Skip to main content

What’s new on Showtime in April 2023

Far from being just a main rival to HBO, Showtime has aired many notable shows and movies over the decades, including Homeland, The L Word, Ray Donovan, Shameless, Queer as Folk, and more. In recent years, it’s been home to such critically acclaimed series as Yellowjackets, starring Christina Ricci, The Chi from writer Lena Waithe, and Your Honor, starring Bryan Cranston and Hope Davis.

Even in the streaming era, Showtime, like its sister network Paramount+, continues to deliver hit after hit. With access to the massive Viacom library, the network airs such diverse programming as the Oscar-nominated horror classic Carrie with Sissy Spacek, the modern comedy Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan and Tina Fey, and the Tom Cruise franchise Mission: Impossible. The sheer amount of content can be overwhelming, which is why Digital Trends is here to highlight the network’s offering for each month.

Read on for the full list of everything coming to Showtime in April 2023, with Digital Trends’ recommendations highlighted in bold.

Original series, documentaries, and specials

Catching Lighting (Docuseries Premiere: Friday, April 7)

Directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Pat Kondelis, Catching Lightning tells Murray’s story in his own words and features interviews with his wife, daughter, and closest friends, as well as mixed martial arts legends Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Pat Miletich, Tony Fryklund and more, some of whom have never spoken publicly about the crime. The series vividly dissects the daring heist and investigation that dominated British headlines for months using previously unreleased evidence, dramatic recreations filmed at the scenes of the crime and exclusive testimonies from a rogues’ gallery of conspirators, police investigators, and attorneys to tell this tale like never before.

2nd Chance (Documentary Premiere: Friday, April 7)

An exploration of the life and legacy of Richard Davis, the brash inventor of the modern-day bulletproof vest. Determined to prove his risky product worked, Davis traveled the country shooting himself at least 192 times, gaining the trust and business of the U.S. Government along the way. No one believed in his product more than Davis, but when safety questions arose, a key partner turned federal whistleblower and Davis went to inexcusable lengths to obscure defects in both the vest and his business.

Personality Crisis: One Night Only (Documentary Premiere: Friday, April 14)

Personality Crisis: One Night Only tells the definitive story of the culture-defying David Johansen, notorious ’70s glam punk lead singer of the New York Dolls. Framed around an intimate cabaret performance filmed in January 2020 at New York City’s storied Café Carlyle, Personality Crisis: One Night Only reveals Johansen’s enormous influence, transcending the walls of music as a window into the art and cultural evolution of New York City. Streaming April 14 on Showtime.

Waco: The Aftermath (Series Premiere: Friday, April 14)

Waco: The Aftermath focuses on the fallout of the Waco disaster: the trials of the surviving members of the Branch Davidian sect and the rise of homegrown terrorist, Timothy McVeigh. The five-episode limited series also provides a broader context for the escalation of the American militia movement, which foreshadows the infamous attacks of the Oklahoma City bombing and the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

Movies available April 1:

April Fool’s Day

Avarice

Awakenings

Big Top Pee-Wee

Bio-Dome

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Bullets Over Broadway

Carrie

Casino

Charlotte’s Web

Clear and Present Danger

Defiance

Drinking Buddies

Free State of Jones

Gladiator

Grizzly II: Revenge

Harlem Nights

Hart’s War

Keeping Company

Loneliest Boy in the World

Marvelous and the Black hole

Mean Girls

Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Mission: Impossible 2

Mission: Impossible III

Operation Odessa

Pride

Selma

Senseless

Sliver

Sniper: The White Raven

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

The Freshman

The Guilt Trip

The Manchurian Candidate

The Rage: Carrie 2

The Squid and the Whale

The Truman Show

Universal Soldier

Valley Girl

Walkaway Joe

World Trade Center

April 12

3 Days To Kill

Available April 15

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Gods and Monsters

New streaming collections

DMX: Beyond the Law, Pimp & Top Five

Harrison Ford: American Graffiti, Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games & The Conversation

Natalie Portman: Annihilation, Beautiful Girls & Cold Mountain

Seth Rogen: The Disaster Artist, The Guilt Trip, Zack and Miri Make a Porno & Zeroville

Ari Graynor: Celeste and Jess Forever, The Disaster Artist & The Guilt Trip

Robert De Niro: Awakenings, Casino, Last Vegas, The Family & The Untouchables

Laura Linney: Falling, The House of Mirth, The Nanny Diaries, The Squid and the Whale & The Truman Show

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jason Struss
Section Editor, Entertainment
Jason is a writer, editor, and pop culture enthusiast whose love for cinema, television, and cheap comic books has led him to…
What’s new on Shudder in May 2023
A bloody nun walks into a church in Consecration.

Horror is dominating the media landscape right now. At the movies, M3GAN rang in the new year with a bang (and a few kills), while Knock at the Cabin and Scream 6 have been #1 hits. Recently, the latest Evil Dead movie, Evil Dead Rise, premiered to better-than-expected grosses and critical notices.

Streaming is now different, with Skinamarink making waves for its quiet, creepy atmosphere and Hulu's Clock getting widespread attention for its unique approach to horror. What better way to celebrate the genre than with Shudder, the most recognizable horror streamer around? In May 2023, their programming includes some French horror classics, new episodes of its original series Slasher: Ripper, and the debuts of the 2023 films Consecration and the Sundance hit Influencer. Summer may be upon us, but it's always time for a good horror movie.
May 1
High Tension

Read more
Everything coming to Netflix in May 2023
A man walks away from a burning dumpster in Fubar.

After decades of mailing DVDs and revolutionizing the entertainment industry, Netflix continues to be the premier destination for streaming content. With recent hit shows like Wednesday, The Diplomat, and The Night Agent, plus blockbuster movies like The Gray Man and the Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front, Netflix still dominates the streaming landscape like no other.

That domination is likely to continue with Netflix's May 2023 programming schedule, which includes the debut of the action movie The Mother with Jennifer Lopez and the arrival of Arnold Schwarzenegger's first TV series, Fubar. In addition, a Bridgerton spinoff, Queen Charlotte, will premiere as well as the hit Sony dramedy A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks. There's a lot for everyone, so we've highlighted our selections in bold below.
May 1
● Above Suspicion
● Airport
● Airport '77
● Airport 1975
● American Gangster
● Austin Powers in Goldmember
● Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
● Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
● Black Hawk Down
● The Cable Guy
● Captain Phillips
● Chicken Run
● Cliffhanger
● Conan the Barbarian
● The Croods
● The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
● Dawn of the Dead
● Flight
● For Colored Girls
● Girl, Interrupted
● The Glass Castle

Read more
What’s new on Peacock in May 2023
A man and his father talk in Bupkis.

The best way to describe Peacock is that it's essentially NBC+. There are a lot of movies from the Universal Pictures catalog, but the real attraction is the daily updates of NBC's various sporting events, as well as episodes of Access Hollywood and the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives.

In May, Peacock's paid subscribers can watch the 148th Kentucky Derby or Premier League soccer at the end of the month. If you're craving new comedies, Peacock has the debut of Pete Davidson's new show Bupkis, which also stars Joe Pesci and Edie Falco. Keep reading for the full list of films, series, and live sporting events that will be available on the streaming service throughout the month, as well as everything else coming to Peacock in April 2023. Our recommendations are highlighted in bold. (Note: Some content will not be available to watch without a paid subscription at the Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus levels.)

Read more