Euphoria, Crave
Maude Apatow returns alongside other fan favourites to star in the new Euphoria season.Eddy Chen/Supplied
It’s been four years since creator Sam Levinson’s controversial, Emmy-winning series aired, but this week it makes a mysterious return. Advanced screeners from HBO weren’t available to press, keeping all of the action under wraps until the last minute. What we do know heading into this third and potentially final season is that some time has passed since high school, and these characters have been unleashed into the great big world. All the fan favourites – Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Maude Apatow and Colman Domingo – are back, along with new cast members Natasha Lyonne, Eli Roth and Sam Trammell. Eric Dane will also appear in his last TV role as Cal Jacobs, which he filmed before his death in February.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, Disney+
Life remains unfair for Frankie Muniz's grown-up Malcolm.David Bukach/Supplied
The remakes, reboots and updates continue as television executives throw old series at the wall to see what sticks for a more modern audience. This week Malcolm in the Middle returns, with a four-episode season to update fans on all of the fictional family shenanigans that have taken place offscreen over the past 20 years. This time the chaos revolves around Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston) planning their 40th anniversary party, while Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) does his best to avoid his family at all costs. He’s also shielding his teen daughter Leah (Keeley Karsten), a female version of Malcolm, from the family, adding a new generation to the mix. It’s quite the reunion, with nearly all the original actors who appeared in the series back for one last hurrah. The most notable exception is Erik Per Sullivan, who quit acting after portraying Dewey. Here he’s recast by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, who bears a striking resemblance.
Hacks, Crave
Jean Smart (left) and Hannah Einbinder in Hacks.HBO Max/Supplied
Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) are returning to Vegas for the fifth and final season of this Emmy-winning series. There, Deborah aims to reinvent herself after being blamed for the death of late-night while Ava figures out a new life path. The creatives behind this show always had a five-year plan in mind, and these last 10 episodes are expected to bring the characters full-circle while continuing to dig at the gender discrepancies from the past that still dictate the entertainment industry today.
The Boys, Prime Video
Antony Starr (centre) continues to be a central figure on The Boys.Amazon Prime
The most anti-superhero show of all the superhero shows is back for its fifth, final season this week with a two-episode premiere. Showrunner Eric Kripke has always wanted The Boys to end on his terms, and with these last eight episodes he plans to do exactly that. Joining the action this time around is Daveed Diggs, who plays a character named Oh-Father. Otherwise, it’s business as usual for the satire as the story attempts to keep up with modern U.S. politics while commenting on the status quo. To help tell that tale, Antony Starr returns as Homelander, and there are a few surprise cameos from The Boys’ spinoff series, Gen V.
Big Mistakes, Netflix
Big Mistakes pushes Taylor Ortega (left) and Dan Levy into organized crime.Courtesy of Netflix/Netflix
Dan Levy has proven his ability to write quirky families with the success of Schitt’s Creek, and now he’s back on Netflix with a darker family affair. Big Mistakes is Levy’s first project under his overall Netflix deal and revolves around two flailing siblings (Levy and Taylor Ortega) who are blackmailed into participating in the world of organized crime. Laurie Metcalf joins as the duo’s mother, and, naturally, chaos ensues. It’s a dark but quippy comedy featuring Levy’s signature humour, and although you’ll have to suspend disbelief to fully go on this ride, it’s a fun and escapist adventure that will take you out of your head for a while.