Welcome to another Global Comment monthly preview in which we take a look at the best TV and streaming series that will be premiering in the coming weeks.
Heading into May, a host of TV projects will be coming to all corners of the globe. Thrillers, dramas, romances, series based on acclaimed bestsellers and even the latest season of Doctor Who are just around the corner – May promises to be a feast for the eyes!
Overall, the month’s content is deliciously varied and we will be able to enjoy a generous offering of premiere series, including the historical drama The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the spiky sci-fi series Dark Matter, and the unnerving thriller Eric, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. New and eagerly awaited seasons of Acapulco, Doctor Who and Bridgerton will also be hitting our screens very soon.
For all this and more, check out our selection of the must-see shows to watch this month.
Acapulco
Apple TV+ | Season 3 | Release date: Wednesday, May 01
In 2021, Apple TV+ aired the first season of the bilingual comedy Acapulco. With a main story set in the 1980s, Acapulco takes the audience behind the scenes at the Las Colinas resort as it follows employee Maximo Gallardo as he steadfastly attempts to conquer his dreams.
The third season of the acclaimed Apple TV+ comedy continues Maximo’s journey in the titular Mexican paradise and bridges the gap between the younger and older versions of the character. Actors Eugenio Derbez and Enrique Arrizon play the character of Maximo Gallardo. (Derbez plays Maximo in the present day and Enrique Arrizon brings him to life in 1985).
This time around, Maximo finds himself having to reconcile past mistakes and exciting beginnings.
“In the current story, Maximo (Derbez), now older, will return to a Las Colinas he no longer recognizes. Meanwhile, in 1985, the younger Maximo (Arrizon) continues to climb the ladder of success, while also potentially jeopardizing the relationships he has worked so hard to build, whether with romantic interest Julia (Camila Perez) or best friend Memo (Fernando Carsa).”
In addition to Derbez, Arrizon, Perez and Carsa, the third season features the inclusion of familiar faces from Apple TV+ such as Cristo Fernandez (Ted Lasso) and Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin). The series will premiere with two episodes, before the rest are uploaded weekly to the streamer.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Sky Atlantic (United Kingdom), Peacock (United States) | Season Premiere | Release date: Thursday, May 2
In May 2022, Sky Atlantic and Peacock revealed that the best-selling The Tattooist of Auschwitz, written by Heather Morris, would be made into a limited TV series that would hit the small screen in 2024.
The TV show’s synopsis reads:
“The Auschwitz Tattooist tells the true story of Lali Sokolov (Jonah Hauer-King), a Slovakian Jew who, in 1942, was deported to the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War II. There he is given the job of tattooing identification numbers on the arms of his fellow prisoners. While doing so, Lali meets a young woman named Gita (Anna Prochniak) and just like that begins a courageous love story in which both must take unfathomable risks to survive and stay together.”
“In Auschwitz, a factory of death and dehumanisation, Lale and Gita’s love story is an act of defiance,” stated the director of the television series, Tali Shalom-Ezer. “It is the choice to remain human. I’m inspired and honoured to bring this story to life, alongside the talented team of people assembled.”
Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey, Harvey Keitel and Jonas Nay will star in the Sky Atlantic and Peacock adaptation. Notably, Hans Zimmer, known for his iconic soundtracks for the films Gladiator, Rain Man and The Dark Knight, worked with Kara Talve to score the six-part historical drama.
Dark Matter
Apple TV+ | Season Premiere | Release date: Wednesday, May 08
Dark Matter, Apple TV+’s latest bet, is an adaptation of the science fiction novel of the same name written by Blake Crouch. With Crouch himself as the series creator, Dark Matter is a chilling story about a physicist who is kidnapped and sent to a parallel universe where another version of his life unfolds.
The official synopsis for Dark Matter reads:
“Hailed as one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, Dark Matter is a story about the road not taken. The series will follow Jason Dessen (played by Joel Edgerton), a physicist, professor and family man who — one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago — is abducted into an alternate version of his life”.
