The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song is a well-paced, well-researched look into how impactful religion in the Black community has been, stretching back to the earliest days of our country’s history.

Just like in Season 1, there’s a lot going on, but it’s not as clear that these stories will flow together as well as they did during season 1.

The reason why Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York is watchable is that it’s not just about a bunch of related murders, but about just how uphill of a climb the LGBTQIA+ community had in New York and elsewhere during a time that wasn’t all that long ago.

Could the pacing of Prehistoric Planet be a little better? Sure. But the presentation of realistic-looking prehistoric animals in real-life environments is stunning to watch, especially for those with 4K TVs.

Dreaming Whilst Black is a funny take on how following your ambitions is much harder when you’re Black and facing a world of institutional racism, but the show doesn’t hesitate to give its main characters their own ambition-stalling quirks, as well.

[Noah Hawley] excels at taking existing IP and contorting it in new ways to reveal what really sets those universes apart. He does that once more in Alien: Earth. .... I very much dug the incredible performances of Alien: Earth‘s ensemble cast. .... The cinematography is lush, the production design sumptuous, and the kills are horrifying.

This is the time to embrace absurdity and silliness, and the six episodes will fly by in under two hours. When the world feels upside down, leave it to three men from Down Under to make you feel right again.

Best Interests is certainly one of those shows that would be considered a “heavy watch.” But Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen both do a fantastic job of playing parents put in a difficult situation as they have to make literal life-and-death decisions about their disabled child.

The good news is Ted Lasso is still the best comedy on TV. In the six episodes sent to critics, the show’s iconic blend of heart and humor were still omnipresent in every scene. However Ted Lasso Season 2 does make some bold swings straight out the gate. ... And some of those swings? Well — to borrow a baseball metaphor — are more bunts than hits. But through it all, Ted Lasso remains Ted Lasso, a virtuoso work of art that puts humanity first in its storytelling.

The Beatles: Get Back is clearly a labor of love for director Peter Jackson, but it plays as one of the clearest forms of fan worship there ever was, letting the band members act and speak for themselves in a natural format true to even the smallest moments of this crucial period in their history.

Slow Horses is sharply written at every twist and turn. Forceful, funny, and conspiratorial, it’s constantly finding new ways into spy thriller dynamics while showcasing the terrific work of its cast and letting Gary Oldman just completely go off as the jaded, aged spy at its center.

Steeped in blood, sopped in whiskey, and lit in brooding pools of yellow and gray, Peaky Blinders is mood TV escapism with a satisfying historical bent.

Just like Season 1, those personalities are so strong that we love seeing them interact with each other, even if the cases they’re working on aren’t that intriguing.

STREAM IT, obviously, if you’re a Beatles fanatic and are looking for something to nap to after Thanksgiving dinner. Anthology has lived a few lives by now, but this updated streaming version feels clean and presentable, just like the young and scrubbed Beatles in 1964.

Insert your favorite Beatles or McCartney title here — the point is, 3, 2, 1 will have you enthralled. ... McCartney 3, 2, 1 is imbued with a loose, parlor conversation vibe that belies the gravity of the memories and recording studio insights that McCartney peppers into the conversation. 3, 2, 1 is fascinating.

P-Valley is a series that has a lot to say from a perspective that hasn’t gotten much of a voice on prestige TV to this point. As the ensemble meshes, it’ll be interesting to see how this alternative family operates.

I’m A Virgo is about much more than the fact that Cootie is 13-feet tall; it’s a layered story about isolation, coming of age and institutional racism, but all presented with a little bit of a fairy-tale sheen to it.

We wish Unorthodox didn’t have the menacing specter of Esty’s estranged husband (more accurately, his family) interfering with her story of discovery, but the story is well-told despite the thriller aspect.

Shōgun‘s size and scope and overwhelming excellence explain why it took so darn long to get the series right.

Transcendent. ... Besides the characters, and the plot, which treats its teen LGBTQIA+ stories both frankly and gently, the pacing of the show is also pitch perfect. At eight, half hour episodes, it practically flies by; but works as both a four hour binge, or episodically. Each character’s storyline, every relationship is perfectly arched over the course of the season, while still leaving plenty of room for growth and exploration in a potential Season 2.

Bait is a mostly-funny show about a guy that finds out what it’s like when he makes himself go viral in order to advance his career, with a funny performance by Riz Ahmed.

The first episode of I Hate Suzie was an effective exercise in seeing a person’s life fall apart around them in short order. But we’re really intrigued with seeing Piper’s interpretation of how Suzie tries to put the pieces back together.

The lack of talking heads does get a tad monotonous, as does the constant identification of each voice speaking, but it’s a small price to pay for the fascinating stories that were collected from the archival interviews. Laurel Canyon really evokes the magic of the late ’60s and early ’70s and the area that generated so much fantastic music.

