Ten new series shows have their debut this April, and none of them look good. The top three, those that are Netflix originals, seem filled with flaws. I can tell that just by looking at the trailers. (Watch enough movies and TV series and you’ll become familiar with these tropes, too.) Two others, which are foreign series acquired by Netflix, seem a bit more interesting. I just hope they’re subtitled. The rest seem so tepid and uninteresting that I can’t help but wonder if Netflix truly believe that this is the best content it could provide for the month of April?
Netflix’s Fastest Car
Cable TV is filled with competition shows. Whether it’s cooking, tattooing, or car building, you can get caught up in the drama of people competing for bragging rights on nearly every network. This is why I’m less than impressed when I see programming like this come to Netflix. This time around, it’s Fastest Car. The premise pits owners of “sleeper cars” – vehicles that don’t look like they’d be fast but actually are – against the owners of real sports cars.
Judging by the trailer, this series aims to grab viewership by playing off the classic class warfare trope. This time, it’s regular Joes, who soup up old cars, going up against the wealthy elite who can afford the best of the best right out of the gate. If car racing is your thing, this show might be for you. If not, feel free to join me in scrolling past this one.
If you’re feeling masochistic, check out the trailer for the first season of Fastest Car:
Troy: Fall of a City
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: a historical drama set in a foreign lands where everyone has a British accent even though the story is not set in Britain. Oh, and the series is likely filled with several historical inaccuracies. We’ve seen this with other shows and we’re likely to see it again with Troy: Fall of a City. While I’m sure there’s plenty of battlefield action to make up for possible glaring plot holes, I have a feeling that this series will have all the negative traits associated with most historical dramas. (I’ve listed some of them above.) Truthfully, I’ll probably end up watching this one because it’s likely to catch Mrs. Buckler’s fancy. Lucky me.
Get swept up in the grandeur of ancient Greece (with British accents) by watching this trailer:
The New Legends of Monkey
Judging by its trailer, Netflix just spent a bunch of money to create 2018’s version of Xena: Warrior Princess. Seriously. This is exactly what The New Legends of Monkey looks like, a low-budget fantasy-adventure-comedy similar to Xena: Warrior Princess. Oh, if you’re wondering, The New Legends of Monkey is about a monk who resurrects the Monkey King, an ancient god, to help with a journey across a land ruled by evil demons. Ummmm, yeah. If you think my skepticism is unwarranted, check out the trailer for this series I vote most likely to get cancelled after its first season:
What Else is New on Netflix in April
A couple of foreign TV series debut on Netflix this April. The first is La Piloto (The Pilot), which airs April 2. This series tells the story of Yolanda Cadena’s quest to become an airplane pilot. Charité is a miniseries that highlights the accomplishments of several famous German physicians and scientists at the Charité hospital in Berlin. It’s set in the 19th century and debuts on Netflix on April 19. Aggretsuko (April 20) seems to be a crudely-drawn Japanese anime series about a strange creature’s double life as a karaoke singer. My best guess is it’s one of those things where you either get it or you don’t. (I don’t get it, and don’t care to.)
I couldn’t find any details on the remaining series that debut on Netflix next month, save for titles and availability. Here they are:
- AMO: April 9
- The Chalet: April 17
- Spy Kids: Mission Critical: April 20
- The Letdown: April 21
My recommendation is to skip most of these new series unless its subject matter is something you’re really into. (And I mean really, really into.) It’s a good thing Netflix is releasing a host of great movies in April. This might be enough to make up for its rather lukewarm new series debuts. To help you find something you might enjoy, here’s a look at everything that’s available on Netflix in April:
April 1
- A Sort of Family
- Along Came Polly
- Bad Boys
- Battlefield Earth
- Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure
- Big Time
- Body of Lies
- Cabin Fever
- Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever
- Cats & Dogs
- Cold Mountain
- Dare to Be Wild
- Deep Blue Sea
- Fish People
- Friday Night Lights
- Jackass 2.5
- Life Is Beautiful
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action
- Mortal Kombat
- Nancy Drew
- Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
- Scarface
- Seven
- Sin City
- Speed Racer
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
- The Duchess
- The Family Man
- The Flintstones
- The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
- The Iron Giant
- The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale
- The Lost Boys
- Queen of the Damned
- The Spy Next Door
- Wakfu: Season 3
April 2
- La Piloto: Season 1
April 3
- Fary Is the New Black
April 5
- Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall
- Despicable Me 3
April 6
- 6 Balloons
- Amateur
- Fastest Car: Season 1
- Money Heist: Part 2
- My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman: Jay-Z
- Orbiter 9
- Ram Dass, Going Home
- Sun Dogs
- The 4th Company
- The Boss Baby: Back in Business: Season 1
- Todo lo que sería de Lucas Lauriente
- Troy: Fall of a City: Season 1
April 7
- 24 Hours to Live
April 9
- AMO: Season 1
April 10
- Greg Davies: You Magnificent Beast
April 12
- Pickpockets
April 13
- Chef’s Table: Pastry
- Come Sunday
- I Am Not an Easy Man
- Lost in Space: Season 1
- The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Season 2
April 15
- Lakeview Terrace
- Seven Pounds
April 17
- The Chalet: Season 1
- The Honeymoon Stand Up Special: Collection
April 18
- Friend Request
- Pelé
April 19
- Charité: Season 1
- Chasing the Dragon
April 20
- Aggretsuko: Season 1
- Dope: Season 2
- Dude
- Kodachrome
- Mercury 13
- Spy Kids: Mission Critical: Season 1
April 21
- The Letdown: Season 1
April 24
- Call the Midwife: Series 6: “Christmas Special 2017”
- Kevin James: Never Don’t Give Up
April 25
- Bill Nye: Science Guy
- Psychokinesis
April 27
- 3%: Season 2
- Bobby Kennedy for President
- Candy Jar
- Holy Goalie
- The Man Who Knew Infinity
- The New Legends of Monkey: Season 1
