April TV promises star-powered premieres of The First Lady, Roar, and Outer Range

Prominent actors spearhead shows throughout the month, including Andrew Garfield in Under The Banner Of Heaven and Julia Roberts in Gaslit

By Saloni Gajjar, Sam Barsanti, Gwen Ihnat, Alison Foreman, Tim Lowery | March 21, 2022 | 5:00am

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April TV promises star-powered premieres of The First Lady, Roar, and Outer Range

Clockwise from left: Viola Davis in The First Lady (Photo: Jackson Lee Davis/Showtime), Andrew Garfield in Under The Banner Of Heaven (Photo: Michelle Faye/FX), Elisabeth Moss in Shining Girls (Photo: Apple TV+), and Courtney B. Vance in 61st Street (George Burns/AMC) Graphic: Libby McGuire

As the month continues, Showtime and Apple TV+ also soar with exciting slates: Showtime launches anthology drama The First Lady starring Viola Davis, Gillian Anderson, and Michelle Pfeiffer, stepping into the shoes of former first ladies Michelle Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Betty Ford, respectively. The cabler also adds its adaptation of The Man Who Fell To Earth and Vanessa Bayer’s I Love That For You to its lineup. Apple TV+’s Roar tells eight feminist stories led by Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, and Issa Rae, among others. Additionally, the streamer debuts a four-part Magic Johnson docuseries and Shining Girls, a metaphysical thriller with Elisabeth Moss.

Other anticipated shows include Paramount+’s The Offer, about the making of The Godfather (we love to get meta), and Andrew Garfield swings onto his next adventure as a detective in FX murder mystery Under The Banner Of Heaven. Rest easy on the returning TV front, because the highly anticipated new seasons for Better Call Saul, Russian Doll, and Barry finally commence.

Slow Horses (Apple TV+): Premieres April 1

Get ready for yet another barrage of your favorite film stars reigning over the small screen. April comes packed with new TV led by some big names, kicking off with Gary Oldman in Apple TV+ drama Slow Horses, and Ken Watanabe and Ansel Elgort in HBO Max’s Tokyo Vice (with a pilot directed by none other than Michael Mann).As the month continues, Showtime and Apple TV+ also soar with exciting slates: Showtime launches anthology drama The First Lady starring Viola Davis, Gillian Anderson, and Michelle Pfeiffer, stepping into the shoes of former first ladies Michelle Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Betty Ford, respectively. The cabler also adds its adaptation of The Man Who Fell To Earth and Vanessa Bayer’s I Love That For You to its lineup. Apple TV+’s Roar tells eight feminist stories led by Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, and Issa Rae, among others. Additionally, the streamer debuts a four-part Magic Johnson docuseries and Shining Girls, a metaphysical thriller with Elisabeth Moss.Other anticipated shows include Paramount+’s The Offer, about the making of The Godfather (we love to get meta), and Andrew Garfield swings onto his next adventure as a detective in FX murder mystery Under The Banner Of Heaven. Rest easy on the returning TV front, because the highly anticipated new seasons for , , and finally commence.

Slow Horses (Apple TV+): Premieres April 1

Based on author Mick Herron’s impossible-to-put-down novel of the same name, Apple TV+’s Slow Horses is a high-stakes spy thriller with a cheeky underdog twist. When MI5 agent River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) flubs an important mission, he’s reassigned to work at Slough House, an administrative-heavy purgatory run by the cynical Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). Relegated to push paper for the rest of their careers, Cartwright and fellow service rejects, including Sid Baker (Olivia Cooke) and Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar), don’t expect to return to MI5 duty. But when they’re enlisted to help solve a high-profile kidnapping, these teasingly named “slow horses” have a chance at redemption by working with Regent’s Park headquarters and the steely Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas). Season one will include just six episodes. However, there are eight Slough House books to adapt in total–so, if it’s renewed, you can trust there’s plenty of perilous excitement to come. [Alison Foreman]

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The Outlaws (Prime Video): Premieres April 1

What happens when the minds behind mockumentary and crime drama band together? The Outlaws, apparently. Stephen Merchant and Elgin James’ dark comedy follows a disparate group of seven lawbreakers, including Frank (Christopher Walken), unsuccessful lawyer Greg (Merchant), kleptomaniac Rani (Rhianne Barreto), and activist Myrna (Clare Perkins). These strangers from different backgrounds forcefully work together as part of a community service sentence to renovate a derelict local center. Their resentment for the menial labor soon turns into an exciting group adventure when they discover a hidden bag of cash that draws them right back into the criminal world. All six episodes of season one will be available to stream on, no joke, April Fool’s Day. [Saloni Gajjar]

