Mandatory Streamers: George Clooney returns to the small screen for Catch-22
Welcome to Mandatory Streamers, our latest column covering the best new streaming content coming your way every week! For the week of May 13, George Clooney returns to the small screen for the first time in a decade (having last starred in the medical TV drama ER) to help bring to life the classic comedy-drama Catch-22. Check out the best shows debuting and returning online this week as well as the latest renewal announcements below, and be sure to visit our mother site Mandatory by clicking here!
Hulu
Catch-22, Miniseries Premiere: Based on the novel by Joseph Heller, George Clooney co-directs, produces, and stars alongside lead Christopher Abbott and Kyle Chandler in the small screen adaptation of the classic tale. The six-part limited series tells the story of U.S. Air Force bomber John Yossarian (Abbott) as he becomes frustrated with his position and the fact that so many people are trying to kill him though they don’t know him and he doesn’t know them. The miniseries will begin streaming on May 17 on Hulu.
Amazon Prime Video
Fleabag, Season 2 Premiere: Amazon Prime’s award-winning comedy-drama is back, created and written by star and Emmy nominee Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The series is a hilarious and poignant window into the mind of a dry-witted, sexual, angry, grief-riddled woman as she hurls herself at modern living in London. Based on Waller-Bridges award-winning play, the second season will launch on May 17.
Netflix
The Rain, Season 2 Premiere: The original Danish series centers around two young siblings who embark on a perilous search for safety after a brutal virus wipes out most of the population. They join a group of young survivors, set free from their collective past and societal rules. They soon discover that coming-of-age dilemmas still exist even in a post-apocalyptic world. The Rain Season 2 will launch on May 17.
Spectrum
L.A.’s Finest, Season 1 Premiere: The Bad Boys spin-off series starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba follows the story of Syd Burnett (Union) paired with a new partner, Nancy McKenna (Alba). The two women don’t agree on much, but they find common ground when it comes to taking on the most dangerous criminals in Los Angeles in the character-driven drama. The series premieres exclusively on Spectrum on May 13.
Renewals
What We Do in the Shadows, Season 2: FX has renewed Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s hilarious vampire comedy series for a second season! Based on the 2014 movie that the duo co-wrote and directed, the show is a documentary-style look into the daily lives of four vampires living together for hundreds of years in Staten Island. The series airs every Wednesday, with the Season 1 finale scheduled for May 29. You can stream the first season now on FX Networks and Amazon Prime.
Billions, Season 5: Showtime has renewed their hit drama series Billions for a fifth season, starring the award-winning duo of Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis. Season 4 of the show — which finds former enemies building an uneasy but highly effective alliance — is currently airing every Sunday night with the season finale set for June 9. You can stream the series on Showtime, Amazon Prime, and iTunes.
