What to watch this weekend.
Credit: Peacock / Forged Films / Warner Bros
Post updated 09.12.26 – see updates below.
Powerful superheroes on a quest to save their dog. Monstrous monstrosities chasing down survivors at the end of the world. Spy dramas, police thrillers, animated comedies and so much more head to streaming services near you this week and the entire batch of TV shows, docuseries and movies can be found below in your friendly neighborhood streaming guide.
It’s kind of a surprisingly massive weekend for new content, especially considering some of the biggest shows of September don’t even drop until next week. I’ve been catching up on Lioness and the first season of MobLand in my spare time (what little of it I seem to have these days). Both are excellent, by the way. I’m also looking forward to heading to Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil next week with my son, though that film is mired in controversy.
Check out the top Netflix movies of September here.
Update
Bonus Recommendation: Jane The Virgin (Pluto TV)
Jane the Virgin
Credit: CW
This is a long guide already, but I just finished watching the first season of Jane The Virgin (which I purchased on Prime Video, though now it’s available to watch for free on Pluto TV). It was excellent. The romantic comedy follows Jane Gloriana Villanueva, a devout Catholic woman and aspiring writer played by Gina Rodriguez, who is accidentally artificially inseminated and becomes pregnant – while still a virgin. Much hilarity and mystery and melodrama ensue.
This came out in 2014, and the first season is 22 episodes long, so it took me and my daughter a long time to finish, but it was so worthwhile. Hilarious, cleverly written, great cast, a wonderful “telenovela” parody / homage. One of the greatest narrators in TV (along with My Lady Jane, ironically). If you haven’t seen this one yet, it’s great. It’s comfort food TV. I’m happy I have several more seasons to watch! Along with Dexter, this is probably now my favorite show set in Miami. Oddly, both fill a very similar “comfort” niche for me.
What To Watch This Weekend
As always, I’ve scoured the internet for the best TV shows and movies streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+ and beyond for you to watch this weekend. I haven’t watched all of these (some aren’t out by the time this gets posted and others are just not in my review schedule), so some of these are my own personal recommendations while others are just things to keep on your radar.
If you have any recommendations, tips or other thoughts feel free to shoot me a note. Let me know what you’re watching these days, or if you’ve enjoyed any of my recommendations, on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Be sure to also check out last weekend’s streaming guide below:
Off we go!
New TV Shows To Watch This Weekend
The Paper – Season 2 (Peacock)
What It’s About: The Office mockumentary spinoff returns to the struggling Toledo Truth Teller, where idealistic editor Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) and reporter Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei) continue trying to turn the small-town newspaper into a serious journalistic operation while their personal relationship grows increasingly complicated. Sabrina Impacciatore returns as the wildly (and ridiculously) ambitious Esmeralda Grand, with Oscar Nuñez reprising his Office role as Oscar Martinez. The series was created by The Office showrunner Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, with original Office creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant among the executive producers. Season 2 debuted September 9, with all 10 episodes dropping at once, and currently sits at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why You Should Watch: Critics were mildly upbeat about Season 1 of The Paper though fans were a little less enthusiastic. I watched the first season twice and enjoyed it a great deal (you can read my review here) and I’ve just started watching Season 2 which, after a couple episodes, seems to be pretty much a lot like the first. The Office had a pretty radical shift from Season 1 to Season 2, growing into a much funnier, much more natural comedy (it’s still my favorite of the series). We’ll see if The Paper can pull that off, but even if it can’t this is a fun show for Office fans. It’s not as good as the original, but it’s cute and pleasant and the Gleeson is very funny. I also might have a tiny crush on Mare. You can read my review of Season 1 right here.
DANG! (Netflix)
What It’s About: Netflix’s new adult animated comedy follows Andrew (Andrew Law) and Eunice Dang (Poppy Liu), two happily messy twenty-somethings living in New York whose lives are disrupted when their highly successful older sister Ruthie (Stephanie Hsu) suddenly blows up her seemingly perfect life and moves back into their orbit. DANG! premiered September 8, with all eight episodes available at once, so there’s no weekly schedule or upcoming finale.