For All Mankind Season 3 delivers more of what made its excellent Season 2 so thrilling. ... If there’s one spot, though, where For All Mankind Season 3 might frustrate viewers, it’s the resurrection of one of the most contested storylines in the show’s run. By the end of Episode 8, however, I could see where the writers were going with this story and its conflicted main player. ... Overall, For All Mankind is just freaking good TV.

Whitford’s casting speaks not only to the care and consideration that goes into each role, but the time and effort put into every aspect of one of the best shows on television. The Diplomat remains on top, even if its primary protagonist lives in a constant state of crisis.

Searing. ... Because Gibney is committed to showing the full scope of opioid-related sin, it’s hard to hang our anger on one singular party. Gibney’s most popular past documentaries left us understanding who the villains were and who the victims were. The lines get blurred when it comes to the opioid crisis in part because there are so many at fault and so many who have gotten hurt.

There’s plenty of material here to fill the breezy half-hour episodes of What We Do in the Shadows, where bits ricochet wildly off crown molding and claw foot furniture.

Hawke’s titanic presence as John Brown makes The Good Lord Bird move along quickly and keeps its comedic undertones intact. The rest we can take or leave, but we’ll keep watching mainly because of the show’s star.

While we’re not in love with the separate storylines for the show’s main characters, season 3 of Dark Winds continues to combine Native mysticism with whodunits rooted in the real world, all anchored by the reassuring presence of McClarnon.

The show continues to be a realistic and empathetic portrayal of what being a teenager looks like.

Maron’s at the top of his game, and we’re all the better for it.

Yet for all that is so clearly wonderful about this show, it’s a series that can never escape its roots. The Last of Us is hands-down one of the greatest and most inspired video game adaptations brought to screen. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? No matter how sharp the writing, how inspired the visuals, how awards-worthy the performances, this will always be an interactive story forced into a passive medium.

Immigration Nation packs a powerful punch, showing the people affected by the Trump administration’s immigration policy up close. But how you feel about the docuseries will depend on where you fall in the debate.

We don’t recommend watching every episode of Marvel’s 616, but there should be enough material in the eight-episode first season to keep you occupied for a few entertaining hours.

In its triumphant fourth season, The Good Fight remains one of the best, and most insane, shows on television.

Its consistent, formulaic approach is perfect for a complex story with several moving parts. You won’t cheer for the implication this story has on modern foreign relations (a component teased in upcoming episodes), but you’ll be thankful it’s told with such focus and clarity.

Of course you’re going to want to see Gary Oldman act his brains out and make it look like second-nature – he carries Slow Horses through its more boilerplate scenes.

It’s like a nice light dessert after all the heavy fare the network offers. We love seeing and hearing from the intensely uncomfortable Wilson, and marvel at how his filmmaking instincts take him in very strange and interesting directions.

To put it simply, Poker Face is a triumph — for Johnson and Lyonne, for modern-day TV, for the mystery genre in general, and — crucially — for Peacock.

So far, Raised By Wolves Season 2 isn’t trying to appeal to a wider fanbase, but is playing to its core audience of weirdos. The new season doesn’t just feed us; it gorges us on knotty science fiction and bonkers plot twists. Again, if you liked the first season, you’ll continue to love Raised By Wolves in Season 2.

Forever takes its time to tell its story of first love, with all the ups and downs that teens who are discovering love and sex in the social media era have to deal with. It’s a vibe that we love, aided by the chemistry between the show’s stars.

It is an absolute joy to watch two excellent actors bounce off each other. Zendaya rightly won an Emmy for her performance as Rue in Season 1, and it’s quite possible she could nab another nomination off this episode alone. ... As an episode that digs towards some truths, illuminates the best parts of Euphoria, shows off two seasoned actors at the height of their abilities, and provides a little bit of light in an otherwise very dark year, “Trouble Don’t Always Last” is a triumph.

The commentary by dozens of admirers and career-highlight TV and movie snippets are great of course, nostalgic but purposeful, meaningful in the context of Brooks’ life and influence on showbiz. But Apatow digs just deep enough to show that the guy is a true, honest-to-gosh restless artist at heart.

Irma Vep is very loose and naturalistic, combining footage from the original Les Vampires with scenes shot for the show-within-a-show. But we’re just happy to see that Vikander’s story as Mira will be accompanied by a well-thought-out story about the production itself.

If you’re coming to it for the first time, you’re watching a series that not only has some of the best actors working on sitcoms today, but they’ve been a TV family long enough that the chemistry among the cast is quite apparent.

Dark Winds continues to be a compelling show because of McLarnon’s lead performance and the complexities that its Indigenous setting brings to its mysteries.

