Updated April 8, 2026 at 10:17 AM EDT
As much as some people may see TV as a way to escape issues in turbulent times, there's a rush of new programming over the next week or so that does the exact opposite — offering fictionalized depictions of everything from a Christian-based theocracy ruling America to Silicon Valley moguls disrupting the world with their boundless narcissism and a young, charismatic kid trying desperately to outrun the consequences of her addictions.
These new shows, kicking off a packed month of TV programming in April, also feature other trends. Stars from movies, including Zendaya, Chase Infiniti, Jacob Elordi and Zach Galifianakis pop up in starring and pivotal roles, showing how Hollywood's changing economy is bringing more big names to the small screen.
And two big series will say goodbye with final seasons, concluding acclaimed runs with a powerful stretch of fresh performances. For fans of quality TV, this week will feel like more March Madness in April.
Here's some of the top shows I can't wait to watch in the coming days:
The Testaments
On Hulu April 8
I'll admit, when I heard about this spinoff series focused on depicting the life of the child taken from Elisabeth Moss' character, June Osborne, in the mothership show The Handmaid's Tale, I wasn't sure I could handle it. The original series became something of a slog over six seasons, made tougher to watch as political fights in America came to offer milder versions of the series' nightmarish scenario in which a theocracy called Gilead conquers part of the nation, subjugating women into sexual slavery. But this series, based on the sequel book written by The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood features One Battle After Another co-star Chase Infiniti, as a more grown-up version of Osborne's child Agnes, exploring how Gilead is carefully constructed to stifle dissent and demand compliance. Agnes, raised by adoptive parents, is attending a school which prepares daughters of Gilead's Commanders for life as devoted wives – not handmaids. But as she begins to figure out what her heritage really is, Agnes begins to rebel, and things really get interesting.
The Boys
On Prime Video April 8
This show's bonkers take on a world where superheroes are real—and REALLY dysfunctional people—has always positioned itself as a funhouse mirror version of the country's real-life struggles with authoritarianism and bizarre, self-obsessed leaders. So the new episodes, marking the show's fifth and final season, feature Antony Starr's brilliant portrayal of the show's dark version of Superman, Homelander, in a position he's always coveted. Now in control of the U.S. government and empowered to enact his most egomaniacal whims, backed by his father, a horribly corrupt version of Captain America called Soldier Boy (also played deftly by Supernatural alum Jensen Ackles), Homelander seems poised to satirize the chaos of modern times more closely than ever. His biggest threat is likely a band of ragtag humans and rebellious superpowered people led by a ruthless guy with a virus which can kill all "supes." What could possibly go wrong?
Hacks
On HBO Max April 9
After dominating the Emmy Awards for years, star Jean Smart leads the series' final season like a boss. She's playing legendary comic, Deborah Vance, who is once again trying to reestablish her legacy only this time after mistaken news reports that she had died and an on-air resignation from her late-night talk show last season that angered one of the most powerful moguls in Hollywood. Even though this show offers tart and telling satires of show business, I've always felt the series was strongest in depicting the oddball friendship between Vance and her millennial writer, Ava, played by Hannah Einbinder. As they navigate the tricky waters of trying to galvanize Vance's fans to help her secure a coveted gig in a legendary live venue, the two are forced yet again to accept that they are each other's ride-or-die, no matter how much they get on each other's nerves.
The Audacity
On AMC and AMC+ April 12
Yes, we know that the CEOs and swole tech bros currently running Silicon Valley are building empires on engagement-by-enragement strategies which have atomized public consensus. But somehow, the gonzo characters bouncing off each other in AMC's new dramatic comedy—starring Billy Magnussen as Duncan Park, a CEO who stumbles on a powerful data mining tool in the quest to avoid a hefty stock price drop—offer new shades on just how bizarre and destructive these figures can be. The series is packed with great performances, including Barry alum Sarah Goldberg as Park's blithely self-obsessed therapist and Zach Galifianakis as another patient of Goldberg's character whose caustic disdain for other people makes Park look like Mother Teresa.
Euphoria
On HBO and HBO Max April 12
Call it the one-two punch of modern media. Even as Zendaya is luring fans to theaters for her film The Drama, she's about to appear in the third season of the HBO show which turned her into a grownup TV star. As a longtime fan of this show about troubled youths indulging in too much sex, too many drugs and growing up WAY too fast—despite showrunner Sam Levinson's occasional forays into style over substance in storytelling—I'm looking forward to seeing the characters here out of high school and finding their way as young adults. I'm wondering how they'll handle the death of co-star Angus Cloud who played one of the show's most compelling characters in white boy gangster Fezco O'Neill. And even though the nihilism of the show's characters can be tough to weather when the real world provides so much inspiration for similar feelings, Zendaya plays Rue Bennett as an often clueless survivor barely managing a massive problem with addiction, suggesting sometimes the best way to persevere is to just get through it.
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