The best new streaming shows this week

It’s hard to keep track of which streaming service is premiering which new show or movie from week to week. Netflix used to be king, but the streaming field is full of alternatives, and they’re all regularly pumping out new content. So, what are the best new streaming shows and where can you watch them?

Every week, we answer that question for you, offering some exciting new and returning titles, including streaming originals, from services like Max, Hulu, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, and, yes, Netflix. We’ll be updating this list every week, so stay tuned for more new streaming shows on every major service.

The best new streaming shows this week

Let’s start with the best new shows debuting between Oct 16 and Oct 22, in order from newest to oldest.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Season 1

• Release date: Nov 5 on Paramount Plus
• Headline talent:  David Oyelowo, June Christopher, Dennis Quaid

This new American Western TV series is based on the life of Bass Reeves, a former slave who became the first African American Deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi. The series stars David Oyelowo as Reeves and highlights Reeve’s journey as a lawman, ending in over 3,000 arrests during his carrer, including some of the most dangerous criminals of the era.

Invincible, Season 2 

• Release date: Nov 2 on Prime Video
• Showrunner:  Robert Kirkman

Invincible is an adult animated superhero show that centers on Mark Grayson, a teenager whose father is the most powerful superhero on the planet. Shortly after his seventeenth birthday, Mark begins to develop powers of his own. He also starts to question everything he thought he knew about his father’s legacy. Now the series is back for a second season, though you can also watch the first on Amazon prime if you missed it.

All the Light We Cannot See

• Release date: Nov 2 on Netflix
• Lead actors:   Mark Ruffalo, Louis Hofmann, Aria Mia Loberti

This mini-series is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The series takes place during World War II and follows the lives of Marie-Laure and Warner Pfenning, two teenagers facing very different realities. Marie is a blind French Girl who fled German-occupied Paris with her father and is on the run. Meanwhile, Werner is a German who finds himself forced to fight for the Nazis. While it does change a few things from the book, this series looks to be an excellent adaption perfect for fans of the book and those who are interested in dramas set during the Second Great War. 

Black Cake, Season 1

• Release date: Nov 1 on Hulu
• Showrunner: Marissa Jo Cerar

Looks like we have another series based on a book. Eleanor Bennett never liked talking much about her past but after her death that all changed. In her will, she leaves behind a flash drive with audio recordings revealing deep secrets in her life that neither her children nor husband ever knew, including the fact she’s not actually named Eleanor. The mystery depends as the series progresses and her family struggles to come to terms with her secret life. 

The Three Detectives

• Release date: Nov 1 on Disney Plus
• Showrunner: Purnima GrätzBella, BadingLilith Julie Johna

Kim, Marie, and Franzi are teenagers, best friends, and detectives all at the same time. Together they solve crimes and explore mysteries. This is yet another show this week based on a book series, though this is a family-friendly affair, perfect for watching with the kiddos.

Love Island Games

• Release date: Nov 1 on Peacock
• Showrunner:   

The dating reality show Love Island is getting a spin-off, featuring contestants that previously appeared on Love Island. This show gives them a second shot at love and adds both team and couple challenges, as well as some of the same general elements as the original show. If you were a fan of the original, or just love reality TV in general, this could be worth the watch.

Check out the best new streaming shows from previous weeks

Below are some of the TV shows we recommended in previous weeks. If you’ve watched the newer titles already or want more options, we have a solid mix of new shows on your favorite streaming services.

Life on our Planet (2023)

• Release date: Oct 25 on Netflix
• Headline talent:   Morgan Freeman

Life on our Planet is a new documentary series about how life has changed on our planet over the course of billions of years. Each episode focuses on a different point or stage of life on our planet and is voiced by Morgan Freeman. The first chapter deals with the rules of life regarding evolution, competition, and mass extinction. 

Fellow Travelers (2023)

• Release date: Oct 29 on Paramount Plus
• Showrunner:   Ron Nyswaner

Starting in the 1950s, Fellow Travelers follow the Hawk and Time, two political staffers who fall in love during a time when such relationships were considered taboo by most of society. While it begins in the 50s, the series will follow their decades-long relationship. 

The Gilded Age (2022 – ongoing)

• Release date: Oct 29 on Max
• Showrunner:   Julian Fellowes

After her father’s death, Marian Brook recently moved from rural Pennsylvania to live with her aunts in New York City. Set in the 1880s, Brook is from a wealthy upper-class family that puts an emphasis on high society and maintaining appearances. Of course, she has her own ambitions and plans, ones that run contrary to the wishes of one aunt in particular. 

Upload, Season 3 (2020 – ongoing)

• Release date: Oct 20 on Amazon Prime
• Showrunner:   Greg Daniels

After getting severely injured in a car accident, a man must choose between a risky surgery that will end in death or forfeiting his physical life in exchange for a digital afterlife. After he gets there he soon realizes there’s more to his accident than what appears and whole segments of his memory have been erased. While this show definitely has dramatic elements it also has lighthearted romantic comedy vibes too. Season 3 is just hitting on October 20th, but you can watch the first two seasons now if you haven’t caught up already. 

Big Mouth, Season 7 (2017 – ongoing)

• Release date: Oct 20 on Netflix
• Showrunner:  Andrew Goldberg

Big Mouth is an adult animated sitcom from Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett. The series is based in suburban New York and centers around students based on the lives of Golberg and Kroll. In fact, Kroll voices his fictionalized younger self in the series. The show explores puberty and coming-of-age issues, all while doing it in a comedic way. The seventh season hits on October 20th, but you can watch all the earlier episodes right now if you haven’t given the show a chance yet. 

