10 TV Shows To Watch In May: 'Fleabag,' 'When They See Us' & More - Page 2 of 2

Catch-22
What You Need to Know: It’s become less and less of a “big deal” when big movie stars take part in television series, with everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Amy Adams to the entirety of the “Big Little Lies” cast hoofing it on the mini-series front for greater chances for expansive character work. Still, it’s a little jarring to see George Clooney added to the long string of actors hitting the streaming networks with the anticipated “Catch-22” adaptation. With such a specific tone, it will be interesting to see if the Hulu series can pull it off, but with a cast that includes terrific character actors such as Kyle Chandler and Christopher Abbott, hope is high that they’ll pull off the seemingly impossible with the Joseph Heller novel.
Release Date: Season one premieres May 17th on Hulu

Fleabag
What You Need to Know: There’s no telling just where writer/creator/actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s career is going to go, making her one of the most undeniably promising and thrilling talents in recent years. Her ability to bridge pitch-black comedy and foundational feminist strength that rings through every element of her storytelling, made last year’s debut season of “Killing Eve” a resounding success. However, before that, she had broken through with season one of brilliantly dark and comedic half-hour Amazon comedy series “Fleabag.”  And now, nearly three years later, we’re getting the return of the uninhibited, titular character Fleabag (Bridge) and all of the minute to devastating failures that often follow in her wake. What makes it all the more bittersweet is that season two will reportedly also mark the end of the series.
Release Date: Season two premieres May 17th on Amazon.

She’s Gotta Have It
What You Need to Know: While Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It” hasn’t aged particularly well as a film (the ending specifically) the series that’s borne from it has taken all of the attitude, color, and distinct visual flair and used it to great, modern effect. Season one was a critical success and, after seeing her steal all of the scenes in the delightful “Someone Great,” we can’t wait to see DeWanda Wise‘sstar continue to rise. Our critic, however, noted the series’ difficulty in wrestling with too many topics, so here’s hoping that with season two a more cohesive structure takes over. Following his first Oscar win this year with “BlacKkKlansman” it makes it all the more interesting to watch works of Lee updated and restructured for modern times.
Release Date: Season two premieres May 24th on Netflix.

What/If
What You Need to Know: If actors such as Nic Cage and Matthew McConaughey can be given second (or third) chances at redeeming their star quality or indie film cred, it’s about time that Renée Zellweger is given her due and own chance for r a career resurgence. A pivotal face in the 2000s, Hollywood hasn’t been kind to Zellweger (as unkind as they are to most actresses who dare age) and “What/If” seems to be the perfect vehicle for the talent to showcase her abilities again. An anthology tale created by Mike Kelley (who wrote for the similarly pulpy “Revenge“) the series also stars Blake Jenner and Jane Levy. A neo-noir about immortality, it will either be the next must binge series of Netflix or, at the very least, a welcome reminder of just how talented Zellweger is.
Release Date: Season one premieres May 24th on Netflix.

When They See Us
What You Need to Know: While it’s easy to argue she’s already there, there’s no denying that Ava DuVernay will be remembered as one of the most impactful directors of this past decade. Sure, her last film “A Wrinkle in Time” was majorly divisive, but you can’t look at her run of films of “I Will Follow,” “Middle of Nowhere,” “Selma,” and “13th” and not see her for the visionary that she is. She continues to flex her storytelling muscles with her latest limited series “When They See Us” based on the true story about the Central Park Five which chronicles the lives of five black teenagers who were convicted of a crime they didn’t commit in the 1980s. A powerfully devastating and alarmingly timely story, the mini-series stars plenty of up and comers who will be ones to follow in the years to come.
Release Date: Season one premieres May 31st on Netflix.

Honorable Mention:
That’s just the tip of the May iceberg. This month we’ve also got, “Dead To Me” (Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate), the animated “Tuca and Bertie” starring Tiffany Haddish, Stephen Frears‘ “State of the Union” and Amazon‘s “Good Omens.”