7 TV and Streaming Shows You Should Binge-Watch in October
Here are the shows you should catch up on before they return this month.
Philadelphia teachers, a mixed-faith couple, a U.S. ambassador, a former Navy SEAL officer, and a serial killer who hunts other serial killers are among the popular characters returning in must-see TV shows in October. They are joined by a veteran mobster and an amateur investigative journalist from two unrelated shows set in Tulsa. From a public school in Pennsylvania to a U.S. Embassy in London, here are the seven streaming series you should catch up on before they continue this month.
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
What it is: Celebrating its fifth anniversary this December, Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary sitcom about the staff of a fictional underfunded school in “The City of Brotherly Love.” Quinta Brunson created the series and stars as one of the educators dealing with budget cuts and poor conditions, with the most recent season seeing classes moved to an abandoned shopping mall. Season 6 premieres on ABC on Wednesday, October 7.
Why you should watch it: Maintaining its status as one of the best comedies on not just network TV but all of television, Abbott Elementary consistently garners lots of laughs and accolades. Brunson and her hilariously talented co-stars Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James are particularly notable for their awards success. The show is also still very popular with critics, as it has held a perfect Tomatometer score for its last four seasons.
Where to watch: Hulu and HBO Max (subscription, Seasons 1-5); buy on Fandango, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play
Commitment: Approx. 34 hours (for Seasons 1-5)
The Lowdown (FX)
What it is: Five-time Oscar-nominated actor and writer Ethan Hawke produces and stars in this comedic drama as a bookseller who also fancies himself an investigative reporter. The character was inspired by real-life historian and citizen journalist Lee Roy Chapman, who uncovered dark secrets about one of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s most prominent founders. The first two episodes of The Lowdown Season 2 premiere on FX on Wednesday, October 14.
Why you should watch it: Hawke is at the peak of his long, already illustrious career, having recently been recognized for his phenomenal performances in dramatic and horror movies, while simultaneously captivating audiences on the small screen with this well-reviewed series. And if you’re a fan of the brilliant Reservation Dogs, this show, also co-created by Sterlin Harjo, is set in the same fictional universe, confirmed by occasional crossover characters.
Where to watch: Hulu (subscription, Season 1); buy on Fandango, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play
Commitment: Approx. 6.5 hours (for Season 1)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
What it is: The Americans star Keri Russell continues her reign as the first lady of political television drama with The Diplomat, a thriller in which she plays the titular U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. Over its first three seasons, the show involves an international conspiracy centered around an attack on a British aircraft carrier in the Middle East. The fourth season premieres in full on Netflix on Thursday, October 15, with eight new episodes.
Why you should watch it: Allison Janney recently won a Primetime Emmy for her expanded supporting role, surprising everyone except the fans who’ve been watching her much-deserved performance all along. Between that and last season’s shocking cliffhanger ending, it’s time to jump in and see what you’ve been missing before we find out what happens next. Each season of The Diplomat has also earned better reviews than the last, so that should be another incentive.
Where to watch: Netflix (subscription, Seasons 1-3)
Commitment: Approx. 18 hours (for Seasons 1-3)
Tulsa King (Paramount+)
What it is: In this crime drama from creator Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone), Sylvester Stallone stars as the title character, a New York mafia capo recently out of prison and now ruling organized crime in Oklahoma’s second-largest city. Over the first three seasons, he becomes romantically involved with a federal agent and clashes with bikers, business owners, and other local rivals. The fourth season of Tulsa King premieres on Paramount+ on Friday, October 16.
Why you should watch it: Thanks to Stallone’s popularity as a movie star, his first TV show was always going to be a big hit, but it has also been a huge critical success. Season 2 in particular received glowing reviews for being solid entertainment, with its action-centric plots and once-unexpected yet now settled-in brand of violent humor. And then Season 3 went and brought Stallone and Samuel L. Jackson together for, surprisingly, the first time in their careers!
Where to watch: Paramount+ (subscription, Seasons 1-3); buy on Fandango, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play
Commitment: Approx. 19 hours (for Seasons 1-3)
The Terminal List (Prime Video)
What it is: Based on the novel by Jack Carr, The Terminal List stars Chris Pratt as a Navy SEAL who loses his whole team in a mission gone wrong, and then later his wife and daughter are murdered. The first season follows him as he takes revenge on a list of people involved in killing his platoon and his family. The second season, adapted from the second novel, True Believer, premieres in full on Prime Video on Wednesday, October 21, with eight new episodes.
Why you should watch it: Pratt earns his record-breaking paycheck with an appealing lead performance in this action series, which is made for the dads, not the critics. If you appreciate the actor’s work in serious fare, such as Zero Dark Thirty, and enjoy the Equalizer franchise from the show’s executive producer and pilot director Antoine Fuqua, you’ll find a lot to love here. And with several more books in the series, The Terminal List is only just getting started.
Where to watch: Prime Video (subscription, Season 1)
Commitment: Approx. 8 hours (for Season 1)
Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
What it is: Kristen Bell and Adam Brody lead this romantic comedy series about an agnostic podcaster and a rabbi who begin dating despite their religious and cultural differences. As they become more serious, their relationship faces more and more challenges, including his family’s disapproval and his expectations for her conversion to Judaism. Nobody Wants This Season 3 premieres in full on Netflix on Thursday, October 22, with 10 new episodes.
Why you should watch it: Bell and Brody, both of whom have received Primetime Emmy nominations for their performances, have better chemistry than most rom-com leads, and their individual charms make them easy to root for in and out of their coupling. But an even greater reason to watch Nobody Wants This is the hilarious supporting duo of Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons, who play the leads’ respective siblings, who develop an unlikely friendship.
Where to watch: Netflix (subscription, Seasons 1-2)
Commitment: Approx. 9 hours (for Seasons 1-2)
Dexter: Resurrection (Paramount+)
What it is: The fourth show in the Dexter franchise, this crime drama is the second sequel to the original series and again stars Michael C. Hall in the title role, a killer of killers. Set weeks after the events of Dexter: New Blood, the plot follows the morally complex protagonist as he continues to elude arrest while targeting new villainous characters played by Peter Dinklage, Brian Cox, and Dan Stevens. Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ on Friday, October 30.
Why you should watch it: If you’re not already a Dexter completist, you will be once you start the original series and get drawn into the main character’s complicated code and his personal mission to hunt and murder other serial killers. There’s something to be said for how many spin-offs, including one prequel and two sequel series, have been produced because the fans can’t get enough of Hall and his award-winning signature antihero.
Where to watch: Paramount+ (subscription, Dexter: Resurrection Season 1, plus Dexter Seasons 1-8, Dexter: Original Sin, and Dexter: New Blood); buy on Fandango, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play
Commitment: Approx. 109 hours (for Dexter: Resurrection Season 1, plus Dexter Seasons 1-8, Dexter: Original Sin, and Dexter: New Blood)
Thumbnail image by Matt Infante/Paramount+
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