Why You Should Watch: I have to admit, while I really love some adult animated series, there are so many these days and they’re rarely as good as something like Netflix’s masterpiece, Bojack Horseman. Still, DANG! (despite its not great title) has some serious writing pedigree behind it. The series comes from creator Andrew Law, whose writing credits include The Good Place and Hacks, while Hsu earned an Oscar nomination for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The show also currently has an 80% Rotten Tomatoes score.
The Drop: A Snowfall Saga (FX / Hulu)
What It’s About: This Snowfall sequel shifts the story into 1990s Los Angeles, where Wanda Bell (Gail Bean) tries to build a future in the emerging West Coast rap scene while her former partner Leon Simmons (Isaiah John) attempts to leave street life behind. Wanda puts her hopes in her cousin Lamar (Asante Blackk) and an up-and-coming rapper as the music business, gang politics and the lingering fallout from the crack epidemic collide. The series is executive-produced by Snowfall veterans and Malcolm Spellman, who previously served as head writer on Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Why You Should Watch: I’ve had Snowfall on my list for ages and honestly now that I’ve seen so many others, from Breaking Bad to The Wire to The Shield and countless more, it might be time to put this into the rotation. I obviously have to watch the original series (which began airing in 2017 and ran for 60 episodes) before I can watch the sequel. Speaking of the sequel, The Drop premiered September 8 and currently has a 100% RT score, albeit from only six reviews. New episodes air Tuesdays on FX and stream on Hulu, with the eight-episode season finale landing October 27.
Last Seen (Apple TV)
What It’s About: Patrick Brammall stars as Ian Ridley, a former police detective whose young daughter Maggie disappeared without a trace 11 years earlier. Now working as a police dispatcher, Ian receives an emergency call from a teenage girl whose voice he is convinced belongs to Maggie, sending him on an increasingly desperate search for the daughter he never believed was dead. Maxine Peake and Brendan Cowell co-star. Last Seen premiered September 9 with two episodes, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through the six-episode finale on October 7. Of course, since this is Apple TV that means episodes will actually drop on Tuesday evenings.
Why You Should Watch: Brammall stars in two shows in this weekend’s guide, though they’re about as different from one another as you can get. Last Seen looks like a pretty intense thriller, though anything involving missing daughters is guaranteed to get me almost too stressed out to watch. I’m adding it to the list, of course.
A Killer Story (HBO Max)
What It’s About: This three-part true-crime documentary revisits the 2002 murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness and the controversial prosecution of Sisco’s ex-wife Dana Chandler. Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Joe Sexton is drawn into the case after citizen sleuths Eileen and Keen Umbehr become convinced Chandler was wrongfully convicted, eventually raising questions about prosecutorial misconduct, media influence and confirmation bias. Matthew Galkin directs. The series premiered September 10 and is releasing weekly on Thursdays: Episode 2 arrives September 17 and the finale follows September 24.
Why You Should Watch: If you’re a true crime nut, I have heard from people that this is quite a compelling true crime docuseries. I’m not a huge fan of the genre or, rather, I don’t see it out. I do listen to True Crime podcasts when I’m on road trips, however.
Colin From Accounts – Season 3 (Paramount+)
Colin from Accounts
Credit: Paramount+
What It’s About: The Australian romantic comedy returns for its third and final season, picking up with Ashley (Harriet Dyer) and Gordon (Patrick Brammall) after their relationship has once again fallen apart. Years after Gordon’s disastrous proposal, both appear to have moved on—until circumstance, their shared history and, naturally, Colin the dog keep pulling them back together. Brammall and Dyer, who are married in real life, created, write and star in the series. Season 3 arrived on Paramount+ in the U.S. September 10 with all eight episodes, including the series finale, available to binge immediately.
Why You Should Watch: This is one people have raved about and told me to watch for a couple years now and I promise I will. It looks very funny and I do love Australians and Australian shows. The last couple I’ve watched were the intriguing cold cases mystery series, Black Snow, and the excellent dark comedy crime series Mr. Inbetween. That last one holds a special place in my heart. The final season of Colin from Accounts currently has a perfect 100% RT score so yeah, it’s on my list, I’m going to watch it. Please send me eight extra hours a day.
