Between streaming and cable, viewers have a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that are airing or streaming this week, April 20-26. Details and times are subject to change.
Rising familial tensions.
Richard Gadd first made a name for himself with the semi-autobiographical series “Baby Reindeer,” which he created, wrote and starred in. It earned six Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. Now, he’s back with a new series “Half Man.” In it, he portrays Ruben who shows up at the wedding of his estranged childhood best friend, Niall (Jamie Bell). The show spans the men’s 30-year friendship, which is defined by moments of violence, codependency and vulnerability. More broadly, the show examines the fragility and tension that can be a part of male relationships. New installations of the six-episode season will air weekly. Thursday at 9 p.m. on HBO.
There’s something so dreamy about the story of a big city woman who moves to a small town (bonus points if it’s near a body of water) to reconnect with her roots, work out some daddy issues and find herself romantically entangled with an attractive man with a blue-collar job. And that’s the premise of “Sullivan’s Crossing,” which is coming back for its fourth season this week. The story picks back up with Maggie (Morgan Kohan) and Cal (Chad Michael Murray) dealing with Maggie’s ex-husband’s appearance in town and her father’s move to Ireland. (Scott Patterson, who plays the father, Sully, announced on Facebook last month that he had decided to leave the show because of “untenable” creative differences). New episodes air weekly. Monday at 8 p.m. on The CW.
Green leaves and giggles.
The origin of April 20 as a day to celebrate marijuana has always been a little bit hazy. But PBS notes that the now commonly accepted genesis of the observance took place at San Rafael High School in California where, in 1971, a group began to meet every day after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke a joint. The legend goes that the hangout, casually referred to as “420,” spread to wider use through a connection with the Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. And now Hulu is honoring the day by releasing “4×20: Quick Hits,” four 20-minute documentaries devoted to weed-centered culture, including the movie “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and the magazine High Times. Neil Patrick Harris, John Cho, Kal Penn and Tommy Chong appear. Begins streaming Monday on Hulu.
Zach Galifianakis brought us many outrageous moments in his YouTube talk show “Between Two Ferns,” which ran for over 20 episodes. But now, Galifianakis is leaving behind the plastic plants and actually heading out into nature with his new series “This Is a Gardening Show.” Galifianakis is the host, interviewer and a comedian on the show, filmed in Canada, and learns more from various subjects about the land they live from and live on. The season comprises six 15-20 minute episodes. Begins streaming Wednesday on Netflix.
Proving yourself against animated dragons and sexist business partners.
“Running Point,” the series loosely inspired by the life of the Los Angeles Lakers C.E.O. and owner Jeanie Buss, is back for a second season. Kate Hudson is reprising her role as Isla Gordon (the Buss character), and the season begins as Gordon and three of her brothers, Ness (Scott MacArthur), Sandy (Drew Tarver) and Jackie (Fabrizio Guido) reunite with their other sibling Cam (Justin Theroux), who left rehab early. The story line also focuses on Isla’s love triangle with the team’s head coach, Jay Brown (Jay Ellis), and her former fiancé, Lev (Max Greenfield). The season’s 10 episodes will all be available on the start date. Begins streaming Thursday on Netflix.
Though “Stranger Things” ended its five-season run on New Year’s Eve 2025, its animated counterpart, “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85,” is now coming to small screens. The show features the characters that fans already know and love (including Eleven, Steve Harrington and Will Byers) in a timeline set between the events of Seasons 2 and 3 of the original series. There will also be a new character, the transfer student Nikki Baxter (voiced by Odessa A’zion), who joins the Hawkins gang for their adventures. In an interview with IGN, the showrunner Eric Robles promised that the show would realistically fit into the events of the original show, saying, “we respect the canon of it.” All 10 episodes will be available on the streaming start date, with some AMC movie theaters hosting screenings of the first two episodes. Begins streaming Thursday on Netflix.
Shivani Gonzalez is a news assistant at The Times who writes a weekly TV column and contributes to a variety of sections.
The post ‘Half Man,’ and 5 More Things to Watch on TV This Week appeared first on New York Times.
