May 2025 TV preview: Murderbot, a Lost reunion, and more Poker Face

Plus, Tina Fey stars in a new show, FX debuts an ensemble comedy, and Prime Video cooks up a thriller.

May 2025 TV preview: Murderbot, a Lost reunion, and more Poker Face
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May kicks off with Tina Fey’s much-anticipated return to TV-star mode in The Four Seasons, her take on the ’80s rom-com by Alan Alda. But there is plenty more to look forward to: Next month also boasts the debut of J.J. Abrams’ latest series (which reunites him with Lost‘s Josh Holloway), an adaptation of The Murderbot Diaries starring Alexander Skarsgård, and thrillers led by the likes of Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel. Plus, brace yourselves for the returns of Poker Face, Nine Perfect Strangers, and 100 Foot Wave. Here is The A.V. Club’s guide to what to watch in May.   


The Four Seasons (Netflix, May 1)

Alan Alda’s 1981 film The Four Seasons gets the contemporary-miniseries treatment thanks to co-creator and star Tina Fey. In the show, Fey plays one of six longtime friends who vacation together every few months. However, their dynamics are tested when it’s announced that one of the couples is splitting up. The stacked cast boasts Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Marco Calvani. [Saloni Gajjar] 


100 Foot Wave season three (HBO, May 1) 

“How many wake-up calls before you don’t get a wake-up call anymore?” asks Nicole McNamara, the wife of fiftysomething big-wave surfer Garrett, in the next season of this absorbing and beautifully shot HBO docuseries. Aside from chronicling Garrett’s medically inadvisable quest to take on huge swells, this round of the show also moves beyond Nazaré, Portugal, its home base since it kicked off, and jets to, among other places, “probably the most dangerous surf spot in the world,” per a pro in the trailer. [Tim Lowery]  


Poker Face season two (Peacock, May 8)

Nothing escapes human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) in Rian Johnson’s Poker Face. The Peacock series returns for 12 new episodes that see Charlie solve more murder mysteries while she’s on the run. Season two promises numerous guest stars, including—but certainly not limited to—John Mulaney, Cynthia Erivo, Giancarlo Esposito, Alia Shawkat, Gaby Hoffman, Carol Kane, Melanie Lynskey, and Margo Martindale. [Saloni Gajjar] 


Forever (Netflix, May 8) 

In this adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel (one that has often been banned since its debut in 1975 because of its depictions of teen sex), a track star (played by Lovie Simone) and basketball player (portrayed by Michael Cooper Jr.) begin a relationship that will impact the rest of their lives. Karen Pittman, Xosha Roquemore, Marvin Lawrence, Ali Gallo, and Wood Harris round out the cast. [Saloni Gajjar]  


Duster (Max, May 15) 

Lost‘s Josh Holloway and J. J. Abrams reconnect in this stylish crime drama, which certainly appears to be Max’s most loudly-’70s-looking show since Minx. Holloway stars here as a smooth-talking getaway driver who gets roped in by Nina, the first Black female F.B.I. agent (played by Rachel Hilson), and the pair shoot their way through the Southwest while digging into a conspiracy. Abrams co-created the series with Into The Badlands‘ LaToya Morgan, and Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, and Greg Grunberg co-star. [Tim Lowery]  


Overcompensating (Prime Video, May 15) 

Stand-up comedian Benito Skinner cooks up a coming-of-age series that counts Charli XCX as a producer. In the college-set Overcompensating, the closeted Benny (Skinner) and his new friend, Carmen (Wally Baram), attempt to fit in on campus by indulging in fake IDs, a lot of vodka, and horrible hookups. The show also stars Mary Beth Barone, Adam DiMarco, Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, and Rish Shah. [Saloni Gajjar] 


Murderbot (Apple TV+, May 16) 

Brothers Chris and Paul Weitz (About A Boy) bring Martha Wells’ popular sci-fi book series to the small screen, with Alexander Skarsgård playing the titular security cyborg who starts thinking for itself and tries figuring out what’s up with these weird humans around him. The vibe in the trailer is very comedic (each burst of action or blood is quickly followed by a joke), a quality that’s driven home in one of the shows-within-this-show that stars John Cho and Jack McBrayer. [Tim Lowery]  


Sirens (Netflix, May 22) 

In this darkly comedic limited series, Meghann Fahy stars as Devon, a woman on a mission to free her sister (played by House Of The Dragon‘s Milly Alcock) from the clutches of her evil, cult-leader-ish boss, Michaela (Julianne Moore). Sirens was created by Maid‘s Molly Smith Meltzer and also features Kevin Bacon, Bill Camp, Glenn Howerton, and Josh Segarra. [Saloni Gajjar] 


Adults (FX, May 28) 

From Tonight Show scribes Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronenberg (and executive producer Nick Kroll), Adults centers on five friends/roommates navigating love, loss, and their careers in New York City. The comedy stars Amita Rao, Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Jack Innanen, and Owen Thiele, and includes appearances by Charlie Cox, D’Arcy Carden, and Julia Fox, among others. [Saloni Gajjar] 


The Better Sister (Prime Video, May 29) 

Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks lead this thriller (alongside Corey Stoll and Kim Dickens) as estranged siblings who are forced to come together to solve the murder of one of their husbands. Directed by I, Tonya‘s Craig Gillespie, the series is based on Alafair Burke’s 2019 novel of the same name and also features Corey Stoll, Kim Dickens, and Gabriel Sloyer. [Saloni Gajkar] 


More May premieres:

May 4
The Walking Dead: Dead City season two (AMC)
Miss Austen (PBS)

May 5
Harry Wild season four (Acorn TV)

May 8
Criminal Minds: Evolution season 18 (Paramount+)
Conan O’Brien Must Go season two (Max) 

May 13
Bad Thoughts (Netflix) 

May 15
The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives season two (Hulu)
The Chi season seven (Showtime)
Love Death + Robots season four (Netflix) 

May 20
Motorheads (Prime Video) 

May 21
Nine Perfect Strangers season two (Hulu)
Couples Therapy season four (Showtime) 

May 23
Big Mouth season eight (Netflix) 

May 25
Librarians: The Next Chapter (TNT)
Rick & Morty season eight (Adult Swim) 

May 29
And Just Like That… season three (Max)  

 
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