Among many others, new shows on streaming this week include ripped-from-the-headlines (then fictionalized) political drama The Girls on the Bus, the second half of season two of the critically lauded superhero cartoon Invincible, and Boat Story, my personal pick for the week’s most intriguing new series.
The Girls on the Bus
Inspired by the novel Chasing Hilary by Amy Chozick, this series tells the story of four female journalists on the campaign trail during a turbulent political season. Each represents a different style of news gathering, from print journalism to TikTok—and although the “girls” begin as rivals, life in the foxholes of reporting turns the foursome into a found family. The Girls on the Bus stars Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Natasha Behnam, and Christina Elmore.
Where to stream: Max
Invincible, Season 2, Part 2
This animated superhero show has built up a large following for its R-rated action and compelling story, so the second half of season 2 appearing on Prime Video is cause for celebration in nerdy circles. Invincible’s main character is 17-year-old Mark Grayson, a second-generation superhero living under the shadow of his famous dad, Omni-man, the most powerful man on the planet. According to Prime’s official show description, in the second part of season 2, “Mark goes back to college, reads his dad’s books, and nothing bad happens to him or his family. This is a very official synopsis.” So I’ll go with that.
Where to stream: Prime
Apples Never Fall
If you’re looking for a dark family mystery, look no further than Peacock’s Apples Never Fall. Based on the novel by Liane Moriarty and starring Annette Bening, Sam Neill, Jake Lacy, and Alison Brie, Apples Never Fall tells the story of the disappearance of Joy, matriarch of the Delaney family. The subsequent investigation uncovers drama, disfunction and long-buried family secrets.
Where to stream: Peacock
Boat Story
In this BBC-produced action series, a pair of down-on-their-luck strangers happen upon a shipwrecked boat that’s packed to the rafters with pure cocaine. They decide to sell it, but their get-rich-through-drug-sales scheme goes haywire when they get mixed up with the police, masked assassins, and “The Tailor,” a hardened gang-boss who wants his shipment of cocaine back. Boat Story was created by the people who made the excellent Netflix show The Tourist, and if even comes close to measuring up to that one, you won’t want to miss it.
Where to stream: Prime
Justice, USA
Justice, USA takes a look at the criminal justice system in Nashville through the eyes of inmates, lawyers, administrators, and legislators. Over its six episodes, this powerful documentary brings viewers from inside men’s, women’s, and juvenile jails, and into the halls of power where the laws are made, to examine how justice works in America, circa 2024.
Where to stream: Max
Last week’s picks
The Gentlemen
There are tons of TV shows and movies that glamorize the golden age of the British aristocracy, but inheriting a title and an estate is a new kind of nightmare in The Gentlemen. When Eddie moves into his family’s ancestral mansion, he finds it a crumbling money pit with a drug dealing gang squatting on the estate. With no serfs to burn to keep warm, Eddie turns to crime to get by. Netflix advertises this series as “Old money meets drug money,” and that’s good enough for a click from me, but the show was created and directed by Guy “Two Smoking Barrels” Ritchie, so I might even click it twice.
Where to stream: Netflix
The Regime
Kate Winslet stars in this black comedy series that takes us inside the palace walls of an authoritarian regime. Winslet plays Elena Vernham, the reclusive leader of a fictional European totalitarian state. As Vernham grows more paranoid, her attempts to retain and grow her power fracture the palace and the nation. The Regime also stars Matthias Schoenaerts as Elena’s “personal water diviner” who becomes her closest advisor and Guillaume Gallienne as her poetry-loving husband.
Where to stream: Max
The Reluctant Traveler, Season 2
Comedy legend Eugene Levy’s deadpan delivery carries this travel series with a twist. See, Levy doesn’t like traveling, but he does anyway, and it’s hilarious. In season 2 of The Reluctant Traveler, Levy is stepping out of his comfort zone in Europe, where he’ll bitch about beekeeping in Provence, grouse about kilts in Glasgow, and otherwise fail to display appropriate enthusiasm for the entire Old World.
Where to stream: Apple TV
Queens
The patriarchy slides its tentacles around every aspect of life—even our understanding of the animal kingdom. Queens aims to set the record straight. Through nature footage shot all over the world, from the tundra, to the rainforest, to the sea, and with powerful narration by Angela Bassett, this National Geographic documentary details the badass queens of the animal kingdom.
Where to stream: Hulu
Below Deck, Season 11
This long-running documentary series follows the lives of the salty sea dogs who crew glamorous yachts. While the high-wealth owners are busy cavorting with models and snorting caviar up top, the yachties down below are working hard—and partying even harder during their time off. Season 11 sees a drama-filled luxury vessel heading to the island of Grenada with a crew that includes returning Chief Stew Fraser Olender and deckhand Ben Willoughby, as well as a passel of fresh recruits.
Where to stream: Peacock