Fauda – Season 5 (Netflix)
What It’s About: The acclaimed Israeli thriller returns with Doron Kavillio (Lior Raz) and his former counterterrorism team confronting the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. Haunted by trauma, Doron becomes entangled in a revenge mission that leads from Israel to Marseille while the team races to prevent another catastrophic attack. Raz co-created the series with journalist Avi Issacharoff, and French star Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) joins the cast this season. Season 5 arrived globally on Netflix September 8 with all 11 episodes available, after airing earlier in Israel.
Why You Should Watch: I’ve had this one on my list for some time as a counter-terrorism series set in Israel produced by and starring Israelis is certainly going to give us a very different perspective on the conflict there than anything made in the US (or wherever espionage thrillers are made). Obviously this is a controversial and divisive subject, but it looks right up my alley so I’m adding this to my own personal list ASAP. There aren’t enough reviews of Season 5 to garner a Rotten Tomatoes score.
The Revolutionaries (Prime Video)
The Revolutionaries
Credit: Prime Video
What It’s About: Based on Sanjeev Sanyal’s book Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom, this eight-part historical drama follows the young militants who embraced armed resistance against British colonial rule in the years before Gandhi’s nonviolent independence movement became dominant. The central figures include Rash Behari Bose (Bhuvan Bam), Sachindranath Sanyal (Rohit Saraf), Bagha Jatin (Gurfateh Pirzada) and Pratibha Lahiri (Pratibha Ranta). The series comes from Nikkhil Advani, who also created and directed the acclaimed Indian historical drama Freedom at Midnight. The eight-episode series premiered on Prime Video September 11.
Why You Should Watch: We often think of Ghandi when we think of how India won its freedom. Peaceful resistance and all that, inspiring other leaders across the globe from Martin Luther King Jr. to Nelson Mandela. Well, this new Indian series tells another story, and one that’s clearly much more violent and action-packed. If you’re interested in a history that few of us in the West are very familiar with, give it a shot. The series doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score, however, and it’s foreign language, so keep that in mind.
New Movies To Watch This Weekend
Supergirl (HBO Max)
What It’s About: Milly Alcock stars as Kara Zor-El in the second feature film of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe. Still dealing with the trauma of Krypton’s destruction, Kara is pulled into an interstellar quest for vengeance after the ruthless Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) targets Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), a young girl seeking justice for her murdered family. Jason Momoa also makes his DCU debut as the bounty hunter Lobo, while David Corenswet appears as Superman. The film is directed by Craig Gillespie, whose credits include I, Tonya, Cruella and Dumb Money, and is based heavily on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s acclaimed comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Originally released in theaters June 26, Supergirl began streaming exclusively on HBO Max September 10.
Why You Should Watch: I’ve been waiting for this one to hit streaming as I did not think it looked good enough for a trip to the theater, especially since I really didn’t care for James Gunn’s Superman. I did enjoy Ryan George’s Pitch Meeting about the film, however. Now that it’s out, I’ll give it a watch and write a review. It currently has a 53% Rotten Tomatoes score, with a considerably stronger 72% verified audience score. The movie was a bomb, however, and so far Gunn’s DCU is off to a very rocky start.
In The Grey (Starz)
What It’s About: Guy Ritchie directs this action thriller about a covert team of elite operatives—including characters played by Jake Gyllenhaal, Henry Cavill and Eiza González—sent to recover a stolen billion-dollar fortune from a ruthless despot. What begins as a sophisticated heist turns into a full-blown battle of deception, firepower and survival. Rosamund Pike and Kristofer Hivju also appear. Obviously the big hook here is Ritchie, director of Snatch, The Gentlemen and the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes films, reunited with both Gyllenhaal and Cavill after The Covenant and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. In the Grey comes to Starz September 12.
Why You Should Watch: I think Guy Ritchie is the coin toss of directors. There’s about a 50/50 chance that I’ll like one of his films. Some are terrific. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and so forth. I didn’t even finish The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, however. This one looks pretty good from the trailer, though, and it might make a pretty good movie night option on Saturday. The film currently has a 52% RT score, compared with an 82% verified audience score.
