This week’s TV is something of a choose-your-IP adaptation adventure: the ’90s X-Men return, complete with nostalgic animated vibes, in X Men ’97. If you’re looking for an alternate timeline version of a classic video game (and a slightly crazy one at that), there’s the finale Halo season 2.
Then there is 3 Body problem, Netflix’s big-budget adaptation of the blockbuster science fiction novel of the same name (and its sequels). As our editor-in-chief Matt Patches put it in his review: 3 Body problem “feels epic in scale as it explores the messiness of human instinct.”
Among these there are actually no wrong choices; it’s all TV, it’s all a good time. And it’s not even the limit: there’s still TV and a few new options. Here are all of this week’s notable TV premieres and finales.
New shows on Netflix
3 Body problem
Genre: Big budget science fiction
Date of publication: March 21, with all eight episodes
Showrunners/creators: David Benioff, DB Weiss and Alexander Woo
Form: Eiza González, Liam Cunningham, Benedict Wong and more
Physics is breaking, and it’s the end of the world as we know it – that is, unless a group of brilliant scientists can join forces with a shadowy detective to uncover the greatest threat to humanity in all of history.
That’s about as deep as I can go without spoiling it, but the other headlines for this show are: It’s from the showrunners of Game of Thrones And The terror season 2, and based on the popular science fiction book by Cixin Liu.
New shows on Disney Plus
X Men ’97
Genre: Throwback superhero cartoon
Date of publication: 20th of March
Head Writer: Beau DeMayo
Form: Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith and more
X Men ’97 will continue the story of the X-Men: The Animated Series performance from the 90s. The animation – a return in style and tone – will be continued after the death of Professor X with your favorite X-Men (or at least the main ones).
New shows on Paramount Plus
Halo season 2 finale
Photo: Adrienn Szabo/Paramount Plus
Genre: Video game adaptation
Date of publication: 21 March
Showrunner/creator: David Wiener
Form: Pablo Schreiber, Bokeem Woodbine, Natasha McElhone and more
It’s the last episode of Halo season 2 and Master Chief is… still not on Halo (yet!). Maybe soon. At the very least, this season we learned a lot more about the UN Security Council and got some time with the Arbiter. And again, maybe Master Chief is on his way to Halo now!
New shows on Peacock
Top Chef season 21
Genre: Reality competition
Date of publication: March 20 at 9pm EDT on Bravo, the next day on Peacock
Host: Kristen Kis
Form: A top group of top chefs who want to work their way to The Top Chef with their chefs
You know the drill: a group of chefs compete for $250,000 and (perhaps more importantly) the prestige of being dubbed top chief. This season marks the first time that the show will not be hosted by Padma Lakshmi Top Chef: Seattle winner Kristen Kish takes over as host. Will this affect the flavor of the show?
New shows on Apple TV Plus
Palm Royale
Genre: Period drama
Date of publication: March 20, with 3 episodes
Showrunner/creator: Abe Sylvia
Form: Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas and more
It’s 1969 and Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) wants to break into the upper echelons of Palm Beach society. Loosely based on the book Mr and Mrs American Pie by Juliet McDaniel, Maxine’s values are put to the test as she tries to infiltrate (and enjoy) high society by breaking into its most exclusive club: the Palm Royale.
New shows on Crunchyroll
Frieren: Beyond the end of the journey
Genre: Fantasy
Date of publication: March 22nd
Based on the manga by: Kanehito Yamada
It’s the last episode of Frieren: Beyond the end of the journey! Episode 28 of Frieren will be the last hopefully only for now, but it will depend on how production schedules – and the will of the gods – work out. Either way, be prepared to achieve this End of the journey with a hint of bittersweet.