You know what they say: April showers bring May flowers. Which also means a lot of rainy days just when it’s starting to feel like we should all be outside enjoying the supposedly glorious spring weather.
Luckily, the television god will also be showering us with a veritable bouquet of truly excellent shows this year. TV really comes into bloom in the coming weeks, with the return of acclaimed comedies and some hilarious-looking new series. Are you sick of the rain/flowers metaphor yet? Cool! Here’s what’s on this month:
Beef
The dreamy Steven Yeun and the hilarious (and also dreamy!) Ali Wong go head-to-head in this dark Netflix revenge comedy. Following a road rage incident, failing contractor Danny Cho (Yeun) and deeply unhappy entrepreneur Amy Lau (Wong) engage in a vicious feud that threatens to tear both of their lives apart. The title may be Beef, but we’re looking forward to watching these two captivating actors go absolutely ham on each other!
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Tiny Beautiful Things
Your mileage on the tiny-big-little-everything genre (Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, etc.) may vary, but this fictionalized adaptation of Wild author Cheryl Strayed’s collection of essays from her time writing The Rumpus’s “Dear Sugar” advice column has at least one big beautiful thing going for it: Kathryn Hahn. The WandaVision breakout star portrays Clare, a woman with a troubled past trying to piece her life back together while finding her voice as an advice columnist. The series sags a bit under the weight of its trauma-plot trappings, but Hahn is, as always, an utter delight to watch.
Premieres April 7 on Hulu.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Midge is back! In its final season, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel finds its title character, struggling comedian Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), and her manager, butch icon Susie (Alex Borstein), finally close to their big break. The show’s rapid-fire Amy Sherman Paladino banter and zany tone may be another acquired taste, but for die-hard fans, the return of this breezy show is reason to celebrate!
Premieres April 14 on Prime Video.
Barry
Another acclaimed series returns for its final season. Season four of this dark comedy finds former hitman turned aspiring actor Barry (Bill Hader) in the slammer for his many murders. The jury is very much still out on whether Barry will succeed in redeeming himself in prison, but if there’s anyone to root for in this black-hearted satire, it’s definitely goofily charismatic mafioso NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) and his lover, Bolivian crime boss Cristobal (Michael Irby).
Premieres April 16 on HBO and HBO Max.
Dead Ringers
Where director David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller delved deep into the realm of psychosexual dread, this reimagining picks up on the bizarre humor lurking in the original. It also handily sidesteps some of the icky gender politics by casting the luminous Rachel Weisz in the dual roles of twin gynecologists Elliot and Beverly (played by a dashing Jeremy Irons in the film). Following up on her roles in 2017’s Disobedience and 2018’s The Favorite, Weisz sure seems to be coming for Cate Blanchett’s “straight queen of the lesbian screen” crown!
Premieres April 21 on Prime Video.
Somebody Somewhere
Cabaret phenom Bridget Everett stars in this gentle little slice-of-life dramedy about a woman just trying to get by and find a little joy with her gay best bud (Jeff Hiller) in her Kansas hometown.
Premieres April 23 on HBO and HBO Max.
Awkwafina is Nora from Queens
Golden Globe winner Awkwafina returns as everyone’s favorite outer borough slacker! Season 3 of Awkwafina is Nora from Queens finds Nora still getting high and causing shenanigans alongside her dad (BD Wong) and cousin (Bowen Yang). The show is a blast, what more do you need to know?
Premieres April 26 on Comedy Central.
