New TV Shows To Watch This Weekend
Adults – Season 2 (Hulu)
What It’s About: FX’s Gen-Z comedy hangout comedy returns with Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Issa (Amita Rao), Anton (Owen Thiele) and Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) still sharing Samir’s family home in Queens and stumbling their way through relationships, jobs and the increasingly messy business of adulthood. Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw created the series, and Season 2 brings in guest stars including Susie Essman, Raven-Symoné, Gaten Matarazzo, Zosia Mamet and Julia Fox. All eight Season 2 episodes dropped on Hulu Thursday, August 27, so this is a binge release and the finale is already available. FXX is also airing two episodes each Thursday, which puts the linear finale on September 17.
Why You Should Watch: This isn’t one I’ve watched yet, but the reviews are through the roof. Critics give Season 2 a 100% score and audiences are almost right there with them at 98%. If you’re looking for something funny to kill some time this weekend, give it a look.
Dark Matter – Season 2 (Apple TV)
What It’s About: Joel Edgerton returns as physicist Jason Dessen alongside Jennifer Connelly as Daniela and Oakes Fegley as their son Charlie, with Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo Okeniyi and Amanda Brugel also returning. After the first season’s multiverse chaos, the Dessens attempt to settle in a seemingly safe reality while Jason’s obsession with the Box threatens to drag the family straight back into trouble. New episodes drop Fridays, though on Apple TV this actually means Thursday evenings, with the finale October 30 (or 29, as the case may be).
Why You Should Watch: It’s very rare for an author to adapt and show-run their own novel, but such is the case for Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter. Now Crouch moves into uncharted territory, taking his own story further in TV format than in book format, which is kind of cool and unique and hopefully means we’re in for a great second season. The good news? Season 2 has much higher ratings than Season 1 so far.
The Simpsons: Yellow Mirror (Disney+)
What It’s About: A fun new Disney+ exclusive Simpsons special that very deliberately riffs on Black Mirror (if that wasn’t totally obvious by the title). It consists of two dark (but still humorous) sci-fi stories: one in which a defective lamp forces Homer to question his reality, and another where an AI-powered tablet befriends, and begins controlling, Maggie. Demi Moore and Patti Harrison guest star.
Why You Should Watch: I suppose if you’re a fan of both The Simpsons and Black Mirror, this is a no-brainer. I always liked The Simpsons Halloween episodes and this is kind of the same vibe. I haven’t really watched The Simpsons in ages, and I can only do Black Mirror in very small doses but I might still check this special out.
Revival – Season 1 (Netflix)
What It’s About: This supernatural mystery is based on the Image Comics series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton and was adapted for TV by Luke Boyce and Aaron B. Koontz. Melanie Scrofano stars as Wisconsin deputy Dana Cypress, whose small town is thrown into chaos when recently deceased residents suddenly return to life—not as shambling zombies, but apparently as the same people they were before they died. The series originally aired on Syfy back in 2025 and just dropped all 10 episodes on Netflix.
Why You Should Watch: This one has two things going for it. First, the first season basically tied up the storylines from the comics, meaning that even if there’s never a second season, you have a pretty complete story here. Second, the reviews are very strong: 90% critics and 85% audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Undeclared War – Season 2 (Peacock)
What It’s About: The British cyber-thriller returns with Simon Pegg as GCHQ operations director Danny Patrick and Hannah Khalique-Brown as Saara Parvin. Following the devastating Russian cyberattack of Season 1, the GCHQ team discovers evidence of a mole while a new Chinese cyber threat begins targeting the British government. Siân Brooke joins a returning cast that also includes Adrian Lester, Alex Jennings and Danny Sapani.
Why You Should Watch: The entire season is out now on Peacock so if you haven’t seen Season 1 yet, you could just binge both seasons all at once. It’s an interesting premise, though reviews peg (get it?) the show at around 67% on RT – a passable, if not tremendous, “Fresh” score.
TV Shows Currently Streaming Weekly
Reacher – Season 4 (Prime Video)
What It’s About: Season 4 of Reacher adapts Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow: a distraught woman’s death on a Philadelphia subway pulls Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) into a conspiracy involving the Pentagon and an international terror cell. Three episodes dropped August 12, with weekly releases through the September 16 finale. Amazon will release all eight episodes of the spinoff Neagley (starring Maria Sten) the same day as the finale.
