“Future Man”
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Eliza Coupe, Derek Wilson, Ed Begley, Jr.
Synopsis: Josh Futturman, a janitor by day/world-ranked gamer by night, is tasked with preventing the extinction of humanity after mysterious visitors from the future proclaim him the key to defeating the imminent super-race invasion.
What You Need To Know: With their underrated AMC comic-book adaptation “Preacher” going from strength-to-strength in its second season, supreme raunch-masters Seth Rogen and his writing and directing partner Evan Goldberg have found time to lend their talents to this new Hulu Original which puts a crude, sperm-inflected spin on “The Last Starfighter”. The 13-episode first season can also be described as a stoner counterpart to Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One,” given that this show too makes stock in name-checking classic 80s genre fare like “Quantum Leap” and “Back to the Future” in a tale of time-travel and grand repercussions. If you ever wished Marty McFly was in possession of more laser guns and bongs, this is the show for you.
Premiere Date: November 14th on Hulu
“Search Party”
Cast: Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early, Meredith Hagner
Synopsis: While details about season two have been kept under lock and key thus far, Alia Shawkat and co. have promised that the season will double down on darkness, following the murder at the conclusion of season one, all without offering up a rehash of the same formula.
What You Need To Know: Few TV shows have been as bold and unsettling as “Search Party.” For a dark comedy, the show was able to create a distorted version of reality that both skewered the hipster utopia of Brooklyn and genuinely probed the stagnation and directionlessness that has gripped a generation. It was a refreshingly acerbic show that was, at times, happy enough to wallow in the humor of its excellent cast (John Early was a constant scene stealer), but really sparked when things got twisted. All of which makes it hard not to get swoony over the possibilities ahead. “The way I describe it is the first season Dory was looking for herself, and then she found herself but she was terrified of what she sees,” Shawkat told Refinery29. “So now the second season is like, how do you deal with it once you’ve found it?”
Release Date: November 19th on TBS
“Marvel’s Runaways”
Cast: Gregg Sulkin, Ariela Barer, Rhenzy Feliz
Synopsis: After discovering their parents are super-villains in disguise, a group of teenagers band together to run away from their homes in order to atone for their parents’ actions and to discover the secrets of their origins.
What You Need to Know: For all that Marvel Studios in accruing good faith in film goers with movies that, at least, always meet a certain level of quality (and can often exceed it), they’ve never quite nailed their television output. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” never quite amounted to anything (it’s easy to forget it actually still exists) while the Netflix properties have rapidly declined in quality following season one of “Jessica Jones” (read our critics scathing “The Defenders” review here). That being said, the nature of “Marvel’s Runaways” basic narrative offers up a different point of view for the standard superhero story and it’s been an adaptation fans have been hoping for for years. Starring a lot of unknowns and up and comers, little has been seen of the series so far beyond cast photos, and hopefully the move to Hulu and the lesser known property will help elevate expectations.
Premiere Date: November 21st on Hulu
“She’s Gotta Have It”
Cast: DeWanda Wise, Margot Bingham, Chyna Layne, Cleo Anthony, Lyriq Bent
Synopsis: Nola Darling is back, struggling to define herself and divide her time among friends, job, and three lovers.
What You Need to Know: Thirty years ago, director Spike Lee burst onto the independent filmmaking scene with his groundbreaking look at one free-spirited artist in “She’s Gotta Have It.” Lee returns to the character– outspoken, complicated, progressive, unapologetic, passionate, sexual– in a 10 episode series that Lee directs himself in its entirety. Studios take note, as premiere filmmakers have a difficult time getting their passion projects scooped up, the Netflix’s of the world are scooping them all up by offering them creative freedom.
Premiere Date: Nov. 23rd on Netflix
“The Crown”
Cast: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Victoria Hamilton, Matthew Goode, Michael C. Hall, Jodi Balfour, Anton Lesser, Catherine Bailey
Synopsis: A dramatization of the live of Queen Elizabeth II, a story that is still on going after a reign of over 64 years.
What You Need To Know: Most importantly, this is the last season Foy will play her Emmy-nominated role as her royal highness. A new Elizabeth will be recast when the series takes another jump in the Queen’s reign next season. This season will center on her royal highness’ growing frustration over an unstable government, the seduction of Princess Margaret (Kirby) by Antony Armstrong-Jones (Goode), the adventurous nature of her husband Prince Philip (Smith) and a visit by President Kennedy (Hall) and Jacqueline Kennedy (Balfour).
Premiere Date: Dec. 8th on Netflix
Honorable Mention:
The fall is stacked with TV, but it you want to take on the sadomasochistic task of trying to juggle and bingewatch more TV there’s also “Narcos” (Netflix), “BoJack Horseman” (Netflix), “Outlander” (Starz) This Is Us (NBC), “Liar” (SundanceTV), “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders” (NBC) and “The Orville” (Fox) coming in September. October also provides “Bob’s Burgers” (Fox), yet another season of “The Simpsons” (Fox), X-Men spinoff “The Gifted” (Fox), “Last Man on Earth” (Fox), “Black-ish” (ABC), “Scandal” (ABC), and CW shows like “Supergirl,” “The Flash” and “Legends of Tomorrow” if that’s your thing and “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” (BBC America).
November will give boob tube watchers “Young Sheldon” (CBS; wretch), another season of “Shameless “(Showtime), “Vikings” (History) and “Happy!” (Syfy) and December doesn’t offer a lot aside from two Hulu shows “East Los High” (the finale) and “Shut Eye.” Happy bingewatching and be safe out there.
— Rodrigo Perez, Gary Garrison, Kimber Myers, Ally Johnson, Lena Wilson, Will Ashton, Reese Conner, Gregory Ellwood, Julia Teti, Alex McKay