What’s New This Week – TV + Streaming – March 27th-April 2nd

It’s a big week in entertainment, from the 94th Oscars to the launch of some big shows and movies from streaming platforms. Here’s your guide to the week of March 27th through April 2nd of everything new and streaming across all major networks and streaming platforms. But first, here are my top 5 recommendations for this week.

Oscars (ABC), Moon Knight (Marvel), Better Nate Than Ever (Disney), Julia (HBO Max), The Girl From Plainville (Hulu)

Oscars (ABC), Moon Knight (Marvel), Better Nate Than Ever (Disney), Julia (HBO Max), The Girl From Plainville (Hulu)

Top 5 of the Week

  • 94th Annual Academy Awards
    • When: Sunday, March 27th at 8/7c on ABC
    • What: The big event where we find out who takes home the top prizes in film achievements from 2021.
  • The Girl from Plainville
    • When: Tuesday, March 29th on Hulu
    • What: Elle Fanning and Chloë Sevigny headline this miniseries based on the true story of a “texting-suicide” case.
  • Moon Knight
    • When: Wednesday, March 30th on Disney+
    • What: Marvel’s new Disney+ original series starring Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke.
  • Julia
    • When: Thursday, March 31st on HBO Max
    • What: A miniseries about the life of Julia Child starring Sarah Lancashire, David Hyde Pierce, and Bebe Neuwirth.
  • Better Nate Than Ever

Sunday, March 27th

New TV Shows

  • 94th Annual Academy Awards – Special – 8/7c on ABC – Awards Show – TV-14
    • Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes host the 94th Oscars, presented live from the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood.

Monday, March 28th

New TV Shows

  • Thermae Romae Novae – Series Premiere – Streaming on Netflix – Anime – NR
    • The Roman Empire stood at the summit of the ancient world. For the Romans who brought glory to their nation, thermae (baths) were an essential part of their lives. Lucius follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather to become a bathhouse designer. However, when he is fired for his design ideas being deemed too stale, Lucius’s future as a bathhouse designer is in doubt. One day, he is sucked into a large drain at the public baths and ends up flowing down a rapid to…none other than a Japanese bathhouse! Unaware that he has traveled through time, Lucius is moved by Japanese bathhouse culture, including the wall murals and fruit milk drinks. He brings these items that enhance the bathing experience back to ancient Rome and becomes a popular bathhouse designer.
  • Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o – Special – 8/7c on Smithsonian – Documentary – NR
    • Journey across Benin, West Africa to uncover the 'Agoji' ( a forgotten female army) – or as Europeans labeled them, the 'Amazons'.

Tuesday, March 29th

New TV Shows

  • Frontline: Plot to Overturn the Election – Special – 10/9c on PBS – Documentary – NR
    • How lies about election fraud have made their way to the center of American politics. With ProPublica, examining the hidden origins of disinformation about the 2020 election and the handful of people behind some of the core narratives of fraud.
  • The Girl from Plainville – Series Premiere – Streaming on Hulu – Drama – NR
    • The Girl from Plainville is inspired by the true story of Michelle Carter’s unprecedented “texting-suicide” case. Based on the Esquire article of the same name by Jesse Barron, the limited series explores Carter’s relationship with Conrad Roy III and the events that led to his death and, later, her conviction of involuntary manslaughter.
  • Johnny Hallyday: Beyond Rock – Miniseries Premiere – Streaming on Netflix – Docuseries – NR
    • Johnny Hallyday tells his story in his own words. Through archival footage and personal testimonials, Johnny by Johnny is an intimate portrait of the life and career of France’s greatest rock icon.
  • The Lost Gold of the Aztecs        3/29/22        History        New        10p
  • Mighty Express – Season 6 Premiere – Streaming on Netflix – Animated – TV-Y
    • Catch a ride with the Mighty Express — a team of trains and their kid friends who overcome trouble on the tracks with quick thinking and teamwork!
  • Mike Epps: Indiana Mike – Special – Streaming on Netflix – Stand-Up – NR
    • Filmed at the Walker Theatre in his hometown of Indianapolis, with an audience that includes the Mayor, the Indiana Pacers, and his criminal lawyer since 1992, Mike Epps returns for his third hour-long Netflix comedy special. Epps exclaims what he loves about Indiana, his parents’ legacy and much more.
  • Name That Tune – Season 2 Premiere – 9/8c on FOX – Game Show – TV-PG
    • Beloved one-hour musical game show Name That Tune is back for Season Two and is bigger than ever! This season will feature celebrity singers, actors, Olympians and NFL champions, all playing for their favorite charities. Name That Tune tests contestants’ music knowledge, as they battle it out in an assortment of challenging musical games for cash and prizes. Tony Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Jane Krakowski hosts, and Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson serves as band leader.

