While May is a little light on super high profile TV premieres — at least compared to April, which saw the return of zeitgeisty shows like The Last of Us and Andor — this month still has a fair amount of shows to get excited about. Returning champions include Natasha Lyonne's Columbo-inspired whodunit Poker Face on Peacock; Nicole Kidman's Nine Perfect Strangers (remember Nine Perfect Strangers?) on Hulu; and the Sex and the City sequel series And Just Like That… on Max.

If you're looking for something brand new, we're excited about the J.J. Abrams-produced, Josh Holloway-starring (hello, Lost fans) Max series Duster and Alexander Skarsgård's Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy Murderbot. Our guide to the best TV and streaming movies in May is divided into three sections: the best shows to watch this month, the best shows to watch by streaming service, and a calendar of TV highlights. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it below.

More: The best shows to watch in May Cynthia Nixon and Sarah Jessica Parker, And Just Like That… Craig Blankenhorn/Max An adaptation of Judy Blume's book of the same name, Mara Brock Akil's Forever moves the story to Los Angeles in 2018, where two young athletes fall for each other. The series is executive produced by Regina King, who also directed the first episode, and stars Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. as the lead characters, Keisha Clark and Justin Edwards, respectively. The trailer promises excitement, agony, confusion, passion — all the feelings that come with first love.

-Kat Moon [Trailer] Poker Face Season 2 (May 8, Peacock) In its first season, Rian Johnson's Poker Face stood out thanks to its stacked roster of guest stars and its Columbo-style take on the whodunit. Season 2 finds Natasha Lyonne's Charlie Cale, a woman with an uncanny ability to identify lies, back on the run as she solves one murder mystery at a time. The impressive cast of famous faces set to appear in the second season includes, among many others, Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes, Justin Theroux, and Melanie Lynskey.

-Allison Picurro [Teaser] Lost fans, we've been (relatively) patient, and it's finally our time: Josh Holloway is starring in another J.J. Abrams-produced show. Set in 1972, Duster stars Holloway as a getaway driver who teams up with the first Black female FBI agent (played by Rachel Hilson) to bring down a growing crime syndicate, led by a sinister mob boss (played by Keith David). -Allison Picurro [Trailer] Murderbot (May 16, Apple TV+) The rise of artificial intelligence is making a lot of people nervous right now, but oddly enough, a show called Murderbot may be proof that sentient machines are more scared of us than we are of them.

In this adaptation of Martha Wells' award-winning sci-fi comedy book series The Murderbot Diaries, Alexander Skarsgård stars as an android with a directive to protect humans, but after it hacks its governing console, it achieves free will and realizes that humans are kind of dicks. Instead of lashing out, it withdraws inward into a ball of insecurity and social awkwardness while trying to watch as many soap operas as it can and not let on that it has the power of choice. Murderbot has the paranoid misanthropy of Resident Alien with a hint of the cartoonish brutality of Peacemaker, as well as the comedic chops of both, making it one of Apple's most promising sci-fi shows.

-Tim Surette [Trailer] Motorheads (May 20, Amazon Prime Video) Are cars more reliable than girlfriends and boyfriends? Maybe we'll get our answer from this new YA drama series that mixes teenage love with street racing, because crashing and burning is a common denominator between both of them. Set in a rust belt town in Pennsylvania, Motorheads stars Ryan Phillippe as a former NASCAR mechanic who moves back to his hometown, which is apparently full of kids who are handy with a wrench and like to drive fast.

-Tim Surette [Trailer] Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 (May 21, Hulu) "Nicole Kidman is starring in a TV show" used to be big news, but now it's just a Wednesday. The movie star returns for a second season of Nine Perfect Strangers, her second collaboration with prolific TV producer David E. Kelley and author Liane Moriarty after Big Little Lies. Kidman plays Russian wellness quack Masha Dmitrichenko (love it), who invites a group of people, aka nine people, who don't know each other, aka strangers, to a retreat in Austria where she metaphorically cracks open their feeble little minds to push them to limits they didn't even know existed, all in the name of healing.

-Tim Surette [Trailer] Movies and shows about rich socialites hiding a more sinister motive abound, and that trend continues with Sirens, a dark comedy from Maid's Molly Smith Metzler. Meghann Fahy stars as a woman concerned about her sister's (Milly Alcock) unusual relationship with her boss (Julianne Moore), and things come to a head during a weekend at their lavish estate on the beach. Kevin Bacon and Glenn Howerton also star.

-Tim Surette [Trailer] And Just Like That… Season 3 (May 29, Max) I couldn't help but wonder what Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte are up to. Luckily, I won't have to wait long to find out!

