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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10. (tie) Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Are you in the mood for an intense survival epic and psychological horror story with plenty of coming-of-age touches? How about all of that with Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci starring as the adult versions of two female athletes who were irretrievably shaken by their experiences after a plane crash in the wilderness? Sure, that sounds like a stressful description, but it’s also a hell of a watch. Not to mention another reason not to hop onto an airplane these days. Watch it on Showtime.
10. (tie) Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
It’s a mitzvah in a world like this to turn the other cheek, bite the tongue, and generally disregard the impoliteness, ridiculousness, and stupidity of others. But wow, what a lift. Perhaps that’s why it’s so freeing to see Larry David and a cavalcade of stars and familiar faces push against the minutiae of polite culture with serial honesty. Who else could reject someone’s plea to pray for a sick relative without getting stabbed or mock the fakery of gazing deeply into someone’s eyes during a toast when all you want to do is freaking eat? Larry is no hero. He’s an asshole, but he’s our asshole and he’s back for another round of Curb. Watch it on HBO.
10. (tie) Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount Plus)
Before his new Disney+ series drops, Jeremy Renner is rolling out this gritty drama that tasks him with doing what he does best on screen: busting heads and playing an unlikable a**hole. We kid (sort of). Renner’s Mike McLusky heads up a family of power brokers who keep the crime-infested city of Kingstown in check, a family that includes Dianne West and Kyle Chandler. Their unique, fairly violent version of checks-and-balances is quickly coming to an end though as McLusky predicts new gangs and powerful figures are poised to throw the town into chaos and start a bloody war. Bad for Hawkeye, good for us. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
9. The Shrink Next Door (Apple TV+)
Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell reunite for this Apple TV+ tragicomedy based on a popular podcast, which itself is based on a true story about a hapless middle-aged businessman and the charismatic, conniving therapist who manipulates him for nearly 30 years. Ferrell plays the first of the duo, a man named Marty who can’t order a deli sandwich without shaking in his boots. He’s inherited a garment business from his dead parents and his brash sister (the always terrific Kathryn Hahn) demands he visit a therapist to get a handle on his self-confidence issues before they tank the family business. Enter Rudd, still charming as hell but with a sinister layer hiding underneath that practiced likability. As Marty’s shrink, Dr. Ike Herschkopf, Rudd channels the vibes of both a cult leader and a conman, draining Marty of his money, his happiness, and his will to live over their decades-long friendship. It’s easy to find the lighter moments in this bizarre tale, but both Rudd and Ferrell play against type to bring a pervading sense of melancholy to the whole thing. The moral of the story? Be careful who your shrink is. Watch it on Apple TV+.
8. Sex Lives of College Girls (HBO Max)
Mindy Kaling is back with a new show about, you guessed it, the sex lives of college girls. The show follows four students trying to navigate life and/or love and/or freedom on the campus of a prestigious university. There’s some heart in there and some coming of age and a whole lot of drinking out of red plastic cups. Feels like this one is worth a shot. Watch it on HBO Max.
7. Cowboy Bebop (Netflix)
This hyper-stylized quip and rip adaptation of the legendary anime of the same name delivers by way of its playful and creative presentation and the strength of its cast. Starring John Cho as a bounty hunter with a past, Mustafa Shakir as his partner in crime, Daniella Pineda as a rival bounty hunter trying to crash the party, and a friggin adorable corgi as a friggin adorable corgi, this crew is giving off fun ROGUES… IN… SPACE vibes similar to the Guardians Of The Galaxy and Firefly crews. All they need now is a few truly compelling villains to deliver on the show’s potential. Watch it on Netflix.
6. Narcos (Netflix)
Narcos is back once again, with stories about real-life drug cartels and the DEA agents who are after them, many of whom have pretty tremendous mustaches, including, as pictured above, Scoot McNairy. The third season of the Mexico-based spinoff picks up where season two left off, with various cartels at war and a very young El Chapo starting to make a name for himself. It’s a good time. Violent and sad and intense in parts, but still, good. Watch it on Netflix.
5. Marvel’s Hit-Monkey (Hulu)
Hulu is having so much fun adapting offbeat Marvel titles these days, as evidenced by the thoroughly enjoyable M.O.D.O.K., which gave us a better villain than we’ve ever seen in the MCU. Here, Jason Sudeikis, George Takei, and Olivia Munn voice a story about a Japanese snow monkey who somehow joins forces with an American assassin’s ghost, and they end up tearing up the Yakuza’s little underworld. This ain’t Ted Lasso, but it will do. Watch it on Hulu.
4. Big Mouth (Netflix)
Big Mouth returns for a fifth season of hormone monsters, musical numbers, and talking pillows. Along with returning cast members Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Jason Mantzoukas, Ayo Edebiri, Jordan Peele, and Richard Kind, season five also features new characters voiced by Pamela Adlon, Keke Palmer, Kumail Nanjiani, and Chloe Fineman. Watch it on Netflix.
3. Wheel of Time (Amazon)
Rosamund Pike somehow does not play a sociopath while starring in this sprawling adaptation of one of the most popular fantasy book series (by Robert Jordan) ever. Here, she portrays Moiraine, who’s a member of an exclusive, magical, all-ladies organization known as Aes Sedai. The story follows Moiraine’s dangerous quest with a group that contains the prophesied Dragon Reborn, who shall be the key to humanity’s fate. It’s epic and Thrones-y. Watch it on Amazon.
2. The Great (Hulu)
The Great? More like The Great Show. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult are back as Catherine the Great and Emperor Peter III, respectively, in season two of the wickedly funny Hulu series. If you like scheming and backstabbing, this is the show for you. Watch it on Hulu.
1. Succession (HBO Max)
Everyone’s favorite collection of monsters is back, once again, this time for a slightly delayed third season. Things left off with the Roy family in turmoil, as always, although this time from friendly fire, thanks to noted screw-up and amateur rapper Kendall making a big move. The new season should get ugly in the best possible way, so hop on board week-to-week if you’re already a fan or load up a binge and get caught up to see what everyone’s yammering about all fall. Watch it on HBO Max.