The 5 New TV Shows You Can't Miss This Month April 2017

The 5 New TV Shows You Can't Miss This Month

April 2017

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. April is a callously busy TV month. Here’s just a snapshot of things coming your way. Better Call Saul is back for a third season on April 10, The Leftovers begins its third and final season on April 16 and Fargo returns for a third season on April 19. iZombie finally resumes on April 4. Archer begins its eighth season on April 5. Tina Fey is back at NBC (as an executive producer) with her new comedy, Great News, starring Briga Heelan, John Michael Higgins and Nicole Richie (you read that right) on April 25. Premiering on the same day is NatGeo’s first scripted drama, Genius, starring Geoffrey Rush. Do you need to sit down? I’ll wait.
Showtime has Guerilla, starring Idris Elba and Freida Pinto, on April 16. Hulu has The Handmaid’s Tale on April 26. Netflix’s Dear White People debuts April 28. Starz has American Gods on April 30.You know what? I’m going to stop here. You’re looking a little pale.Paste will be covering much of the above, but we still worry that some shows may fall through the cracks in your remote. We sifted through all April’s TV and came up with the five new shows you can’t miss this month.

1. Dimension 404

Series creator: Dez Dolly and Will Campos
Stars: Mark Hamill, Lea Michele, Robert Buckley, Patton Oswalt, Constance Wu, Joel McHale, Megan Mullally and Tom Noonan Premiere date: April 4 on Hulu

If you’re like me, you live in fear that your computer could turn on you and that, at any moment, you could get that dreaded error message. We rely so much on technology, but unless you’re a member of the Geek Squad, most of us are kind of powerless when things go wrong. Hulu’s new anthology series, Dimension 404, won’t do anything to allay those fears. A bit like The Twilight Zone meets Black Mirror, each episode will tell a unique technology story that’s bound to keep you up at night. The six-episode series features some of our favorite TV stars (I mean, they had me at Constance Wu). Lea Michele (Glee) and Robert Buckley (iZombie) headline the first installment, about using a dating app to find true love. Mark Hamill narrates all the episodes. Swipe right.

2. Brockmire


Series creator: Joel Church-Cooper, Mike Farah and Joe Farrell

Stars: Hank Azaria, Amanda Peet and Tyrel Jackson Williams

Premiere date: April 5 at 10 p.m. on IFC

Originally a Funny or Die short, Hank Azaria stars as Jim Brockmire, a beloved baseball announcer whose career abruptly ends when he discovers his wife has been cheating on him. He loses it in a very public fashion and quickly becomes persona non grata. Now, it’s ten years later, and Hank wants back in the game. But the only place that will have him is the minor league team the Morristown Frackers, led by Jules (Peet) and Charles (Williams). Azaria is perfect as a down-on-his luck has-been prone to color commentary that’s perhaps a little too honest, and nobody does zany quite like Peet.

3. The Son

Series creator: Philipp Meyer, Brian McGreevy, Lee Shipman and Kevin Murphy
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Jacob Loftland, Henry Garrett, Jess Weixler, James Park and Elizabeth Frances
Premiere date: April 8 at 9 p.m. on AMC and SundanceTV

Based on Philipp Meyer’s novel of the same name (you are going to start to notice a trend), this ten-episode series covers 150 years of the McCullough family. The drama marks Brosnan’s first TV series since Remington Steele (which is available on Hulu—I might have to stop writing this column right now to go watch and revisit my childhood). Brosnan stars as Eli McCullough (the younger Eli is played by Jacob Loftland), a man whose life takes him from naive man to killer as he builds his family’s empire. We’re fans of any new TV on Saturday nights (another flashback to my childhood) and excited to see Jess Weixler, whose Robin disappeared from The Good Wife sans explanation.

4. GirlBoss

Series creator: Kay Cannon
Stars: Britt Robertson, Ellie Reed, Alphonso McAuley, Johnny Simmons and Dean Norris
Premiere date: April 21 on Netflix 

Based on the book of the same name, GirlBoss follows 23-year-old Sophia (Britt Robertson) as she creates the now multi-million dollar fashion brand Nasty Gal. Robertson, a charming TV presence since her days on Life Unexpected and Swingtown, is a great choice to headline any series. The dramedy promises that it’s a “very loose” retelling of real events. Keep an eye out for Alphonso McAuley, so hilarious as Huck on The Middle, and Dean Norris, who played Hank on Breaking Bad.
5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Executive Producers: Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball
Stars: Oprah Winfrey, Rose Byrne, Courtney B. Vance and Renee Elise Goldsberry
Premiere date: April 22 at 8 p.m. on HBO

Rose Byrne stars as Rebecca Skloot, whose 2010 book told the story of Henrietta Lacks (Goldsberry). Lacks’ cancer cells were removed without her permission from her body in 1951, created the first immortal human cell line, and are the foundation for years of scientific research. Winfrey stars as Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah, who, together with Skloot, uncovers the truth about how the medical community took advantage of her mother. The book was a mainstay on the New York Times bestseller list and beloved by book clubs everywhere. Trust that this well-read story is in good hands with Winfrey and Ball behind the camera.

Netflix Releases First Teaser for Marvel's

Netflix Releases First Teaser for Marvel's The Defenders, Reveals Release Date

Netflix released (and took down) the first, short teaser for Marvel’s The Defenders this morning, and it looks like the release date is roughly four months away. The above video may only be about 16 seconds long, briefly showing a shared elevator ride between a curiously costume-less Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones), but there’s still a surprising amount to unpack here. The first two numbers in the time stamp in the video’s top right corner are visibly set to “8:18” (before Jessica smashes the camera, that is). If that weren’t enough to suggest an Aug. 18 release date, following the IP address found in the top-left corner of the video will redirect viewers to a website for the fictional New York Bulletin, a newspaper which fans might recognize from the shows’ shared universe. You might not immediately notice the unassuming text at the bottom of that page: “Watch “Marvel’s The Defenders” All Episodes Streaming Only on Netflix August 18.” Lastly, if that “Midland Circle” on the elevator wall rings any bells, it’s the same name plastered on the construction site Daredevil and Elektra broke into during Daredevil season two. Remember, the one with the giant, mysterious hole? It’s okay, our memories were a little fuzzy too after so many episodes. This summer will see the above four heroes take on the Hand and their leader Madame Gao, as well as a new, mysterious villain played by Sigourney Weaver. Again, completionists still have about four months to catch up on Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist before The Defenders premieres this August. Next up will presumably be The Punisher, which is also set for this year, followed by either Jessica Jones’ second or Daredevil’s third season sometime next year. Go ahead and check out the teaser above, and be sure to stay tuned to Paste for more substantial updates on Netflix’s superhero team-up series.