Kraven the Hunter (Disney+)
Kraven the Hunter
Credit: Sony Pictures
What It’s About: Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Sergei Kravinoff, whose brutal relationship with his gangster father Nikolai (Russell Crowe) helps transform him into the superhuman hunter and Spider-Man villain Kraven. Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger and Alessandro Nivola co-star in what became one of the final films in Sony’s ill-fated Spider-Man villain universe. Directed by J.C. Chandor (Margin Call, Triple Frontier), the R-rated Marvel movie originally opened theatrically in 2024 and arrives on Disney+ September 13. It has a dismal 15% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences were considerably kinder at 72%.
Why You Should Watch: I’ve been a fan of Aaron Taylor-Johnson since Kick Ass came out years ago, but these Spider-Villain movies have been so bad that I’ve skipped most of them and the ones I haven’t skipped I’ve regretted watching so, yeah, I don’t really recommend this one but also maybe you like this stuff. So you should watch it if that’s the case.
Call My Agent! The Movie (Netflix)
Call My Agent! The Movie
Credit: Netflix
What It’s About: Five years after Paris talent agency ASK closed its doors, Andréa Martel (Camille Cottin) has moved behind the camera and is about to direct her first movie when her lead actor suddenly drops out days before filming. Desperate to save the production, she reunites her dysfunctional former colleagues, bringing back Noémie (Laure Calamy), Mathias (Thibault de Montalembert), Gabriel (Grégory Montel) and Hervé (Nicolas Maury). Like the beloved French series, the film also features celebrity cameos—including George Clooney. The movie premiered on Netflix September 10.
Why You Should Watch: I recently watched the classic French film Amelie with my daughter after not having watched it for decades and it was so wonderful. She loved it. It makes me want to watch other French films, though I suppose with Call My Agent! I’d need to watch the series it’s a continuation of first. This has an 80% RT score, so if you’re a fan of the show, give it a watch.
Suzume (Hulu)
Suzume
Credit: Crunchyroll / Sony Pictures
What It’s About: Makoto Shinkai’s gorgeous 2022 anime fantasy follows 17-year-old Suzume, who encounters a mysterious young man named Souta searching for an abandoned door. Opening it inadvertently unleashes a supernatural force capable of causing catastrophic disasters across Japan, sending the pair on a journey to find and close similar portals before more destruction is unleashed. Suzume is new to Hulu September 12, available both subbed and dubbed.
Why You Should Watch: Magical doors leading to Pandora’s boxes with a really, really gorgeous anime animation style? Yeah, that sounds pretty good. Shinkai is the filmmaker behind the enormously popular Your Name and Weathering With You also, so there’s some real filmmaking chops behind this one. It’s also quite possibly the best-reviewed entry in this weekend’s guide, or very nearly so, with a 96% RT score and 98% audience score.
Rich Flu (Hulu)
What It’s About: In this dark sci-fi satire, Laura (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is enjoying enormous professional success when a mysterious virus begins killing the world’s richest people. As the disease moves steadily down the economic ladder, wealth itself becomes a death sentence and Laura attempts to shed her privileged life and protect her family while society turns violently against the wealthy. Rafe Spall, Lorraine Bracco and Timothy Spall co-star. The film originally debuted earlier this year and is new to Hulu September 11.
Why You Should Watch: I’ve been a fan of Mary Elizabeth Winstead since the excellent 10 Cloverfield Lane and her performance in the third season of Fargo (and I think she looks a lot like my ex, but that’s another story). I hadn’t actually heard of this movie until I began researching this guide. It’s an amusing premise. Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia previously made Netflix’s dystopian hit The Platform, so this is very much in his class-war wheelhouse. Alas, Rich Flu has just a 47% RT score.
New Movies In Theaters This Weekend
Hope
What It’s About: South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin returns for his first feature since 2016’s acclaimed horror movie The Wailing with this enormous sci-fi creature feature. When a mysterious beast begins attacking the isolated Korean community of Hope Harbor, local police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min), a policewoman and a group of hunters attempt to find and kill it, only to discover the threat may be something far stranger than an ordinary animal. The stacked international cast includes Jo In-sung, Squid Game star Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. Fassbender and Vikander reportedly portray alien characters through performance capture. Hope opened in theaters September 9 and currently has an 80% RT score.
