Spring is a time for new beginnings, in TV as much as anywhere else. Networks and streamers know the power of a spring hit that will keep audiences tuning in, bingeing, or talking for weeks and months to come — and 2023 isn’t pulling its punches. Television juggernauts “Succession” and “Yellowjackets” return the same weekend, competing not only with each other but with a slate of new shows that premiere this season while those titans release new episodes weekly.
Among the bountiful harvest: Donald Glover’s latest work since “Atlanta,” about the dark side of all-consuming fandom; a musical romcom about the voices in people’s heads; a Charles Dickens adaptation with none other than Olivia Colman; an epic feud between strangers; a nun fighting the algorithm, and then some. 2023’s spring TV slate is getting weird and staying there, inviting viewers to do the same.
In order of premiere date, here are 13 new shows to check out this spring.
Steve Greene, Erin Strecker, and Ben Travers contributed to this list.
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March 17: “Swarm” (Prime Video)
Image Credit: Warrick Page/Prime Video Dominique Fishback (“The Deuce,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”) gets the starring role she deserves in Janine Nabers and Donald Glover’s antihero story about an obsessed fan whose unchecked adulation of her R&B idol leads to serious problems. Fishback plays Dre, a Houston-based stan who will do whatever it takes to support NiJah, the world’s biggest pop star, whether that means obsessively asking people who their favorite artist is, spending money she doesn’t have on concert tickets, or… more drastic signs of devotion. Co-starring singer-songwriter Chloe Bailey as Dre’s sister, Marissa, and Damson Idris (“Snowfall”) as Marissa’s boyfriend, Khalid, “Swarm” takes on the darkest parts of stan culture via a fictional road trip story written by quite a few “Atlanta” creatives. Nabers (who wrote and produced for the FX hit) serves as showrunner, Glover is an executive producer and directed the pilot, and his brother Stephen Glover is also an E.P., along with fellow “Atlanta” writer Fam Udeorji. Considering the show’s final two seasons spent a chunk of time dealing with Paper Boi’s escalating success, including a few interactions with oddball fans, “Swarm” positions similar ideas seen through the other side of the lens. —BT
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March 19: “Lucky Hank” (AMC+)
Image Credit: Sergei Bachlakov/AMC There should never be a year without Bob Odenkirk on television, and AMC won’t let it happen. Fresh off “Better Call Saul,” Odenkirk returns in this adaptation of Richard Russo’s “Straight Man” created by Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein. William Henry “Hank” Devereaux is a beleaguered college processor teetering on the edge of total collapse and alienating everyone around him as he starts to crack. He’s disconnected from his wife (Mireille Enos) and daughter (Olivia Scott Welch), checked out from his students, and retreating into himself while languishing in both academia and small town life. Whether he remains trapped in monotony or snaps toward recklessness, it’s sure to be a hell of a ride with Odenkirk in the front seat. —PK
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March 24: “Up Here” (Hulu)
Image Credit: Sarah Shatz/HULU Musical theater fans, this one is for you: From Broadway heavyweights Steven Levenson (“Dear Evan Hansen”), Thomas Kail (“Hamilton”), and songwriting duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (“Frozen”) comes a new musical comedy about two people trying to fall in love in NYC in 1999. The twist? Getting a romance going while tuning out all the (singing) voices full of anxiety and fear in their respective heads. We always love to support musicals on TV and this latest offering, starring the always delightful Mae Whitman, looks like it has quirky charm — and showtimes — to spare. —ES
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March 26: “Great Expectations” (FX)
Image Credit: Miya Mizuno/FX Fionn Whitehead (Mr. “Bandersnatch,” last seen in an Instagram-centered reimagining of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”) and Olivia Colman start in this newest adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, courtesy of “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight. Whitehead stars as Pip, a young man trying to navigate his way from a childhood as an orphan to an adult life filled with romance and possibilities beyond those of his youth. The big question will be how much of the darkness of the series is a logical extension of the Dickens source material and how much will come from Knight’s tendency to ratchet up the angst (see also: 2019’s “A Christmas Carol,” which began with someone peeing on a gravestone). Either way, there’s already evidence of Colman’s Miss Havisham and her appropriately dusty living quarters. Do not expect this to provide a cheery look at life in the 19th century. —SG
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April 6: “Beef” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix From creator and showrunner Sung-Jin Lee, the half-hour dark comedy “Beef” digs into the titular feud between two strangers after a random altercation on the road sends them spiraling out of control. Danny (Steven Yeun) is a struggling contractor whose discontent over his own failures fuels his dispute with Amy (Ali Wong), an entrepreneur whose life appears to be nothing short of perfect. The 10-episode series marks a reunion between Yeun, Wong, and Lee — all of whom worked on Lisa Hanawalt’s acclaimed animated series “Tuca & Bertie” — and features direction from Jake Schreier (“Lodge 49,” “Kidding”), who worked with Lee on FX’s “Dave.” Will any of those excellent shows serve as inspiration for this one? There’s no telling just yet, but we’re certainly glad they brought these artists together. —BT
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April 7: “Tiny Beautiful Things” (Hulu)
Image Credit: Jessica Brooks/HULU Cheryl Strayed’s essay collection gets the narrative treatment in this series from Liz Tigelaar (“Little Fires Everywhere,” “Life Unexpected”). Strayed’s original works appeared in the advice column Dear Sugar, which she wrote anonymously and used to share deeply personal advice and anecdotes. Kathryn Hahn leads the series as Clare, a Strayed stand in who feels distant from her husband (Quentin Plair), daughter (Tanzyn Crawford), and career. It’s the worst time to launch an advice column — let alone for the column to take off and enchant readers, painting a misleading portrait of its author as someone fully in command of her destiny. —PK
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April 7: “Transatlantic” (Netflix)