Why You Should Watch: Season 1 remains the gold standard when it comes to Reacher, but at least Season 3 was a lot better than the truly atrocious second season of this action-crime-mystery-ish adaptation of the over-the-top Lee Child books (of which I’ve read about nine or so). I finally posted my review of the season (so far) and . . . the verdict is not pretty. I’m not even getting much pushback on my criticism, with many fans very unhappy with how the season is shaping up. You can watch my video discussion of the season right here.
Lanterns – Season 1 (HBO Max)
What It’s About: DC’s True Detective-style take on Green Lantern: rookie John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) investigate a Nebraska murder that opens onto something much larger, told across two timelines. Kelly Macdonald is Sheriff Kerry, Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro, Laura Linney a Guardian of the Universe, and Nathan Fillion reprises Guy Gardner from Superman. Co-created by Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. Premieres Sunday, August 16 at 9pm, then weekly across eight episodes, with the finale on October 4. See the full release schedule and time zones right here.
Why You Should Watch: I’ve watched the first two episodes of Lanterns so far and it’s fine. Nothing special but not bad, and I’m curious about the various mysteries and fan theories. I think they did a pretty terrible job at actually setting the stakes for those of us less familar with Green Lantern, but it still has potential and the cast is terrific. You can read my review of the Season 1 premiere and my review of Episode 2, and I’ll be recapping and reviewing episodes weekly on Sunday evenings, though as I note in that second link, I think this probably should have just been a binge release. I’ll also be posting video reviews on my YouTube channel.
Furious – Season 1 Finale on Monday (Hulu)
What It’s About: An eight-episode crime drama created by Elizabeth Meriwether, loosely inspired by the 1987 film Black Widow. FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) hunts a calculating female serial killer played by Lola Petticrew (who I first saw in Say Nothing, I believe). As their paths converge the line between justice and revenge gets blurry. Scoot McNairy, Quincy Tyler Bernstine and Jake Lacy also star. If you’re enjoying this show, the good news is that Season 2 has already been greenlit ahead of the Season 1 finale.
Why You Should Watch: I have decidedly mixed feelings about Furious as we approach the finale. I think part of this is marketing. The show is described as a rookie FBI agent hunting down a female serial killer, but it’s really about a revenge killer and abuse and sex trafficking and I guess I was just hoping it wouldn’t be so predictable. I don’t love how often modern shows and movies give female serial killers a “pass” by justifying their murders because of past abuse. I purely evil female serial killer would be a nice change. Men shouldn’t get to have all the fun. Still, cat-and-mouse serial killer detective shows are one of my guilty pleasures so I’ll be watching this on Monday nights. The finale will arrive furiously on August 31.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season 18 (FX / Hulu)
What It’s About: The Gang — Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob Mac, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito — return to Paddy’s Pub for a 10-episode run that includes inheritance scams, tent encampments, workplace automation, neurodivergence, conspiracy theories, a Renaissance Faire, and a Little League sponsorship. What could go wrong? The season premiered this past Monday, August 17 with a two-episode drop. Weekly episodes land on Mondays with the finale airing on October 12. Season 18 is currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why You Should Watch: To be fair, I’m late to the game on Always Sunny, so I’m way way behind on this show and just put on episodes whenever I need a dose of hilarity in my life. Sometimes I end up binging three or four or five because life is filled with tragedy and the Gang always lifts my spirits. So why should you watch? First, because it will bring you joy. Second, because you’ll be like “there but for the grace of God go I.”
The Shards (Hulu)
What It’s About: Ryan Murphy (Glee, The Politician, etc) adapts the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name for FX/Hulu. Set in Los Angeles in 1981, The Shards follows a 17-year-old fictionalized Bret Easton Ellis (Igby Rigney) through his senior year at the elite Buckley prep school, where the arrival of enigmatic transfer student Robert Mallory (Homer Gere) coincides with the killings of a serial murderer known as The Trawler. The show drops new episodes on Wednesdays with a September 9 finale.
Why You Should Watch: I’m not really sure, if we’re being honest. The promo images of young people in the 80s in swimsuits make this look like a show for young people and I’m not a young man anymore. The reviews aren’t great (55% / 35% audience and critic scores) and I suppose I’m not really a big Bret Easton Ellis guy. I mean, I enjoyed the movie American Psycho, but I never read the book! Maybe I should do that instead of watching this show.