Why You Should Watch: The trailers for this movie are so intense and look so insane, I just have to go see it in theaters. I have heard that the CGI is kind of rough, but it just looks absolutely bonkers. I’ll go give it a watch and report back. I was surprised to see Fassbender and other international actors in the cast, as the trailers I’ve seen so far didn’t show any of these big names.
Practical Magic 2
What It’s About: Nearly three decades after the original cult classic, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as witch sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. This time the family curse threatens a new generation when Sally’s daughter Kylie (Joey King) falls in love and attempts to break the spell that has doomed the men who love Owens women. Maisie Williams plays Sally’s other daughter Antonia, while Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing also return and Lee Pace joins the ensemble. It opened theatrically September 10.
Why You Should Watch: I admit, when it comes to movies about witches, I liked The Craft more than Practical Magic when I was a teenager and watched movies like this because of girlfriends who liked movies like this. Apparently some sequels should remain in the cauldron to brew a bit longer, as this one has just a 35% Rotten Tomatoes score which is surprising given the sequel is directed by Oscar- and Emmy-winning filmmaker Susanne Bier (Bird Box, The Night Manager) and adapted from Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic.
The Uprising
What It’s About: Andrew Garfield stars as a grieving English ploughman who becomes an unlikely leader during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, assembling an army of commoners to challenge the government of the young King Richard II. Jamie Bell plays radical priest John Ball, Cosmo Jarvis plays rebel leader Wat Tyler, with Tom Hollander, Stephen Dillane, Thomasin McKenzie and Katherine Waterston rounding out the cast. The film comes from director Paul Greengrass, best known for The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93 and Captain Phillips, with Jason Blum among the producers. The story also deliberately brushes up against the legend of Robin Hood. The Uprising opened September 10 and currently has a 60% RT score.
Why You Should Watch: I love the idea of a movie based on the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 and I’m a big fan of Andrew Garfield, but the Robin Hood stuff really turned me off to this movie. Robin Hood has nothing to do with this very true moment in history. It’s as if the studio chiefs were so nervous about a British revolution film that they tacked Robin Hood in to lure viewers. Imagine if Mel Gibson had done that with Braveheart. I’ll still see this as I love the time period and the history, but probably not until it’s out on streaming.
Runner
What It’s About: Alan Ritchson plays Hank Malone, a former soldier tasked with transporting a desperately needed donor organ to a sick child. When the delivery makes him and an unlikely partner played by Owen Wilson targets of a ruthless cartel, the job turns into a violent race against time involving gunfights, car chases and increasingly absurd complications. Rodrigo Santoro co-stars as the cartel boss. Director Scott Waugh previously helmed Need for Speed and Expend4bles, while Ritchson is obviously coming straight from Reacher. Runner opened in theaters September 11 and currently has a 66% RT score.
Why You Should Watch: The trailer looks fun but I’m honestly surprised this is a theatrical release and not a direct-to-Prime Video style release, which is basically what it looks like to me. I’m also probably a bit predisposed to negative thoughts when I see this simply because I associate Ritchson so strongly with Reacher right now, and the current season of that show . . . well this is the perfect segue into our currently streaming category, isn’t it?
TV Shows Currently Streaming Weekly
Reacher – Season 4 (Prime Video)
What It’s About: Season 4 of Reacher adapts Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow. A distraught woman’s death on a Philadelphia subway pulls Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) into a conspiracy involving the Pentagon and an international terror cell. Three episodes dropped August 12, with weekly releases through the season’s September 16 finale. Amazon will release all eight episodes of the spinoff Neagley (starring Maria Sten) the same day as the finale.
Why You Should Watch: Season 1 remains the gold standard when it comes to Reacher, but at least Season 3 was a lot better than the truly atrocious second season of this action-crime-mystery-ish adaptation of the over-the-top Lee Child books (of which I’ve read about nine or so). We’re approaching the Season 4 finale now and I’ve given up hope that this will come to a satisfying conclusion. The penultimate episode was insulting to audiences and the source material and I think without a major shake-up of the writing and production team, this show is DOA – or would it be KIA? Either way, it’s toast.
