There are exciting new series launching this week on all the major streaming services as well as new seasons of older shows now available to stream. From Netflix’s Halston and The Upshaws to HBO Max’s Hack and Amazon Prime Video’s The Underground Railroad, the selection of new content is diverse, with something for everyone. Meanwhile, you can watch new seasons of popular shows like Castlevania and finally stream animated classics like Special Agent Oso. Wondering what to watch this week? Here’s a look at the best of the best from the top streaming services.
When you’re done here, check out the best new movies to stream this week as well as the best shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.
Netflix
Money, Explained
What is money? What forms does it come in? And how is it both used and abused? This docuseries explores the concept of the almighty buck, looking at everything from credit cards to casinos, scammers, student loans, and how we spend, borrow, and save money. The star-studded cast includes Tiffany Haddish, Bobby Cannavale, Edie Falco, Jane Lynch, and Marcia Gay Harden and topics examine things like people falling for financial schemes, how our brains work against us while gambling, and an exploration of the long lost concept of retirement in one’s golden years. There are five episodes in the inaugural season.
Watch on Netflix
The Upshaws
The Facts of Life‘s Kim Fields returns to television in a big way, heading up this sitcom about a working-class Black family living in Indiana alongside Mike Epps and Wanda Sykes, who also created the series. The 10 episodes of the first season are already being lauded for representing “real Black families.” All three leads also executive produce the series and serve as showrunners.
Watch on Netflix
Castlevania
Based on the Konami video game of the same name, this adult animated series returns for its fourth and final season. Count Dracula is at the center of the story, out for vengeance against the people of Wallachia after they burned his wife at the stake, wrongfully believing her to be involved in witchcraft. The seasons shift focus to Trevor, the last surviving member of the Belmont clan, who tries to fight back against Dracula and save humanity from becoming extinct.
Watch on Netflix
Halston
Another Ryan Murphy creation, this one stars Ewan McGregor as the American fashion designer Halston, who enjoyed tremendous wealth and success in the ’70s until he lost control of his fashion house. Based on the Steven Gaines book Simply Halston, the story chronicles Halston’s friendships with Hollywood heavyweights like Liza Minnelli and Andy Warhol, his design of the iconic pillbox hat that Jacqueline Kennedy wore at her husband John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and the events after Halston took some bad business advice that set him on a downward spiral.
Watch on Netflix
Haunted
Prepare to have trouble sleeping after you watch the third season of this thrilling horror series where real people talk with friends and family members about true ghost stories from their past. Reenactments add another level of spook to the stories, providing a visual representation of the recollected events. In season 2, one woman discusses hearing her roommates’ voices when they weren’t there, while a young boy believes he is being followed by an evil figure called “The Hangman.” From seeing ghosts to meeting with demons, unsettling memories up the ante from the typical fireside ghost stories to a level that will send chills up your spine.
Watch on Netflix
Hangar 1: The UFO Files
There were two seasons of this Australian documentary series that originally aired on H2 in 2014 and 2015, and now you can stream them both. Each episode is based on the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) and its archives of UFO sightings. Season 2 covers topics like underwater UFOs, UFOs over Texas, and extreme close encounters through its 12 riveting episodes.
Watch on Netflix
Selena: The Series
Just five months after the first season premiered in December 2020, the second season of this biographical drama about the late Tejano singer is now streaming. Christian Serratos (The Walking Dead) stars as the title character in the story about her life, rise to fame, and the sacrifices she and her family had to make in order to help Selena achieve her dreams. Despite the first season failing to receive positive reviews, Netflix says it was watched by 25 million households worldwide during the first month after release.
Watch on Netflix
Trash Truck
Co-produced by Netflix Animation alongside Glen Keane Productions, this computer-animated series follows the adventures of 6-year-old Hank and his best friend, which just happens to be a talking trash truck. The pair travel around the world going on adventures with a variety of their animal friends. The first season was released in November 2020, and the second season is now streaming.
Watch on Netflix
Jupiter’s Legacy
Josh Duhamel, Ben Daniels, and Leslie Bibb star in this superhero series based on the comic book series of the same name by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely. It centers on the world’s first superheroes, known as the Union, who were given their powers in the 1930s: The Utopian (Duhamel), Brainwave (Daniels), and Lady Liberty. But now in the present day, they find their children having trouble living up to the reputation of the family business.
