The (unofficial) theme of new TV this week: reality.
You can’t really get it without intervention; even in a literal “reality” show like Netflix The circle, it’s still quite edited (as anyone who watches reality shows can tell you). But it’s not the only show looking to “real life” for a story this week. It is accompanied by Conan O’Brien’s travelogue returning to TV and the long-expected sequel to The Jinx with a look at life in prison by Robert Durst. Even many of this week’s fiction offerings adapt true stories Quest packing and Lily Gladstone’s direction Under the bridge debuts.
If you want to escape the current times – or simply find another way to break them – remember that Shogun has its penultimate episode tomorrow ( ) and Fallout only just now came out.
Here are this week’s best new TV premieres and finales.
New shows on Netflix
The Circle season 6
Genre: Reality show competition
Date of publication: April 17, with four episodes
Host: Michelle Buteau
Form: A bunch of isolated chatters
You know the drill: a large number of isolated competitors try to win a big cash prize while ganging up on, hating, and possibly even catfishing each other in small chat rooms.
New shows on Hulu
Under the bridge
Genre: Twisty murder mystery
Date of publication: April 17, with two episodes
Director: Geeta Pastel
Form: Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone and more
Based on the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, Under the bridge follows the investigation into the murder of a 14-year-old girl through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and the local police officer (Lily Gladstone) who wants to uncover the truth. Now that seven teenage girls and a boy are accused of a brutal murder, the stakes are high highand the twists – hopefully – even more consequential.
New programs on Max
Conan O’Brien has to go
Genre: Celebrity docuseries (travelogue version)
Date of publication: April 18, with all episodes
Showrunner/creator: Conan O’Brien
Form: Conan O’Brien and some fans
Conan O’Brien heads out to meet some of the more notable fans he’s connected with through his podcast: Conan O’Brien needs a fan. And that takes him around the world, with four episodes charting his travels to Ireland, Norway, Thailand and Argentina. While there he will see the sights, try Muay Thai and much more.
The Jinx part two
Genre: Crime documentary series
Date of publication: April 21, with one episode
Showrunner/creator: Andreas Jarecki
Form: Robert Durst, more researchers
It feels like ancient Obama-era history at this point, but: The Jinx Season 1 aired in the first half of 2015 and ended on a fairly climactic note, with Robert Durst admitting to committing murder on a hot mic. Part two will chart the filmmakers’ eight years of further investigation, uncovering new hidden material, showing interviews with new witnesses and revealing Durst’s prison calls.
New shows on Apple TV Plus
Final of the manhunt
Image: Apple TV Plus
Genre: Historical drama
Date of publication: April 19, with two episodes
Showrunner/creator: Monica Beletsky
Form: Tobias Menzies, Hamish Linklater, Anthony Boyle and more
Just in time for the anniversary of Abe Lincoln’s death, Quest ends his manhunt. The tension here isn’t whether they’ll get their man – we know that story. The suspense is what it will do to them, and to the nation, as they do.
New shows on The Roku Channel
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Genre: Fantasy YES
Date of publication: April 19, with all episodes
Showrunner/creator: Aron Eli Coleite
Form: Christian Slater, Joy Bryant, Lyon Daniels and more
After returning to their childhood home in Henson, Michigan, a group of children discover that the Spiderwick Estate is home to more than just family history: it also has some boggarts and the promise of more magical creatures to come. Oh, and now they also have to find the pages of an old family guidebook to magical creatures, as there’s a murderous ogre waiting in the wings. No place like home!