April has a handful of interesting new TV shows premiering (we’ve highlighted a few of them below), but this is primarily a month for returning champions. The Handmaid’s Tale (finally) returns for its sixth and final season on Hulu, we’re getting a new batch of Black Mirror episodes with its upcoming seventh season, and we’ll remember how lethal mushrooms can be when The Last of Us returns for Season 2. But that’s not all! Hacks, You, Andor, and The Rehearsal are also set to debut new seasons this month. If you’ve been putting off catching up on any of these shows, now is your chance.
Our guide to the best TV and streaming movies in April is divided into three sections: the best shows to watch this month, the best shows to watch by streaming service, and a calendar of TV highlights. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it below.
The best shows to watch in April
Pulse (April 3, Netflix)
Described by Netflix as its first English-language medical procedural, Pulse takes place at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Miami. The facility is already busy enough on its own, but the series begins just as the city is being hit by a deadly hurricane. In the midst of the chaos, Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) is promoted to chief resident, a role she absolutely does not want — and one that was previously held by Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell), with whom Danny has a secret past. Pulse also stars Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, and Justina Machado. -Kat Moon [Trailer]
Dying for Sex (April 4, Hulu)
Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate seem like one of those delightful on-screen pairings that should have already happened, so let’s all give thanks to Dying for Sex, which makes it a reality. The series, from New Girl creator Elizabeth Meriwether and producer Kim Rosenstock, is inspired by the story of Molly Kochan (played here by Williams), who decides to leave her husband and explore her sexual desires after receiving a diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Slate co-stars as her best friend, Nikki. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6 (April 8, Hulu)
If you’ve stuck with The Handmaid’s Tale through five harrowing seasons, this is your reward. (And if you’ve fallen away from the show but still haven’t shaken it, this is your cue to catch up.) The sixth and final season of Hulu’s dystopian drama promises a revolution, which, according to the official synopsis, “highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom.” As expected, June (Elisabeth Moss) will be pulled back into the fight to take down Gilead this season, while those around her will have to choose their side in the resistance. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer] [Everything to know about Season 6]
Black Mirror Season 7 (April 10, Netflix)
The dystopian anthology series from Charlie Brooker is finally back. Black Mirror Season 7 features six episodes, including a sequel to the critically acclaimed “USS Callister” from Season 4. Cristin Milioti reprises her role as Nanette Cole, who now captains the crew that revolted against Jesse Plemons’ Robert Daly. Season 7 might also feature a follow-up to the interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, as both Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry — who starred as the prodigious game designer Colin Ritman and the founder of Tuckersoft, Mohan Thakur, respectively — have been announced as part of this season’s cast. -Kat Moon [Trailer] [Everything to know about Black Mirror Season 7]
Hacks Season 4 (April 10, Max)
The third season of Hacks ended with a thrilling mic drop — “Wouldn’t you?” — as Ava (Hannah Einbinder) stole back her dream job as Deborah’s (Jean Smart) head writer by blackmailing her. Season 4 promises to dig into the fallout of that ruthless power play, following the two as they try to get their act together for Deborah’s history-making late night show. The buzz and the accolades are at an all-time high for Hacks — no pressure. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
The Last of Us Season 2 (April 13, HBO)
HBO’s hit adaptation of the Naughty Dog video game is returning, and the Infected should be the least of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) worries. The Last of Us Season 2 takes place five years after the events of Season 1 — including the massacre in the hospital — and adapts a part of the game’s sequel, The Last of Us Part II. Stars joining the upcoming chapter include Kaitlyn Dever, who will play Abby; Young Mazino, who will play Jesse; Isabela Merced, who will play Dina; and Jeffrey Wright, who will play Isaac, reprising his role from the game. Catherine O’Hara has also joined the Season 2 cast. -Kat Moon [Trailer] [Everything to know about Season 2]
The Rehearsal Season 2 (April 20, HBO)
