Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
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1. Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
There are moments in the early stages of season two that feel like they’re doubling down on the show’s signature positivity and niceness, but there’s no such thing as sweetness overload here as the show grows our affection for characters that are clearly taking a step forward in their arcs. Especially Ted, even though it seems like there may be some challenges ahead. Watch it on Apple TV+.
2. The White Lotus (HBO Max)
HBO’s The White Lotus took the world by storm this summer, and with good reason. Mike White’s tale of wealthy dopes had everything you could ask for: a great cast, a scenic location, a dead body, and more. The season finale aired last weekend but there’s still time to rip through all six episodes to find out just what, exactly, all the fuss was about. And so you have something to talk to your friends about. Get in there. Watch it on HBO Max.
3. Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
The past year has been a good one for Nicole Kidman and her wigs. In Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, she trades in the fiery boho chic armor of her New York socialite in The Undoing for the flowing, hauntingly ethereal robes of a wellness guru who’s constantly feasting on an accent goulash. In short, this series is a showcase for Kidman and the rest of the A-list cast that populates a retreat aptly named Tranquillum House – everyone from Melissa McCarthy to Bobby Cannavale, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, and more are guests in search of enlightenment, or, at least, enlightening. Come for the mindless drama of “rich white people problems,” stay for Manny Jacinto’s luscious locks. Watch it on Hulu.
4. The Chair (Netflix)
Created by Amanda Peet and produced by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, The Chair tells the story of a new professor dealing with a failing English department at a fancy private university. It’s always nice to see Sandra Oh get a meaty lead role like this, and if her work on shows like Killing Eve is any indication, she’ll carry it well. Watch it on Netflix.
5. What If…? (Disney+)
We’re in the multiverse after Loki‘s season finale. The MCU promises to show us a wealth of scenarios that stand separate from the existing movie lore. Agent Carter will take the serum and become Captain Carter. There’s a Zombie Captain America, and King T’Challa materializes elsewhere as Star Lord. Notably, Chadwick Boseman did voice work here, so you’ll be able to say a proper goodbye to his Black Panther. Let the good times and the tears roll. Watch it on Disney+.
6. Reservation Dogs (Hulu)
Taika Waititi’s FX on Hulu follow-up to What We Do in the Shadows brings us a comedy series that’s co-written by Native American filmmaker Sterlin Harjo. Yes, the lead quartet in this show rocks suits that look strikingly similar to the characters of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, yet they’re four Indigenous teens who want to commit crime and simply can’t pull it off. The show was shot in and near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and these teens hope to make it all the way to California. The cast and crew come from indigenous communities, from where Harjo and Waititi are aiming their storytelling styles as well. Watch it on Hulu.
7. Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (Netflix)
If you’re missing Narcos, rest assured that there’s so much blow in this docuseries, which gives the documentary treatment to the excess-filled life of two childhood pals who transformed into billionaire drug kingpins. There’s a tiger and bullfighting and speedboats and money flying everywhere, it’s no wonder why “Los Muchachos” were so darn popular. They were also slippery fellows, due to their world-champ powerboat-racing status. Watch it on Netflix.
8. Heels (Starz)
Friday Night Lights was a great show about football that you didn’t have to like football to love. Starz hopes Heels can be a Friday Night Lights but for wrestling. The drama (from Loki showrunner Michael Waldron) stars Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig as Jack and Ace Spade, two brothers trying to keep their small-town indie wrestling league afloat. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t WOOOOO.
9. The Walking Dead (AMC Plus)
This zombie-apocalypse universe’s flagship series returns for one final rodeo with two spinoffs still in motion, so it’s time to wrap this puppy up before the various shows’ timelines begin to intersect. Negan’s no longer the show’s villain, Alpha’s been vanquished, and Carol’s about to split from the group. When one really thinks about all the careers that this show has bolstered (Steven Yeun, Dania Guerra, Jon Bernthal, and so on), it’s impressive that Norman Reedus has stuck it out for the long haul, so Daryl and Carol must end this show by literally riding off into the sunset by motorcycle. We’ll accept nothing else. Watch it on AMC Plus.
10. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC/Hulu)
The long-running NBC/Fox cop series zips into its final season this fall, giving viewers one last go-round with Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero and Andre Braugher and the rest of the precinct. It will be sad to see them go, but it’s also comforting to know there are seven seasons just sitting there on Hulu if you need them. Really cushions the blow. So maybe dive back through the archives this weekend to get ready for the big goodbye that’s on the way. Watch it on Hulu.