New Movies

  • How to Survive a Pandemic – 9/8c on HBO – NR
    • How to Survive a Pandemic takes an inside look at the historic, multi-national race to research, develop, regulate, and roll out COVID-19 vaccines in the war against the coronavirus pandemic. The documentary began filming in early 2020 as the largest public health effort in history got underway and followed those efforts of over the next 18 months, exploring in real time the hard work and collaboration of health agencies worldwide, as well as the political and moral failures of governments to act impartially and equitably.

Wednesday, March 30th

New TV Shows

  • Moon Knight – Series Premiere – Streaming on Disney+ – Action – TV-14
    • When Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life, he discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.
  • Queen of Versailles Reigns Again – Series Premiere – Streaming on discovery+ – Reality – NR
    • After a stock market plummet nearly killed Jackie's dream home, she and her family are ready to return to their famous 90,000 square-foot home.
  • White Water Summer – Series Premiere – Streaming on discovery+ – Reality – NR
    • Welcome to the “land of misfit toys”, also known as Maupin, Oregon, a tiny river town located on the Deschutes River. With an average population of 391, it explodes in the summer as tourists flock to “the Vegas of Oregon'' for the most notorious white water rafting adventures and partying in the Pacific Northwest. As temperatures rise, the inhibitions drop, so zip up your life jacket because this is gonna be a wild ride. From rowdy team bonding and love triangles to demanding overnight clients, and endless party nights, what happens in Maupin stays in Maupin, but there are no secrets in Maupin.
  • Why the Heck Did I Buy This House? – Series Premiere – 9/8c on HGTV – Reality – NR
    • Designer and renovator Kim Wolfe comes to the rescue of homeowners feeling major buyer's remorse. This former Survivor winner and mom of three uses her expert skills to reinvent lifeless spaces and make homeowners finally fall in love with their home.
  • Wild Abandon – Series Premiere – Streaming on Netflix – Drama – NR
    • In the haze of a midlife crisis, an architect begins living a double life as a punk while members of his family lead their own crisis-ridden lives.

New Movies

  • All Hail – Streaming on Netflix – NR
    • A famous TV weatherman, Miguel Flores, becomes public enemy number one when he fails to predict a terrible hailstorm. He is forced out of the big city, Buenos Aires, fleeing the capital for his birthplace of Córdoba. The result will be a voyage of rediscovery that is as absurd as it is human.
  • Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King – Streaming on Netflix – NR
    • Follow a group of investors turned sleuths as they try to unlock the suspicious death of cryptocurrency multimillionaire Gerry Cotten and the missing $250 million they believe he stole from them.
  • When We Were Bullies – 9/8c on HBO – NR
    • When We Were Bullies begins with a mind-boggling coincidence from 25 years ago, which ultimately leads filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt to track down his fifth grade class to see what they remember from a bullying incident that occurred 50 years ago. Weaving together a collage of archival material, found footage, stop-motion animation and interviews with classmates and a teacher from the time, the film is a highly personal look back at a Brooklyn schoolyard incident that had been obscured by the elusive nature of memory but had resonated for decades. In a playful yet poignant reflection, Rosenblatt begins to understand his complicity, his sense of shame and the shared nature of such incidents and their aftermath.