Image Credit: Netflix The fact that this Netflix drama is the latest series from “Deutschland 83” and “Unorthodox” creator Anna Winger is reason enough for excitement. Much like that first Cold War-set series arrived amid anxieties about a changing world and the second premiered in the early days of a pandemic when many people were examining the nature of faith, Winger’s newest also seems to be debuting at a poignant time. In “Transatlantic,” she and co-creator Daniel Hendler adapt Julie Orringer’s novel “The Flight Portfolio,” which is based on the real-life story of French citizens and expats who worked to facilitate the travel of refugees from Nazi-occupied corners of Europe to safety elsewhere. With a cast headlined by Gillian Jacobs, Lucas Englander, Cory Michael Smith, and “Deutschland” star Jonas Nay, it looks to be an international production telling an international story where more than just relationships hang in the balance. —SG
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April 14: “The Last Thing He Told Me” (Apple TV+)
Image Credit: Jessica Brooks/Apple TV+ Based on a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick by Laura Dave (and produced by Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, natch) this thriller follows a woman, Hannah (Jennifer Garner) whose boyfriend disappears one day amid financial trouble at his company. She is left with no answers, just a note to protect his daughter (Angourie Rice) at all costs. Suddenly responsible for a teenager, the duo must figure out where he is and why he’s in hiding — and, gulp, if they are now in serious danger themselves. Co-created by Oscar winner Josh Singer (“Spotlight,” “The Post”) the miniseries also stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Aisha Tyler. —ES
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April 20: “Mrs. Davis” (Peacock)
Image Credit: Colleen Hayes/Peacock Based on their backgrounds, Damon Lindelof (“Lost,” “Watchmen”) and Tara Hernandez (“Young Sheldon,” “The Big Bang Theory”) may seem like a peculiar pair to write a series together, but with “Mrs. Davis,” that’s kind of the point. The Peacock original stars Betty Gilpin as a nun named Simone who faces off against the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence, known simply as Mrs. Davis. Early comparisons evoke everything from “The Sound of Music” to “True Romance,” with plenty more disparate inspirations in between, so whatever you may expect out of the genre-bending creation, all you can really count on is to be surprised. (Well, we also know that series regulars include Jake McDorman and Andy McQueen, alongside recurring cast members Margo Martindale, David Arquette, Elizabeth Marvel, Katja Herbers, and Chris Diamantopoulo.) —BT
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April 26: “Saint X” (Hulu)
Image Credit: Paloma Alegria/HULU A lot about Alexis Schaitkin’s bestseller seems familiar on the surface, but fans of the novel know that it contains untold depths. Alycia Debnam-Carey stars as Claire, a woman whose sister Alison (West Duchovny) is found dead under mysterious circumstances during a family vacation. After a shocking encounter with one of the original suspects, Claire (now living with a new name) pursues the man in order to find answers about the sister she barely knew but still mourns. Flashbacks piece the story together in the present and during the fateful holiday, with more about the sisters and their family as well as the men who allegedly committed this fateful crime. —PK
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April 27: “Love & Death” (HBO Max)
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max Just three years after “The Undoing” and four years since the latest season of “Big Little Lies,” David E. Kelley takes his talents back to HBO for “Love & Death,” a seven-episode limited series based on the true (crime) story of Candy Montgomery & Friends. Now, you may remember the name Candy Montgomery from Hulu’s 2022 limited series simply titled “Candy” and starring Jessica Biel, Melanie Lynskey, Pablo Schreiber, and Timothy Simons. “Love & Death” focuses on the same two couples — and the same murder that ties them together — only the HBO Max cast features Elizabeth Olsen, Jesse Plemons, Patrick Fugit, and Lily Rabe. Perhaps most exciting, though, is three-time DGA Award winning director Lesli Linka Glatter (“Homeland,” “Mad Men”), who’s on board to helm five of the seven entries. Toss in Kelley’s return (as he looks to go three-for-three when it comes to penning ratings hits for HBO), and “Love & Death” has more than enough of behind-the-scenes intrigue to drive interest, even if you’ve seen this story before. —BT
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April 30: “Fatal Attraction” (Paramount+)
Image Credit: Monty Brinton/Paramount+ Adapting a 35-year-old movie for TV is somehow both an odd choice and exactly what you’d expect from a streaming service these days. But as random as this adaptation may seem (despite the movie’s popularity and staying power), don’t sleep on this reimagined version of the story from “Dirty John” creator Alexandra Cunningham. The setup remains the same: Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) makes a decision to cheat on his wife Beth (Amanda Peet) with someone he meets at work. When Dan decides he wants to end the affair with Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan), things do not go as neatly as he would like. This new version — which also features Toby Huss and Jessica Harper — doesn’t just filter everything through Dan’s perspective. With an entire season to work with, this new “Fatal Attraction” makes far more room to examine Alex’s side of the story. —SG
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May 4: “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” (Netflix)
Image Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX “Bridgerton” may be synonymous with producer Shonda Rhimes, but “Queen Charlotte” is the first project in this vibrant Regency world with Rhimes as head writer and showrunner. India Amarteifio stars as the young monarch Charlotte (portrayed in “Bridgerton” by Golda Rosheuvel), freshly married to George (Corey Mylchreest) and forging the friendships that will stay with her for decades, such as Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) and the loyal Brimsley (Sam Clemmett). “Bridgerton” fans know where Charlotte and George’s story leads, but early looks at the series raise questions about how they get there — and where they started — as well as more context around Charlotte’s betrothal and how her ascent to Queen changed the racial dynamics of the realm forever. The cast list also includes “Bridgerton” actors who portray all the characters in their later years, which means the link between past and present will stay strong throughout. —PK
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