“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” on Showtime
The original “Penny Dreadful” series on Showtime became a bit of a cult favorite, thanks to its mashup of horror and gothic characters like Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and Dorian Gray. A spin-off series, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,” premieres this Sunday on Showtime, and is set in 1930s Los Angeles, where characters must contend with supernatural beings inspired by Mexican folklore, alongside some Nazis, for good measure. It stars Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto and Nathan Lane as a demon queen, and two LAPD detectives, respectively.
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“Defending Jacob” on Apple TV+
Starring Lady Mary Crawley, Captain America and Bill Denbrough — Michelle Dockery, Chris Evans and Jaeden Martell — this drama tells the tale of a couple grappling with the fact that their son may be a murderer. Was it self-defense? Was it a random act? Does he have a “murder gene”? It’s a miniseries, set and filmed in Massachusetts, and it’s ideal for fans of crime procedurals. It premieres on Apple TV+ on April 24.
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“Hollywood” on Netflix
Fans of Ryan Murphy’s many projects like “American Horror Story” and “Pose” have yet another fantastic, gorgeous take on iconic parts of American culture: this time, the golden age of Hollywood. Featuring many of Murphy’s favorite actors, like Darren Criss, Dylan McDermott, Jim Parsons and Patti LuPone, it reimagines 1940s Hollywood as a place where racism, homophobia and sexism have all but been erased — where people like Rock Hudson were able to live out of the closet, and where a studio head is a woman.
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“Upload” on Amazon Prime
Do you love “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation”? Well, Greg Daniels, the co-creator behind both, has a new series on Amazon Prime called “Upload,” a show with a similarly afterlife-themed premise like “The Good Place.” In this show, humans are able to “upload” themselves into their preferred afterlife after they die. It starts on May 1.
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“Creepshow” on AMC
This reboot of the Stephen King/George Romero 1982 anthology movie originally aired on horror streaming platform Shudder, but AMC picked up its first season for more widespread distribution, and it premieres on May 4. The six-hour long episodes include adaptations of stories by Stephen King and Joe Hill, and stars folks like David Arquette, Tobin Bell, Big Boi, Kid Cudi, Giancarlo Esposito and one of the original stars of the movie, Adrienne Barbeau.
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“Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill” on Netflix
OK, it’s just one special, but it’s notable in that this is Jerry Seinfeld’s first comedy special in 22 years. If “Seinfeld” is one of your favorite comfort-viewing series during this uncertain time, this is sure to be a hit. It goes up on Netflix on May 5.
