Channel surfing

The ABC series “The Mayor” premiered on Oct. 3 to very good reviews. Seen Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m., the comedy is about a young African-American mayor. Oakland native Daveed Diggs, 35 (“Hamilton”) guest starred in the pilot, executive produces the show and writes much of its music.

On Friday, Oct. 13, Netflix is releasing “The Babysitter,” an original horror-comedy film. When teenager Cole (Judah Lewis, 16) spies on his hot babysitter, he learns that she is part of a cult that plans to kill him. Lewis previously had a big role in the 2015 film “Demolition.” His parents, Hara and Mark Lewis 45, are acting teachers in Los Angeles.

The Showtime series “White Famous,” premieres on Sunday, Oct. 15. As a young comedian whose star is rising, Jay Pharoah has to figure out how to maintain his credibility with his African American fans while crossing over into wider fame, which is termed “white famous” among black entertainers. Michael Rapaport, 47, and Stephen Tobolowsky, 66, have significant supporting roles.

“Star Trek: Discovery” premiered on CBS All-Access (a pay streaming service) on Sept. 24 to mostly favorable reviews. My plan is to sign-up for a month and binge watch if the reviews stay good. British Jewish actor Jason Isaacs, 54, co-stars as the captain of the starship Discovery.

Variety reported that “Isaacs signed on because of the message the show sends in the Trump-Brexit era. [Isaacs says:] ‘The world is complicated and horrible, and I don’t know how to explain to my children the insanity of the people who are in charge of it at the moment. I thought it was a good story to tell — and something I would be happy to watch — about presenting a vision of the world that’s full of drama but also full of resolution and unity.’”

Comedian Natasha Leggero, 43, who converted to Judaism around the time she wed Oakland-raised comedian Moshe Kasher, 38, in 2015, appeared with Stephen Colbert on Oct. 2 and talked about co-starring on “Dice,” a Showtime series starring comedian Andrew Dice Clay, 60. But mostly she talked about her pregnancy. “This is my first and my last,” she said during the interview, adding in humorous fashion, “I’ve had really bad cravings … for drugs. This is not a good time to be sober. What if I had a little toke? Maybe the kid will have a few glitches, but the bar’s been set so low it could still grow up to be the president of the United States.”

The frozen chosen

With the National Hockey League starting up last week, here’s a list of Jewish players who are skating for NHL teams this season.

Michael Cammalleri, 35, left wing, Los Angeles Kings. He made his NHL debut with the Kings in 2002 and had some good seasons with Los Angeles, Calgary, Montreal and New Jersey, where he led the team with 27 goals in 2014-15 after signing a big-money contract. However, after struggling the last two seasons, he was placed on waivers last June and the Kings signed him for one year. He’s close to his Jewish mother, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Josh Ho-Sang, 21, right wing, New York Islanders. What a ethnic makeup this kid has. His father, Wayne, of mostly black African ancestry, was born in Jamaica and immigrated to Canada when he was a child. The Ho-Sang last name comes from Wayne’s grandfather, a Chinese man who settled in Jamaica. Joshua’s Jewish mother, Erika, moved from Chile to Canada when she was a child. Ho-Sang grew-up celebrating the High Holy Days and other Jewish holidays. He was called up from the minors last March and performed well enough to earn a roster spot this season. Zach Hyman, 25, right wing, Toronto Maple Leafs. Hyman played for Canada in the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel, scoring a hat trick in the final against the U.S. and leading Canada to an undefeated record and the gold medal. He had a solid rookie season last year, with 10 goals and 18 assists. Jason Zucker, 25, forward, Minnesota Wild. Last year, the Las Vegas native had a good season, his fourth, in the NHL, with 25 goals and 22 assists.

Meanwhile, Trevor Smith, 32, center, and David Warsofsky, 27, defenseman, are starting the season in the minors; both spent part of last season in the NHL and could be called up again this year.