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 3 (AMC+)
What It’s About: The Walking Dead: Dead City returns with an eight-episode season 3, with Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan returning, now working alongside Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles) to build a “functioning” community in post-apocalyptic Manhattan. The fragile alliance is tested by newcomer Renata (Aimee Garcia), her doctor brother Luis (Raúl Castillo), and loner Dillard (Jimmi Simpson of Westworld fame). New showrunner Seth Hoffman, a Walking Dead veteran writer and former co-executive producer on the original series, is taking over this season. New episodes drop Sundays, running through September 13.
Why You Should Watch: I don’t think this show should exist, quite frankly, and after watching the Season 3 premiere, I not only wrote a scathing review, I made a scathing video to go with it, which you can watch here. It’s not good, folks, but I genuinely hope that it gets better because there are other ways I could be spending my Sunday evenings. Update: I watched about five minutes of the second episode and turned it off and I haven’t been able to come back. I think maybe you need alcohol to enjoy this show, or to even enjoy hate-watching this show, and I don’t drink anymore.
Fightland (Starz)
What It’s About: On the night Maduka “Duke” Kilroy (Howard Charles) becomes world heavyweight champion, an assault leaves his brother dead and lands him in a U.S. prison for eight years. Out and back in London, he sets out to destroy the empire of criminal kingpin and former promoter Kingsley Marshall (Nicholas Pinnock), the man he blames — complicated by the fact that Kingsley has vanished and his wife Joy (Deborah Ayorinde) is the love of Duke’s life. Charles Babalola and Anita-Joy Uwajeh co-star. New episodes drop Fridays with the season finale landing on September 25.
Why You Should Watch: I’m a few weeks late to this – it premiered on Starz on July 31. In any case, it’s co-produced by rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, marking his first international series. It’s a pretty compelling plot and has a reasonably strong 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. Also, boxing. Boxing is fun especially when the boxer in question is beating up criminals in East London.
Ted Lasso – Season 4 (Apple TV)
What It’s About: Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) returns to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s football team in this reboot of the popular Apple TV sports comedy series. Jack Burditt (30 Rock, Modern Family) takes over as showrunner for this new, more estrogen-charged spin on the fish-out-of-water TV show. New episodes drop on Wednesday (Tuesday evening for Apple TV) with ten episodes running through October 7.
Why You Should Watch: Honestly, the reason that Ted Lasso worked so well in the first season was precisely because it was a fish-out-of-water comedy. But a fish can only stay out of water for so long before, well, RIP fish. Ted was an adorable lead and head coach and despite his lack of experience or knowledge of soccer, his remarkable way with people took everyone off guard, including viewers. That affable, mustachioed man was the epitome of “I am rubber and you are glue” and nothing stuck to him. He made you want to believe (like Fox Mulder did back int he day, only about aliens and whatnot).
That rarest work of optimism and hope in a sea of cynicism was perfect in its first season. But it should have been a one-and-done series because it ran out of steam in Season 2 and I didn’t return for Season 3. Let me know if you think Season 4 is worth it or a misfire. I’ve heard mixed things.
Monsters of God (HBO Max)
What It’s About: A five-part HBO documentary series directed by Eric Goode (Tiger King, Chimp Crazy), produced by Goode Films, A24, and Central Pictures. Goode dives into the underworld of exotic animal smuggling, a billion-dollar criminal enterprise driven by obsession over rare species. The docuseries is inspired by and draws from the 2008 nonfiction book, The Lizard King, by Bryan Christy (oddly, not about The Doors frontman, Jim Morrison). New episodes drop Mondays with a September 3 finale.
Why You Should Watch: I really think Lizard King would have been a better name for this series, since it would so quickly evoke Goode’s hit Tiger King, but maybe that name was taken or maybe they worried about the link to The Doors. Either way, with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score (based on just 10 reviews) this one might be worth checkikng out.
Conan O’Brien Must Go – Season 3 (HBO Max)
What It’s About: Conan travels overseas to meet listeners he first connected with on his podcast, experiencing local traditions while spending time with the fans who invited him — this season to India, the Philippines, the Netherlands and Morocco. Premieres Friday, August 21 at 9 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max with four episodes airing weekly on Fridays, and the finale on September 11.