Thursday, March 31st        

New TV Shows

  • Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart – Series Premiere – Streaming on HBO Max – Docuseries – NR
    • Research professor and New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown will take viewers on an interactive journey to share the language, tools and framework for the meaningful connections that define what it means to be human.
  • Ex on the Beach – Season 5 Premiere – 8/7c on MTV – Reality – TV-14
    • A group of single reality stars look for love in paradise, but their exes join the fray and take the experience to a whole new level.
  • The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder – Series Premiere – Streaming on Paramount+ – Kids – TV-Y7
    • In The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, Ty Turner uproots his life to reunite with his high school sweetheart, Rachel Raskin, in the town of Dimmsdale, thrusting his cautious 13-year-old daughter, Viv, into a new world where she does not fit in. Once there, Viv’s cousin, Timmy, entrusts his fairy godparents, Wanda and Cosmo, to help her adjust by taking her under their wings. Witnessing the fairy transfer take place, Viv’s charismatic new stepbrother, Roy, also inherits them, and the two siblings must take turns making wishes. Together, they learn to overcome the obstacles in their path, all with the help from their new wand-wielding and wish-granting fairy godparents.
  • How We Roll – Series Premiere – 9:30/8:30c on CBS – Comedy – TV-PG
    • How We Roll, based on professional bowler Tom Smallwood’s life, stars Pete Holmes as Tom, a stoic Midwest husband and dad who gets laid off from a car assembly line and makes the extraordinary decision to provide for his family by following his dream of becoming a professional bowler. As a skilled player, Tom knows that in bowling you get two chances; no matter what you do with the first ball, you get another one to make it right—the ultimate second chance. Keeping that in mind, Tom begins his new career with the loving okay from his wife, Jen the unfaltering support of Archie, his mentor and the proud owner of Archie’s Lanes: Home of the Curly Fry, the cautious backing of his protective mom, Helen, and the encouragement of his son, Sam. It remains to be seen if Tom will strike it big on the Pro Bowler circuit, but right now, the pins are set, he’s taking his second shot and it’s 300 or bust!
  • Inventions That Changed History – Series Premiere – Streaming on discovery+ – Docuseries – NR
    • Discover the wild, and often unbelievable, stories behind many of pop culture's most impactful inventions. Historians, scientists, pop culture experts and Hollywood celebrities host this wild ride full of information and incredible tales.
  • Julia – Series Premiere – Streaming on HBO Max – Drama – NR
    • Julia is inspired by Julia Child’s extraordinary life and her long-running television series, “The French Chef,” which pioneered the modern cooking show. Through Julia’s life and her singular joie de vivre, the series explores a pivotal time in American history – the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution. At its heart, the series is a portrait of a loving marriage with a shifting power dynamic.
  • Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition – Season 19 Premiere – 9/8c on WEtv – Reality – TV-14
    • Four hip hop couples face the music at Marriage Boot Camp. Dr. Ish and Judge Toler help them confront lies, betrayal, and bitter rivalries. But, when secrets are exposed, will their relationships survive?
  • Rat in the Kitchen – Series Premiere – 9/8c on TBS – Competition – TV-14
    • Rat in the Kitchen is far more than a traditional cooking show – it’s a game of high stakes cat and mouse where viewers get to play detective. In each episode of this comedic cooking “who dunnit?”, hosted by Natasha Leggero, a mix of professional chefs and passionate home cooks compete in a series of creative cooking challenges, earning cash in their bank for every dish that impresses judge Chef Ludo Lefebvre. But they’ll have to avert the meddling of an undercover rat determined to sabotage the dishes and undermine their chances at victory.
  • Super PupZ – Series Premiere – Streamingon Netflix – Animation – NR
    • Four superpowered pups work as a pack to help their new kid pals — and a furry alien friend — in a cute and cuddly cosmic adventure!

New Movies

  • Moonshot – Streaming on HBO Max – NR
    • Moonshot follows Walt (Cole Sprouse) and Sophie (Lana Condor) as they join forces in order to be reunited with their significant others. The two embark upon a lively journey that winds up taking them both wildly and unexpectedly off course. A romantic comedy with a twist from director Christopher Winterbauer.
  • Night's End – Streaming on Shudder – NR
    • In Night’s End, an anxious shut-in unwittingly moves into a haunted apartment and hires a mysterious stranger to perform an exorcism which takes a horrific turn. Starring Geno Walker, Felonious Munk, Kate Arrington, and Michael Shannon.

