Happy weekend! There are a lot of shows to watch on TV this week, from the return of a long-running franchise to spin-offs to new shows entirely. American Horror Story is back with a 13th season, featuring the return of many fan-favorite characters. There’s also American Hostage, Jon Hamm’s new true-crime thriller based on the 1977 kidnapping that involved radio host Fred Heckman.
1
American Horror Story season 13
- Available on FX
- Genre: Horror
- Episode count: 13
- Cast: Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters.
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are back with their longest-running series for a season that tributes its legacy, continuing the story of some of their most famous characters, played by actors like Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, and more. This one’s for the millennials.
Per our Polygon coverage:
One of the biggest draws of the upcoming season is the return of Jessica Lange. The legendary actress used to be one of the series’ stars, but hasn’t appeared since season 8, in which she only had a cameo. Season 13 will bring her back in a big way, as the trailer teases her reprising roles from the first four seasons of American Horror Story. She’ll be joined by other series regulars Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, who are also reprising multiple past roles.
2
American Hostage
- Available on MGM+
- Genre: Thriller
- Episode count: 8
- Cast: Jon Hamm, Giovanni Ribisi, Kristoffer Polaha.
Based on a true story, American Hostage stars Jon Hamm as Fred Heckman, a radio newsman who’s thrust into a life-or-death standoff in 1977 when a gunman (Giovanni Ribisi) demands an interview on his show while holding his mortgage broker hostage.
3
Line of Fire
- Available on Peacock
- Genre: Drama
- Episode count: 13
- Cast: Peter Krause, Hope Davis, Kat Cunning
From Quantico creator Joshua Safran, Line of Fire blends a family drama with a crime procedural. Peter Krause and Hope Davis star as the heads of a family of federal agents, spread across the FBI, U.S. Marshals, and Secret Service, who must set their differences aside when a seemingly routine case spirals into a complicated conspiracy.
4
S.W.A.T. Exiles
- Available on Starz
- Genre: Action
- Episode count: 10
- Cast: Shemar Moore, Lucy Barrett, Adain Bradley
Based on the CBS series that ran for eight seasons in 2017, S.W.A.T. Exiles continues the story of Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, who’s brought out of retirement to train a batch of young recruits.
5
A Different World
- Available on Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Episode count: 10
- Cast: Maleah Joi Moon, Alijah Kai, Cornell Young IV
Netflix’s new comedy is a sequel to A Different World, the ’80s Cosby Show spin-off set at the fictional HBCU Hillman College. It follows Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon) as she starts her freshman year at her parents’ alma mater, desperate to step out of their shadow and chart her own path. The series promises to introduce new stories while also bringing back legacy characters.
6
Party Down
- Available on Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Episode count: 26 episodes
- Cast: Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Ken Marino
Party Down is now available in full on Netflix. The three-season series follows a group of aspiring writers, actors, and artists who work in a Los Angeles catering company as they wait for their big break.
7
Wonka’s the Golden Ticket
- Available on Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- Episode count: 9
- Cast: Howie Mandel, Nick Cannon, Wayne Brady
Wonka’s the Golden Ticket takes Roald Dahl’s original concept from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and applies it to a Netflix TV competition. The show is hosted by a Gene Wilder-inspired voice and follows contestants as they complete challenges in a retro-futuristic chocolate factory for golden tickets. There are also surprise celebrity appearances.
8
Brothers
- Available on Apple TV
- Genre: Comedy
- Episode count: 8
- Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Holland Taylor
The series stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as fictionalized versions of themselves who discover they may be brothers, with the news inspiring identity crises and family drama.