Lanterns – Season 1 (HBO Max)
What It’s About: DC’s True Detective-style take on Green Lantern: rookie John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) investigate a Nebraska murder that opens onto something much larger, told across two timelines. Kelly Macdonald is Sheriff Kerry, Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro, Laura Linney a Guardian of the Universe, and Nathan Fillion reprises Guy Gardner from Superman. Co-created by Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. New episodes land on Sunday evenings with the finale dropping on October 4. See the full release schedule and time zones right here.
Why You Should Watch: So far, while I don’t really understand why people seem to love Lanterns so much, it isn’t bad in the same way this season of Reacher has been bad. It’s just mediocre, as the War Boys say. I think Kyle Chandler is a standout in the cast, and I enjoy Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald and Garett Dillahunt as well. But the writing and pacing are all over the place. You can read my review of Episode 4 here. Watch my video discussion here.
Dark Matter – Season 2 (Apple TV)
Dark Matter
Credit: Apple TV
What It’s About: Joel Edgerton returns as physicist Jason Dessen alongside Jennifer Connelly as Daniela and Oakes Fegley as their son Charlie, with Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo Okeniyi and Amanda Brugel also returning. After the first season’s multiverse chaos, the Dessens attempt to settle in a seemingly safe reality while Jason’s obsession with the Box threatens to drag the family straight back into trouble. New episodes drop Fridays, though on Apple TV this actually means Thursday evenings, with the finale October 30 (or 29, as the case may be).
Why You Should Watch: It’s very rare for an author to adapt and show-run their own novel, but such is the case for Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter. Now Crouch moves into uncharted territory, taking his own story further in TV format than in book format, which is kind of cool and unique and hopefully means we’re in for a great second season. The good news? Season 2 has much higher ratings than Season 1 so far.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season 18 (FX / Hulu)
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Credit: Hulu
What It’s About: The Gang — Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob Mac, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito — return to Paddy’s Pub for a 10-episode run that includes inheritance scams, tent encampments, workplace automation, neurodivergence, conspiracy theories, a Renaissance Faire, and a Little League sponsorship. What could go wrong? The season premiered this past Monday, August 17 with a two-episode drop. Weekly episodes land on Mondays with the finale airing on October 12. Season 18 is currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why You Should Watch: To be fair, I’m late to the game on Always Sunny, so I’m way way behind on this show and just put on episodes whenever I need a dose of hilarity in my life. Sometimes I end up binging three or four or five because life is filled with tragedy and the Gang always lifts my spirits. So why should you watch? First, because it will bring you joy. Second, because you’ll be like “there but for the grace of God go I.”
A Tale Of Two Cities (MGM+)
What It’s About: Charles Dickens’ classic gets a new four-part adaptation starring Kit Harington as brilliant but self-destructive lawyer Sydney Carton, Mirren Mack as Lucie Manette and François Civil as French émigré Charles Darnay. The story begins in 1782 London, where Lucie learns that the father she believed dead for nearly two decades may actually be alive in Paris. When Darnay is arrested for treason, she turns to Carton for help, setting in motion the famous love triangle against the growing turmoil between Britain and France. The miniseries premieres Sunday, Sept. 6 on MGM+, with new episodes each Sunday and the fourth and final installment airing Sept. 27.
Why You Should Watch: I haven’t seen this yet, and there are no reviews out on Rotten Tomatoes yet, either, which isn’t uncommon for more obscure titles on smaller streaming apps like MGM+. If you’re a fan of Kit Harrington (Jon Snow in Game of Thrones) this is an obvious must-watch. It’s been years since I read A Tale of Two Cities, and the honest truth is, my memory of the details is rather fuzzy at this point. That might actually work in favor of the mini-series, since I won’t compare every last thing to the book! “It was the best of adaptations, it was the worst of adaptations…”
The Shards – Finale (Hulu)
The Shards
Credit: Hulu / FX
What It’s About: Ryan Murphy (Glee, The Politician, etc) adapts the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name for FX/Hulu. Set in Los Angeles in 1981, The Shards follows a 17-year-old fictionalized Bret Easton Ellis (Igby Rigney) through his senior year at the elite Buckley prep school, where the arrival of enigmatic transfer student Robert Mallory (Homer Gere) coincides with the killings of a serial murderer known as The Trawler. The show drops new episodes on Wednesdays with a September 9 finale.
