April TV Premieres: 13 New Shows to Look out for This Month
A quarter of 2018 is officially now in the books. As we marvel at the unceasing passage of time, there are some new TV shows that need watching. Per usual, a few of these brand new offerings are high-profile premieres that have designs on being part of the prestige conversation. Some of them might be completely forgotten this time next year.
Nevertheless, as a national viewing public looks for things to supplement their endless hours of baseball watching, we’ve gathered our monthly list of highlights from among the top choices of new series across network, cable and streaming.
(Missed our picks of what the first part of the year had to offer? Here are some notable TV premieres from February and March.)
“The Crossing” (April 2, ABC)
This ABC drama blends sci-fi with some high-concept political commentary, tracking the aftermath of refugees from a mysterious location showing up on the shore of a coastal fishing town. Steve Zahn stars as the police officer trying to solve the mystery of where they came from and why they’re here. The pilot was made available early to preview, but once the show properly premieres, it’ll join the Monday night lineup as the lead-out from “American Idol.”
“The Last O.G.” (April 3, TBS)
Tiffany Haddish continues her global comedy domination tour alongside Tracy Morgan in this series about an ex-con who comes home from prison to find that his ex-girlfriend has moved on and is raising an entirely different family. From co-creator and recent Oscar winner Jordan Peele, the show premiered at SXSW to mixed reviews.
“National Treasure: Kiri” (April 4, Hulu)
A bit of a cheat, since this is an anthology series of sorts. But this latest installment of the Hulu Original import continues the theme of people thrust into the national spotlight. This new season follows the public fight over the fate of an adopted child, as both her birth family and foster family fall into a whirlwind of media accusations and the court of public opinion. All four episodes of this season will be available to stream at once.
“Howards End” (April 8, Starz)
This miniseries won’t be the first time that EM Forster‘s novel is brought to the screen, but it is the first time it’s been adopted by another Oscar-winner, Kenneth Lonergan. Hayley Atwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Julia Ormond, and Tracey Ullman star in the story of a trio of families navigating romantic entanglements and class expectations in early-20th century Britain. All episodes were directed by Hettie MacDonald.
“Killing Eve” (April 8, BBC America)
Written by “Fleabag” star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this psychological thriller is a cat-and-mouse game between a murderous young woman and the police officer assigned to her case. As the sneak peeks have shown us, these two are eventually headed for a showdown, but it sure seems like stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer have a few extra surprises up their sleeve.
“America Inside Out with Katie Couric” (April 11, Nat Geo)
Steve Aoki, Aasif Mandvi, Elisabeth Moss, Roseanne Barr: there aren’t many people who could have an interview show on NatGeo that could make sense in combining all of these different guests on a weekly basis. But building on her experience as a host of different kinds of series, Couric will look to spotlight life in different corners of the American experience outside of the stories usually told.
“Rellik” (April 13, Cinemax)
“Game of Thrones” alum Richard Dormer stars as Gabriel Markham in this six-part miniseries that works backwards from a crime, trying to get in the mind of who might be responsible. Following a similar track to this year’s season of “American Crime Story,” this will retain some of the mystery while giving some backstory to why Markham’s near-fatal attack might play just as much into this mystery as the crime itself.
“Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas” (April 13, HBO)
From his experience on “The Daily Show” to hosting his former Seeso show to starring on “People of Earth,” there are a few subjects — if any — that Wyatt Cenac has shied away from. He’ll bring that spirit to a new half-hour HBO show that looks to breathe new life into the field piece/studio format with a cross-country investigation of some of the most pressing, confounding national issues. The 10-episode first season will air weekly on Friday nights.
“Civilizations” (April 17, PBS)
This new nine-part docuseries from PBS looks at ancient societies from across the globe, spanning six different continents. Uncovering and highlighting great achievements in art, architecture, and technological innovation, “Civilizations” enlists the help of historians to give proper credit to the cultures and societies that help advanced human understanding many centuries ago.
“The Wine Show” (April 18, Ovation)
“The Wine Show” has been available on Hulu for a while and in the UK for even longer, but thankfully American audiences with the cable package now have access to the supreme joys of watching Matthew Rhys and Matthew Goode drink wine through the Tuscan countryside. It’s a show that delivers on its title and is as delightful as that sounds. (As soon as you finish that, Season 2 with James Purefoy is here.)
“Archer: Danger Island” (April 25, FXX)
The FXX animated series is back with another themed season, this time trading in ’40s noir for a 10-episode crazy tropical adventure. The familiar gang is all back — this time, Krieger has become a mouthy parrot named Crackers — and ready to bring every imaginable late-1930s cultural references right to the danger zo– island.
“Taskmaster” (April 27, Comedy Central)
It’s a game show hosted by Reggie Watts. (Who doesn’t want to watch a game show hosted by Reggie Watts?) Bringing a British format to American audiences, Watts will lead groups of comedians in increasingly crazy challenges as each of them look to outdo each other. The first couple batches of “contestants” include Kate Berlant, Freddie Highmore, Ron Funches, and Lisa Lampanelli.
“AMC VIsionaries: James Cameron…” (April 30, AMC)
Any history of the last three decades of big-budget sci-fi storytelling has to go through the larger-than-life filmmaker of “Aliens,” “T2,” and “Avatar” (and yes, “The Abyss,” which will always be underrated). With Cameron as the guide, his personal fascinations, childhood obsessions, and professional connections all form the basis for an exploration of what in this genre has helped conquer the entertainment world.
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