For a very specific type of person, The Rehearsal was the biggest show of 2022. Nathan Fielder’s surreal dark comedy purported to help people prepare for life’s biggest moments via elaborate simulations but, as Fielder’s projects usually do, ended up spiraling into something a lot bigger and weirder. It’s returning for a second season, as teased by a short clip that shows Fielder wearing his laptop harness from Season 1 as he supervises the construction of a set. As expected, the details are minimal, but per HBO, in Season 2 “the urgency of Fielder’s project grows as he decides to put his resources toward an issue that affects us all.” Sounds about right! -Allison Picurro [Teaser]
Andor Season 2 (April 22, Disney+)
Most Star Wars television is oriented directly at die-hard fans of the franchise — The Mandalorian and Ahsoka are essentially direct sequels to the Clone Wars and Rebels cartoons, respectively — but Andor is more interested in telling a good story than pandering to the franchise’s base. This series, which comes from creator Tony Gilroy, charts the rise of the Rebel spy who led the mission to steal the Death Star plans in Rogue One, but really, it is an excellent thriller wearing Star Wars clothing. Because it follows the title character, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), from boyhood on, it gives us an in-depth portrait of everyday life in the Star Wars universe in a way that none of the movies or other TV series have ever attempted. Andor isn’t “pretty good for a Star War” — it’s the best thing to come from Star Wars on the big or small screen since the original trilogy. -Phil Owen [Trailer]
Étoile (April 24, Prime Video)
Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, brings her signature chatterbox dialogue to the world of ballet in this new eight-episode series. Set in New York City and Paris, it follows a pair of renowned dance companies as they enact a grand plan to save their troupes by swapping stars. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Luke Kirby star. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
You Season 5 (April 24, Netflix)
In the final season of You, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) is back where it all began: New York City. Only this time, he’s experiencing the Big Apple as a member of the ultra-rich, thanks to his marriage to Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) — now the CEO of the Lockwood Corporation. Picking up three years after the couple left London, You Season 5 follows the serial killer as he develops a connection with playwright Bronte (Madeline Brewer). Old habits die hard, and it shouldn’t take long before Joe’s new public image as Prince Charming crumbles. -Kat Moon [Teaser] [Everything to know about You Season 5]
What’s on Netflix, Max, Hulu, and more in April
Netflix’s best new shows and movies in April
After a slightly barren March, Netflix is springing back in full bloom this April. Two of the streamer’s most popular series are returning, starting with Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, which with every season becomes disturbingly closer to our present reality. The cast for the dystopian series’ seventh season is stacked, featuring returning stars, like Cristin Milioti and Will Poulter, and new additions, including Emma Corrin, Paul Giamatti, and Issa Rae. Another chilling Netflix drama coming back in April is You. The fifth and final season of the thriller brings Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg back to New York City as he confronts his inner demons one last time. Here’s our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix in April, plus everything coming to and leaving Netflix in April.
HBO and Max’s best new shows and movies in April
The most exciting premieres on HBO and Max in April don’t start arriving until the month is in full swing, but at least it gives us plenty to look forward to. The fourth season of Hacks, premiering April 10, kicks off the trio of returning shows, with the highly anticipated second season of The Last of Us premiering a few days later on April 13, and the second season of Nathan Fielder’s surreal The Rehearsal beginning on April 20. Here’s our list of the best shows and movies on HBO and Max in April, plus everything coming to HBO and Max in April.
Hulu’s best new shows and movies in April
All good tales must come to and end, and The Handmaid’s Tale, one of Hulu’s most popular and successful series and the highlight of Hulu’s new TV shows coming out in April, wraps up its six-season run beginning April 8. For another show about a woman standing up for her needs, get in the mood for Dying for Sex. The FX series, which will air exclusively on Hulu, stars Emmy-winner Michelle Williams as a woman whose cancer diagnosis encourages her to leave the safety of her stable life with her husband and take a risk by exploring her sexuality before she dies. Here’s our list of the best shows and movies on Hulu in April, plus everything coming to Hulu in April.
