Whether it’s because the kids are bored at home and looking for something to watch, you want to lose yourself in a great drama once they are finally in bed (and you can pour a tall glass of wine!), or you have a lazy Sunday or day off work at home that you want to dedicate to binge-watching something exciting, this week has plenty of great options. Featuring everything from docuseries to sequels and brand-new series, this week sees the return of He-Man four decades later thanks to an innovative new Kevin Smith concept, the second season of Apple TV+’s multi-Emmy-nominated series Ted Lasso, and more.
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
Masters of the Universe: Revelation
Another throwback series that is on every ’80s kid’s watch list, the Kevin Smith-produced revival of He-Man features not only the brilliance of Smith behind the scenes but also the voice talents of Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, Chris Wood, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. For anyone who grew up watching He-Man in the ’80s, this series, set as a sequel, picks up where the characters left off. He-Man (Wood), Teela (Gellar), Orko (Griffin Newman), Cringer (Stephen Root), and Man-At-Arms (Liam Cunningham) return to guard the Castle Grayskull as they battle evil villains, including Skeletor (Hamill), Evil-Lyn (Headey), and Beast-Man. The first season of the revival will be delivered in two parts, with the first five episodes now streaming.
The Movies That Made Us
It’s a fabulously nostalgic look back at some of the movies that were pivotal to shaping entertainment and have remained a part of pop culture history, standing the test of time. Season 1 covered Dirty Dancing, Home Alone, Ghostbusters, and Die Hard, delving into behind-the-scenes facts like the paltry budget and tension between co-stars in Dirty Dancing and the origins of “yippee-ki-yay” in Die Hard. The second season of this docuseries takes movie buffs deep into another set of memorable movies across a variety of genres: Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Pretty Woman, and Jurassic Park. It’s a walk down cinematic memory lane with people who were pivotal to the creation of each of the movies.
Sky Rojo
The second season of this action crime drama from the creators of Money Heist is now streaming. After escaping from a brothel, Coral, Wendy, and Gina, three female prostitutes, find themselves on the run from their former pimp Romeo and his men who have gone after them. In this story of friendship and resilience, the women face potential death and capture at every turn, but they realize that working together and having one another’s backs is what will help them return to their former lives, leaving their sordid past where it belongs: Behind them. The first season of eight 25-minute episodes was released in March, and the next eight episodes are now streaming as well.
Charmed
If you love Charmed, the fantasy series about three sisters who harness their special powers and stick together to fight demons following the death of their mother, you’ll be pleased to know that season 3 is now streaming. This CW reboot of the WB series that aired for three seasons in the late ’90s/early ’00s takes the story in some new directions, including shifting the setting to Hilltowne, changing the names of the main characters, and featuring a more ethnically diverse cast. Season 3 is the latest, and the show has been renewed for a fourth.
Naomi Osaka
Delve into the personal life of Naomi Osaka through this journey to learn more about the tennis champion’s cultural roots and rise to the top of her game. Filmed over the course of two years, the limited docuseries provides an intimate picture of the 23-year-old, who has been ranked first by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and represents the first Asian player to maintain a top ranking in the singles category.
Heist
It seems like every few months, Netflix has a new true-crime docuseries about a heist of some kind. In the case of this series, simply called Heist, it’s about everything from cold hard cash to luxury bourbon. Not to be confused with the Spanish series Money Heist, the first season of this docuseries looks at three real-life events whereby clever people saw an opportunity arise and almost pulled off the perfect robbery. It’s a fascinating look at choices, temptation, and coming this close to getting away with a massive crime.
Never Have I Ever
Just over a year after the first season of this coming-of-age comedy-drama from Mindy Kaling premiered on Netflix, season 2 is now streaming. Following the death of her father, Indian American teenager Devi mysteriously loses the feeling in her legs for three months. After returning to school, she is desperate to become popular, but faces challenges at every turn due to her unresolved grief, identity as an Indian woman, fractured relationship with her mother, and the regular trials and tribulations of being a teen. Tennis legend John McEnroe serves as narrator of most episodes.
Hulu
Cleopatra in Space
While this animated series is actually a Peacock original, it is now also available to stream on Hulu. The title character is a younger version of Cleopatra, dealing with typical teenage problems that are made even more challenging when she finds herself 30,000 years in the future on a planet populated by talking cats. Cleopatra works with her new feline friends to try and get back to Ancient Egyptian times where she belongs, learning new skills that will become valuable to her along the way.
American Horror Stories
Not to be confused with the singular version, American Horror Story, this pluralized title actually references a spin-off that’s also from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. American Horror Stories takes fans full circle back to the Murder House, which was the setting for the first season of AHS. But the anthology series will feature a different self-contained story for each episode. A new episode will be released weekly, with the first two premiering this week. Expect to see some familiar faces from the AHS franchise appear in this fresh, new interpretation.
My Wife and Kids
Arguably one of the most underrated sitcoms of the early 2000s, My Wife and Kids starred the hilarious Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin as an upper-middle-class Black couple raising their three children. Having their first child at 16, they are young parents with their own signature style of parenting and a unique ability to relate to their kids in a way that older parents might not be able to do. The complete series, including five seasons and 123 episodes, is now available to stream.
HBO
Through Our Eyes
So many life challenges are highlighted on-screen from the perspective of adults, but what about kids? This docuseries aims to shift the spotlight to the younger generation, seeing how they cope with issues like homelessness, parents who serve in the military, and even climate displacement. The first season features four half-hour short movies that parents can watch with their kids, ages 9 and older. Produced by Sesame Workshop, each episode is directed by a filmmaker who has explored the same topic in their own movies.
