents
A packed television schedule awaits viewers on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, featuring the return of beloved series, new documentaries, and live sports action across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. From the hardwood to the ballroom, and from true crime investigations to reality TV swaps, here’s a extensive guide to what’s airing.
Early Morning Programming: Streaming Highlights
The day begins with a trio of new and continuing series available for streaming.Starting at 3:00 AM ET, Chad Powers continues on Hulu, with the team now 5-0 and superstar Chad Powers attracting attention from ESPN’s College Gameday – plus, a potential endorsement deal with State Farm.
Netflix drops The Brothers Sun, an action-comedy-drama following a Taiwanese gangster who must protect his mother in Los Angeles. Concurrently,Amazon Freevee premieres The Shepherd,a British crime thriller starring Ben Radcliffe.
Primetime Sports: NBA Takes Center Stage
At 7:30 PM ET, NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday brings live NBA action. Viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones will see the Houston Rockets face the Oklahoma City Thunder, while those in the Pacific and Mountain time zones will enjoy the Golden State Warriors versus the Los Angeles Lakers.Both games will be available to stream live on Peacock nationwide.
8:00 PM ET: Dancing, Mysteries, and Housewives
Primetime heats up at 8:00 PM ET with a diverse lineup. Dancing With the Stars on ABC and Disney+ continues with a “Wicked”-themed night, featuring guest judge film director Jon M. Chu.
Over on Fox, Murder in a Small Town sees Karl and his team uncovering connections between two unsolved crimes, while Cassandra delves deeper into the mysterious deaths in Gibsons, with a guest appearance by Tyler Posey.
CBS presents the second part of a two-part NCIS episode, where Parker’s quest for vengeance threatens to have deadly consequences, forcing his sister to make a challenging choice.
Bravo’s The real Housewives of Salt Lake City continues with Heather having a candid conversation with Angie about a party blowup, and Bronwyn struggling to connect with her castmates on a deeper level.
9:00 PM ET: Documentary and Procedural Drama
The 9:00 PM ET hour offers a mix of poignant documentary storytelling and gripping procedural drama. HBO’s Armed Only With a camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud honors the American journalist who was the first to die reporting on the war in Ukraine, with his brother recovering his final recordings and returning them to their childhood home in Arkansas.
Fox’s Doc explores the complexities of a couple’s relationship as a weight loss medication reveals underlying cracks, while two sisters receive an unexpected diagnosis.
FX’s The lowdown follows Lee as he searches for a street hustler.
CBS’s NCIS: Origins investigates the death of a college swimmer, questioning weather it was an accident or murder, while Gibbs prepares for his first interrogation.
Bravo premieres Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition, with “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Angie Katsanevas trading lives with an off-the-grid homesteader living without modern conveniences.
Late Night: Spooky investigations and International intrigue
Rounding out the evening, at 10:00 PM ET, ABC’s High Potential presents a spooky case involving a wealthy lawyer found dead in a haunted Victorian mansion just in time for halloween.
CBS’s NCIS: Sydney sees Doc breaking into Blue’s apartment, leading to a shocking discovery about one of their own.
Netflix presents Who Killed the Montreal Expos?,a documentary investigating the downfall of Canada’s first Major League Baseball team and assigning duty for its demise.