With a little help, Jason Dessen attempts to return to his own reality, but his journey takes him through alternate versions of his existence. To get back to his wife and family, Jason will have to confront his past and survive in the changing worlds.
The nine-episode series stars Australian actor Joel Edgerton (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Jennifer Connelly (Snowpiercer), Alice Braga (Queen of the South) and Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko).
The first two episodes of Dark Matter will arrive on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, May 8, with new episodes airing weekly thereafter.
Doctor Who season one
BBC One (United Kingdom), Disney Plus (United States) | Season 14 | Release date: Saturday, May 11
Sixty years after its television debut, Doctor Who continues to be compelling fiction, capable of reinventing itself and keeping its audience in suspense. In this new stage, Ncuti Gatwa will take control of the TARDIS as the fifteenth Doctor. Russell T. Davies will be at the helm as showrunner.
Following Doctor Who’s entertaining Christmas special, Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson will return in May for their first proper season. It may not be clear at first glance why season 14 is suddenly called season 1, but series director Russell T. Davies has explained that it’s a fresh start for all things Who.
We don’t know too many details about the plot and perils of the new season, but Davies and the cast have shared that there will be plenty of villains, time travel and tough decisions for the Doctor.
Guest actors include Jinkx Monsoon, Callie Cooke, Dame Siân Phillips, Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy, Bhav Joshi, Tachia Newall, Caoilinn Springall, Gwïon Morris Jones and Genesis Lynea.
Ncuti Gatwa’s first installment as the Doctor consists of eight episodes, and luckily, we won’t have to wait long to see it.
Bridgerton
Netflix | Season 3 | Release date: Thursday, May 16 (1 Part)
“Dearest gentle reader”, we are pleased to confirm that Bridgerton is about to return to our screens… and truth be told, it’s about time. As we recall, Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s book series, comprising eight novels that follow each of the eight siblings on their quest for love. Seasons 1 and 2 have appropriately covered books one and two, which tell the stories of Daphne and Anthony Bridgerton.
In April 2022, the second season of Bridgerton was Netflix’s most-watched English-language series of all time. So far, the show has received critical acclaim for its performances, its dramatic and sexy plot, and its soundtrack.
Later, Netflix revealed that the third season would move away from the order of Julia Quinn’s books and focus on Penelope and Colin’s love story. According to Netflix’s official synopsis:
“[Bridgerton’s third season] finds Penelope Featherington has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton after hearing his disparaging words about her… She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly.”
“Meanwhile,” the synopsis continues, “Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season…”
In December 2023, the streamer announced that the new season will have eight episodes, which will be divided into two parts. The first part will arrive on May 16, and the second part will air a little less than a month later, on June 13.
Eric
Netflix | Limited Series | Release date: Thursday, May 30
Benedict Cumberbatch admirers, we have good news for you: the actor is starring in a new Netflix limited series, Eric. The series is created and written by Emmy winner Abi Morgan, whose credits include The Hour, The Iron Lady, The Split, and many more.
Netflix’s Eric is inspired by a true story and follows Vincent, a desperate father as he battles his demons and tries to bring home his missing son. “Eric is a dark and crazy journey into the heart of 1980s New York — and the good, bad, and ugly world of Vincent,” Abi Morgan told Netflix.
The official synopsis for the series is as follows:
“When Edgar, a young boy goes missing in 1980s Manhattan, his grief-stricken father Vincent, a puppeteer on America’s leading kids’ TV show, finds solace through his friendship with Eric, the monster that lives under Edgar’s bed.
In his quest to find the truth to Edgar’s disappearance, Vincent is forced into the dark shadows of a city rife with corruption to discover that the real monsters live much closer to home. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s AIDS epidemic, Detective Ledroit, tasked to uncover internal corruption in the NYPD, finds himself drawn into the search for Edgar, while privately coming to terms with secrets of his own.”
Along with Cumberbatch, the series also stars Gaby Hoffmann as Cassie, McKinley Belcher III as lead detective Ledroit, and Ivan Howe as Edgar. The limited series will consist of six episodes in total.