Premieres Wednesday:
Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All — Most pop stars would be perfectly content with a documentary film about their life and work. But that’s not good enough for ginger überwuss Ed Sheeran, who somehow needs an entire four-part series to explain how he stuttered his way to global simpdom. The show is also an extended ad for his new album, – (“Subtract”), which follows in the mathematically monikered footsteps of predecessors + (“Plus”), * (“Multiply”), / (“Divide”) and = (“Equals”). Christ, what a 2. (Disney+)
Great British Baking Show: Juniors — The contestants in Season 7 apply their skills to such delicacies as Piggy Rolls, Steamed Panda Buns and Peanut Millionaire’s Shortbread. But will stateside audiences get the joke that those are all nicknames Charles and Camilla used for parts of each other’s anatomy? (Netflix)
Jewish Matchmaking — The folks behind Indian Matchmaking introduce us to Aleeza Ben Shalom, who fixes up folks both in America and the Holy Land. Her adherence to centuries-old tradition might seem like a bit of a stumbling block, but at least it could give Netflix material for a second season of Unorthodox. (Netflix)
Premieres Thursday:
Bupkis — A series dramatization of the life and struggles of Pete Davidson sounds about as enticing as hosting your coming-out party at Grills. But add a dose of Charlie Kaufman and a dash of “Weird Al” Yankovic, and you have an avant-garde romp that submits Edie Falco as Pete’s mom and Joe Pesci as his granddad. The things some people will do — right, Ariana? (Peacock)
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story — Explore the foundations of the Bridgerverse in a prequel series that shows how Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz’s marriage to King George III hurtled England into the future. Never again would something as trivial as Black ancestry be able to threaten the underpinnings of the monarchy, because … OOOH, nice one, mates. (Netflix)
The Other Two — As Season 3 commences, Cary and Brooke think they may have finally stepped out of the shadow of their annoyingly famous kid brother … only to find the goalposts of success moved on them yet again. This must be how Mary-Kate and Ashley feel every time they see a Scarlet Witch sippy cup. (HBO Max)
Sanctuary — Less The Karate Kid than The Bareass Brat, this YA series follows a troubled teen who enters the world of sumo wrestling. But will he come to appreciate it as a genuine religious ritual, not just a chance to score money and chicks? Hope so, because there isn’t a lot of room to sew a Valvoline logo on one of those little thongs. (Netflix)
Star Wars Visions — Volume 2 of the animated anthology series turns a new bunch of international animators loose on the Star Wars franchise, letting them do whatever they want with it. Must be a nice change of pace from the lockstep vision and airtight continuity Disney has exerted over the theatrical films. (Disney+)
Premieres Friday:
Disney Intertwined Live — Happy Sinkhole de Mayo, pendejos! Celebrate the holiday with a live concert featuring songs from Intertwined, the Argentine series about an aspiring singer who gains greater insight into her family’s musical history by traveling all the way back to 1994. I understand Frances Bean Cobain tried this, but she just kept finding herself in the back of a cab. (Disney+)
Silo — Imagine you’re one of the last 10,000 people on Earth, and you get to live in a protective environment a full mile beneath its surface. Your safety and security are paramount, and your every need is taken care of. Sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it? But not so fast there: You have to share it with Tim Robbins. (Apple TV+)
Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi — Season 2 includes a trip to Florida’s Tarpon Springs to examine the culinary traditions of that community’s immense Greek population. “Sounds kinda swarthy,” remarks noted food blogger Randy Fine. “Imma need to see some papers.” (Hulu)
Premieres Monday:
Spirit Rangers — Your preschooler’s favorite trio of Native American kids who can turn into spirit animals is back for a second season of culturally minded adventures. This time, we learn why you should never sell your sandbox to the U.S. government. (Netflix)
Two Sides of the Abyss — This six-part German drama depicts the emotional turmoil that befalls a police officer when the man who killed her daughter is released from prison. Yeah, that’s gotta be tough. Fortunately, the Germans are a resilient people: Look how long they’ve been able to put up with Heino. (HBO Max)
Premieres Tuesday:
Hannah Gadsby: Something Special — The celebrated comic takes to the stage of the Sydney Opera House to crack wise about their marriage in their third special for Netflix — yes, the same operation Gadsby called an “amoral algorithm cult” not too long ago. Time heals all wounds, I guess. Or maybe the company smoothed it over by promising not to mail out any more Dave Chappelle DVDs. (Netflix)
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This article appears in May 3-9, 2023.