Why You Should Watch: I’m not really sure, if we’re being honest. The promo images of young people in the 80s in swimsuits make this look like a show for young people and I’m not a young man anymore. The reviews aren’t great (55% / 35% audience and critic scores) and I suppose I’m not really a big Bret Easton Ellis guy. I mean, I enjoyed the movie American Psycho, but I never read the book! Maybe I should do that instead of watching this show.
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 3 Finale (AMC+)
The Walking Dead: Dead City
Screenshot: Erik Kain
What It’s About: The Walking Dead: Dead City returns with an eight-episode season 3, with Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan returning, now working alongside Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles) to build a “functioning” community in post-apocalyptic Manhattan. The fragile alliance is tested by newcomer Renata (Aimee Garcia), her doctor brother Luis (Raúl Castillo), and loner Dillard (Jimmi Simpson of Westworld fame). New showrunner Seth Hoffman, a Walking Dead veteran writer and former co-executive producer on the original series, is taking over this season. New episodes drop Sundays, running through September 13.
Why You Should Watch: I don’t think this show should exist, quite frankly, and after watching the Season 3 premiere, I not only wrote a scathing review, I made a scathing video to go with it, which you can watch here. It’s not good, folks, but I genuinely hope that it gets better because there are other ways I could be spending my Sunday evenings. Update: I watched about five minutes of the second episode and turned it off and I haven’t been able to come back. I think maybe you need alcohol to enjoy this show, or to even enjoy hate-watching this show, and I don’t drink anymore.
Fightland (Starz)
What It’s About: On the night Maduka “Duke” Kilroy (Howard Charles) becomes world heavyweight champion, an assault leaves his brother dead and lands him in a U.S. prison for eight years. Out and back in London, he sets out to destroy the empire of criminal kingpin and former promoter Kingsley Marshall (Nicholas Pinnock), the man he blames — complicated by the fact that Kingsley has vanished and his wife Joy (Deborah Ayorinde) is the love of Duke’s life. Charles Babalola and Anita-Joy Uwajeh co-star. New episodes drop Fridays with the season finale landing on September 25.
Why You Should Watch: I’m a few weeks late to this – it premiered on Starz on July 31. In any case, it’s co-produced by rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, marking his first international series. It’s a pretty compelling plot and has a reasonably strong 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. Also, boxing. Boxing is fun especially when the boxer in question is beating up criminals in East London.
Ted Lasso – Season 4 (Apple TV)
Ted Lasso
Credit: Apple TV
What It’s About: Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) returns to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s football team in this reboot of the popular Apple TV sports comedy series. Jack Burditt (30 Rock, Modern Family) takes over as showrunner for this new, more estrogen-charged spin on the fish-out-of-water TV show. New episodes drop on Wednesday (Tuesday evening for Apple TV) with ten episodes running through October 7.
Why You Should Watch: Honestly, the reason that Ted Lasso worked so well in the first season was precisely because it was a fish-out-of-water comedy. But a fish can only stay out of water for so long before, well, RIP fish. Ted was an adorable lead and head coach and despite his lack of experience or knowledge of soccer, his remarkable way with people took everyone off guard, including viewers. That affable, mustachioed man was the epitome of “I am rubber and you are glue” and nothing stuck to him. He made you want to believe (like Fox Mulder did back int he day, only about aliens and whatnot).
That rarest work of optimism and hope in a sea of cynicism was perfect in its first season. But it should have been a one-and-done series because it ran out of steam in Season 2 and I didn’t return for Season 3. Let me know if you think Season 4 is worth it or a misfire. I’ve heard mixed things.