Why You Should Watch: Conan O’Brien is just one of the funniest, most likable people in Hollywood and basically anything he does is worth watching just because he’s such a fun guy. If you like humorous travel shows, check it out. The series holds 88% critics / 84% audience and has won two Emmys.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 4 (Paramount+)
What It’s About: The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is back for another round of adventures as Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) continues leading his crew across the final frontier. Season 4 picks up after last season’s cliffhanger and sends Pike, Spock, Number One, and the rest of the Enterprise crew on a series of dangerous new missions, from mysterious alien encounters to impossible scientific mysteries, while continuing to build toward the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. The new season is comprised of 10 episodes airing Sundays through September 24
Why You Should Watch: I actually gave up on New Star Trek some time ago, having doggedly tried my best with the JJ Abrams films, Discovery and Picard. And while I’d heard some very positive things about Strange New Worlds, I just couldn’t find the energy to catch up. Maybe someday. I do really like the casting in this series, and Anson Mount is the perfect Pike (though I thought he looked more handsome in the very first episode before he shaved and cut his hair). However, it should be noted that Season 4 has a stellar 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than any previous season. If there is a show that could lure me back to Star Trek, it’s this one.
Silo – Season 3 (Apple TV)
What It’s About: Set in a dystopian future, 10,000 people live in a massive, self-sustaining underground “Silo” comprising 144 levels. Residents are strictly governed by regulations and believe the outside world is toxic, but the protagonist, an engineer named Juliette Nichols, begins to uncover secrets about the Silo’s history and the truth behind their world.
Why You Should Watch: I thought the first season was a bit slow but ended up being a really compelling mystery. For whatever reason, I couldn’t get into Season 2 and still need to catch up. I keep looking at this and Sugar and thinking, I need to watch these shows! But then something else is out that I have to watch. Time is my enemy, and yet the only thing that can defeat my enemy is more of it, which I cannot get. What a conundrum! Season 3 airs weekly on Thursday evenings for a total of 10 episodes, with the finale dropping on September 4.
Lioness – Season 3 (Paramount+)
What It’s About: Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness returns for a third season with Zoe Saldaña back as CIA operative Joe McNamara, who finds herself caught up in her most dangerous mission yet. As a sprawling conspiracy threatens both national security and the people she cares about most, Joe is forced to balance her loyalty to the mission with her responsibilities at home. Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Laysla De Oliveira, Genesis Rodriguez, and Dave Annable all return for another season of high-stakes espionage and military action.
Why You Should Watch: You know, I thought the first season of Lioness was pretty excellent military spy thriller fare, and I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff. I’m okay with shows that make Islamic radical terrorists and South American cartels the bad guys and I’m okay with shows that point out that often the bad guys can be right here in the West, too. Taylor Sheridan is a bit more “red-blooded” than a lot of contemporary Hollywood and that’s fine, but I just got kind of sick of the characters in Season 2, so I’m behind. New episodes drop Sundays with the finale landing on September 20.
Ghost in the Shell (Prime Video)
What It’s About: Ghost in the Shell has been around forever, but it’s always fun to see a new take on an old classic. The new series, which debuted on Prime Video this past Tuesday, was created by Science Saru (aka Science Monkey), the studio behind the hit Devilman Crybaby and Danadan. The new series is based on the 1989-91 manage of the same name and takes place in the distant future (well, 2029) in a futuristic Japan replete with elite cyborgs, tactical anti-terrorism forces and mysterious hackers. You can also watch the old 1995 movie on Prime Video. A total of 10 episodes will comprise the first season, with the finale airing on September 8.
Why You Should Watch: If you like this anime series, or you’re just into anime in general, this is probably your thing. I found that even though I’ve seen the movie, I was totally lost and confused after the first episode and so I haven’t continued. Maybe someday.
Stuart Fails To Save The Universe (HBO Max)
What It’s About: Stuart Fails to Save the Universe stars Kevin Sussman, reprising his Big Bang Theory role as Stuart. Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon — and as the title implies, things don’t go well. Along the way he meets alternate-universe versions of familiar Big Bang Theory faces.
Why You Should Watch: First, a confession: I have never watched even a single episode of Big Bang Theory. Sure, I’ve seen the odd clip here or there, but I really couldn’t even tell you what it’s about. And yet, this show sounds like a really clever spinoff. It takes the sitcom into an entirely new genre, and even though I’m sick of multiverse stuff, this sounds really fun. It has a 71%/78% critic/audience split on RT. New episodes land Thursdays and the finale drops on September 24.
More Streaming Guides (For all the stuff you missed):
August 14 Streaming Guide
ForbesWhat To Watch This Weekend: New Shows And Movies To Stream On Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV And More
August 7 Streaming Guide
ForbesWhat To Watch This Weekend: New Shows And Movies To Stream On Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV And More
July 31 Streaming Guide
ForbesWhat To Watch This Weekend: New Shows And Movies To Stream On Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV And More
What are you watching these days? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.