Amazon Prime Video’s best new shows and movies in April
As our president continues to do whatever it is he’s doing, you might wish he were more like Viola Davis in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video action thriller G20, in which the Oscar winner plays the American president during a terrorist takeover of the G20 summit. But instead of hiding behind bodyguards, she shoots her way out. Also coming to the streamer in April is the new series Étoile, from Gilmore Girls’ Amy Sherman-Palladino, a ballet drama that’s as light on its feet as it is with its tongue, and the supernatural drama The Bondsman, starring Kevin Bacon as a demon-slaying bounty hunter. And making the move from the Amazon-owned MGM+ to Prime Video is Nickel Boys, the Academy Award-nominated film from RaMell Ross. Here’s our list of the best shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in April, plus everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in April.
Peacock’s new shows and movies in April
Who would you rather take on in a dark alley, WWE wrestler John Cena or Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Elliot Stabler? (Gimme Cena; Stabler looks like he’d deliver a low blow then bite me in the ear.) Well, you’ll be able to size them both up on Peacock in April, as the streaming service’s highlights include the two-day Wrestlemania 41 event and the Season 5 premiere of the Law & Order spin-off. Here’s our list of everything coming to Peacock in April.
Paramount+’s new shows and movies in April
If you love famous people and are looking for a new show to watch on Paramount+ this April, check out Guy Ritchie’s new series MobLand, which follows two warring crime families in London and stars Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren. (The show was originally supposed to be a prequel for Showtime’s Ray Donovan before becoming a standalone story.) It premieres March 30 and drops new episodes weekly, on Sundays. Also coming to Paramount+ and Paramount+ with Showtime in April are The Carters: Hurts to Love You, a two-part documentary about Aaron and Nick Carter, as told by their sister Angel Conrad; the concert special An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile; and the Ralph Fiennes-Juliette Binoche drama film The Return. Here’s our list of everything coming to Paramount+ in April.
Tubi’s new shows and movies in April
April is a pretty light month for Tubi, but hey, it’s free! The saying goes, “You get what you pay for,” but in this case, you’re still getting even more than what you pay for, which, I will remind you, is nothing except your time spent sitting through a few commercials. Besides, one of the all-time great horror movies — Ari Aster’s Hereditary — is coming to Tubi in the middle of the month. Also coming to Tubi in April are the Kill Bill, G.I. Joe, Scary Movie, and Bill & Ted film franchises; the Tubi originals Play Dirty, Checkmate, and An Unusual Suspect; and new episodes of the wrestling series WWE: Evolve. Here’s our list of everything coming to Tubi in April.
April TV calendar highlights
Friday, April 18
Dead Mail (Film, Shudder)
Jane (Season 3, Apple TV+)
Light & Magic (Season 2, Disney+)
Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror (Documentary, Netflix)
Sunday, April 20
The Rehearsal (Season 2, HBO)
Monday, April 21
Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey (Documentary, Netflix)
Tuesday, April 22
Andor (Season 2, Disney+)
Guardians of the Galapagos (Special, Disney+)
Sea Lions of the Galapagos (Documentary, Disney+)
Wednesday, April 23
Battle Camp (Season 1, Netflix)
Bullet Train Explosion (Film, Netflix)
Carlos Alcaraz: My Way (Docuseries, Netflix)
A Tragedy Foretold: Flight 3054 (Docuseries, Netflix)
Thursday, April 24
Black Snow (Season 2, AMC+)
Étoile (Season 1, Prime Video)
I, Jack Wright (Season 1, BritBox)
Vanderpump Villa (Season 2, Hulu)
You (Season 5, Netflix)
Friday, April 25
Havoc (Film, Netflix)
Monday, April 28
Chef’s Table: Legends (Season 1, Netflix)
Yes, Chef! (Season 1, NBC)
Tuesday, April 29
Wear Whatever the F You Want (Season 1, Prime Video)
Wednesday, April 30
Carême (Season 1, Apple TV+)
