April is shaping up to be the most overwhelming month of television. Are you going to be able to keep up with all the shows?
Forget everything you know about sweeps week and conventional premiere and finale dates. The fourth month of 2017 has more prominent finales and premieres than September and May.
There are a few networks and streaming platforms making their presence known in the coming month. All of the shows listed below are in addition to your favorite broadcast television networks. These are all in addition to The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, Elementary, Scandal, Superstore, NCIS, Empire, Once Upon a Time and whatever other 22 episode series you already watch.
Remember — stay hydrated, take breaks, stand in the sun for at least one hour per week. We can and will get through this together.
The FX overload
‘The Americans’
If you were to just watch FX for the entire month of April you would not be disappointed. The Americans will debut a brand new episode every week and will be in the sweet spot of building towards the penultimate season’s climax. If there is any show you need to stay on top of, watch live, and turn off all distractions during, it is The Americans.
Watch it or leave it? Catch up and watch it live. Airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m.
‘Fargo’
Just as Noah Hawley’s Legion takes a bow, his second show for the network prepares for its premiere. Season 3 of Fargo is shaping up to be another can’t-miss installment in the anthology series. This year Ewan McGregor joins the cast playing twin brothers, while Carrie Coon (more on her later) hits the icy roads as one of the town’s cops.
Watch it or leave it? Watch it live. Premieres Wednesday, April 19 at 10:00 p.m.
‘Feud’
Feud continues its run kicking off the month with the 1963 Oscars before heading to the finale on April 23. The eight-episode miniseries is the latest offering from Ryan Murphy and company. This period piece captures the melodramatic fallout of the two of Hollywood’s greatest rivals.
Watch it or leave it? Leave it. Binge this series over the summer. Airs Sundays at 10:00 p.m.
Streaming services offer an impressive lineup
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
One of the year’s most anticipated adaptations arrives on Hulu, April 26. The Handmaid’s Tale, adapted from Margaret Atwood’s novel by the same name, tells the story of women’s resistance in a dystopian United States. But don’t let that word “dystopian” fool you. This series is going to hit a bit close to home for many viewers.
Watch it or leave it? Watch it. Episodes begin on Hulu, Sunday, April 26.
‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’
Netflix has plenty to offer in April with the highly-anticipated premiere of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Fourteen new episodes will air on the streaming platform starting April 14. Fans of the original incarnations of the series can watch 20 episodes on Netflix right now ahead of the premiere. The new series will feature Felicia Day, Patton Oswald, and Jonah Ray as the humans forced to watch horrible movies.
Watch it or leave it? If you’re familiar with the show, binge it immediately. If not, save it for a rainy day. All episodes arrive Friday, April 14.
‘Girlboss’ and ‘Dear White People’
Girlboss and Dear White People are two original series hitting Netflix in April as well. Premiering April 21 is Girlboss, a series starring Britt Robertson as Sophia, the female entrepreneur whom the series is based on. The series will follow Sophia from selling clothes from her living room floor on eBay to running a wildly successful business.
Dear White People is also based on a prior release, this time a 2014 film. It stars Brandon P. Bell, Logan Browning, and Antoinette Robertson as three black students attending an Ivy League college. Like the film, the 10-episode series will focus on the students as they navigate racial and other forms of discrimination.
Watch it or leave it? Binge both. All episodes arrive Friday, April 21 and Friday, April 28.
HBO: How ‘Bout Overindulging
HBO is not only going to be the hot spot on Sundays in April, it has quite a knockout night planned for April 16.
‘Girls’
Girls ends its run on the network on Sunday, April 16. The final episode, “Latching,” written by Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner, and Judd Apatow is going to be a “must-see” for both passive and engaged Girls fans. It’s the end of an era after all!
Watch it or leave it? Watch the finale live. Final episode airs Sunday, April 16 at 10:00 p.m.
‘Veep’
Who wants to watch a show about politics in 2017? Anyone who loves Julia Louis Dreyfus, that’s who. Veep returns for it’s sixth season and, honestly, JDL’s Selina Meyer is the type of politician we need. Let’s see how post-presidency life is treating the public figure and try to decide if the headlines on the show seem more real than the ones currently on the newsstands.
Watch it or leave it? Watch it live or binge it this summer. Premieres Sunday, April 16 at 10:30 p.m.
‘The Leftovers’
The Leftovers returns for its final season on the same night as the above shows. It is another piece of the brilliant tapestry sewn over the years. The journey of Kevin Garvey and the community of people he has drawn into his life picks up as the family heads to Australia. If you thought the departure was a terrifying event, get ready for tale of the great flood and the reluctant Savior.
Watch it or leave it? Watch it live. (And this is not because creator Damon Lindelof sent a letter to critics telling them not to binge the series.) Premieres Sunday, April 16 at 9:00 p.m.
The lonely Starz, shines the brightest
‘American Gods’
Not to be outdone by anyone, Starz closes out the month with a monster of a series. On Sunday, April 30, Bryan Fuller’s American Gods will air its first episode on the network. Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, American Gods tells the tale of the Old Gods waging war on the New Gods. What happens when the nation stops worshipping the Gods of wisdom, literature, and turn all their attention to the Gods of technology and celebrity?
Watch it or leave it? Watch it live. Premieres Sunday, April 30 at 9:00 p.m.