Friday, April 1st        

New TV Shows

  • The Boarding School: Las Cumbres – Season 2 Premiere – Streaming on Prime Video – Drama – 18+
    • After a failed escape attempt, Manuel disappears in the woods at the hands of a mysterious man in a crow mask. Despite being subjected to strict discipline, Paul, Amaia and his other friends never stop looking for him. Their adventures lead to discovering that the old cult that inhabited the woods, the Crow’s Nest, is still committing crimes and Las Cumbres is more than just a school.
  • Czech It Out! (Spolu & hladovi) – Series Premiere – Streaming on HBO Max – Docuseries – NR
    • An unscripted travel series showcasing the food and culture of the Czech Republic.
  • Doug Unplugs – Season 3 Premiere – Streaming on Apple TV+ – Kids – TV-Y
    • Doug is a young robot who senses there’s more to life than just the facts. While other robots plug in for their daily download, Doug unplugs and journeys into the human world with his best friend Emma to experience its wonders firsthand.
  • Get Organized with The Home Edit – Season 2 Premiere – Streaming on Netflix – Reality – TV-PG
    • Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the master organizers and bestselling authors behind the innovative home organization company The Home Edit, are back to conquer clutter with their unique brand of interior styling, practicality and humor, dramatically transforming the lives of their clients. This season will not only feature even bigger organization projects and more dramatic makeovers, viewers will also take a look into Clea and Joanna’s own homes and watch as they try to keep their personal lives and groundbreaking business organized at the same time. Celebrity clients include Drew Barrymore, Katherine Schwarzenegger & Chris Pratt, Winnie Harlow, Lauren Conrad, Kelsea Ballerini, Danielle Brooks, Tyler Hubbard, Topper Guild, and Kevin Hart.
  • Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge's Mine Rescue – Season 2 Premiere – 9/8c on Discovery – Reality – TV-14
    • Gold guru Freddy Dodge and master fabricator Juan Ibarra are showing struggling miners how to turn their fortunes around. Bringing over 40 years of experience, Freddy and Juan are the ultimate mining masterclass teachers. Their ingenious solutions, expert eyes and clever bush hacks dramatically can increase even the worst gold operation.
  • The Informant (A besugo) – Series Premiere – Streaming on HBO Max – Drama – NR
    • A besúgó is set in 1985, behind the Iron Curtain, as Geri leaves for college. He is looking forward to meeting girls and partying and joins a group of radicals, led by the charismatic Száva. But Geri has a secret. He's an informant of the totalitarian state and to save his brother, he's been forced to spy on his new friends for State Security. While Geri's life changes forever – juggling parties and political debates – he wrestles with a daily challenge; whose side should he be on? Especially when the group's increasingly radical leader, Száva realizes that there is an informant among them.
  • Jerrod Carmichael: Rotaniel – Special – 9/8c on HBO – Stand-Up – NR
    • Jerrod Carmichael returns to HBO with his standup comedy special, Jerrod Carmichael: Rotaniel, The special was taped in February before a live audience at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City.
  • The Last Bus – Series Premiere – Streaming on Netflix – Kids – NR
    • The Last Bus is an action-packed eco-fable following a group of mismatched students on a school trip who become unlikely heroes when a robot apocalypse zaps away the rest of humanity.
  • Luxe Listings Sydney – Season 2 Premiere – Streaming on Prime Video – Reality – TV-14
    • The Sydney real estate market is hotter than ever, with demand for exclusive properties far outweighing the supply. Luxe Listings Sydney follows four elite agents as they negotiate multi-million-dollar deals in one of the most competitive and cut throat markets in the world; Sydney, Australia. Money never sleeps, and these agents will stop at nothing to deliver the best results for their clients.
  • One True Singer – Series Premiere – Streaming on HBO Max – Game Show – NR
    • One True Singer is the musical show which promises to launch the next big singer in Romania. It's the show that takes you behind the scenes of the music industry and reveals what it takes to reach the top. Choreographers, photographers, directors, composers, producers, stylists, influencers – all the industry's experts have come together to bring the next One True Singer into the limelight. Hundreds have tried, but only fourteen young artists have managed to impress the jury made up of Alex Cotoi, Alina Eremia, Serban Cazan, and Bruja and make it inside the One True Singer house, where they'll compete for a 100,000 euro prize – 50,000 euros cash and a contract worth 50,000 euros with Global Records. What challenges await them? This will be a game-changer.
  • The Outlaws – Series Premiere – Streaming on Prime Video – Drama – TV-MA
    • The Outlaws is a comedy thriller about a disparate group of lawbreakers thrown together to complete a community service sentence. Seven strangers from different walks of life are forced to work together to renovate a derelict community center. When one of their number gets dragged into a dangerous world of organized crime, they unite in ways none of them thought possible. The series stars Rhianne Barreto, Gamba Cole, Stephen Merchant, Christopher Walken, Eleanor Tomlinson, Darren Boyd, Clare Perkins, and Jessica Gunning.
  • Slow Horses – Series Premiere – Streaming on Apple TV+ – Drama – NR
    • This darkly funny espionage drama follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 due to their career-ending mistakes. Led by their brilliant but irascible leader, the notorious Jackson Lamb, they navigate the espionage world’s smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.
  • The Thaw (Odwilz) – Series Premiere – Streaming on HBO Max – Drama – NR
    • The body of a young woman is discovered in the icy river. The investigation is led by Zawieja for whom solving the case will be a fight for herself.
  • Great Performances at the Met “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”

