April’s winding down and May’s already knocking, ushering in a fresh wave of new TV shows premiering on Netflix, Apple TV and more of the best streaming services, as well as broadcast and cable TV.
This week’s lineup is packed with debuts. "Man on Fire" adapts A.J. Quinnell’s novels into a moody action thriller, while “The House of the Spirits” brings Isabel Allende's best-selling family saga to life in Spanish for the first time. Then, there's the eerie coastal comedy horror “Widow’s Bay,”which marries cozy vibes with creeping dread. Here's our guide on the top new TV shows to check out this week.
‘Widow’s Bay’ (Apple TV)
The vibes: If the “Gilmore Girls” wandered into a Stephen King town.
The plot: This off-kilter horror-comedy follows a well-meaning mayor (Matthew Rhys) trying to turn his isolated island town into a destination spot, despite the locals believing the place is, quite literally, doomed. As visitors finally start trickling in, so do increasingly hard-to-ignore disturbances, forcing him to confront the possibility that the town’s worst stories aren’t stories at all.
Premiere date: Episodes 1-2 on Wednesday, April 29 at 12 a.m. ET
Where to watch: Apple TV
‘The House of the Spirits’ (Prime Video)
The vibes: A sweeping family saga across multiple generations.
The plot: The first Spanish-language adaptation of Isabel Allende’s landmark novel tracks the Trueba family across decades of love affairs, betrayals and political unrest. At its core are three generations of women — Clara, Blanca, and Alba — whose lives unfold against a backdrop of class tension. By the time the revolution hits, patriarch Esteban and his granddaughter end up on opposite sides of history.
Premiere date: Episodes 1-3 on Wednesday, April 29 at 3 a.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Man on Fire’ (Netflix)
The vibes: Action dialed up to 11 when grief turns into vengeance
The plot: Based on A.J. Quinnell’s novels (yes, the same ones behind the 2004 Denzel Washington film), this series version hands the flamethrower to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, playing John Creasy. A former Special Forces mercenary with PTSD, he’s trying to rejoin civilian life when a child connected to him witnesses something she shouldn’t. Suddenly, redemption takes a backseat to retaliation, and Creasy does what Creasy does best: wreak havoc.
Premiere date: All 7 episodes on Thursday, April 30 at 3 a.m. ET
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Twenty Twenty Six’ (BritBox, Tubi)
The vibes: The cringe of “The Office” takes over the World Cup
The plot: John Morton’s British mockumentary machine fires up again, sending serial bureaucrat Ian Fletcher to Miami as “Director of Integrity” for the (legally unnameable) 2026 World Cup. Along with a team of wildly confident idiots, Ian tries to wrangle meetings about meetings into something resembling a plan. Somehow, the biggest sporting event on Earth hinges on people who can’t finish a sentence.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Friday, May 1 at 3 a.m. ET on BritBox and Tubi
