11 of the best TV shows to watch this April

From the return of HBO’s zombie apocalypse thriller to Michelle Williams in a provocative new position.

On this droll new collection, Kevin Bacon provides demon-chasing bounty-hunter to his lengthy checklist of horror characters. Hub Halloran was a bounty hunter earlier than his homicide, however when he lands on the opposite aspect, the satan himself offers him a second probability at redemption, reanimating him and sending him again among the many dwelling to trace down and return demons who’ve escaped hell. The catch: if he fails at his job he will likely be referred to as again into the flames eternally. In his downtime from searching demons – they’ve piercing yellow pupils, the higher to establish them – he tries to reconcile together with his estranged household. The Bondsman is produced by Blumhouse, the corporate behind such hit horror franchises as The Purge, so there’s cause to imagine on this present with a cockeyed premise, which manages to throw in nation music.  

The Bondsman premieres 3 April on Amazon Prime internationally

Netflix contributes to the apparently countless stream of soapy medical dramas with this collection about college students and residents at a Miami trauma hospital. On the centre is Danielle (Willa Fitzgerald) who’s appointed chief resident when the earlier chief – inconveniently her ex, Xander (Colin Woodell) – is suspended. However wait! There is a hurricane on the way in which, so Xander does not go away the hospital and collectively they thrash out their private points in between saving lives. Justina Machado (One Day at a Time) performs their boss, the Chair of Emergency Medication. The terrific Max collection The Pitt has confirmed how nicely this creaky style can work, and that present is about to drop its season finale, so Pulse may fill the hole. Simply be ready for evergreen traces like, “He’ll code!” and, “For those who go one millimetre too far, she dies!”

Pulse premieres 3 April on Netflix internationally

Considered one of Michelle Williams’ finest performances was as Gwen Verdon within the tv collection Fosse/Verdon, and right here she takes on one other wealthy small-screen position as Molly, a girl recognized with Stage IV breast most cancers, who decides to spend her final months on a no-holds-barred journey to indulge herself sexually whereas there’s nonetheless time. Jenny Slate performs Nikki, her finest pal and wingperson. The collection is predicated on the Wondery podcast created by Nikki Boyer about her pal Molly Kochan, the real-life inspiration for the present. Jay Duplass performs Molly’s husband, Sissy Spacek is her mom and Rob Delaney a neighbour in a collection that leavens the drama with comedy. Critics have raved about Williams and the present, with the Observer saying “the collection’ comedy by no means strikes a mistaken notice”, and The Daily Beast calling it “a close to good amalgamation of absurdity and tragedy”.

Dying for Intercourse premieres 4 April on Hulu within the US and Disney+ within the UK and internationally

Few exhibits have had the cultural influence of The Handmaid’s Tale. Girls protestors in actual life have marched in purple cloaks, referencing the handmaids within the collection’ misogynistic state of Gilead and symbolising oppression. The present’s plot has lengthy since outrun the Margaret Atwood novel it’s based mostly on, and on this sixth and last season June (Elisabeth Moss), having escaped to freedom in Canada, leaves and continues combating with the resistance. Essentially the most chilling characters return, with Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, Yvonne Strahovski as Serena and Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence. This last season will supply “feel-good episodes”, the collection showrunner, Yahlin Chang, informed TV Insider. In a current panel conversation the creators additionally spoke about this season touchdown in a political local weather that has left them “bewildered”: “We have to meet this second,” mentioned Whitford. “Our ladies aren’t Marvel characters, they’re odd ladies who’re doing extraordinary issues,” government producer Warren Littlefield added, declaring that the present’s last message is “the struggle will not be over, however the battle continues”.

The Handmaid’s Story premieres 8 April on Hulu within the US

Jean Sensible is beloved by followers for her Emmy-winning role as Deborah Vance, the old-school stand-up comedian who has discovered a profession resurgence with the assistance of her younger author and frenemy, Ava (Hannah Einbinder). Because the fourth season begins, Deborah has realised her dream of internet hosting a late-night speak present, solely to have the ruthlessly formidable Ava blackmail her approach into being named head author. The connection between Deborah and Ava – generally mentor-mentee, generally rivals, generally loving and at all times fraught – is the center of the collection, however its success rests largely on Sensible’s completely acerbic supply. Julianne Nicholson is among the many season’s visitor stars in a present that comically and deftly addresses large points together with sexism and ageing within the leisure trade. 

Hacks premieres 10 April on Max

Since Charlie Brooker’s dystopian sci-fi collection began in 2011, the actual world has more and more caught as much as the present, with the mainstream use of synthetic intelligence being simply probably the most conspicuous instance. The seventh season of the anthology consists of, unusually, a sequel. It returns to USS Callister, the present’s traditional Star Trek homage, with Cristin Milioti (The Penguin) as a pc programmer who finds herself cloned inside a online game. “Usually I kill off characters on the finish of an episode, [but] I stored a few of them alive. I am rising as a human,” Brooker has said. The opposite 5 episodes are filled with well-known faces, as its zealous followers have come to anticipate. They embody Awkwafina, Paul Giamatti, Emma Corrin, Will Poulter, Peter Capaldi, Issa Rae, Chris O’Dowd, Tracee Ellis Ross and Rashida Jones. Textual content within the trailer flashes the phrases, “Lose Your Thoughts. Lose Your Actuality.” Let’s hope these phrases do not come again to hang-out us in actual life, however then Brooker has a approach of being only a step forward.