Tokyo Vice (HBO Max): Premieres April 7

Jake Adelstein’s 2009 memoir, Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter On The Police Beat in Japan, gets the HBO Max treatment. Under the watchful eyes of detective Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe)—whose real-life counterpart has a different name in the book—Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) investigates numerous high-profile murder cases and conspiracies in Tokyo. How series creator J.T. Rogers will adapt those events to fit the format of a ten-episode season is anyone’s guess, but there’s enough to pull from that a procedural style should work well. And the show already has bragging rights: EP Michael Mann directs the premiere. [Alison Foreman]

61st Street (AMC): Premieres April 10

Courtney B. Vance, Aunjanue Ellis, and Tosin Cole lead this timely, gritty crime drama. Vance plays Franklin Roberts, a public defender in Chicago who is set to retire but gets caught up in the case of Moses Johnson, a promising Black athlete arrested on suspicion of being a gang member after a drug bust gone wrong. Franklin decides to become Moses’ lawyer once he recognizes the case’s potential to upend the city’s judicial system and the endemic corruption at its heart. 61st Street is partly based on the experiences of writer-producer J. David Shanks, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side and then became a police offer before turning to TV. [Saloni Gajjar]

The Garcias (HBO Max): Premieres April 14

HBO Max is rebooting Nickelodeon’s The Brothers García almost two decades after it wrapped up its four-season run on the network. The original show was the first English-language sitcom to have an all-Latino cast and creative team when it premiered in 2000. It followed the day-to-day life of the Mexican American Garcia family and was narrated by one of the siblings, Larry (Alvin Alvarez). The Garcias is a direct sequel featuring the return of most of the cast members, including Alvarez, Ada Maris, Carlos Lacamara, and Jeffrey Licon. The new version will see the adult Garcia children gathering with their parents for a summer vacation in a fancy beach house. [Saloni Gajjar]

Roar (Apple TV+): Premieres April 15

Based on Cecelia Ahern’s short stories, Roar is a genre-bending anthology featuring eight darkly comedic feminist tales. Apple TV+ has lined up a star-studded cast to carry each installment, including Nicole Kidman, Issa Rae, Cynthia Erivo, Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and Meera Syal. The episodes examine the dilemmas of ordinary women in their domestic and professional lives with bursts of magical realism and futuristic settings. A good sign: Roar hails from the creative team behind Netflix’s canceled-too-soon . Season one consists of eight episodes, which all drop at once. [Saloni Gajjar]

Anatomy Of A Scandal (Netflix): Premieres April 15

After , , and , Anatomy Of A Scandal is the latest, er, scandal show to make its way onto TV—although, unlike those previously mentioned series, this one’s not not ripped from the headlines. Based on a 2017 novel by Sarah Vaughan, the first season of this British anthology series unpacks the story of James (Rupert Friend), a high-ranking Westminster politician accused of rape whose wife Sophie (Sienna Miller) is sure he’s innocent. Kate (Michelle Dockery), the barrister prosecuting the case, is convinced otherwise. Expect some intense courtroom scenes. [Saloni Gajjar]

Outer Range (Prime Video): Premieres April 15

Josh Brolin appears to bring some of that no-nonsense demeanor from No Country For Old Men to this Prime Video thriller, in which he stars as the patriarch of a Wyoming family reeling from the disappearance of their daughter-in-law. As we said in our , it looks a bit “Twin Peaks meets ,” with plenty of ominous overhead landscape shots and some supernatural and culty elements thrown in for good measure. The cast is rounded out by Lili Taylor (last put to excellent small-screen use in ), Tamara Podemski, Tom Pelphrey, and Imogen Poots. [Tim Lowery]

The First Lady (Showtime): Premieres April 17

Showtime’s new historic drama looks into the lives of the spouses of the leaders of the free world, and for such a prestige project, it went straight for the best. Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Gillian Anderson don’t portray Michelle Obama, Betty Ford, and Eleanor Roosevelt (respectively) as much as embody them completely, pulling back the public-life curtain to explore the Obamas’ supportive marriage, Betty Ford’s battles with substance abuse, and the extramarital relationships of both Roosevelts. The supporting cast is stellar as well and includes (but isn’t limited to) Kiefer Sutherland as FDR, Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford, Dakota Fanning as Susan Ford, and O-T Fagbenle as Barack Obama. [Gwen Ihnat]

They Call Me Magic (Apple TV+): Premieres April 22

Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson gave director Rick Famuyiwa unprecedented access, and as such They Call Me Magic features intimate interviews with the athlete, as well as his family, close friends, and fellow players. The four-part docuseries looks into his rise to fame as an NBA superstar in the ’80s, his abrupt retirement after announcing his HIV-positive diagnosis in 1991, and his impact on on sports—and the culture at large—today. [Saloni Gajjar]

