While the weather refuses to catch up with springtime, there's still plenty of excellent TV to catch up on for the month ahead. Here's Newstalk's top picks for streaming this May on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix...
American Gods, episodes streaming weekly on Amazon Prime Video from May 1st
Based on the award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman, British actor and Strictly Come Dancing alum Ricky Whittle stars as Shadow Moon, freshly released from prison after the death of his wife Laura (Emily Browning). He meets My Wednesday (Ian McShane), becoming his bodyguard, and finding himself at the centre of a hidden magical battle between the old gods and the power-hungry new ones. From Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal), Amazon will be hoping this has the potential to become its Game of Thrones.
Patriot, all 10 episodes of season one streaming on Amazon Prime Video from May 5th
A new original series, Patriot focuses on the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner, tasked with preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But when that mission sees him forced into posing as a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm, keeping up his front while dealing with incompetent government departments and a homicide detective on his tracks complicate matters.
Sense8, All 10 episodes of season two streaming on Netflix from May 5th
The Wachowski Siblings’ global sci-fi fantasy continues after returning for a bridge-the-gap Christmas special on the streaming giant in December. The series follows a disparate group of people around the world who discover they are suddenly linked mentally. Now hunted by those who see them as a threat to the world’s order, they must figure out how to survive.
Anne with an E, all eight episodes of season one streaming on Netflix from May 12th
Anne Shirley, the orphaned heroine of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic Green Gables novels, is one of the most enduring literary characters of all time, charming generations of new readers for more than a century. Irish actress Amybeth McNulty takes on the role in the new series, envisioned as a five-season story for Netflix, created by an Emmy-winning writer of Breaking Bad. The show looks to be less joyous than previous TV incarnations of Anne, but promises the same lightness of heart that has made the plucky girl a favourite of millions around the world.
Get me Roger Stone, streaming on Netflix from May 12th
While not the most immediately recognisable name in the coterie that got Donald Trump into the White House, Stone certainly makes for an interesting figure. With his Richard Nixon tattoo, alleged dodgy dealings with Russian intelligence, and turning up on Inauguration Day dressed as the Babadook, there is plenty of meat to tear into here. “American may be collapsing,” says one talking head in the trailer, “but Roger Stone is determined to enjoy it.”
I Love Dick, all eight episodes of season one streaming on Amazon Prime Video from May 12th
Based on the cult novel by Chris Kraus, Amazon has handed the keys to this series to Jill Soloway, whose work on Transparent has provided the nascent streaming giant with its most critically-adored show to date. Soloway casts Kathryn Hahn, a Transparent stalwart, as Chris, the wife of Sylvere, a novelist who relocates to Texas to finish his novel. Tensions rise when the couple encounters a celebrated artist and cowboy named Dick (Kevin Bacon), launching them headfirst into an escalating erotic fantasy.
Master of None, all 10 episodes of season two streaming on Netflix from May 12th
Indian-American actor Aziz Ansari’s Master of None was one of the most warmly received comedies of 2015, establishing the Parks & Rec alum as a fantastic leading man and showcasing some of the most thoughtful explorations of race in the entertainment industry ever told on screen. The show ended with a very satisfying twist, with the sophomore season following through on that premise and finding Ansari’s Dev in Italy. Expect more cameos from Ansari’s real-life parents and sterling supporting work from Eric Wareheim and Lena Waithe.
The Keepers, all seven episodes streaming on Netflix from May 19th
A much-touted true-crime docuseries – already receiving favourable comparisons to Making a Murderer – the show aims to finally solve a 50-year-old murder case in Baltimore, Maryland. Just who did kill Sister Cathy?
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, all 13 episodes of season three streaming on Netflix from May 19th
Tina Fey’s sitcom returns for its third season, with Ellie Kemper’s effervescent turn as the cult survivor turned making-it-on-her-own gal-about-town one of the most charming comedic performances on TV these days. Tituss Burgess and Jane Krakowski will do their best to steal every scene they’re in, with the show taking Kimmy to college.
House of Cards, all 13 episodes of season five streaming on Netflix from May 30th
After a delayed release, the show that launched Netflix as the world’s favourite channel returns for more political backstabbing. Season five sees the Underwoods teaming up to retake the White House from the threat of the Republican candidate – Joel Kinnaman’s Will Conway.
