May has quite the range of viewing options: the sunny month boasts the return of TV’s most fashionable hate-watch And Just Like That… (May 29 on Crave), alongside a new season of Jane Seymour’s quirky British crime cosy Harry Wild (May 5 on AcornTV) and the exclusive Canadian premiere of Swedish crime drama Cry Wolf (May 9 on CBC Gem). To help you make sense of all the offerings this month, we’ve compiled our highlights of new scripted series.
The Four Seasons
It’s all the buzz: SNL and 30 Rock genius Tina Fey reimagines Alan Alda’s melancholy 1981 cult classic to examine how divorce shakes up the friendship group of three married couples who vacation together. Here, the dramedy stars Fey (54), Steve Carell (62) Colman Domingo (55) and Will Forte (52) in long-partnered configurations, over the course of four holidays. One couple splits and friends are forced to pick a side, while the repercussions create a new group dynamic. The cringe comedy bring home truths to the surface and the remaining relationships start to fray: a relatable emotional roller-coaster! (Look for Alda to make a cameo.)
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix starting May 1 (8 episodes)
Miss Austen
In the 250th anniversary year of Jane Austen’s birth, the occasion is being marked with clever new books and festivities around the world. The life, loves and losses of the trailblazing Emma, Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice author are also given fresh light in this magnificent Masterpiece period drama that explores one of the greatest acts of literary vandalism in history. Following Jane’s death, sister Cassandra destroyed 3,000 of her renowned sister’s private letters, in order to preserve her reputation, privacy and legacy. Based on the bestselling novel by Gil Hornby, Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard, The Durrells, 49) is Cassandra in a dramatization that probes the complex motivations behind the momentous decision, plus evergreen themes of female independence, societal expectations and creative ambition.
Where to Watch: Streaming on PBS starting May 4 (4 episodes)
Duster
Emmy-winner JJ Abrams (Lost, Star Trek) swaps sci-fi for the Seventies in this HBO Max adventure drama co-created with showrunner LaToya Morgan (The Walking Dead) that’s built around a getaway driver (Lost star and fan favourite Josh Holloway, 55). He becomes the “inside man” after joining forces with a tenacious young investigator (Rachel Hilson, 29), the FBI’s first female Black agent, to bring down a crime syndicate. It’s a throwback to 1970s cop shows – and a thrill ride.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Crave starting May 15 (8 episodes)
Murderbot
Alexander Skarsgård headlines this droll sci-fi series from Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy, Mozart in the Jungle) based on the acclaimed Hugo and Nebula Award-winning books. He’s a sentient security android (or sec unit) sent on a planetary mission to protect a group of scientists (like Reservation Dogs’s Canadian Tamara Podemski, 47) from the alien world they’re analyzing. Although the rogue cyborg disdains humans, he’s devoted to a soap opera called The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon – and that fictional show-within-a-show boasts a sci-fi who’s who (think John Cho of Star Trek and Clark Gregg from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Fans will delight that both the impressive production design and affectionate barbs of the entertaining show are inspired by classic genre fare like Star Wars.
Where to Watch: Streaming on AppleTV+ starting May 16 (10 episodes)
Death Valley
BAFTA and Emmy-winner Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner, Harry Potter) is half of an unlikely sleuthing duo in this BritBox Original comedic crime show. The British character actor, 68, is an eccentric former actor living as a recluse in Wales. A national treasure from his role as a TV detective in a popular long-running show, he’s still grieving the death of his wife when he becomes embroiled in the investigation of his neighbour’s murder. Directed by Motherland’s Simon Hynd, expect cross-generational friction with the sergeant on the case Gwyneth Keyworth (34) and stunning Welsh locations in every case.
Where to Watch: Streaming on BritBox starting May (6 episodes)
Sirens
Oscar-winner Julianne Moore, 64, is the charismatic core of the female-driven dark comedy as socialite and philanthropist Michaela Kell, enigmatic boss to personal assistant Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock). The intrigue unfolds at a posh beach estate over Labour Day weekend, as older sister Devon DeWitt (Meghann Fahy) worries about the strange hold the job and its luxury lifestyle have on her younger sister. Moore’s billionaire husband Peter is played by Kevin Bacon (66) and Glenn Howerton (49, BlackBerry, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is the bachelor next door. Molly Smith Metzler (Maid) adapts the potboiler of power and class from her 2011 play and, like The White Lotus, it’s both escapist and provocative.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix starting May 22 (5 episodes)
The Better Sister
Sibling rivalry takes on new meaning in this twisty domestic noir adapted from Alafair Burke’s 2019 thriller that stars and is executive produced by Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks. Chloe (Biel, 43) is rich and successful with a picture-perfect life while estranged sister Nicky (Banks, 51) struggles to make ends meet. When Chloe’s husband, a prominent Manhattan lawyer, is murdered and the key suspect is her teenage son Ethan, the sisters are reunited at trial to clear his name. Watch for Lorraine Toussaint, Gloria Reuben and Matthew Modine in supporting roles.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Prime Video starting May 29 (8 episodes)
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