March overloaded the airwaves with too many fantastic, simultaneously returning shows — The Mandalorian, Yellowjackets, and Succession — yet there’s always room for more. If one asks, then one shall receive, and the streaming services are here to deliver the goods. A nun will fight an almighty yet surely up-to-no-help algorithm that has seduced the minds of the masses. A mutual case of road rage will change lives yet hurt no one (at least not permanently) in real life. And Bill Hader’s hitman will bid farewell to HBO.
In other words, TV will be here for you during those rainy springtime days. Here are the must see shows for April 2023.
Beef: Season 1 (Netflix series streaming 4/6)
A24’s Beef lets all of the road rage hang out in this series, and the results won’t be pretty. Everything begins with a near collision, and then Ali Wong’s character flips the bird at Steven Yeun’s maxed-out counterpart, and then… it. is. on. The pair recently admitted (at the show’s SXSW premiere) that they were physically impacted by the stress of making this show, which is quite an endorsement in and of itself. The loads and loads of talent on display won’t hurt, either, while we watch these two get ridiculously carried away with attempting to ruin each other’s lives.
Schmigadoon!: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series streaming 4/6)
Musicals may not be your thing, but if they are, then you’ll be overjoyed to see Cabaret icon Alan Cumming back in action again. Oh, yes, and the show’s leading pair remains Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong, whose characters end up missing the first-season magic and try to return to 1960s and 1970s-era Schmicago. Ariana DeBose, Martin Short, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jane Krakowski are all back on tap this year, and you can’t resist the joy.
Rennervations: Season 1 (Disney+ series streaming 4/12)
Jeremy Renner has been through a lot lately, to put things mildly, due to his horrific snowplow accident that will leave him rehabbing for quite some time. Before that fateful event happened, though, he shot this four-part series that reimagines how vehicles can be custom-built to serve individual communities. It’s all about giving back, and these days, the world can’t have enough of that.
Barry: Season 4 (HBO series returning 4/16)
As one of several high-profile shows coming to an end in 2023, Bill Hader’s actor-hitman leading man will soon ride into the sunset as well. Barry is now behind bars, and we can blame (or thank) Henry Winkler’s mentor character for that one. NoHo Hank may not be dancing at the moment, but fingers are crossed that things will start looking up for him during this final season of the dark comedy series.
Waco: The Aftermath: Season 1 (Showtime series premiering 4/16)
Three full decades have passed since the federal siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. This five-part series takes a look back at the broader cultural view of the build-up and aftermath, which included Timothy McVeigh’s act of mass-murder terrorism in Oklahoma City. As well, the series includes an examination of the January 6 insurrection, so expect the response to be polarized.
Mrs. Davis: Season 1 (Peacock series streaming 4/20)
GLOW standout Betty Gilpin is teaming up with TV king Damon Lindelof in this show about a nun who fights an almighty algorithm. What’s not to enjoy about that, especially in this day and age? Gilpin plays Simone, not to be confused with the title character of the AI, and Margo Martindale co-stars. If there’s anything that Damon Lindelof has taught us in his post-Lost days, you never know precisely what to expect from his projects. Fingers crossed that we’ll somehow see a Lube Man crossover from his victorious Watchmen run.
Slip: Season 1 (Roku Channel series streaming 4/21)
Zoe Lister-Jones created and wrote this series, in which she also stars, about a bored woman who travels through parallel worlds to experience marriage to different spouses before she (ideally) resolves her current (and seemingly just alright, although not exciting) marriage in our “real” universe. And in the process, she will hopefully reconnect with herself as well.
Sweet Tooth: Season 2 (Netflix series streaming 4/27)
The savory slam-dunk returns (courtesy of Team Downey) for another dose of the more-than-Mad Max vs. Bambi vibe. Christian Convery returns as the title character, also known by his proper name of Gus. He’s sadly been separated from Jeppard (Nonso Anozie) as of the first season finale, and now, Gus must gather strength to push back against the Last Men along with his fellow hybrids. Also on tap this season: discovering why the Great Crumble happened and curing the ill. Gus has got more gumption than the entire ensemble of The Walking Dead, alright.
Love & Death: Season 1 (HBO Max series streaming 4/27)
Candy Montgomery already received a true-crime adaptation from Hulu and starring Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey, and now, here’s a second take starring Elizabeth Olsen (opposite Jesse Plemons) as an adulterous ax-murderer who sets her Texas community alight with homicidal scandal. David E. Kelley executive produces alongside Nicole Kidman, so you know that if they felt that this deserved another version, then it must be worth it.
The Afterparty: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series streaming 4/28)
If you wanted to add to your collection of little murder mysteries and haven’t given this series a go yet, you should probably catch up. In the first season, a high school reunion goes very bad when a pop star (Dave Franco) gets murdered, and then it’s suspect time with a host of familiar faces including Sam Richardson and Ben Schwartz. Also, Detective Tiffany Haddish at your service. Sold!
Citadel: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series streaming 4/28)
If you’ve been hankering to see more of The White Lotus‘ Leo Woodall, then you’re in luck, but he’s not the main attraction here. Rather, this series also stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra, and Stanley Tucci and revolves around the power vacuum left after a global spy agency collapses along with agents and operatives’ memories. They must get back to their usual selves despite the amnesia before a crime syndicate steps in to plug that void. People cannot get enough of these espionage series, and with this appealing cast, Prime Video should have a winner on its hands.
Fatal Attraction: Season 1 (Paramount+ series streaming 4/30)
You’ve surely seen the bunny-boiling original picture from 1987, and you know that Hollywood cannot resist updating everything. This version stars Lizzy Caplan as the seducer of Joshua Jackson’s married man, and this story about a so-called casual affair cannot possibly turn out well, no matter how they paint the story because stalkers have so many more tools at their disposal in the electronic age. Yikes. This will, however, apparently be a reimagining of sorts, so we’ll see what newness comes to the table and whether it justifies Caplan missing out on the Party Down revival.