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) The Staircase (HBO Max)
The original true-crime docuseries (originally on Sundance TV) captivated enough people on Netflix that HBO Max decided to dramatize the story, and lo and behold, it works. Colin Firth plays Michael Peterson, who served prison time after the death of his wife, Kathleen (portrayed by Toni Collette) under mysterious circumstances. Sophie Turner and Parker Posey are on hand, and there’s a (SPOILER ALERT) certain theory that won’t be overlooked. This shall be an eight-part adaptation that explores the nature of fact and fiction and goes to some unexpected places. Watch it on HBO Max.
10. (tie) Physical (Apple TV Plus)
Two important things are worth noting here. The first is that this show, a fun dramedy starring Rose Byrne that takes a spandex-tight look at the 1980s aerobics era and the types of people who made it a whole thing, is returning for a second season. The second thing is that this new season adds Murray Bartlett to the cast, which, as anyone who watched him devolve into an amphetamine-snorting lunatic on The White Lotus can attest, is a wonderful development. Good news all around. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
9. That’s My Time With David Letterman (Netflix)
David Letterman continues to recreate his old late-night show in pieces. First, it was the talk show portion with My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and now it’s the stand-up comedy showcase side of things with his newest Netflix show, That’s My Time, where he blesses newish comics by inviting them to his stage (at Netflix’s recent comedy fest) to do their act and have a quick chat. This comes after news that Letterman was teaming with Sarah Silverman to turn his old Stupid Pet Tricks bit into a show. Think about it, get paid for one show with 5 or 6 pieces or 5 or 6 shows? The man is as good at money as he is at beard growing. Watch it on Netflix.
8. For All Mankind (Apple TV Plus)
What we have here is an alternate history situation, one where the space race of the 1960s didn’t end, thanks in large part to Russia beating America to a handful of important achievements. The show is now in season three, so there’s plenty for you to dive into if you want, which you probably should, in part due to a bunch of space cowboys doing cool space cowboy things, and in part because all your television-obsessed friends won’t stop talking about it. Win-win. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
7. Players (Paramount Plus)
Remember American Vandal? Man, it would be great if you did. That show was incredible, both in its zeitgeist-capturing first season and in its less-viral second season. Go back and watch both of them again some time. You deserve it. Or, maybe, watch Players, the new series from the American Vandal team that was scooped up by Paramount. This one focuses on gamers and gaming and esports and the teams and competitions that have turned into big-money enterprises. You deserve this, too. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
6. The Old Man (FX/Hulu)
The notorious Jeffs are getting it done, first with Jeff Daniels portraying a complicated lawman in Showtime’s American Rust and now with Jeff Bridges portraying an ex-CIA operative (Dan Chase, what a name) who’s forced into (wait for it) one last job in this adaptation of Thomas Perry’s bestselling thriller novel. John Lithgow plays the impetus, a government agent, who’s really pissing off Bridges’ character, and it’s on. All of Dan’s skills are back, so watch out, naysayers. Watch it on FX/Hulu.
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney Plus)
If Obi-Wan is a name you’ve not heard in a long time (long time), you’re in luck. Ewan McGregor reprises his role as Not-So-Old Ben in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, a six-episode limited series set a decade after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Also back: Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. Should you watch Obi-Wan Kenobi? Yesssssssssssss. Watch it on Disney Plus.
4. Ms. Marvel (Disney Plus)
This show brings us the perfect actress, Iman Vallani, for the leading gig of portraying Kamala Khan. She takes us on a fun-filled revamp of her character’s comic character, and this show is a roaring ball of glee that will help to set up The Marvels, which will not only include Kamala and Carol but also Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris) from WandaVision. The MCU’s lightening up again, and we love to see it. Watch it on Disney Plus.
3. Stranger Things 4 (Netflix)
The long-awaited fourth season of Stranger Things is, in a word, epic. And that’s not because of its cinematic run times. Well, not entirely. It’s true you’ll essentially be watching seven movies, not episodes, but those are packed with all of the 80s nostalgia, Dungeons and Dragons references, demonic possessions, prison breaks, rink parties, and secret government experiments you could ask for. Hawkins is in more danger than ever and with Eleven powerless, there’s no superhero in sight — unless you count Erica Sinclair, which obviously you should. But the joy of this season is watching the rest of these weirdos and misfits band together to save each other … and themselves. Watch it on Netflix.
2. The Boys (Amazon Prime)
Finally, The Boys. Are. Back. And so is Homelander, although he is most decidedly not okay after the events of the Season 2 finale, so plenty more increasingly sadistic behavior will soon arrive on that end. He’s got competition in the “hero of heroes” department, though, because Jensen Ackles climbs aboard as Soldier Boy (a profane Captain America knockoff), who’s definitely all up in the “Herogasm” episode, which you should sit down before watching. And expect the show to actually transcend those exploding heads, the whale collision, and Homelander’s self-pleasuring scene atop a skyscraper. In other words, clear you calendar for these weekly decadent delights. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
1. Peaky Blinders (Netflix)
By order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, we demand you watch the final season of Netflix’s historical crime drama. Why? Because Cillian Murphy has never been better. Because we’re building up to a second World War. Because there are Fascists with tiny mustaches and Prohibition’s over and familial blood feuds are wreaking havoc across two continents and gypsy curses are being broken and Tom Hardy is back (doing his unintelligible mumbling thing while writing an original opera) and … well, you get it right? Watch it on Netflix.