Watch on Netflix
Hulu
Shrill
Saturday Night Live‘s Aidy Bryant returns for a third and final season of this comedy based on the Lindy West book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman. Annie is an “overweight young woman who wants to change her life, but not her body.” She strives to develop her career passion as a journalist while dealing with her demanding boss as well as other personal challenges, including a series of bad boyfriends and ill parents. It’s a series about overcoming misconceptions: Despite everyone around her believing that Annie’s weight holds her back from being her best, she sets out to prove them wrong.
Watch on Hulu
The Handmaid’s Tale
When fans left June in season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale, she had succeeded in her mission to get several children and others out of Gilead but was critically injured and on the brink of death. While it’s obvious she survived, June has clearly reached her breaking point. Season 4 will likely explore June’s continued quest to locate her daughter Hannah. Having given up several opportunities to escape, June won’t leave without her, and chances are, she will go to even greater lengths to push back against the system as she becomes even more desperate and fueled with rage.
Watch on Hulu
Sasquatch
Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, is one of the best-known mysteries and folklores. People all over have, for centuries, tried to find the supposed mythical creature, claimed to have seen it, or been involved with hoaxes involving the ape-like creature. Questions of Sasquatch’s authenticity aside, 25 years ago, there was a triple homicide that Sasquatch was supposedly guilty of committing. This Hulu original docuseries takes viewers deep into the heart of trying to solve this puzzling case with the help of investigative journalist David Holthouse.
Watch on Hulu
Cruel Summer
The Jessica Biel-produced Freeform drama thriller, which will stream on Hulu, follows residents in a small town in Texas dealing with the sudden disappearance of a popular young girl named Kate. After her nerdy classmate Jeanette is accused of having something to do with Kate’s mysterious disappearance, Jeanette becomes the most hated person in the country and must deal with the constant sneers and implications that she knows more than she’s letting on. The story is interestingly told over the course of the same day, June 21, in three different years: 1993, 1994, and 1995.
Watch on Hulu
Home Economics
Topher Grace (That ’70s Show) makes his return to the small screen in this comedy about three adult siblings, each of whom has ended up in a different social class, with lives that have all taken different paths. While the youngest sibling has managed to do well for himself running a private equity firm, the middle child is firmly in the middle class and struggling to get by. Meanwhile, the eldest child, daughter Sarah, can barely pay her bills. Inspired by the real-life story of co-creator Michael Colton, Home Economics centers around how each sibling has their own hardships that involve far more than just superficial money and status. New episodes are released weekly.
Watch on Hulu
HBO
Race for the White House
Every presidential election campaign has its share of unique stories, and this political series explores the most interesting ones, from John F. Kennedy versus Richard Nixon to George H.W. Bush versus Michael Dukakis, and even the 1860s fight between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Kevin Spacey narrated season 1, though his narration was rerecorded by Mahershala Ali. Season 2 will delve into the 2008 Barack Obama versus John McCain campaign, 1980’s Ronald Reagan versus Jimmy Carter, and others through its six episodes.
Watch on HBO Max
Hacks
When legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah tries to freshen up her act in order to appeal to a younger audience, her agent suggests she work with a 25-year-old named Ava who is tasked with helping Deborah work on her material so that it will hit the right marks. But the tables turn when Deborah ends up being the one to mentor Ava through her burgeoning career. Jean Smart stars as Deborah and newcomer Hannah Einbinder as Ava, with Kaitlin Olson and Christopher McDonald in recurring roles.
Watch on HBO Max
Legendary
Receiving kudos from GLAAD for its inclusion of queer and trans artists from the ballroom scene in New York, this reality series follows LGBT players from eight houses as they compete in nine balls that feature events around dancing, voguing, and walking. The winning house receives the $100,000 prize. Among the judging panel is rapper and singer Megan Thee Stallion.
