November is a blockbuster month in terms of premieres. Disney+ has the long-awaited Hawkeye on November 24, The Wheel of Time comes to Amazon on November 19, and Cowboy Bepop finally hits Netflix that same day alongside the second season of The Great on Hulu, with new cast member Gillian Anderson as Catherine’s mother. And a kinder, gentler (but how long can it last?) Dexter returns to Showtime in Dexter: New Blood on November 7. We are always thankful for TV and more than ever it feels impossible to watch everything, so here are our picks for the five new under-the-radar shows you can’t miss this month.
1. Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition
Executive Producers: Padma Lakshmi, David Shadrack Smith
Stars: Padma Lakshmi
Premiere Date: November 4 on Hulu
Padma Laskhmi continues to explore “who we are through the food we eat” in this holiday edition of Taste the Nation. The cookbook author and television host takes viewers across the United States to discover how different families and cultures celebrate the holidays. She travels to Massachusetts to learn about the Wampanoag Nation and the problems with the mostly fictional Thanksgiving narrative we all learned in school. “Our collective memory often omits the complete and complex history of this beautiful land,” she says as the camera pans over Martha’s Vineyard. Other outings in this four-episode series find her visiting Koreatown in Los Angeles to celebrate Lunar New Year and New York City to celebrate Chanukah.
2. The Game
Executive Producers: Mara Brock Akil, Devon Greggory, Salim Akil, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Russo
Stars: Hosea Chanchez, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Vaughn W. Hebron, Adriyan Rae, Analisa Velez
Premiere Date: November 11 on Paramount+
After ending its ninth season back in 2015, The Game is the latest show to get a revival. The series, which was originally a spinoff of Girlfriends, is relocating once again—this time from Atlanta to Las Vegas. Wendy Raquel Robinson returns as sports agent Tasha Mack with Hosea Chanchez back as her son Malik. Joining the cast are Vaughn Hebron as free agent Jamison Fields and Adriyan Rae as Brittany Pitts, the daughter of Jason and Kelly Pitts (Coby Bell and Brittany Daniel who will return in a guest star capacity.) Pooch Hall, who played Derwin Davis, is also expected to guest star this season. The Game started on the WB before it moved to BET, making Paramount+ its third home.
3. Harriet the Spy
Executive Producers: Lisa Henson, Halle Stanford, John W. Hyde, Nancy Steingard and Wendy Moss Klein
Stars: Beanie Feldstein, Jane Lynch, Lacey Chabert, Kimberly Brooks, Crispin Freeman, Grey Griffin, Bumper Robinson, and Charlie Schlatter
Premiere Date: November 19 on AppleTV+
Based on the beloved children’s book by Louise Fitzhugh, this animated series follows Harriet (Beanie Feldstein who can currently be seen in FX’s Impeachment: America Crime Story), a precocious11-year-old who wants to be a writer. According to Harriet, the way to be a good writer is to know everything, and you get to know everything by spying on people. Totally logical, right? First up, Harriet investigates why her neighbor Agatha K. Plummer isn’t leaving her apartment. The series stays true to the books’ 1960s setting which, to be honest, can be a little bit jarring as the kids take off to the library and walk the streets of New York City by themselves. Jane Lynch voices Ole Golly, Harriet’s no-nonsense nanny who makes Harriet her favorite sandwich every day, and Lacey Chabert as Harriet’s school nemesis Marion Hawthorne. The first five episodes of the series premiere November 19 with the back half of the inaugural season dropping next spring.
4. True Story
Executive Producers: Kevin Hart and Eric Newman
Stars: Kevin Hart, Wesley Snipes, Tawny Newsome, Will Catlett, Paul Adelstein, Theo Rossi, Ash Santos, John Ales, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lauren London, Billy Zane
Premiere Date: November 24 on Netflix
In his first dramatic series role, Kevin Hart plays Kid, a famous comedian whose latest movie is about to cross the $1 billion dollar mark. Kid’s entourage—including his manager Todd (Paul Adelstein), his bodyguard Herschel (Will Catlett), and his under-appreciated writer Billie (Tawny Newsome)—are all tasked with keeping Kid’s career and his image going strong. Things kick off when Kid checks into the Four Seasons in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he thinks he’ll be doing a few shows, hanging out with some old friends, and spending some quality time with his older (and often problematic) brother Carlton (Wesley Snipes). While Kid is hilarious, True Story is definitely not. Keep an eye out for an unsettling turn from Billy Zane as one of Carlton’s friends, and several unexpected plot twists in the pilot.
5. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses
Executive Producers: Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton
Stars: Helen Mirren
Premiere Date: November 28 on TBS and Cartoon Network.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Helen Mirren (!) hosts this four episode Wizarding World event. Competing for the title of “House Cup Champion,” Harry Potter super fans will answer hundreds of trivia questions. Each week, the houses face off against each other. First up “Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff.” The series, which will also air on HBO Max early next year, promises some very special guest star surprises like Harry Potter super fans Pete Davidson and Jay Leno and stars from the Harry Potter franchise including Tom Felton, Simon Fisher-Becker, Shirley Henderson, and Luke Youngblood. Although it totally seems like Mirren should have had a role in one of the eight Harry Potter films, this marks Mirren’s first foray into all things Harry Potter.
Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal®, is a Boston-based freelance writer and a member of the Television Critics Association. She wasn’t allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter (@AmyTVGal).
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