What to Watch Friday: A ‘Chippendales Murder’ scandal on 20/20, plus new ‘Dateline’
20/20: Chippendale Murders (9 p.m., ABC) - Season 44 opens with a deep dive into the dark history of greed, paranoia and murder behind the rise of male exotic dance troupe Chippendales, which became an international cultural phenomenon in the 80s and 90s. The report looks at how ambitious Chippendales creator, Steve Banerjee, conspired to eliminate those who he believed got in his way, including the shocking murder-for-hire plots against close business associates and a competing male dance troupe, and an alleged blackmail operation against an aggrieved patron of the club who sued the organization for racial discrimination. The program features never-before-seen footage as well as interviews with a retired FBI special agent who played a major role in catching and arresting Banerjee; a former Chippendales dancer who opens up about being the target in a thwarted murder-for-hire plot; and the historian and host of “Welcome To Your Fantasy,” a popular podcast on Chippendales.
Dateline NBC (9 p.m., NBC) - Keith Morrison reports on the murder of Larry Isenberg at the hands of his wife, Lori Isenberg, in Idaho in March 2018. The case gained national attention after Lori Isenberg previously claimed Larry had died in a boat accident. She was convicted in his murder earlier this year. In this report, Lori’s daughter, Amber Barnes, gives an exclusive interview about her mother’s crimes, which included an embezzlement scheme. The episode will also feature new details in the case, as well as never-before-seen bodycam footage and jailhouse video from the investigation. Morrison also speaks with Larry’s son, Dean Isenberg; Lori’s daughter, Chrislyn Woolston; Detective Brad Maskell; and Lori’s former managers, Amy Evans and Kerri Thoreson.
Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+) - The Muppets’ first-ever Halloween special has the Great Gonzo — world famous daredevil artiste — taking on the greatest challenge of his life by spending one very daring night in the most grim grinning place on Earth: The Haunted Mansion. Will Arnett is The Ghost Host, Yvette Nicole Brown is The Hearse Driver) Darren Criss is The Caretaker and Taraji P. Henson is The Bride.
Jacinta (Hulu) - This Hulu original documentary, filmed over the course of more than three years, begins at the Maine Correctional Center where Jacinta, 26, and her mother Rosemary, 46, are incarcerated together, both recovering from drug addiction. As a child, Jacinta became entangled in her mother’s world of drugs and crime and has followed her in and out of the system since she was a teenager. This time, as Jacinta is released from prison, she hopes to maintain her sobriety and reconnect with her own daughter, Caylynn, 10, who lives with her paternal grandparents.
Acapulco (Apple TV+) - Told from the perspective of his present-day self, “Acapulco” is the 1984-set story of twenty-something Máximo Gallardo (Enrique Arrizon), whose dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco. He soon realizes the job is far more complicated than he ever imagined and in order to succeed, he must learn to navigate a demanding clientele, a mercurial mentor, and a complicated home life, without losing his way to shortcuts or temptations.
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