The White Lotus
Mike White, best known for writing the screenplay for School of Rock, is behind this satirical comedy that follows the lives of various staff and guests at a tropical resort in Hawaii. The idea behind the series is to highlight the class divide in the most absurd way possible along with how money and wealth can impact relationships. The series has a star-studded cast that includes Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, and Steve Zahn. Check out the first season of this limited series now.
Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes
If you were fascinated by events surrounding Harvey Weinstein and how Ronan Farrow broke the case, opening the floodgates to the laundry list of accusations, you’ll want to check out this docuseries. It builds on Farrow’s podcast Catch and Kill, turning his story into a narrative-driven on-camera series. Hear and see Farrow’s interviews with victims, private investigators, fellow journalists, and other sources he used for his book Catch and Kill. There are just six episodes, but each is just as enthralling and revealing as the next.
The Dog House: UK
An HBO Max original, dog lovers will delight in the second season of this observational docuseries. It follows the staff at Wood Green Animal Shelters in Godmanchester as they search for suitable owners and homes for homeless pups. It’s a feel-good series that looks at the beautiful “first date” experience between a dog and prospective owners, and the development of the human-dog relationship. You’ll run through a series of emotions as you start with the story of an abandoned dog in each episode, but there’s always a happy ending for each furry friend.
Gossip Girl
Anyone who watched the original series on which this show is based, or read the Cecily von Ziegesar book of the same name, will be at least curious about this teen drama. An HBO Max original, Kristen Bell returns as narrator for an unknown blogger referred to as the mysterious “Gossip Girl,” with the events taking place a decade after the end of the original series. At the heart of this version is a new group of private school students from Manhattan, but given the switch from The CW to HBO Max, expect more adult content than the series that came before it.
Amazon Prime
The Legend of El Cid
Delivered in Spanish (but available with dubbing in several other languages, including English), this historical action drama is about the 11th-century Castilian knight and warlord, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, otherwise known as Ruy or El Cid. Ruy begins working for the son of Ferdinand, Count of Castile. But when a plan to overthrow the Count is put into play, Ruy struggles with his loyalty, knowing that the Count once wronged his father. There were just five episodes in the first season, which was released on Amazon Prime Video in December 2020, and now season 2 is available to stream.
Making the Cut
Amazon Prime Video’s original reality series sees Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn reunite to work with already successful designers and entrepreneurs from around the world. The goal is to help them get their brands to the next level. While the series, which has debuted its second season, features the same pair that made America’s Next Top Model a massive hit, the first season wasn’t met with the same glowingly positive reception. Nonetheless, critics can’t deny that the chemistry between Klum and Gunn makes for great TV.
Apple TV+
Ted Lasso
Jason Sudeikis returns as the title character in this hilarious series about a small-time college football coach who moves to England to coach their “football” (i.e. soccer) team, despite not knowing much about the sport, much less having any experience in British football. The series has been showered with awards since the first season debuted last year, with Sudeikis winning both a Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe for his leading role. The series has 20 nominations for the upcoming 2021 Emmy Awards as well, including two of the biggest categories, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series.
Schmigadoon!
So many genres have been parodied, but what about musicals? This hilarious series stars top talent from sketch comedy series, like Saturday Night Live‘s Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele, MADtv), along with Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristen Chenoweth, Jane Krakowski, and others. Melissa (Strong) and Josh (Key) are a couple who decide to go backpacking together in an effort to reinvigorate their relationship. Somehow, they end up in a magical town where residents are trapped in a 1940s studio musical. In order to leave and go home, they need to find true love. Produced by Lorne Michaels, Schmigadoon! marks the latest in Apple TV+’s foray into the comedy genre.
Central Park
With a star-studded voice cast that includes Kristen Bell, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs, Stanley Tucci, and Kathryn Hahn, the animated musical sitcom was co-created by Josh Gadd (who also lends his vocal talents). When a greedy, elderly heiress and land developer wants to take down Central Park in New York City to build commercial property, the Tillerman-Hunter family that lives there set out to do whatever they can to stop her. The story, told in a fourth-wall perspective by Birdie the busker (Gadd), continues through a second season. The series has already received an early renewal for a third season.
Disney+
Turner & Hooch
Yes, Disney+ is bringing back this buddy-cop action-comedy concept as a continuation of the 1989 movie of the same name. Dubbed a legacy sequel, it begins in much the same way, with U.S. Marshall Scott Turner Jr. (Josh Peck), son of the late Detective Scott Turner, inheriting an unruly dog named Hooch that becomes his perfect partner. Together, the pair, along with others on the force and in the family, discover that Turner Sr.’s death might not have been an accident after all and thus proceed to investigate. Episodes will be released weekly.
Monsters at Work
A spin-off within the Monsters, Inc. franchise and a direct sequel to the Monsters, Inc. movie, this animated series kicks off after the city of Monstropolis has made changes to fuel itself through the sound of laughter instead of screams. The story centers around Tylor Tuskmon, a recent graduate from Monsters University who dreams of one day working with his idols, Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan. Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their voice roles as Mike and Sulley, respectively, while Ben Feldman is Tylor, Mindy Kaling as Val Little, and Henry Winkler as Fritz.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
The first episode of this family action-adventure series starring Tony Hale, Ryan Hurst, and Kristen Schaal is now streaming. Mr. Benedict (Hale) recruits four gifted orphans to aid in his mission to save the world from The Emergency. When the kids discover that headmaster Dr. Curtain (also Hale) and the L.I.V.E. Institute are behind it all, they must work together to defeat the villain.
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