TAGGED AS: Amazon, Amazon Prime, BBC America, CBS All Access, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Freeform, HBO, IFC, Marvel, Netflix, Reality, Showtime, TBS, The CW, YouTube Premium
This month’s baker’s dozen of televisual offerings boasts timely, social-conscious comedies and dramas; a pair of reboots of beloved classics; several superhero (and otherwise witchily powered) protagonists; and one of the most engrossing and original cat-and-mouse thrillers of the new millennium. Buckle up, because April’s going to keep you busy!
What it is: A reboot of creator Rod Sterling’s eerie and prescient anthological classic from 1959, now hosted and produced by modern master of horror Jordan Peele (an Oscar winner for Get Out and record-breaker for Us)? All we can say is: Sign us up.
Why you should watch it: When it comes to horror series that episodically tackle various social and political matters through a sci-fi and technology-driven lens, Netflix’s Black Mirror has been the buzzy new kid on the block for four seasons strong. But there’s still nothing like the taste of an original, and with Peele at the helm, this Twilight Zone is in more than capable hands. Catch up on the original series then tune in to season 1 of this reboot, which streams on CBS All Access April 1.
Where to watch it: Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 65 hours (for the original first five seasons)
What it is: The Last O.G. is a laugh-out-loud comedy series with something to say. Following ex-con Tray (Tracy Morgan) as he readjusts to life in a gentrified Brooklyn after 15 years behind bars, the half-hour is ripe for fish-out-of-water gags while also portraying social matters of the day.
Why you should watch it: Is Jordan Peele taking over the world? Apparently — because he’s also got credits this month as the co-creator of this acclaimed comedy series on TBS. Starring a never-better Morgan and Girls Trip breakout-turned-bonafide star Tiffany Haddish as his estranged ex, there’s no reason why the very funny Last O.G. shouldn’t make your binge list this month. Season 2 premieres April 2 on TBS.
Where to watch it: Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 3.5 hours (for the first season)
What it is: After suffering a public meltdown in the aftermath of his wife’s string of affairs, nationally acclaimed sports announcer Jim Brockmire (Hank Azaria) turns to drugs and alcohol to cope. Then one day, 10 years later, he decides to pick himself up, move to a small town, and get back to work calling games for the minor league Morristown Frackers.
Why you should watch it: Six-time Emmy winner Azaria is perhaps best known for his voice work on The Simpsons, but it’s always a pleasure to watch him get to work in front of the camera. The laughs still land. To watch his growth through the titular Brockmire’s character arc in the first two seasons is simply great (and easily binge-able) comedic TV — and that’s not to mention the firecracker energy Amanda Peet brings as Azaria’s co-lead. Season 3 premieres April 3.
Where to watch it: Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 6.5 hours (for the first two seasons)
What it is: Marvel is at its best when highlighting young heroes who are in over their head while learning the gifts and limits to their newfound superpowers. Cloak & Dagger comes with the twist that Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson’s powers — emitting light and engulfing in darkness, respectively — are the yin to the other’s yang, inexplicably connected and best when joined together. Their vastly different backgrounds make them unlikely partners, as do their growing feelings for one another.
Why you should watch it: The chemistry between leads Tandy (Olivia Holt) and Tyrone (Aubrey Joseph) is the kind of urgent magnetism you can’t look away from — which makes a season 1 binge of this teen-oriented action-drama series go down easy. See what all the buzz is about before season 2 premieres on Freeform April 4.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 7 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Based on the beloved Archie comic and from creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, this iteration of Sabrina the Teenage Witch has a dark and spooky twist, charting the titular witch’s (Kiernan Shipka) coming of age as she’s forced to choose between human normalcy and her magic’s haunting lore.
Why you should watch it: Who says Halloween can’t come early? Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was a hit out the gate last fall upon its debut, which was followed up by a Christmas special, satiating the appetites of Riverdale fans and the Melissa Joan Hart ’90s series alike. Lucky for you, even more chilling adventures await this month. Season 2 premieres April 5.
Where to watch: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 11 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Creator Ben Edlund brings beloved comic-book The Tick to Amazon Prime, where his titular hero (here played by Peter Serafinowicz) tries to save his city from the presumed-dead supervillain secretly pulling political strings in the underground: the Terror.
Why you should watch it: The Tick finds the perfect blend between superheroic, shoot-’em-up action and silly camp and comedy. Plus, the bromance between Serafinowicz’s hero and his unassuming sidekick, Arthur (Griffin Newman), is one for the books.
Where to watch it: Amazon
Commitment: Approx. 5 hours (for the first season)
What it is: You’ve never seen Chicago like this. Created by Master of None Emmy winner Lena Waithe, this Showtime series portrays the city’s South Side neighborhood as a tapestry of want and need, violence and love, and altogether human after our central four heroes (played by Jason Mitchell, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Jacob Latimore, and Alex R. Hibbert) are brought together in unexpected ways after one life- and community-altering event.
Why you should watch it: The Chi is an unflinching, authentic, and timely coming-of-age drama boasting some of the best actors and writers — well-known and otherwise — working today. While the series’ namesake city has become a talking point of good and bad on Capitol Hill, it offers a timely look at some of the social and justice issues being debated in that spotlight today while still being nuanced, character-driven entertainment. Season 2 premieres on Showtime April 7.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 8 hours (for the first season)
What it is: From the mind of Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve is a female-driven cat-and-mouse espionage thriller between a globetrotting assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer), and a MI5 security operative, the titular Eve (Sandra Oh).
Why you should watch it: There is something so effortlessly watchable and utterly likable about Oh, and the fact that Killing Eve gives her the opportunity to flex that charm (and brains and brawn and sensuality — the list goes on) as a top-billed leading lady is reason enough to watch. The fact that she’s met mark-for-mark by relative newcomer Comer is the reason you’ll stick around for the binge and want more when you’re done. Season 2 premieres on BBC America April 7.
Where to watch it: Amazon, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours (for the first season)
What it is: This critical darling and fan-favorite fantasy series needs no introduction. Based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, Game of Thrones charts the rise and fall of families and kingdoms in the mythical Westeros as one after another fights for the Iron Throne.
Why you should watch it: Over the course of its seven seasons, Game of Thrones has tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, become Monday’s mandatory water-cooler conversation, and stirred national debate on what’s to come for its ensemble of beloved characters. Fan theories abound, so if you’re new to Westeros, stay away from Reddit until you’re all caught up. We promise it’s an adventure you don’t want to miss. Season 8 (its last) premieres on HBO April 14.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, HBO Now, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 65 hours (for the first seven seasons)
What it is: Titus Welliver stars as Harry Bosch, a steely, determined homicide detective keeping watch over the City of Angels in this Amazon Prime original series. Each season follows one major case and strikes the perfect balance between contemporary crime grit and smooth, yesteryear noir.
Why you should watch it: Bosch may be the best crime series you’ve never heard of. Change that! Co-creator Eric Ellis Overmyer is a seasoned vet of the genre, with roots planted firmly in the crime genre. Homicide: The Movie and Law & Order both earned him Emmy nominations in 2000 and 2002, respectively. He knows his way around the daily dramas of LAPD homicide and proves the perfect collaborator for the source material’s author, Michael Connelly. Season 5 premieres on Amazon Prime April 19.
Where to watch: Amazon
Commitment: About 30 hours (for the first four seasons)
What it is: Cobra Kai charts the re-opening of The Karate Kid’s infamous Cobra Kai dojo from none other than Johnny Lawrence himself. It makes for a modern-day twist on the classic 1980s film franchise.
Why you should watch it: It’s 2018, and nostalgia is the name of the game. Luckily, Cobra Kai, from creator Robert Mark Kamen, has it in spades. Featuring committed performances from Karate Kid original players Ralph Macchio as Daniel and William Zabka as Johnny, this reboot feels as comfortable and entertaining as ever, and it’s further brought to life by an ensemble of young actors finding their own footing in the discipline of karate. Season 2 premieres on YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red) April 24.
Where to watch it: YouTube Premium
Commitment: Approx. 5 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Here’s another intelligent, original take on the post-nuclear apocalypse from Jason Rothenberg for the CW. Set 97 years after nuclear war wiped out humanity, the mere thousands remaining survived by escaping on an ark-like spaceship that remained within Earth’s orbit. The twisty caveat? The series’ title represents the 100 juvenile prisoners who, against their will, are forced out of the Ark and back to Earth to learn if it’s habitable. To their surprise, it turns out that some humans lived through the nuclear war from the century prior — and not all of them are ready to befriend the young visitors.
Why you should watch it: As is the case with much of the CW’s slate of programming, The 100 is led by an impressive ensemble of young, breakout actors who are made all the more impressive by their series’ meatier material. Plus with an air-tight concept as its foundation, there’s a reason we’ve been coming back for five seasons now. Season 6 premieres April 30.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Netflix, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 50 hours (for the first five seasons)
Thumbnail photo credits: Game of Thrones by Helen Sloane/HBO; Cobra Kai for YouTube Premium; Killing Eve for BBC AMERICA/Sid Gentle Films Ltd.
