Television doesn’t sleep. Backstage is breaking down, month by month, the buzzy shows and performances that merit attention from awards voters and couch potatoes alike in the ever-expanding landscape of the small screen.
March is coming in like a lion on the small screen thanks to the return of some of our era’s biggest water-cooler hits and popular faves. March 1 kicks off with Season 3 of “The Mandalorian,” Disney+’s Emmy-winning sci-fi hit; the return represents a high point for its star, Pedro Pascal, who’s also currently headlining the critically acclaimed “The Last of Us.” HBO is throwing its weight around with the second installment of period mystery series “Perry Mason” (March 6), plus the fourth and final season of Emmy behemoth “Succession” (March 26). And speaking of Emmy sweepers, Season 3 of feel-good sports comedy “Ted Lasso” is hitting Apple TV+ on March 15.
And that’s not to mention the returns of some major genre faves, including Season 2 of magic-and-robbers drama “Shadow and Bone” (March 16 on Netflix) and the seventh and final season of teen soap “Riverdale” (March 29 on the CW). But the one we’re most looking forward to is Season 2 of Showtime breakout “Yellowjackets” on March 26, which is adding Lauren Ambrose, Elijah Wood, and Simone Kessell to its roster of (maybe?) cannibals.
If you’re looking for star-studded premieres, AMC is keeping its former “Better Call Saul” headliner, Bob Odenkirk, occupied with the title role on academic dramedy “Lucky Hank” (March 19). Oscar and Emmy winner Olivia Colman is returning to the period-drama game as Miss Havisham on Steven Knight’s adaptation of “Great Expectations” (March 26 on Hulu); the streamer’s other big literary premiere is Naomi Alderman’s small-screen take on her own best-selling feminist-futurist novel “The Power,” starring Toni Collette and John Leguizamo (March 31.) Meanwhile, “Contagion” scribe Scott Z. Burns is digging into climate change with the Apple TV+ anthology series “Extrapolations,” featuring A-listers like Edward Norton, Forest Whitaker, Kit Harington, Marion Cotillard, Tobey Maguire, and Daveed Diggs (March 17).
Read on for a breakdown of the three new series we’re most looking forward to, plus a list of every show premiering or returning this month.
“Daisy Jones & The Six”
“A Star Is Born” meets “Almost Famous” meets Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” on Prime Video’s new ’70s rock ’n’ roll drama. Created by writing team Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (“The Disaster Artist,” “500 Days of Summer”), “Daisy Jones & The Six” is based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 novel about the rise and fall of a rock band in 1970s L.A.—and the tumultuous romance between its two headliners, Daisy and Billy. The miniseries, which drops on March 3, stars Film Independent Spirit Award nominee Riley Keough (“Zola,” “American Honey”) and “Hunger Games” breakout Sam Claflin (“Peaky Blinders,” “Enola Holmes”).
“History of the World: Part II”
At 96 years old, Mel Brooks may be the oldest TV series creator ever. He’s making it happen with this Hulu series, a sequel to his “History of the World: Part I,” which came out more than four decades ago. The follow-up may not include Dom Deluise, Gregory Hines, Madeline Kahn, or Orson Welles (since they’re all, sadly, long-dead). But “Part II” is more than making up for it with a rogue’s gallery of modern comedy and acting legends—among them Seth Rogen, Pamela Adlon, Taika Waititi, Ken Marino, Wanda Sykes, Josh Gad, Sarah Silverman, Richard Kind, Kumail Nanjiani, Jason Mantzoukas, and Reggie Watts. Co-created by David Stassen (“The Mindy Project”), the four-part series features Brooksian takes on historical figures ranging from Harriet Tubman to Sigmund Freud to Amelia Earhart to, yes, Jesus. The “four-night event” kicks off on March 6.
“Swarm”
In case “Yellowjackets” isn’t giving you enough “women who pack a sting” vibes this March, Prime Video has you covered with the latest from “Atlanta” Emmy winner Donald Glover. Co-created by Janine Nabers (“Atlanta,” “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”), “Swarm” follows Dre, a woman whose obsession with a Beyoncé-esque pop star turns violent. “Judas and the Black Messiah” standout Dominique Fishback is starring, with supporting turns from Chloe Bailey (“Jane”), Damson Idris (“Snowfall”), and Kiersey Clemons (“Hearts Beat Loud”). But the biggest news about the series isn’t the return of Glover’s unmistakable directorial eye, but the fact that none other than first daughter Malia Obama is on the writing team. The hive will gather on March 17.
Acorn TV
March 6 – “Holding” premiere
March 20 – “The Larkins” Season 2
March 27 – “Murdoch Mysteries” Season 16
Amazon Freevee
March 10 – “Moonshine” premiere
AMC
March 18 – “Lucky Hank” premiere
Apple TV+
March 15 – “Ted Lasso” Season 3
March 17 – “Extrapolations” premiere
March 29 – “The Big Door Prize” premiere
BET+
March 16 – “Zatima” Season 2
Bounce
March 4 – “Act Your Age” premiere
CBS
March 1 – “True Lies” premiere
Comedy Central
March 22 – “Digman!” premiere
The CW
March 14 – “Gotham Knights” premiere
March 14 – “Superman & Lois” Season 3
March 29 – “Riverdale” Season 7
Disney+
March 1 – “The Mandalorian” Season 3
Freeform
March 16 – “Good Trouble” Season 5
Hallmark
March 26 – “Ride” premiere
HBO/HBO Max
March 2 – “Mariachis” premiere
March 6 – “Perry Mason” Season 2
March 6 – “Rain Dogs” premiere
March 23 – “Only You: An Animated Shorts Collection” premiere
March 26 – “Succession” Season 4
Hulu
March 1 – “Wreck” premiere
March 6 – “History of the World, Part II” premiere
March 10 – “UnPrisoned” premiere
March 24 – “Up Here” premiere
March 26 – “Great Expectations” premiere
“History of the World, Part II” Credit: Tyler Golden/Hulu
MGM+
March 10 – “A Spy Among Friends” premiere
NBC
March 3 – “Grand Crew” Season 2
Netflix
March 1 – “Wrong Side of the Tracks” Season 2
March 2 – “Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery” Season 2
March 2 – “Masameer County” Season 2
March 2 – “Sex/Life” Season 2
March 10 – “Rana Naidu” premiere
March 16 – “Shadow and Bone” Season 2
March 17 – “Maestro in Blue” premiere
March 17 – “Sky High: The Series” premiere
March 22 – “The Kingdom” Season 2
March 23 – “The Night Agent” premiere
March 29 – “Wellmania” premiere
March 30 – “Unstable” premiere
Paramount+
March 9 – “School Spirits” premiere
March 26 – “Rabbit Hole” premiere
PBS
March 19 – “Call the Midwife” Season 12
March 19 – “Marie Antoinette” premiere
March 19 – “Sanditon” Season 3
Prime Video
March 3 – “Daisy Jones & The Six” premiere
March 3 – “The Pimp—No F***ing Fairytale” premiere
March 17 – “Angel Flight” premiere
March 17 – “Class of ’07” premiere
March 17 – “Dom” Season 2
March 17 – “Swarm” premiere
March 31 – “The Power” premiere
The Roku Channel
March 10 – “Most Dangerous Game: New York” Season 2
Showtime
March 26 – “Yellowjackets” Season 2
Starz
March 17 – “Power Book II: Ghost” Season 3