This month, with the Australian Grand Prix approaching, the F1 racing documentary "Drive to Survive" launched its new season. At the same time, the popular fantasy series "The Wheel of Time" and the Swedish version of the dating reality show "Love Is Blind" also made a strong comeback. These returning favorites are sure to delight their established fanbases.
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03-21, 2025However, frankly, the launch of new content this month is even more noteworthy than the returning series. Next, we will introduce several new series worth paying attention to. These fresh offerings promise to bring unique stories and perspectives to the screen.
"The Studio" – Apple TV+, launched March 26th. The show tells the story of Matt Remick (Seth Rogen), whose dream comes true when he becomes the boss of a legendary Hollywood studio. Matt has always longed to be the person who can approve excellent films, so, just days into the job, he decides to quickly push forward a movie about a beverage enthusiast in order to compete with Greta Gerwig's "Barbie."
However, Matt's dream job quickly turns into a nightmare. The increasingly declining studio is struggling to turn a profit, so his new role is more about stifling artists' hard work than anything else. In "The Studio," the highs are exciting, and the lows are frustrating. Matt turns into a spineless liar in a matter of days, willing to do anything to make a meaningful film and succumbing to his boss's every demand. His clumsy work partner, Sal (Ike Barinholtz), is of little help, as he is addicted to a daytime cocaine habit. It would all be worth it if he could use his newfound power to produce anything of artistic value. But does he really have what it takes to do what he's dedicated his life to?
Co-created, written, directed, and executive produced by Rogen (with longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg), "The Studio" is a star-studded, sharply satirical comedy that answers an important question: why does Hollywood keep churning out meaningless remakes? The show boasts a strong cast, including Bryan Cranston as the delightfully out-of-touch, vicious studio CEO; Katherine Hahn, who stars alongside Rogen as a perfectly condescending subordinate; and Catherine O'Hara, who naturally steals every scene as the recently ousted former studio boss whom Matt replaces. With its twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud moments, "The Studio" feels like the pinnacle of comedy in many ways. The unique old-Hollywood-style color grading, along with the luxurious sets and backdrops to match, add to the appeal of this 10-episode comedy. All in all, "The Studio" is definitely worth a watch.
"The Residence" – Netflix, available now. The White House's chief usher is found dead during a state dinner, which is certainly mysterious. There are 132 rooms to check and 157 suspects to interrogate – including the real-life Kylie Minogue. (The state dinner is for Australia.) While Kylie is downstairs lip-syncing "Can't Get You Out of My Head" for the guests, the brilliant Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) is brought in to investigate the death of A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito). Aduba's quirky, neurodivergent detective is far from convinced that he died by suicide.
This goes against the White House officials' thinking: their new administration has been in freefall for the past six months, and now a body has been found at their first state dinner. Cordelia must also contend with FBI agent Edwin Park (Randall Park), who is following her to make sure she doesn't discover anything the government doesn't want her to see. We know from the start that this isn't going to go well for her – the story begins with a congressional hearing into the night of A.B.'s death and the investigation that followed. This layered detective drama produced by Shondaland has twists in all the right places, and the White House setting adds another layer of intriguing political intrigue to the show. But it's also a comedy, and Aduba's brilliant deadpan humor adds levity to all the darkness.
"Number One on the Call Sheet" – Apple TV+, launched March 28th. This two-part documentary produced by Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart features some of Hollywood's most prominent Black actors revealing breakthrough moments in their careers and reflecting on the contributions of those who paved the way for them in a series of meaningful, intimate interviews.
The paths they took to solidify their stardom often differed greatly, influenced by ever-changing political landscapes and periods of social upheaval, symbolism, misogyny, Eurocentric aesthetic standards, and a limited number of roles. Of course, there were other factors at play. You can expect bombshells from Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, Cynthia Erivo, Denzel Washington, Gabrielle Union, Idris Elba, and more. "Number One on the Call Sheet" looks joyful, moving, inspiring, and infuriating, and it will likely be overlooked, though it shouldn't be. Its important message deserves to be heard and appreciated.
"Happy Face" – Paramount+, launched March 21st. Melissa (Analeigh Tipton) has a secret. On the surface, she is a mother of two with a loving husband, and she spends her days doing makeup for a problematic daytime talk show. This is the disguise she has carefully cultivated for 15 years.
One morning, her life begins to unravel when she receives a card from her father: incarcerated Happy Face serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson (Dennis Quaid). Keith also speaks with Melissa's boss, Dr. Greg (David Harewood), a Dr. Phil-inspired figure, claiming that he killed one more person than the eight he was convicted of. He insists that he will only talk about it with two people: Dr. Greg and Melissa. As a talk show host who has built a television empire by exploiting vulnerable people in crisis, Dr. Greg urges her to investigate. Melissa isn't sure if her father is lying and trying to manipulate her or if it is her responsibility to ascertain the truth.
Then she discovers that an innocent person may be executed for the crime her father claims to have committed. "Happy Face" is just the latest in a recent slew of true crime stories being adapted into television series, but this show is more than just trauma porn. For one thing, Melissa G. Moore, the real-life daughter of the Happy Face killer, served as an executive producer on the show herself (based on the Happy Face podcast and her co-written autobiography, "Shattered Silence"). Tipton and Quaid deliver nuanced, chilling performances, respectively. The result is a television series that is both a meditation on our love for our parents (despite what they may do) and the importance of dealing with trauma, as well as a compelling true crime story.
"Shark with Steve Backshall" – ABC iview, available now. As one of the most feared predators in our oceans, sharks have a bad reputation. Steve Backshall believes they are simply misunderstood. In this documentary series, the British naturalist and explorer (+ shark publicist?) proves that hunting defenseless prey isn't all they're about.
Starting with Caribbean reef sharks in the Bahamas, Backshall introduces us to a variety of sharks living in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. From there, we learn about the problems they face, from climate change to pollution and overfishing. But this four-part series also showcases the peculiar and wonderful behaviors that sharks have developed over 400 million years of evolution. This really is a love letter to sharks written by someone who has been diving with them for 30 years. Those who are afraid of sharks may find certain parts uncomfortable – Backshall doesn't hesitate to get close to them, and he's not afraid to play with stingrays in shallow water either. But for the shark knowledge you'll gain, it's still worth a watch.