Black Mirror premieres 10 April on Netflix internationally

Jon Hamm has had some nice, attention-getting supporting roles since Mad Males, together with the bullying, corrupt sheriff in the latest season of Fargo and the slick gazillionaire in The Morning Present. However he’s as soon as once more the primary character on this comedian drama about Andrew Cooper, often known as Coop, a wealthy hedge-fund supervisor who loses his job and sees his privileged life and identification slipping away. Struggling to maintain up appearances and help his ex-wife and their teenaged youngsters, he resorts to stealing jewels, designer luggage and different valuables from his mates. Amanda Peet performs his ex-wife, who left him for one among his finest mates, and Olivia Munn is his on-and-off fling. The present was created by novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper (That is The place I Go away You). Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) directed the primary two episodes of this vibrant collection which, in excellent news, has already been ordered for a second season.

Your Mates and Neighbors premieres 11 April on Apple TV+ internationally

One of many best, most gripping shows of recent years returns for its second season of individuals making an attempt to outlive a zombie apocalypse. The story picks up 5 years after the earlier season ended, however Joel – Pedro Pascal in his breakthrough position – and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) at the moment are estranged, creating a brand new dynamic. That is only one change. There will likely be a brand new variant of the contaminated creatures, smarter and extra deadly than the previous breed. Kaitlyn Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar) joins the solid as soldier Abby, already inflicting a lot on-line chatter as a result of Dever is bodily slighter than the character within the online game the collection is predicated on. And Catherine O’Hara takes on a dramatic position as Joel’s therapist, as a result of who would not want one after all the pieces he is been by means of? Pascal, who offers Joel such fierce vitality, informed Empire journal that the brand new season “additional checks our power in opposition to a world we’re already afraid to be in”.

The Final of Us premieres 13 April on HBO within the US and Sky Atlantic within the UK

David Oyelowo, final seen on tv as a Nineteenth-Century US Marshal in Lawman: Bass Reeves, heads to the twentieth Century on this surreal comedy and redemption story set in 1969 California. He performs Hampton Chambers, not too long ago launched from jail the place he was serving time for housebreaking. He’s decided to regain the boldness of his spouse and two grown sons, and alter the household fortunes by inventing a self-sharpening drill referred to as Bit Magician. These fortunes are floundering if the title is a clue. Authorities cheese refers back to the bricks of processed cheese the US authorities as soon as distributed to individuals who certified for meals help. Oyelowo was drawn to the present’s most surreal side, Hampton’s non secular quest, telling Variety his character has “this bizarre interplay with God, the place he has a really direct relationship to the purpose whereby miracles, the likes of which we see within the Bible, are manifesting in his life”.

Authorities Cheese premieres 16 April on Apple TV+ internationally

The much-anticipated second season of this prequel to the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) concludes the backstory of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and his journey from scrappy thief to fighter within the Insurgent Alliance, and the heroic determine he’s within the movie. The numerous film spin-off collection on Disney+ have been up and down, however there’s huge settlement that Andor is without doubt one of the finest. In a consultant view, Vulture‘s headline for its first season evaluate mentioned, “Andor is the Remedy for Star Wars Ennui”, and went on to name it “probably the most difficult and invigorating work on this galaxy in years”. Tony Gilroy, the collection’ creator, returns for the ultimate go-round, together with a solid that features Stellan Skarsgård, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker and loads of Stormtroopers. Disney+ has given the brand new season an enormous, assured push by making the primary out there on Hulu and YouTube.

Andor premieres 22 April within the US and 23 April within the UK on Disney+

Amy Sherman-Palladino has created two wildly common exhibits, Gilmore Women and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. However her newest echoes her lesser-known, fantastic Bunheads (2012), with Sutton Foster as a Las Vegas showgirl turned small-town ballet instructor. That present solely lasted a season, however has since been embraced by a cult of followers. Étoile is a comic book drama with a much bigger dance-world canvas, as ballet firms in New York and Paris determine to commerce their star dancers in an effort to shore up their flagging establishments. Charlotte Gainsbourg performs the pinnacle of the Paris firm and Luke Kirby (Lenny Bruce in Mrs. Maisel) the pinnacle of the New York troupe. The solid additionally consists of Simon Callow and Lou de Laâge, together with dancers from the New York Metropolis Ballet and Boston Ballet. As at all times, a Sherman-Palladino present guarantees each comedian mayhem and sharp dialogue.

Étoile premieres 24 April on Amazon Prime internationally