Watch on HBO Max
That Damn Michael Che
While he still sits on the Weekend Update news desk as a cast member and co-head writer of Saturday Night Live, comedian Michael Che is branching out with his own sketch comedy series. Each episode aims to find humor in otherwise serious topics, like police brutality, unemployment, and relationships, and focuses specifically on the Black experience. Che is known for never holding back, so expect the series to touch on potentially controversial territory. Indeed, it is described as “less about being ‘right’ and more about being honest.” The series stars other SNL cast members as well, including Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Colin Quinn, Colin Jost, and ’90s cast member Ellen Cleghorne. Keep an eye out for guest stars as well, like Billy Porter and Method Man.
Watch on HBO Max
Mare of Easttown
Kate Winslet stars in this crime drama miniseries about detective Mare Sheehan, who is thrust into the reopening of an unsolved local missing child’s case. She tries to focus her energy on helping find closure for the girl’s grieving mother, even though she believes the girl will never be found. But she must balance this with the many other cases that pop up, including ones that intertwine with her own troubled personal life. Mare of Easttown has already received very positive ratings, with critics noting that Winslet, not surprisingly, does a beautiful job, and that her performance is further propped up by a central mystery with a “strong sense of place and character.”
Watch on HBO Max
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Need some laughs? Tune into the second season of this sketch comedy series, with skits performed predominantly by Black female comedians. After the first season received universal praise back in 2019, a second season was commissioned, but the pandemic delayed its release. While Quinta Brunson does not appear in the second season, season 2 adds a pair of new featured players, Laci Mosley (Florida Girls) and Skye Townsend, daughter of Robert Townsend.
Watch on HBO Max
Amazon Prime
The Underground Railroad
From the creative team behind Moonlight, including Brad Pitt, and based on the Colson Whitehead novel of the same name, this historical drama explores an alternate timeline where the Underground Railroad is an actual railroad. In reality, of course, the railroad was a series of hidden routes and safe houses that helped enslaved Black people escape to freedom in the 1800s. This series presents it as a physical object with engineers, conductors, tracks, and tunnels. The focus of the story is one enslaved Black woman, Cora, who teams up with Caesar to try to ride the train to freedom.
Watch on Amazon Prime
Frank Of Ireland
In this Amazon original comedy, Frank is a reclusive, recently single 32-year-old struggling musician living in Dublin, Ireland, with his mother. As he tries to make it through everyday life and the messes he has left behind, he gets help from his best friend, Doofus (really). Starring real-life brothers Domhnall and Brian Gleeson, the New York Post calls the series a “live-action Beavis and Butt-Head.” With six half-hour episodes in the first season, the silly humor might be just what you need right now.
Watch on Amazon Prime
Them
The first season of this Amazon Prime Original anthology series will be set in the ’50s and tell the story of a Black family who moves to an all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles. As they try to fit into their new home and surroundings, they continue to encounter malevolent forces that taunt and are seemingly out to harm them.
Watch on Amazon Prime
Invincible
Amazon is throwing its hat into the animated superhero series ring, though this one isn’t exactly family-friendly. Invincible is based on works by The Walking Dead‘s Robert Kirkman, which is your first indication that it’s pretty gory and violent. Steven Yuen (who played fan-favorite character Glenn on The Walking Dead) voices Mark Grayson, a teenager whose father Nolan (J.K. Simmons) is secretly Omni-Man, the most powerful superhero in the alternate world. When Mark turns 18, his superhero abilities begin to take shape. As he slowly transforms into Invincible, he must learn how to control his craft while also coming of age as a young man and learning truths about his father.
Watch on Amazon Prime
Apple TV+
Mythic Quest
If you’re into video games and video game culture, this series will be right up your alley. Formerly known as Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, the comedy returns for its second season with a shortened name and an equally funny story. In the first season, the studio that created the popular video game Mythic Quest is working furiously to develop and release its sequel, Raven’s Banquet, in hopes of achieving the same level of success. But each member of the team has their own priorities, which causes friction as creative, financial, and coding interests collide.
Watch on Apple TV+
The Mosquito Coast
Justin Theroux stars in this drama as Allie Fox, a “radical idealist and brilliant inventor” who is fed up with modern civilization, including materialism, waste, and mass consumption, so he decides to pick up with his family and move to Latin America. But his pushback against technology quickly becomes an obsession, leading to paranoia about being watched. Interestingly, the story is based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Theroux’s uncle, author Paul Theroux. Early critic reviews have not been kind, but if you are a fan of the book or either Theroux, it might be worth checking out.