The Sex and the City sequel series returns for another go-around, just in time for summer in New York. Season 3 finds Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) settling into her new apartment (which seems to have a rat infestation, meaning she's finally having a relatable NYC experience) and adjusting to her "complicated" dynamic with Aidan (John Corbett) after the two amicably parted ways at the end of Season 2. Plus, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) has a new love interest, and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is… probably continuing to do whatever 2020s Charlotte does.

Can't wait! -Allison Picurro [Trailer] [Everything we know about And Just Like That… Season 3] The Better Sister (May 29, Prime Video) The Better Sister stars Jessica Biel as a successful media executive living the dream with her high-power lawyer husband (Corey Stoll) and Elizabeth Banks as her sister, who is just trying to make ends meet.

When the husband is brutally killed, the sisters reconnect and uncover family secrets that might gives them answers about the murder. -Tim Surette [Trailer] What's on Netflix, Max, Hulu, and more in May Colman Domingo and Tina Fey, The Four Seasons Netflix Netflix's new TV show and movies releases in May are packed with romance. Fans of Judy Blume will be thrilled to know that an adaptation of the author's Forever is coming early in the month.

Also swoon-worthy is the drama The Royals, which tells the unlikely love story between a Prince Charming figure and a girlboss. But one of our most anticipated series of the month is more about the end of romance. In Tina Fey's star-studded comedy The Four Seasons, one couple's divorce shakes up the dynamics between a group of decades-long friends.

And for something new that looks like it might generate a lot of buzz, the limited series Sirens, from Maid creator Molly Smith Metzler, follows one woman's (Meghann Fahy) quest to figure out what's going on with her younger sister's (Milly Alcock) weird obsession with her billionaire boss (Julianne Moore). Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix in May, plus everything coming to and leaving Netflix in May. More on Netflix: Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson, Duster Ursula Coyote/Max If you don't have summer travel plans, no worries: Just fire up your Max app and let it take you wherever it is you want to go.

The upcoming third season of And Just Like That… will give you the chance to spend these hot months in New York City, while the second season of Conan O'Brien Must Go will take you all around the globe with an excellent travel companion for company. If you just want to escape this decade altogether, Duster, which reunites Lost's J.J. Abrams and Josh Holloway, can transport you back to the '70s. On the movies side, check out HBO's Mountainhead, which is written and directed by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong and follows a group of wealthy friends (played by Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef) who get snowed in together during a financial crisis.

Here's our list of the best shows and movies on HBO and Max in May, plus everything coming to HBO and Max in May. More on HBO and Max: Nicole Kidman, Nine Perfect Strangers Disney/Reiner Bajo Hulu's new movies and shows in May aren't particularly exciting, but if you're into hot goss from Utah or psychological gaslighting in the Austrian Alps, this is your month! The second season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, the surprise hit about #MomTok that's as close to Bravo-tainment as you'll get without being on Bravo, starts swingin' in the middle of the month.

It's followed by the sophomore season of Nicole Kidman's Nine Perfect Strangers, which moves its wellness check to Europe. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Hulu in May, plus everything coming to Hulu in May. More on Hulu: Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel, The Better Sister Jojo Whilden/Prime May may be the month for mothers, but on streaming, it's all about sisters.

Days after Netflix's estranged sisters drama Sirens debuts, Prime Video has its own estranged sisters drama. The Better Sister, starring Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks as sisters whose lives took really different paths, is the highlight of Prime Video's new TV shows and movies in May. Also coming this month is the coming-of-age YA drama Motorheads, which blends first loves with first cars, and both of them are fast!

Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in May, plus everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in May. More on Prime Video: Cynthia Erivo and Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face Peacock May features the return of one of Peacock's better exclusives, the detective drama Poker Face. Created by Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne, the anthology features a new case and a bunch of great guest stars each week, and it fits nicely among other comfortable mystery shows like Monk.

Also coming exclusively to Peacock in May are Universal's new action comedy Love Hurts (starring Ke Huy Quan), the spy thriller Black Bag (directed by Steven Soderbergh), and the animated film Dog Man, as well as the annual edition of Europe's delightfully bizarre Eurovision Song Contest, which can only be watched in the U.S. on Peacock. Here's our list of everything coming to Peacock in May. More on Peacock: Criminal Minds: Evolution Michael Yarish/Paramount+ The BAU is back in action on Paramount+, and they'll be reuniting with an old friend.

Matthew Gray Gubler's Spencer Reid is returning to Criminal Minds: Evolution in Season 18, which premieres on May 8. Gubler's fan-favorite character — who's been absent from the revival until now — is expected to appear in one episode. It's a start!