We run the risk of praising Marty and not how entertaining Mr. Scorsese is, with its murderer’s row of talking heads, reiterations of bits familiar to cinephiles and smart analytical revelations – and inevitably will be in future installments. .... Probably should be 10 hours. At least.

Despite the fact that the huge cast and massive number of storylines made us dizzy, Rivals is deliciously and unapologetically trashy, and we have to give the show credit for that.

With season 3 of Dave, it’s no longer possible to discern any lines between the Lil Dicky of TV, the real life/YouTube Lil Dicky, and Dave Burd – a real, human man who created both personas and is at his best when acting as the Dave behind the Dicky, a person who just wants to feel seen.

While it won’t win any points for originality, its ambition, creativity, beauty, and slightly menacing tone will keep your attention, and its moments of “whoa!” deliver. You can tell from one episode that this is going to be a lot of people’s favorite animated series of the year, even if it’s unlikely to be mine.

Wise Guy: David Chase And The Sopranos provides a lot of insight into what made Chase tick and what went into the creation of the landmark series.

Fantasmas is a good example of a show where viewers just need to buckle in and enjoy the visual and auditory ride, instead of trying to figure out exactly what is going on. The less you try to compare it to any other show you’ve seen, the more you’ll enjoy this journey through Julio Torres’ head.

Despite the series’ scattershot focus, America The Beautiful has more than enough spectacular footage to satisfy fans of nature docuseries.

South Side is the kind of second-by-second hilarious where seemingly every line is telling its own joke. And at a breezy 30 minutes, you can fill out the hour laughing.

Star Trek: Below Decks is back for more character-driven hijinks in its fourth season, and with a host of innovative new ways to assert itself alongside established canon and within the successful expanded Trek universe.

Despite starting off a bit all over the place, Raoul Peck’s Exterminate All The Brutes has a lot to say about a part of Western civilization’s history that absolutely needs to see the light of day.

Mythic Quest is at a stage where it can take its time exploring and evolving the key relationships between its main characters, while keeping things funny, and we see that during the fourth season.

The Sex Lives Of College Girls continues the good vibes in Season 2, with a well-oiled comedic ensemble and an easygoing charm that makes the show very bingeable.

While we wonder if the Jessie-Tom relationship cycle is getting a bit old, we still find Starstruck a warm and funny show, with Matafeo leading a confidently funny ensemble.

We forgot how complex Mo is, considering that it’s ostensibly a comedy. But there aren’t many comedies that bring together three cultures, the thorny topic of immigration and personal identity quite the same way this show does.

Stolen Youth isn’t just an informative look at a shocking case. It’s a well-made docuseries that’s always respectful to these survivors.

Archival footage is the hero here, everything from tear gas canisters arcing into the students at Kent State and those lying bleeding after the National Guard shootings, to a raw live performance of “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills & Nash that leaps off the screen with nervy energy. Audio interviews accompany the montages, and are lent particular power in their juxtaposition.

Although there are laughs to be had in this hour-plus, this is as much church revival as it is comedy special.

After the first two episode, we want to see these kids get that money and leave, even though we know that’s not likely to happen. Even if they steal everything in sight, Harjo and Waititi have seen to it that we quickly want to root for them to steal even more, even though we know we shouldn’t. That’s a pretty damn good sign.

Nuclear Family promises to be an engaging 3-hour look at a strong family that withstood a challenge that would tear other families apart.

Jack Thorne has managed to make the series adaptation of Lord Of The Flies fresh by giving viewers as close to a visceral experience of being in the middle of the chaos as possible, with good performances by the actors playing the main characters.

Youssef might not change your mind specifically about whom you’re voting for or what side you’re on politically, but hopefully he’ll get you thinking about how you engage with your friends, your families, and even with strangers, whether you’re on Instagram or at Olive Garden.

If you’re in the mood for a show that prioritizes realistic humor and heart over static connect-the-dots storytelling, you’ll enjoy the subtle charms and overwhelming sincerity of Feel Good.

English Teacher’s impressive jokes-per-minute count delivers a steady stream of laugh-out-loud moments (a simple back-and-forth about Shrek is a contender for joke of the year). And as deliciously dense episodes whiz by, the show challenges viewers to keep up in the best way possible. Chief among English Teacher‘s hit comedy ingredients is A+ casting. .... It’s a winning comedy at the top of its class, and school will hopefully be in session for many seasons to come.

Cinematic, emotional, and actionably nostalgic, the third season of Star Trek: Picard feels like the truest representation of what returning Patrick Stewart and the TNG era was supposed to be for.

