Want to know what to watch this weekend? There's a wealth of new shows and movies to stream on Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Hulu and other top streaming services.
Ted Lasso season 3 heads up the list, as the feel-good comedy is back after a long hiatus. Ted believes in his team as much as ever, though dark clouds loom in the form of his turncoat ex-assistant and relegation.
Another fan-favorite returning show is Shadow and Bone season 2, the fantasy series based on the Grishaverse books. Sun Summoner Alina Starkov must find a way to defeat the evil Darkling and eradicate the deadly Shadow Fold.
As far as new series go, Bob Odenkirk returns to his AMC stomping grounds as a curmudgeonly professor in Lucky Hank, while a cast of big-name stars tackle the terrors of climate change in Extrapolations. Also, Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon team up to expose the Boston Strangler, in one of the top new movies to watch online this week.
Here’s our guide on what to watch this weekend.
Ted Lasso season 3 (Apple TV Plus)
While it may feel like approximately 300 years have passed since Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) celebrated AFC Richmond’s promotion into the Premier League, it’s been a little less than a year and a half. Droughlander, this is not. That gulf seems wider mostly because the show left off with two major developments: a shocking heel turn by Nate (Nick Mohammed) and a worrisome relationship hiccup between Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley (Juno Temple).
Season 3 picks up a few months later, at the start of the new season. Both storylines get updates, but the major arc is the team’s performance. Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) worries about re-relegation while her ex’s club, now managed by Nick, contends at the top of the table. As for Ted, he’s as optimistic as ever, but begins to question why he remains in England. It seems like a set-up for an inevitable series finale.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus (opens in new tab)
Lucky Hank (AMC)
Better Call Saul left a big hole in the television landscape (and our hearts) when it ended last year, but perhaps Bob Odenkirk’s new dramedy will prove to be a worthy consolation. Based on Richard Russo’s novel Straight Man, the story centers on William Henry “Hank” Devereaux Jr. (Odenkirk), chairman of the English department at the fictional Railton College.
Grumpy, self-proclaimed “difficult” Hank is undergoing something of a mid-life crisis. He keeps finding himself involved in irritating situations, from an encounter with an aggressive goose to a public call-out for belittling students. Meanwhile, his wife (Mireille Enos) wants to move — with or without him.
Airing Sunday, March 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC (via Sling (opens in new tab) or Fubo (opens in new tab))
Shadow and Bone season 2 (Netflix)
The fantasy series based on Leigh Bardugo’s books is finally back after two long years. Fans have long anticipated returning to the Grishaverse. When Shadow and Bone season 2 picks up, Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and best friend Mal (Archie Renaux) are still on the run from the Darkling, General Kirigan (Ben Barnes).
As the Sun Summoner, Alina can eliminate the Shadow Fold, the dangerous expanse of darkness that divides their kingdom. But Kirigan has gained more power and is a bigger threat than ever. To defeat him, Alina and Mal must journey to new lands to find allies and weapons that can help them. Read my Shadow and Bone season 2 review for spoiler-y thoughts.
Streaming now on Netflix (opens in new tab)
Boston Strangler (Hulu)
The latest true crime drama goes old school to cover a string of murders in the early 1960s committed by an infamous killer dubbed the Boston Strangler. That name came from newspaper articles written by two Record-American journalists, whose work takes center stage in the film.
Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) is the first person to connect the murders of local women, but has to overcome the skepticism of her editors. Fellow reporter Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) joins her cause and together, they challenge sexism and face personal risk to pursue the investigation.
Streaming now on Hulu (opens in new tab)
Extrapolations (Apple TV Plus)
Climate change is the big bad in this star-studded drama series from writer/director Scott Z. Burns (who previously made the prescient pandemic movie Contagion). Eight interwoven stories explore the horrific, catastrophic effects of climate change on the world in the near future, in the years 2037 to 2070.
The perspectives range from a tech trillionaire (Kit Harington) with a patent that could save lives to a dying grandmother (Meryl Streep) to an earnest rabbi (Daveed Diggs). Other characters are portrayed by Edward Norton, Diane Lane, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Forest Whitaker and Gemma Chan, among others. All of them are facing the same struggle: how to move forward when Earth is dying?
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus (opens in new tab)
Swarm (Prime Video)
Created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, this horror thriller series takes inspiration from stan culture — specifically Beyoncé stans (or the Beyhive). Dre (Dominique Fishback) is obsessed with a fictional pop star named Ni'Jah, whose fans are known as the Swarm.
When tragedy strikes, Dre’s devotion takes a dark turn. She embarks on a cross-country mission to demonstrate just how much she believes in her idol. Her spree is no less bloody or violent than any religious war in history. The result is a disturbing, yet also brutally satirical take on the dangers of any cult of personality.
Streaming now on Prime Video (opens in new tab)
Sanditon season 3 (PBS)
Jane Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon has progressed and flourished in television form. Will season 3 finally give Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) and Georgiana Lambe (Crystal Clarke) their happily ever afters? At the start, Charlotte returns to the titular seaside town for the society event of the year, Georgiana's 21st birthday.
While Charlotte is engaged to some random farmer, sparks still fly when she encounters former employer Alexander Colbourne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes). Meanwhile, Georgiana continues to search for a suitor who isn’t just interested in her inheritance. A few new faces arrive in town, certain to cause more romantic intrigue for the heroines.
Airing Sunday, March 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on PBS (opens in new tab) (free via TV antenna)
What else to watch this weekend
Gotham Knights (The CW)
Bruce Wayne’s adopted son Turner Hayes forges an unlikely alliance with the Joker’s daughter.
Streaming now on The CW (opens in new tab)
Power Book II: Ghost season 3 (Starz)
More family drama and surprising new alliances are in store for Tariq, Brayden and Monet.
Airing Friday, March 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Starz (opens in new tab)
Bono and The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, With David Letterman (Disney Plus)
U2’s lead singer and guitarist perform and reflect on their journey.
Streaming now on Disney Plus (opens in new tab)
