A Netflix zombie reality show, a Star Trek finale, and more new TV this week
Mid-August used to be a time when we were exclusively looking ahead to fall premieres. But, with the advent of streaming TV and the constant churn of new shows, August is no longer a dead zone — just ask this week’s premieres.
On Netflix alone there are two high-profile shows in very different veins: First, there’s Painkiller, a dramatized look at the opioid crisis from various vantage points. If that seems too heavy, there’s also Zombieverse, a reality show about living through a zombie apocalypse.
Apple’s taking a chance with Strange Planet, an animated show based on the popular blue alien comic of the same name. There are also big names back on Hulu, with Only Murders in the Building coming back for a third season. This time around, Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short are joined by Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd. Not too shabby!
Of course, there’s also a ton of TV to catch up with, including at least one notable season finale this week (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds). Here are all the significant TV premieres (and one finale) this week:
Genre: Fictional re-creation dramaRelease date: Aug. 10, with all episodesShowrunner/creator: Peter BergCast: Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, John Rothman
This scripted limited series looks at the opioid crisis from all the angles it can: from peddlers to victims, origins to aftermath, criminal acts to the legal ones. That’s not necessarily anyone’s idea of “fun,” but Painkiller hopes to make at least an enlightening time as it dramatizes the invention and impact of OxyContin.
Genre: Zombie reality showRelease date: Aug. 8, with all episodesShowrunner/creator: Park Jin-kyung and Moon Sang-don
Would you survive a zombie apocalypse? This
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