Riot Women is a poignant and often funny look at women trying to break out of the bubbles they’re put in during their 50s and 60s, with the added fun of a great ’90s-heavy soundtrack and songs written specifically for the series.

A Small Light is an extraordinary story about a historic figure people don’t know a lot about, with a compelling lead performance from Powley.

We Need To Talk About Cosby is definitely hard to watch, and that’s the point. It brings up many of the same feelings Bell himself is working through via his direction. But that discomfort is a big indication that Bell is doing his job.

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy throws viewers into a strange and exciting cosmic world with oddities at every turn. Though the episodes take on several subplots and medical cases, the overarching storyline with the deadly parasite is very interesting and will encourage viewers to follow Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak on their research.

Stream it, all the way to Mars and back. For All Mankind continues to audaciously rewrite history in season four. It’s got a handful of legacy characters with over thirty years of baggage to process, as well as new frontiers of the continuing space race to explore with both its sharp writing and stunning production design.

Severance isn’t just one of the most tonally honest versions of office life; it’s an entirely new genre of corporate horror that’s a force unto itself.

Seven Worlds, One Planet will blow you away with its visuals and its unprecedented access to certain species, even if the presentation itself can be dry at times.

For All Mankind remains ever ambitious with its fifth season, where the series makes the reflection off its alternate history mirror even stronger as the lives of everyday people get squeezed between the politicians of Mars fighting with the politicians of Earth.

If you’re not already a fan of Carmichael’s, STREAM IT this first episode to decide for yourself whether you’re ready for what’s to come. There’s certainly nothing here, though, that would surprise fans who have watched him become more and more self-reflective and performative, from the most sanitized broadcast network sitcom version of Carmichael he first presented on NBC, to his 2019 HBO home movies, to Rothaniel, to now this.

The Narrow Road To The Deep North is a gritty, powerful watch with striking imagery and riveting performances that sometimes read as subtle in all the best ways.

STREAM IT, if you’re a fan of sci fi, an Asimov fan or someone who caught the first two seasons of Foundation and want to see how the story proceeds. But, like we said in Season 1, casual sci fi watchers are not this show’s target demo. We suggest they SKIP IT.

Despite the fact that the first two episodes of Dying For Sex try too hard to lean on the funny side of Molly’s story, the elements are there for a moving story of life, death. love and desire.

Even if you didn’t catch Renée Ballard working with Harry Bosch in the Legacy finale, Ballard’s arrival feels fully formed. Maggie Q brings her serious-minded, action-oriented capacity to the lead role.

This is a fun, romantic look at life on the spectrum that will hopefully shatter some stereotypes.

For all its manufactured conflict — the schism between Snow and Jones, the unprecedented summer tour — it’s still a largely unvarnished glimpse into a place both wonderful and strange.

The makers of The Yogurt Shop Murders are not just curious about the case but how deeply the case affected Austin and the people who were intimately involved with it over the past three decades, an approach that we wish we saw more often in true crime docs.

X-Men ’97 works because it feels like the exact same TV show, but with its inhibitor collar turned off. This is X-Men finally cutting loose.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but The Midnight Gospel is fascinatingly strange, and if you listen to what is actually talked about, you may come away with some insight into the human condition.

The second season looks like it’ll be more complex than the first, but we’re confident that the second season will be as cohesive as the first.

Normal People will punch you in the gut just as much as it embraces you in a hug.

Warrior, whose fans once mobilized a petition for its third season return, rewards them with tightly-choreographed action sequences that don’t skimp on the bloodshed and visceral death blows. But it also offers political and interpersonal dramas set in an interesting historical time period, and writing that crackles with the energy of a contemporary action movie.

Because Laurie wanted to stay relatively faithful to the story, viewers are going to have to sit through some predictability to get to the witty dialogue and the inevitable reveal of the killer.

The White Lotus should be an interesting six-hour look at how privileged people mess things up with that privilege. It’s a fine marriage of smart writing and a fantastic cast.

The final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm is pretty much more of what we’ve seen over the past 24 years. But it’s still funny, howlingly so at times. And that’s pretty much all we’re looking for from Curb as Larry and company kvetch into the sunset.

Lupin’s twists and turns, and a fine performance from Omar Sy (who is also the show’s artistic director, helping to establish the series’ lavish look) makes the show eminently watchable.

Dave is nothing if not a show for a very specific taste. It’s too smart to be labeled sophomoric, and while it’s packed with really great acting and a lot of heart, it’s also entirely common and accurate to use the word “weird” to describe it. But, like Dave himself, that’s part of its charm.

In You Season 4 Part 2, the series remains grotesque, absurd, slick, vapid, skewering, and often quite predictable. All of which makes it totally binge-able.

The show can’t go on forever, but it’s a great thing that the gang can still get together and make us laugh.