“Lady Dynamite” (Netflix)
Cast: Maria Bamford, Fred Melamed, Mary Kay Place
Synopsis: This season finds our precious Maria embarking on her greatest adventure ever — love. Maria will use all the wrong lessons learned in childhood as she navigates her new relationship status with family, friends and pugs. She also lands a new gig at a streaming network that may or may not be owned by Elon Musk.
What You Need to Know: In the throes of Peak TV, something wonderful happened on the comedy spectrum: it became increasingly eclectic, at times darker and dabbled in a sense of strangeness that can’t be found on your standard sitcom. It meant that voices that weren’t always allowed to shine or that were boxed it were allowed a platform to show off their particular gifts, one of which was actress Maria Bamford who made a three course meal of series creators Pam Brady and Mitchell Hurwitz’s off kilter, and slightly discomforting “Lady Dynamite”. Almost uncomfortable to watch, the series thrusts its characters into each and every new situation with gusto, embracing the surrealism of the show with obvious glee. While unrelenting in humor, there’s melancholy in the series which gives it greater levity.
Release Date: November 10th
“Future Man” (Hulu)
Synopsis: Josh Futturman, janitor by day and gamer by night, is recruited by mysterious visitors to travel through time to prevent the extinction of humanity.
What You Need To Know: While on the surface Hulu’s new comedy seems yet another iteration of the “white nerd boy is the savior” trope, one can always count on producing duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (“This Is The End,” “Sausage Party,” “Preacher”) to put an audacious spin in the most staid concepts. I mean, a time travelling quest to prevent the extinction of humanity by preventing the discovery of a cure for herpes!? I’m willing to see where that show ends up. You have to give Josh Hutcherson (“The Kids Are Alright”) credit for shrewdly cashing in his “Hunger Games” capital to work with Rogen and Goldberg and headline a potential streaming hit, and while the duo’s works are often an acquired taste, they are certainly never boring.
Release Date: November 14th
“The Punisher” (Netflix)
Cast: Jon Bernthal, Deborah Ann Woll, Ben Barnes
Synopsis: After the murder of his family, Marine veteran Frank Castle becomes a vigilante known as “the Punisher,” who aims to fight crime by any means necessary.
What You Need to Know: Lest this becomes yet another take down of the sloppily constructed, anti-climatic and generally speaking, annoying, “The Defenders” let’s just say that that the quality of the Netflix MCU has been tanking lately. While the various television series, across all networks they aired on, haven’t quite reached the quality of its cinematic brethren, there are qualities to appreciate and Jon Bernthal’s portrayal as Frank Castle aka The Punisher in season two of “Daredevil” was one of those silver linings. While it’s yet to be seen if a character who works tremendously as a foil can sustain intrigue over the course of an entire season, at the very least it should be a strong showcase for Bernthal whose pretty consistently excellent, even when shovelling subpar content.
Release Date: November 17th
“Search Party” (TBS)
Cast: Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early
Synopsis: A dark comedy about four self-absorbed twenty-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance suddenly disappears.
What You Need to Know: Taking key features of film noir, suspense thrillers and madcap comedies and placing them all within the structure of a TBS half hour comedy bathed in millennial culture would be a gamble, no matter the network. That it’s done on TBS, not exactly a channel known for taking on edgy material, has made it all the worthwhile. Even greater is that it’s given Alia Shawkat a role to shine in after being a game supporting player for years in a multitude of shows and films. After season one’s incredible cliff-hanger, there’s no telling where this genuinely surprising show is going to take audiences next.
Release Date: November 19th
