September is prime time for TV series with plenty of new shows returning for the fall season. While this timeline typically revolves around linear network TV channels, streaming services will see shows return this month as well. FX’s The Old Man and Paramount+’s Tulsa King return for their second seasons. From (MGM+) debuts its third season this month, Apple TV+’s Slow Horses its fourth, Netflix’s Emily in Paris the second half of season 4, and more.
If you’re looking for something entirely new to check out, however, there are exciting shows coming to streaming services to kick off the new school year and the end of summer. Here, we highlight four must-watch new shows along with a pair of anticipated second seasons: One is the latest in an Emmy-winning anthology series, and another a spinoff within one of the biggest TV franchises.
The Perfect Couple (September 5)
Nicole Kidman continues her small-screen run in The Perfect Couple, a mystery drama that also stars Live Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, and Eve Hewson. Adapted from the Elin Hilderbrand novel of the same name, the story follows Amelia (Hewson), a woman engaged to marry Benji (Billy Howle), member of a wealthy family from Nantucket. While they are very much in love, Benji’s mother, Greer (Kidman), a famous novelist, does not approve. When someone winds up dead on the beach, questions, accusations, and secrets begin to fly.
Hewson, daughter of U2’s Bono, most recently appeared in the Emmy-nominated series Bad Sisters. Others in the cast, including The White Lotus’ Meghann Fahy and The Peripheral’s Jack Reynor, suggest that The Perfect Couple could be one to watch this month.
Stream The Perfect Couple on Netflix.
Agatha All Along (September 18)
One of the most anticipated miniseries this year, Agatha All Along centers around Marvel Comics character Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), a powerful witch who was one of the originals from the Salem witch trials. Existing for centuries, she has managed to make herself become both younger and stronger.
Designed as a spinoff of WandaVision, Agatha All Along will be the 11th MCU series, sharing continuity with the films. Those who watched WandaVision know that at the end of that series, Agatha was trapped in Westview, New Jersey. Agatha All Along picks up with her escape, thanks to the help of a goth teen who yearns to go down the path of witches. To do so, a new coven must be formed, and Agatha has big plans. The series also stars Sasheer Zamata, Debra Jo Rupp, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza, along with Heartstopper’s Joe Locke.
Stream Agatha All Along on Disney+.
The Penguin (September 19)
Colin Farrell reprises his makeup-heavy role as Oswald “Oz” Cobb, otherwise known as The Penguin, in this series of the same name. The DC Comics villain is integral the stories of Batman, and Farrell first played the role in The Batman, which focused on how Penguin came to power in Gotham City. The Penguin continues the plot where the 2022 film left off, resuming a week after the events depicted there.
The Penguin will dive even deeper into the character, presumably examining the heartbreak he hides behind his villainy, terror, and nefarious activities. Joined by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone/Hangman and Rhenzy Feliz (Encanto), there’s high hopes for this exciting eight-episode crime drama limited series. It’s designed to tell a villain backstory, a trend that continues within both the DC Comics and Marvel universes.
Stream The Penguin on Max.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (September 19)
Ryan Murphy hit it out of the park with Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which earned six Emmy nominations. The second installment of the biographical true crime anthology series rehashes another old case, that of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of brutally murdering their parents in 1996. It’s unclear what direction the season will go, but views have been polarized in the decades since their arrests and trials. While there’s no denying what the young men did, both brothers remain steadfast that they acted to stop an alleged lifetime a physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The public understanding, however, is that they just wanted to get their hands on the family fortune.
Were Lyle and Erik really the monsters, or is there more to the story? Nothing would justify their heinous actions, but seeing things from a new perspective might cause those familiar with the case to think differently. With shocking revelations in the Peacock docuseries Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed about purported links between José Menendez and the boy band Menudo (really, it’s worth a watch), there are so many ways this story could go. No matter which side Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story takes, the series is sure to be scrutinized and spark debate.
Stream Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix.
Nobody Wants This (September 26)
David Foster’s daughter Erin Foster created this comedy about the unlikely romantic relationship between an unconventional rabbi named Noah (Adam Brody) and an outspoken, not to mention agnostic, woman named Joanne (Kristen Bell). Foster based the story on her own life, and the difficulties in finding the right person.
Also starring Justine Lupe (Succession) and Timothy Simons (Veep) with Tovah Feldshuh (The Walking Dead) and Jaclyn Tohn (The Boys, Gen V), the show has Steven Levitan among executive producers. Considering other successful comedies he has produced, like Just Shoot Me! and Modern Family, Nobody Wants This could be his next big hit if it strikes a chord with audiences.
Stream Nobody Wants This on Netflix.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, season 2 (September 29)
One of many new spinoffs within The Walking Dead universe, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon returns for its second season, named “The Book of Carol.” That’s because fan-favorite character Carol (Melissa McBride) surprised fans with a cameo in the final episode of season one, confirming her addition to the show.
With Daryl (Norman Reedus) torn between France and America, encouraged by the young Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) to stay in Paris, there was a lot going on in the first season. But Carol isn’t going to rest until she finds her best friend and makes sure he’s OK. Much of the season will likely focus on her journey to eliminate anything (and anyone) that gets in her way. Naturally, we can expect plenty of encounters with enemies, dead and alive. Already renewed for a third season ahead of the second season premiere, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol pays more than just fan service to those who are missing the original, and some of its most beloved characters.
Stream The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol on AMC+.