Conan O’Brien Must Go – Season 3 Finale (HBO Max)
Conan O’Brien Must Go
Credit: HBO
What It’s About: Conan travels overseas to meet listeners he first connected with on his podcast, experiencing local traditions while spending time with the fans who invited him — this season to India, the Philippines, the Netherlands and Morocco. Premieres Friday, August 21 at 9 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max with four episodes airing weekly on Fridays, and the finale on September 11.
Why You Should Watch: Conan O’Brien is just one of the funniest, most likable people in Hollywood and basically anything he does is worth watching just because he’s such a fun guy. If you like humorous travel shows, check it out. The series holds 88% critics / 84% audience and has won two Emmys.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 4 (Paramount+)
Strange New Worlds
Credit: Paramount
What It’s About: The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is back for another round of adventures as Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) continues leading his crew across the final frontier. Season 4 picks up after last season’s cliffhanger and sends Pike, Spock, Number One, and the rest of the Enterprise crew on a series of dangerous new missions, from mysterious alien encounters to impossible scientific mysteries, while continuing to build toward the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. The new season is comprised of 10 episodes airing Sundays through September 24
Why You Should Watch: I actually gave up on New Star Trek some time ago, having doggedly tried my best with the JJ Abrams films, Discovery and Picard. And while I’d heard some very positive things about Strange New Worlds, I just couldn’t find the energy to catch up. Maybe someday. I do really like the casting in this series, and Anson Mount is the perfect Pike (though I thought he looked more handsome in the very first episode before he shaved and cut his hair). However, it should be noted that Season 4 has a stellar 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than any previous season. If there is a show that could lure me back to Star Trek, it’s this one.
Lioness – Season 3 (Paramount+)
What It’s About: Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness returns for a third season with Zoe Saldaña back as CIA operative Joe McNamara, who finds herself caught up in her most dangerous mission yet. As a sprawling conspiracy threatens both national security and the people she cares about most, Joe is forced to balance her loyalty to the mission with her responsibilities at home. Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez, and Dave Annable all return for another season of high-stakes espionage and military action.
Why You Should Watch: You know, I thought the first season of Lioness was pretty excellent military spy thriller fare, and I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff. I’m okay with shows that make Islamic radical terrorists and South American cartels the bad guys and I’m okay with shows that point out that often the bad guys can be right here in the West, too. Taylor Sheridan is a bit more “red-blooded” than a lot of contemporary Hollywood and that’s fine, but I just got kind of sick of the characters in Season 2, so I’m behind. New episodes drop Sundays with the finale landing on September 20.
Ghost in the Shell – Finale (Prime Video)
Ghost in the Shell
Credit: Prime Video
What It’s About: Ghost in the Shell has been around forever, but it’s always fun to see a new take on an old classic. The new series, which debuted on Prime Video this past Tuesday, was created by Science Saru (aka Science Monkey), the studio behind the hit Devilman Crybaby and Danadan. The new series is based on the 1989-91 manage of the same name and takes place in the distant future (well, 2029) in a futuristic Japan replete with elite cyborgs, tactical anti-terrorism forces and mysterious hackers. You can also watch the old 1995 movie on Prime Video. A total of 10 episodes will comprise the first season, with the finale airing on September 8.
Why You Should Watch: If you like this anime series, or you’re just into anime in general, this is probably your thing. I found that even though I’ve seen the movie, I was totally lost and confused after the first episode and so I haven’t continued. Maybe someday.
Stuart Fails To Save The Universe (HBO Max)
What It’s About: Stuart Fails to Save the Universe stars Kevin Sussman, reprising his Big Bang Theory role as Stuart. Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon — and as the title implies, things don’t go well. Along the way he meets alternate-universe versions of familiar Big Bang Theory faces.
Why You Should Watch: First, a confession: I have never watched even a single episode of Big Bang Theory. Sure, I’ve seen the odd clip here or there, but I really couldn’t even tell you what it’s about. And yet, this show sounds like a really clever spinoff. It takes the sitcom into an entirely new genre, and even though I’m sick of multiverse stuff, this sounds really fun. It has a 71%/78% critic/audience split on RT. New episodes land Thursdays and the finale drops on September 24.
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