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what to watch tonight, november 5: spies, snow and a bad lie

Black Doves and North of North return to Netflix, while Elsbeth has a new case at 9/8c on CBS.

taco 'bout it
Nov 5, 20263 min read
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what to watch tonight · thursday, november 5, 2026

Netflix has two returning series for two very different evenings: a spy thriller with an alarming friends-and-family plan, and an Arctic comedy where privacy is mostly theoretical. Elsbeth has a fresh case at 9/8c if you would prefer your trouble to keep an appointment.

on demand: Black Doves, season 2

Netflix · new today in the US · spy thriller.

Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw return as Helen, an undercover spy married to a politician, and Sam, her longtime friend and hitman. Their friendship is the useful hook here: two people trying to keep each other alive while their professional lives make that unnecessarily difficult. Choose this for sharp dialogue, dangerous loyalties and a London evening that should probably have been an email. New to the series? Start with season one; this is a continuation.

Watch Black Doves on Netflix · Official season-two trailer and release details.

on demand: North of North, season 2

Netflix · new today in the US · Arctic comedy.

Anna Lambe returns as Siaja, trying to reinvent herself in the close-knit Inuit community of Ice Cove. The appeal is the smaller scale: family, work, relationships and neighbors with extremely efficient information networks. This is the lighter option when a conspiracy sounds like additional admin. Season one is also available if you have yet to meet the town.

Watch North of North on Netflix · Official release details.

9/8c: Elsbeth, “A Bad Lie”

CBS · 9 p.m. Eastern / 8 p.m. Central · new episode.

Carrie Preston’s attorney takes another turn through New York’s impressively durable supply of entitled murder suspects. Tonight’s episode is “A Bad Lie,” which is an economical title for a series built around people underestimating the woman asking the questions. Pick this for a one-hour procedural rather than opening a whole new season before bed.

CBS lists live streaming for Paramount+ Premium subscribers. Essential subscribers get the episode on demand tomorrow, November 6. Official CBS series and viewing details · Tonight’s CBS schedule.

From my media collectionElsbeth (2024)Network: CBS • Director: Fred Murphy, Frank White III, John Aronson, Scott Lazar, Heather Verbeke • Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime • Year: 2024Track Elsbeth or add your take on Trove.View on Trove

US availability checked November 5, 2026. Times are Eastern first, then Central; local listings can vary. Netflix requires a subscription. Official Netflix release calendar.

Image credits: Black Doves and North of North promotional stills, Netflix / Black Doves Tudum hub and North of North Tudum hub. Official Black Doves season-two trailer: Netflix. Facet reaction art: taco ’bout it.

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