I’ve given this a lot of thought and, since it’s all the rage right now, I think it’s high time I rebranded myself Amy Amatangelo+. She is just like the old Amy Amatangelo you used to know, but with hair that’s always styled (never wet while waiting for the school bus!) and clothes beyond t-shirts and jeans. The plus version of me also speaks several languages fluently and always has all her laundry put away. You will love her.
I’m being a little flippant, but it does seem like every day I get a press release about a newly branded or entirely new streaming platform. This month’s picks truly epitomize the sheer volume of TV right now. A true crime docuseries and a show based on a 1994 Tim Allen movie? Sure! Why not?
We will be giving thanks for so many shows this November, including the new season of Yellowstone (November 13 on Paramount+), the final season of Dead to Me (November 17 on Netflix) and the long awaited Willow (November 30 on Disney+). But, as always, we don’t want you to miss a thing. Here are the five new under-the-radar shows you can’t miss this month.
1. The Suspect
Stars: Aidan Turner, Shaun Parkes, Anjli Mohindra, Camilla Beeput, Adam James, Sian Clifford and Bobby Schofield
Premiere Date: All five episodes premiere November 3 on Sundance Now and AMC+
This five part series, which premiered in Britain in August, has a positively terrific opening scene. Psychologist Joe O’Loughlin (Aidan Turner) specializes in helping people overcome their fears. Recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Joe is coming to terms with his developing physical limitations with the support of his loving wife (Camilla Beeput). Trouble starts to develop though when detectives Vincent Ruiz (Shaun Parkes) and Riya Devi (Anjli Mohindra) bring Dr. Loughlin in to consult on a recent homicide. Is Joe guilty, or just the victim of a slew of unfortunate coincidences? The Suspect will keep you guessing. Keep an eye out for Sian Clifford, so fabulous in Fleabag, as Joe’s friend.
2. Spector
Premiere Date: All four episodes stream on the Showtime platform November 4, and air weekly on Showtime beginning November 6.
On February 3, 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was shot dead in the home of famed music producer Phil Spector. After two trials, Spector, whose songs include the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High,” was convicted of murder. Spector was famous for creating the “wall of sound” and for being a recluse. This four part series features interviews with, among others, his daughter Nicole Spector, singer Darlene Love and journalist Mick Brown who had interviewed Spector for a cover story in Telegraph magazine five weeks before the heinous crime was committed. They paint a comprehensive picture of a man who had a difficult childhood and was ripe with insecurities. But even those who feared and loathed him admit to his overwhelming talent. “You must give the devil his due,” Carol Connors, lead singer of The Teddy Bears, says. Perhaps even more importantly Spector provides a more complete picture of Clarkson, who the media dismissed as a “B movie actress.” She shouldn’t be a footnote in this tragic story, and Spector give her her due.
3. The Big Brunch
Stars: Dan Levy, Sohla El-Waylly and Will Guidara
Premiere Date: Three episodes premiere November 10 on HBO Max, followed by three on November 17 and two on November 24
His Schitt’s Creek alter ego David Rose tried very hard to not connect with people. But this eight episode series, created and hosted by Dan Levy, joyfully does the exact opposite. Levy created this series to “to celebrate 10 chefs each making a big difference in their community.” Levy’s working hypothesis seems to be that brunch is the best meal, and I definitely can’t argue with that. “I have had some of the fondest memories of my life around a brunch table,” Levy says at the start of the series. Each of the 10 chefs competing has a dream they are working towards, and winning the grand prize of $300,000 could help them accomplish their goal.
4. Rogue Heroes
Stars: Connor Swindells, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Allen, Sofia Boutella and Dominic West
Premiere Date: November 13 at 9 p.m. on Epix
Based on the book of the same name by Ben Macintyre, this six part series from Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) starts off by telling viewers, “Those events depicted which seem most unbelievable are mostly true.” The show follows David Stirling (Connor Swindells) who forms the elite special forces unit known as Special Air Service (S.A.S.) during World War II. While recuperating from an injury, Stirling realizes there is a way for armed services to covertly operate behind enemy lines. With a fizzy soundtrack and a rebellious sense of humor, this is not your typical war series.
5. The Santa Clauses
Stars: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Elizabeth Allen-Dick, Devin Bright, Austin Kane, Matilda Lawler, Rupali Redd and Kal Penn
Premiere Date: The first two episodes premiere November 16 on Disney+
After three movies, the last of which premiered in 2006, Tim Allen is back in this six episode series which finds Allen’s Scott Calvin ready to retire from being the jolly old elf and focus on his family. Of course things don’t go according to plan and soon enough Scott will need to return to his sleigh. Elizabeth Mitchell is also back as Calvin’s wife Carol, aka Mrs. Claus, and Allen’s real life daughter Elizabeth Allen-Dick joins the cast as Calvin’s daughter Sandra. And, of course, David Krumholtz will return as Bernard the elf.
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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