Gaslit (Starz): Premieres April 24

Julia Roberts dazzled in her first regular television role for Prime Video’s Homecoming. Now the Academy Award winner is back to star in Gaslit, a limited series recounting the saga of Arkansan socialite Martha Mitchell. Known in 1970s Washington as a talkative gossip with an iffy filter–despite having many sensitive, high-profile connections in the Republican Party–Martha Mitchell was among the first witnesses to expose the Watergate scandal. Based on season one of the popular podcast Slow Burn, Gaslit spans eight episodes, following the decline of Mitchell’s marriage to former Attorney General John N. Mitchell (Sean Penn) and a dangerous battle against the forces intent on shutting her up. [Alison Foreman]

The Man Who Fell To Earth (Showtime): Premieres April 24

Based on the Walter Tevis book (which also inspired the 1976 David Bowie movie), the new The Man Who Fell To Earth is a sequel to the original story about a humanoid alien who arrives in Earth in search of a way to save his home planet (only to get sidetracked by Earthly delights like booze). Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the alien this time around, with the added hook that he’s working with an Earth scientist (Naomie Harris) to save our world and his. The other hook is that the events of the original story are going to be addressed in some way, with Bill Nighy playing Thomas Jerome Newton—the original alien, and the same character Bowie played in the movie. The cast also includes Jimmi Simpson, Clarke Peters, Kate Mulgrew, Martha Plimpton, and Rob Delaney. [Sam Barsanti]

We Own This City (HBO): Premieres April 25

David Simon returns to Baltimore’s corners (and reteams with co-creator George Pelecanos) in this new HBO six-episode miniseries. Based on Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton’s book on the BPD’s controversial Gun Trace Task Force, the series promises more depictions of the war on drugs and crooked Charm City cops from some of the folks that brought us . Speaking of crooked cops, Jon Bernthal stars as a very big one here (Sergeant Wayne Jenkins), and you can expect performances by the likes of Wire alums Jamie Hector and Delaney Williams (who played Marlo Stanfield and Jay Landsman, respectively, in that masterpiece). King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green helms every episode. [Tim Lowery]

Under The Banner Of Heaven (FX): Premieres April 28

Andrew Garfield takes his current momentum-filled run to the small screen with Under The Banner Of Heaven. The FX series offers a dramatic interpretation of Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction bestseller that delved into the 1984 murder of Mormon community member Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter, and also explored the evolution of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints and how it devolved into fundamentalist factions. (The subtitle of Krakauer’s book is A Story Of Violent Faith.) Garfield plays the investigator on the case, and judging from the creepy trailer, the series looks to have more than a few things in common with True Detective—but given that it’s based on a true story, it’s possibly even more unsettling. [Gwen Ihnat]

The Offer (Paramount+): Premieres April 28

Hollywood loves stories about Hollywood because it means the people who make movies are just as interesting as the movies themselves. When it comes to , that might actually be true… or at least Paramount+’s The Offer is hoping it is. Starring Miles Teller as producer Al Ruddy, the show is about the behind-the-scenes drama that led to one of the most iconic movies in history, with Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Patrick Gallo as Godfather author Mario Puzo, Josh Zuckerman as Hollywood executive Peter Bart, Juno Temple as Ruddy’s assistant Bettye McCartt, Matthew Goode as producer Robert Evans, Justin Chambers () as Marlon Brando, and Lou Ferrigno as Lenny Montana, the real-life mob enforcer who played Luca Brasi. [Sam Barsanti]

Shining Girls (Apple TV+): Premieres April 29

Elisabeth Moss continues her trend of only playing dogged characters that don’t get to be happy very often. In Shining Girls, she takes on Kirby Mazrachi, a Chicago newspaper archivist who suffers a traumatic assault that puts her career on hold. After learning a recent murder is similar to her own case, she teams up with another troubled reporter, Dan Velazquez (Wagner Moura), to uncover her attacker’s identity. They soon realize Kirby’s attack is linked to many other cold cases. The thriller kicks off with a three-episode premiere and is followed by weekly unveilings of the remaining five. [Saloni Gajjar]

I Love That For You (Showtime): Premieres April 29

can do no wrong, right? The actor stars in the Showtime comedy I Love That For You alongside Vanessa Bayer (in her first lead vehicle post-) and Jenifer Lewis. The show follows Joanna Gold (Bayer), who gets to live out her lifelong dream of becoming a home-shopping channel host. She embraces her new gig by moving away from her parents, befriending her idol (and star of the network) Jackie (Shannon), and starting a romance for the first time. But it all begins to spiral when Joanna lies to her boss about a cancer diagnosis. Bayer co-created the series with Jeremy Beiler and Bess Armstrong, Punam Patel, Matt Rogers, Paul James, and Ayden Mayeri costar. [Saloni Gajjar]

TV shows returning in April

season two, season five, season-three (04/08); season two (04/11); season six (04/18); season four (04/19); , season two (04/20); season-two (04/21); season-three (04/24); season four part II, season two (04/29)