New Movies

  • Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood – Streaming on Netflix – NR
    • Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood tells the story of the first moon landing in the summer of 1969 from two interwoven perspectives – the astronaut and mission control view of the triumphant moment, and through the eyes of a kid growing up in Houston, Texas who has intergalactic dreams of his own. Taking inspiration from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater’s own life, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood is a snapshot of American life in the 1960s that is part coming of age, part societal commentary, and part out-of-this-world adventure.
  • Better Nate Than Ever – Streaming on Disney+ – PG
    • Thirteen-year-old Nate has big Broadway dreams. But when he isn't cast in the school play, he and his best friend Libby sneak off to the Big Apple, where he's unexpectedly reunited with his long-lost Aunt Heidi. Together they must prove that life’s greatest adventures are only as big as your dreams.
  • The Bubble – Streaming on Netflix – NR
    • Comedy about a group of actors and actresses stuck inside a pandemic bubble at a hotel attempting to complete a sequel to an action franchise film about flying dinosaurs.
  • Captain Nova – Streaming on Netflix – NR
    • A fighter pilot travels back in time to save the future world from environmental disaster, but a side-effect turns her young again and no-one takes her seriously.

Saturday, April 2nd

New TV Shows

  • Impractical Jokers – Season 10 Premiere – 11/10c on truTV – Comedy – TV-14
    • Four comedians and lifelong friends compete to embarrass each other out amongst the general public with a series of hilarious and outrageous dares. When Sal, Joe, Q, and Murr challenge each other to say or do something, they have to do it. And if they refuse, they lose. At the end of every episode, the biggest loser must endure a punishment of epic proportions. This season, the guys pose as hot dog vendors, gymnasts, waiters, clerks at a bridal shop and more. As for the punishments, from skydiving to the rodeo to the body piercing shop, they are bigger, badder, and funnier than ever before.
  • Whitney, A Look Back – Special – 8/7c on CBS – Documentary – NR
    • Entertainment Tonight is opening the ET vault to share never-before-seen Whitney Houston interview moments as part of a new special for CBS. Whitney, A Look Back will air the night before the GRAMMYs and chronicle the life and legacy of the music superstar. The special will include lost performances and rare moments with Whitney, alongside new interviews with those who knew her best, including Dionne Warwick, Clive Davis, CeCe Winans, Monica, and Kelly Price. In addition, the special will explore new details about the days leading up to and following Whitney’s death. Whitney, A Look Back comes as the world marks 10 years since her tragic passing.

New Movies

  • Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For – 8/7c on Lifetime – NR
    • The members of the Fallen Angels Murder Club must have two things in common — a love for books and have a criminal record. Hollis Morgan (Toni Braxton) meets both requirements. When a member of her book club is murdered in a scene straight out of the previous night’s novel, Hollis becomes the subject of police scrutiny. Refusing to get stuck with another bad rap, Hollis sets out to investigate her fellow club members and after a second book-inspired murder, she races to identify the killer before she becomes the next victim. Also stars Eddie Cibrian.
  • Fatal Fandom – 10/9c on Lifetime – NR
    • When famous pop star Eden Chase is almost kidnapped by a crazed fan, she enlists the help of handsome, brooding bodyguard Jackson Reed to move into her home and become her full-time security. However, when Jackson develops an unhealthy attachment to Eden, she soon realizes the one person she calls her protector is now a predator who's harboring a dark secret from the past.
  • Just One Kiss – 8/7c on Hallmark – TV-G
    • Sparks fly between professor Mia and lounge singer Tony through a series of chance encounters. Little do they know their mothers are scheming to set them up. Starring Krysta Rodriguez, Santino Fontana, Illeana Douglas and Aida Turturro.
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Alex Reif
Alex joined the Laughing Place team in 2014 and has been a lifelong Disney fan. His main beats for LP are Disney-branded movies, TV shows, books, music and toys. He recently became a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA).