TAGGED AS: Apple TV+, Freeform, FX, Nickelodeon, OWN, Peacock, streaming, television, The CW, TV
Looking for love this Valentine’s Day, but stuck at home due to the state of the world? Look no further than these eight binge-worthy series you’re guaranteed to fall for before spring. From boundary-pushing superhero series like Black Lightning to nostalgic reboots like Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Punky Brewster, this month has it all and then some. Arrowverse titles also make up another four of our 12 titles; you’ll want to watch episodes of Supergirl, Arrow, and more to prep for the series premiere of Superman & Lois. Read on to find out which Fresh titles should be on your binge list this month.
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Black Lightning
(The CW)
What it is: While he thought he had hung up his super suit and street-fighting days of yesteryear for good, Jefferson Pierce (now a school principal) brings his superpowered Black Lightning persona out of “retirement” as street gangs threaten his city.
Why you should watch it: If you’re a fan of the Greg Berlanti–led DC Comics universe on The CW, then you know what you’re in for here, and you’ll absolutely love Black Lightning. This series goes one step further than the usual fare, with its representation of black and LGBTQ superheroes on the small screen. Season 4 premieres Feb. 8 on The CW.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 30 hours (for the first 3 seasons)
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Are You Afraid of the Dark?
(Nickelodeon)
What it is: Nickelodeon rebooted its beloved ’90s kid horror series in 2019, and it now returns for a second six-part season with an all-new Midnight Society and monsters to match, lurking in the shadows.
Why you should watch it: If your immediate reaction to this anthological series’ titular question is a resounding “yes,” then you should probably change the channel. From showrunner JT Billings, the show follows a group of kids who call themselves the Midnight Society as they tell ghost stories around a campfire with increasingly horrific real-world consequences. Catch up on the first season of the reboot before the second season’s fresh horrors! Season 2, titled Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Curse of the Shadows, premieres Feb. 12 on Nickelodeon.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 2 hours (for the first season of the reboot)
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Queen Sugar
(OWN)
What it is: After the unexpected death of their father, estranged siblings Ralph-Angel (a conman fresh out of prison), Nova Bordelon (a New Orleans–based journalist and activist), and Charley Bordelon (an upper-class Los Angeles mother to a teenage son) move to rural Louisiana to claim their inheritance: hundreds of acres of sugarcane farmland.
Why you should watch it: Queen Sugar is the result of women both behind and in front of the camera joining their powers: executive producer Oprah Winfrey; executive producer, director, and writer Ava DuVernay; stars Rutina Wesley and Dawn-Lyen Gardner; and other female directors for each episode of its four seasons. And their work isn’t the only stunning aspect of the series — sprawling locations under the Louisiana sun and timely discussions of racial prejudice, mass incarceration, juicy drama with characters you’ll love, and more make it a thought-provoking, must-watch. Season 5 premieres Feb. 16 on OWN.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 55 hours (for the first four seasons)
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Good Trouble
(Freeform)
What it is: This spinoff from the long-running The Fosters from creators Bradley Bredeweg, Joanna Johnson, and Peter Paige follows Callie and Mariana all grown up and moving to the City of Angels to pursue life as young professionals, Callie as a law clerk and Mariana as a software engineer. Of course, misadventures and growing pains ensue.
Why you should watch it: Good Trouble has the same tenderness and drama we came to love on The Fosters, along with some incisive takes and comedic observations on Gen Z life in a new city. Season 3 premieres Feb. 17 on Freeform.
Where to watch it: Amazon, Google Play, Hulu
Commitment: Approx. 23 hours (for the first two seasons)
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For All Mankind
(Apple TV+)
What it is: This hour-long drama from creators Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi, and Matt Wolpert is framed around one question: What if the USSR beat the United States to the moon in 1969? Setting the series on the path of that alternative timeline, For All Mankind establishes an aspirational world where the space race never stopped, where women and racial minorities are soon invited to join NASA’s efforts, and more.
Why you should watch it: While it may at first feel familiar to other space dramas of the past, over the course of 10 episodes, this Joel Kinnaman–led adventure-drama carves its own, exciting niche in the genre. Now that it seems to have found its footing by the end of season 1, we’re excited for what’s next. Season 2 premieres Feb. 19 on Apple TV+.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Commitment: Approx. 9 hours (for the first season)
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Superman & Lois
(The CW)
What it is: Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing are at it again as co-creators on Superman & Lois, a snapshot of domestic life for our favorite superhero and journalist as they’ve grown and settled down into marriage and kids. Of course, our central hero eats world-ending-baddies for breakfast, so expect more of that, too.
Why you should watch it: As we’ve seen time and again in The CW’s various DC Comics franchises, they’re at their best when leaning into the human character and real-world dramas of its heroes as much as they are the crime-fighting and world-saving. Superman & Lois is sure to deliver on that front, and Tyler Hoechlin’s take on the caped hero hasn’t steered us wrong yet. We’re recommending you catch up on his guest arcs on Supergirl before starting this one. And for those extra keen viewers, you can add in the crossover hours of Batwoman, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow for a total baker’s dozen of episodes. Superman & Lois premieres Feb. 23 on the CW.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 9 hours for Hoechlin’s season 2, 4, and 5 guest arcs on Supergirl (episodes 2.1 “The Adventures of Supergirl,” 2.2 “The Last Children of Krypton,” 2.21 “Resist,” 2.22 “Nevertheless, She Persisted,” 4.9 “Elseworlds, Part 3,” and 5.9 “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One”) and appearances in Arrow (7.9 “Elseworlds, Part 2” and 8.8 “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four”), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (5.1 “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five”), The Flash (5.9 “Elseworlds, Part 1” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three”), and Batwoman (1.9 “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two”)
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Snowfall
(FX)
What it is: Created by the late John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron (the latter of whom serves as showrunner), Snowfall tells an L.A. story like we’ve never seen by dramatizing the rise and breakout of the city’s first crack epidemic in 1984 and its greater impact on American culture at large.
Why you should watch it: As riveting as it is eye-opening, this street crime series pulls no punches in its portrayal of the drug trade and its implications in both micro and macro spheres. Startling performances from its ensemble of relative newcomers also bring us into a world that until now has been left off narrative television — and they keep a hold on us there. Season 4 premieres Feb. 24 on FX.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 22 hours (for the first three seasons)
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Punky Brewster
(Peacock)
What it is: In the classic series, a young Punky Brewster (Soleil Moon Frye) finds refuge in a vacant apartment after being abandoned with her dog in a supermarket. The building’s manager Henry Warnimont (George Gaynes) befriends and eventually adopts her.
Why you should watch it: Twice Emmy-nominated in 1985 and ’86 for best children’s program, Punky Brewster is sure to hold some nostalgic real estate in the hearts of parents far and wide. Revisit the classic to get ready for the 10-episode revival, in which Frye again stars as Punky, who’s now an adult with kids of her own. (It worked for Fuller House, so why not here!?) The new series streams in full Feb. 25 on Peacock.
Where to watch: Peacock, Amazon
Commitment: Approx. 44 hours (for the original four seasons)
