If you're looking for a new show to watch, there are some amazing series premiering this week. There's World War II historical drama We Were the Lucky Ones, and post-Communist Revolution series A Gentleman in Moscow. If you're in the mood for something lighter and action-centric, check out Renegade Nell, or you can dive deeply into the life of Moses with Testament: The Story of Moses, spend some time with Fraggle Rock, or get to know The Baxters. The world, as they say, is your oyster.
We Were the Lucky Ones
There are more than enough accounts of World War II from soldiers' perspectives, but We Were the Lucky Ones charts an ordinary family's nightmarish experience of the war. Based on a true story, this historical drama follows the Kurcs, a Jewish family in Poland that's torn apart by the rise of Third Reich. Split up by historical circumstances and personal choices, the Kurcs struggle to survive and reunite in a world gone mad.
Where to stream: Hulu
A Gentleman in Moscow
This prestige series from Showtime and Paramount+ is based on the critically lauded novel by Amor Towles. It stars Ewan McGregor as Count Alexander Rostov, an aristocrat whose life is overtaken by the October Revolution. After being sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal, The Count spends decades living in an attic room at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, and must find meaning in a life of gentlemanly captivity. A Gentleman in Moscow also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Leah Harvey.
Where to stream: Paramount+
Renegade Nell
Disney's original action series Renegade Nell promises rip-roaring adventure in a fantasy-historical setting. It tells the tale of Nell Jackson, a young woman who is accused of murder and unexpectedly becomes a notorious highwaywoman in 18th-century England. Impossible to kill, catch, or corner, Nell's secret is the supernatural help of a magical spirit Billy Blind and her give-to-the-poor ethos.
Where to stream: Disney+
Testament: The Story of Moses
Over the course of its three episodes, this epic docudrama from Netflix tells the story of Moses, who was kind of a big deal. Told through interviews with scholars and theologians as well as historical re-enactments, Testament does more than tell the story of Moses leading the Jews out of bondage, receiving the ten commandments, and founding Judeo-Christianity; it puts his life and legend into context.
Where to stream: Netflix
The Baxters
If you're in the mood to have your heartstrings played by a good, old-fashioned TV family drama, The Baxters might be the series for you. Based on the best-selling book series by Karen Kingsbury, The Baxters follows the emotional ups and downs of Elizabeth and John Baxter and their five adult children. Season one centers on daughter Kari's disintegrating marriage. When her husband strays, Kari looks for comfort in family and faith (instead of the prescription drugs I might have chosen).
Where to stream: Prime
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (Season 2)
Apple and The Jim Henson Company have revived beloved muppet-centric kids show Fraggle Rock and brought it back for a second season. Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock is beautifully produced, thoughtful, funny, and whimsical—the kind of series that will enthrall children while not annoying their parents too much. Season one earned a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and AppleTV has made all of season two available to stream, so gather the kids and get binging. As an added bonus, look out for celebrity guest appearances from the likes of Ariana DeBose, Brett Goldstein, Adam Lambert, and Catherine O’Hara.
Where to stream: AppleTV+
Is it Cake? (Season 3)
Sometimes you want to watch a TV show about whether or not various things are cake, and Is it Cake? is by far the best series ever made based on that concept. Incredibly skilled bakers from around the country compete for cash prizes by creating realistic-but-edible versions of everyday objects in hopes of fooling a panel of guest judges. Saturday Night Live’s Mikey Day returns as host, and guest judges include Jay Pharoah, Lauren Lapkus, London Hughes, Oscar Nuñez, and many others.
Where to stream: Netflix
Last week's picks
Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
If you are a '90s kid, your childhood is about to be massacred. Quiet on the Set features the stars of kids' shows like All That and The Amanda Show recounting harrowing tales from inside the basic cable nightmare factory that was Nickelodeon in the '90s and 2000s, where kid actors like Ariana Grande, Amanda Bynes, and Drake Bell were subjected to everything from a toxic work environment on set, to sleazy, sexualized on-air stunts, to outright sexual assault.
Where to stream: Max
Manhunt
We all know the story of Lincoln’s assassination, but this conspiracy thriller series follows the aftermath, when actor-turned killer John Wilkes Booth went on the lamb and the nation's fate hung in the balance. Based on executive producer James L. Swanson’s nonfiction book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer, Manhunt is an exhaustively researched series that examines the verified events of the day and delves into the possibility that Lincoln's assassination was the result of a larger conspiracy instead of the work of a single man.
Where to stream: Apple TV+
3 Body Problem
Created by Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and based on the novels of Chinese writer Cixin Liu, the Netflix series 3 Body Problem is science fiction on a massive scale. Over its eight episodes, this series details an extraterrestrial invasion of Earth unfolding in slow motion. It begins with a spate of prominent scientists disappearing and continues through the upheaval the imminent occupation brings to Earth when humanity divides into people who want to stop the occupation and those who welcome humanity's new overlords.
Where to stream: Netflix
Palm Royale
Kristen Wiig stars in this comedy series set in California circa 1969. Based on Juliet McDaniel’s novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie, and co-starring Laura Dern, Allison Janney, and Kaia Gerber, Palm Royale has been described as Gossip Girl meets White Lotus. It tells the story of Maxine Simmons, a divorcee trying to find her way in the catty, cutthroat world of Palm Springs’ high society.
Where to stream: Apple TV+
Photographer
This National Geographic documentary series turns the lens around and tells the stories of the people who create iconic, powerful imagery. Photographer covers all aspects of modern photography; subjects include nature photographer Cristina Mittermeier, fashion photographer Campbell Addy, and photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen.
Where to stream: Hulu
Homicide: New York
Wolf Entertainment applies its patented Law & Order structure to real crimes in this documentary series set among the mean streets and gentrified brownstones of New York. In each of Homicide: New York’s five episodes, a veteran detective or prosecutor takes us inside their most challenging case, offering an insider's view of how notorious New York crimes were investigated, solved, and prosecuted. Dun-DUUN.
Where to stream: Netflix
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon
Baby boomers and the boomer-adjacent will especially enjoy this two-part series that examines the life and career of iconic singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Captured while Simon was working on his 2023 album Seven Psalms, In Restless Dreams digs into Simon’s life and six-decade career, covering Simon's fame, his personal life, and the craft of writing and performing some of the most iconic songs ever recorded.
Where to stream: MGM+