Watch on Apple TV+
Calls
Many new series claim to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen, but in the case of Calls, it’s totally true. This series features voice actors only, but it isn’t animated. Rather, each dark and dramatic episode, which runs for just 10-15 minutes, includes a looping background image with audio and text running across the screen of dialogues in a phone call, along with background noises. It sounds obscenely boring, but one episode in, and you’re guaranteed to be hooked. It’s exciting, nail-biting, intense, and thought-provoking. The fact that the series, dubbed an “immersive television experience” and based on the French series of the same name, is so engaging even though you aren’t really seeing much on screen is a testament to the acting abilities of the top-notch cast, which includes everyone from Pedro Pascal to Aubrey Plaza, Rosario Dawson, and Lily Collins. Note that some of the background animations can be headache-inducing, but it’s worth it.
Watch on Apple TV+
For All Mankind
Stream the second season of this science fiction series that tells an alternate history of what might have happened if the space race never ended. Instead of the U.S. achieving that historic Moon landing, season 1 begins with the Soviet Union actually getting there first. Already renewed for a third season, the 1960s-set series has received decent reviews thus far. Accompanying season two will be Apple TV+’s first companion podcast, For All Mankind: The Official Podcast, hosted by Krys Marshall, who plays Danielle Poole on the series.
Watch on Apple TV+
Disney+
Special Agent Oso
Originally airing from 2009 to 2012, and with a voice cast headed by Sean Astin, Special Agent Oso is always interrupted in the middle of his training by a special alert that a child requires some type of assistance to complete a task. Special Agent Oso takes the case alongside his Paw Pilot, and the pair set out to complete the important assignment. There were 24 episodes in the first season and 36 in season 2, all of which are now available to stream.
Watch on Disney+
Life Below Zero
Imagine living in the depths of Alaska, where the weather is freezing cold, the wind bone-chilling, and the setting puts your survival skills to the test each and every day. That’s the case with the families followed in this docuseries, who all reside in remote areas of Alaska and share the unique circumstances of their daily lives. The multi-Emmy-winning series returned for its 15th season in late 2020, and it’s now available to stream.
Watch on Disney+
Race to the Center of the Earth
Hailing from National Geographic and created by the woman behind The Amazing Race, this reality series is modeled after that long-running and popular reality competition series. Four teams compete to race “to the center of the Earth” using only designated routes in the ocean that take them to the buoy in the middle. With a million-dollar prize at stake, it’s intense competition as the teams kayak, portage, drive, go rafting, and take virtually every other mode of transportation to get from point A to point B and arrive at their final destination. It takes seven riveting episodes until the winning team is crowned.
Watch on Disney+
Wander Over Yonder
Jack McBrayer heads up the voice cast of this Disney Channel animated sci-fi comedy that aired for two seasons in 2013 and 2014, and both are now available to stream. Wander is a nomadic intergalactic traveler who, as the title implies, wanders throughout space exploring other planets. His goal? To help people to live more freely and optimistically. He’s accompanied on his journeys by his best friend, Sylvia the Zbornak. The first season features a series of stand-alone episodes with their own compartmentalized stories. But season 2 takes a broader storyline and runs with it through the episodes as Wander must fight back against a formidable adversary, Lord Dominator.
Watch on Disney+
Adventures in Wonderland
Check out all four seasons of this live-action/puppet musical series from the early ’90s. Based on the Lewis Carroll novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, the series features Alice, a young girl who can easily travel between Wonderland and her real-life by walking through her mirror. In every episode, Alice travels to Wonderland seeking help and advice to solve a different problem she faces back home. She is always accompanied by her cat, Dinah, and every episode has fun songs and dances that kids will love.
Watch on Disney+
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Just as Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans are accepting the end of the season of WandaVision, which was a roaring success, the next MCU series installment is here. The highly anticipated Marvel project centers on Sam Wilson (a.k.a. Falcon) and Bucky Barnes (a.k.a. Winter Soldier), and fans can now check out episode two. Taking place after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the pair team up to fight crime and go on adventures around the world. Delivered like a movie separated into six episodes, a new episode will be released each week through to April 23.
Watch on Disney+
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