Bosch: Legacy, Season 2 (2022 – ongoing)

• Release date: Oct 20 on Frevee
• Headline talent: Titus Welliver

After a successful run of approximately seven years, the original Bosch series concluded on June 25, 2021. However, it wasn’t truly the end; it was more of a brief hiatus. Bosch: Legacy made its debut on Freevee on May 6, 2022. This new show introduces a few changes from the original series. Notably, Harry Bosch has retired from the LAPD and now works as a private investigator. Nevertheless, there are still many similarities with the original show. Season 2 is set to premiere on October 20th, and it has already been renewed for a third season as well.

Wolf Like Me, Season 2 (2022 – ongoing)

• Release date: Oct 19 on Peacock
• Headline talent: Isla Fisher and Josh Gad

After the death of his spouse, Gary is now a single father to an 11-year-old girl named Emma. One day they meet Mary out of the blue, an advice columnist hiding from her own past. Eventually, she finds her way into their lives and builds a bond, but she has a secret. She is a werewolf. The story’s premise is a bit goofy, but this is actually a fun, light-hearted show that’s perfect for watching with your significant other or even your family if you have oldder kids.

Frasier (2023)

• Release date: Oct 12 on Paramount
• Headline talent: Kelsey Grammar

The Frasier reboot takes place about twenty years after the original series, moving the action to Boston. After living in Chicago for the last two decades, Frasier has recently retired from his successful career as a TV psychiatrist. Now he has a new mission: rekindling his strained relationship with his son Freddy. I’ve watched three episodes so far and can say it certainly offers a similar vibe to the original, though it’s hard to ignore the lack of characters like Niles, Daphne, Martin, and Eddie. Hopefully, the new cast grows on us in time, but at least Kelsey Grammar is back in perfect form as the pompous but lovable doc.

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

• Release date: Oct 12 on Netflix
• Showrunner: Mike Flanagan

Loosely inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name, this horror drama centers around the leaders of a corrupt pharmaceutical company, two siblings named Roderick and Madeline Usher. Their lives seem charmed and prosperous on the outside, but their entire household is constructed on a foundation of lies. Their fortunes take a sharp turn when one of Roderick’s children dies suddenly and mysteriously, followed swiftly by more deaths.

Our Flag Means Death, Season 2

Max — Oct 5

This unique pirate comedy is set in the 18th century and centers around Stede Bonnet, an aristocrat who gives up his charmed life to become a pirate. The second season picks up from the big cliffhanger in season 1. If you’ve yet to give the show a try, you can also catch the first season on Max.

Loki, Season 2

Disney Plus — Oct 5

Loki was the one Marvel show I really got into. Partially because I loved the multiverse idea, but mostly because I just love Loki. Season 2 picks up where the first left off, with Loki abandoned in a timeline different from the one he had intended to return to. The second season debuts with just one episode, with a new episode dropping every week thereafter. 

Lupin, Part 3

Netflix — Oct 5

This French mystery thriller follows professional thief Assane Diop out to get revenge on the wealthy and corrupt Pellegrini family, who he blames for his father’s suicide. He believes the family is responsible for framing his father for the theft of an expensive diamond necklace. Now, the series is back for its final chapter. Be aware this show is in the French language, though subtitles are provided. 

Simpsons, Season 35

Hulu — Oct 2

This one needs no introduction. The Simpsons have been on the air since 1989, and now they’re back for their 35th season. Unlike conventional shows, the Simpsons never really change. They never age. And rarely do the events from one episode carry on to the next, except for the rare occasions like deaths. Those are typically permanent. Best of all, the Simpsons is one of those shows you can jump into even if you haven’t seen very many episodes before.

Starstruck (2021 – Ongoing)

MAX — Sep 28 

Starstruck is back for its third season, consisting of six new episodes. If you’ve yet to give it a chance, Starstruck is a rom-com series following the life of Jessie, a millennial from East London who is juggling two jobs to keep her rent. Soon, she discovers the man she hooked up with is a famous film star, and despite how different they are, fate continues to bring them together. 

The Kardashians, Season 4 (2022 – ongoing)

Hulu — Sep 28

America’s “favorite” celebrity family returns for yet another season. The show continues to give us an inside look at the lives of Kim, Kris, Kourtney, Kendall, and Kylie. While it’s over the top, that’s exactly what you’d expect. If you’re into these kinds of reality TV shows, this can be a lot of fun. Best of all, it’s easy to jump into even if you didn’t watch previous seasons. 

Castlevania: Nocturne

Netflix — Sep 28

This adult animated dark fantasy is a spin-off of the original Castlevania series, itself based on the long-standing video game series. The new series focuses on Richter Belmont, a descendant of the famous Belmont vampire hunters. Set during the French Revolution, Richter must team up with an unlikely crew in order to stop an apocalypse. 

Gen V 

Prime Video — Sep 28

The Boys is a popular dark drama that takes the superhero genre and subverts it to great effect, showing the darker side of so-called heroes. The new spin-off focuses on a college for kids with superpowers. It takes the same dark satirical approach to superheroes while also showing the raunchier side of things as well thanks to its new college-focused spin. 

Encounters (2023)

Netflix — Sep  27

Netflix’s new docuseries takes a closer look at claimed alien and UFO sightings. Each episode focuses on a different incident, ranging from old sightings from the 50s to more modern events as well. There are currently four episodes available on Netflix. 

Krapopolis (2023)

Hulu — Sep 25

Set in mythical Greece, this new Dan Harmon show centers around a family of humans, gods, and monsters as they attempt to forge a new civilization in one of the world’s first Greek cities. Although some of the early reviews have been mixed at best, if you like other Harmon shows, such as Rick and Morty and Community, it’s at least worth giving it a shot.