Other big TV premieres on the streamer this May include The Chi Season 7, which debuts on Paramount+ with Showtime on May 16, and Couples Therapy Season 4, which returns to Paramount+ with Showtime on May 23. Here's our list of everything coming to Paramount+ in May. More on Paramount+: Walton Goggins and Michael Chiklis, The Shield 20thCentFox/Everett Collection America has been hit with a nasty case of Walton Goggins Fever following his turns in Prime Video's hit video game adaptation Fallout and the third season of HBO's The White Lotus.

The only way to treat it is to watch more of Goggins, so do yourself a favor and see his breakout role in FX's The Shield, which comes to Tubi in May. In the Shawn Ryan-created series, Goggins plays a member of an LAPD strike force that plays both sides of the law while keeping the streets clean of criminals… and competition. Here's our list of everything coming to Tubi in May.

More on streaming: May TV calendar highlights Thursday, May 1 100 Foot Wave (Season 3, HBO) Another Simple Favor (Film, Prime Video) The Four Seasons (Season 1, Netflix) Sunday, May 4 Miss Austen (Limited Series, PBS) Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld (Limited Series, Disney+) The Walking Dead: Dead City (Season 2, AMC) Monday, May 5 The Motherhood (Season 1, Hallmark) David Spade: Dandelion (Comedy Special, Prime Video) Tuesday, May 6 Untold: Shooting Guards (Documentary Special, Netflix) Wednesday, May 7 Full Speed (Season 2, Netflix) Thursday, May 8 60th Academy of Country Music Awards (Live Event, Prime Video) Blood of Zeus (Season 3, Netflix) Conan O'Brien Must Go (Season 2, Max) Criminal Minds: Evolution (Season 18, Paramount+) Forever (Season 1, Netflix) Octopus! (Documentary, Prime Video) Poker Face (Season 2, Peacock) Friday, May 9 Long Way Home (Season 4, Apple TV+) Nonnas (Film, Netflix) The Royals (Season 1, Netflix) RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (Season 10, Paramount+) Summer of 69 (Film, Hulu) Too Hot to Handle: Italy (Season 1, Netflix) Sunday, May 11 BAFTA Television Awards (Live Event, BritBox) Tuesday, May 13 Bad Thoughts (Season 1, Netflix) Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute (Special, NBC) Wednesday, May 14 Sullivan's Crossing (Season 3, The CW) Thursday, May 15 Duster (Season 1, Max) Love Death + Robots (Season 4, Netflix) Overcompensating (Season 1, Prime Video) The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Season 2, Hulu) Welcome to Wrexham (Season 4, FX) Friday, May 16 The Chi (Season 7, Paramount+ with Showtime) Deaf President Now! (Documentary, Apple TV+) Murderbot (Season 1, Apple TV+) The Quilters (Documentary Short, Netflix) Sunday, May 18 Tucci in Italy (Season 1, National Geographic) Tuesday, May 20 Motorheads (Season 1, Prime Video) Untold: The Fall of Favre (Documentary Special, Netflix) Wednesday, May 21 Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service (Season 1, Fox) MasterChef (Season 15, Fox) Nine Perfect Strangers (Season 2, Hulu) Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark (Season 1, Netflix) Thursday, May 22 Earnhardt (Docuseries, Prime Video) Sirens (Limited Series, Netflix) Friday, May 23 Big Mouth (Season 8, Netflix) Couples Therapy (Season 4 Part 2, Showtime) Fear Street: Prom Queen (Film, Netflix) Fountain of Youth (Film, Apple TV+) Pee-wee as Himself (Docuseries, HBO) The Surrender (Shudder) Saturday, May 24 Jerrod Carmichael: Don't Be Gay (Comedy Special, HBO) Sunday, May 25 The Librarians: The Next Chapter (Season 1, TNT) Rick and Morty (Season 8, Adult Swim) Monday, May 26 51st American Music Awards (Live Event, CBS) Kevin Costner's The West (Season 1, History Channel) Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life (Comedy Special, Netflix) Tuesday, May 27 America's Got Talent (Season 20, NBC) Destination X (Season 1, NBC) The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy (Season 2, Prime Video) Wednesday, May 28 Adults (Season 1, FX) F1: The Academy (Season 1, Netflix) Thursday, May 29 And Just Like That… (Season 3, Max) The Better Sister (Limited Series, Prime Video) Bob's Burgers (Summer Premiere, Fox) Dept.

Q (Season 1, Netflix) Family Guy (Summer Premiere, Fox) The Great North (Summer Premiere, Fox) Grimsburg (Summer Premiere, Fox) Scrublands (Season 2, AMC+) Saturday, May 31 Mountainhead (Film, HBO) Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event (Live Special, Netflix)