The best new shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max (HBO), and more

It took FX almost six years to put together a new adaptation of James Clavell’s Shōgun, and the result is a masterpiece. In this updated take on the story, the narrative doesn’t just follow an English sailor, John Blackthrone (Cosmo Jarvis), who is trapped in Japan during the late 16th century. It also follows John’s closest companion, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), as well as their mutual master, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada).

For John, the choice is simple: adapt or die. Things are more complex for Mariko and Lord Toranaga, especially as a civil war is brewing in Japan that will test everyone’s loyalty.

Constellation is Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi series, although it starts out as a relatively grounded story for astronaut Jo Ericsson (Noomi Rapace). While conducting an experiment on the International Space Station, Jo is thrust into a life-or-death experience that forces her to abandon the ISS and make her escape to Earth.

Unfortunately for Jo, she finds that her life on Earth is no longer quite the way that she remembered it. Her husband, Magnus (James D’Arcy), and their daughter, Alice (Rosie Coleman), now keep her at an emotional distance. Jo also discovers that she has spontaneously gained some skills without any explanation. These are more than just minor changes, and Jo has to decide if she can trust anyone with what she is experiencing.

Jon Stewart may be back on The Daily Show once a week, but John Oliver is close behind. The former Daily Show correspondent has returned for his 11th season on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a satirical news show that often runs rings around Oliver’s former series.

Since new episodes are taped weekly, we can only guess that Oliver will address the 2024 election cycle, crazy Taylor Swift conspiracies, and plenty of serious topics that the mainstream news won’t touch. That’s why Oliver’s show is such a valuable part of the media ecosystem. Without him, who would be telling these stories to a large audience?

After 12 seasons and 24 years, Larry David is ready to retire from the role of Larry David in the final season of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. David has played a slightly exaggerated fictionalized version of himself on the show for nearly a quarter century. The comedy is also largely improvised, and it’s next to impossible to figure out how David will find himself in incredibly awkward situations without seeing the new season. But for anyone who was ever a fan of this series, we’re dying to see how David wraps up his own story.

Put aside any preconceived notions you have about Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Prime Video’s show may share a name with the 2005 movie that brought Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie together as a real-life couple, but the similarities begin and end there. Instead of being rival assassins who are ignorant about their double lives, John (Donald Glover) and Jane Smith (Maya Erskine) are complete strangers who are both in the know about their spy work because it’s for the same shadowy agency.

John and Jane are given undercover identities as a married couple to put them in a position to handle sensitive assignments at a moment’s notice. The relationship is fake, but the mutual attraction is real. And in a world where everything they deal with is filled with lies and deception, all the Smiths have is each other.