It’s Thanksgiving Day. You’ve survived the plane, train, and/or automobile ride to your folks’ place, as well as the ensuing journey to see your extended family. You’ve gobbled up the turkey and stuffed yourself with stuffing. You’ve stretched the small talk as far as it will go, and so far, no one has mentioned politics or, god forbid, started proselytizing on behalf of A.I.
So before Uncle Bob tries to show off how young and hip he still is by spoiling the first volume of “Stranger Things,” you need to find a new topic to talk about. Why not TV? You love TV. They love TV. Now, you just have to find a TV show that you’ve both seen and that’s actually worth discussing while you slowly digest your dinner, gaining strength to get up and go home for the best sleep of the year?
What’s out? What did I watch? What should I watch? Well, good thing you scrolled over to IndieWire.com this morning and found this very article! Not only does it highlight some of TV’s best shows, seasons, episodes, and moments, but it’s focused on the most recent examples of each — the best TV of November, because who can remember anything older than that?
I kid (kinda) but not about this piece. Each month, IndieWire will assess the recent TV landscape and spotlight the best of what’s already available, as soon as you’re done reading all your options. We’ll include premieres of brand-new shows (in case you want to get in the ground floor or start watching week-to-week), finales of recent seasons (for those who prefer to start a series only when all episodes are available), and random episodes that deserve their own time in the sun (because there’s so much TV, it’s easy to forget what’s actively releasing new stuff!). Toss in a few hidden gems for good measure (late-night highlights, viral sensations, or a random TV reference with a bit of extra meaning) and I hope you’ll find at least a few suggestions to your liking — and that Ol’ Uncle Bob likes, too.
So let’s get started. This month, Vince Gilligan debuted his latest critical darling, Rachel Sennott took over HBO’s Sunday night marquee, and Ray Romano returned to his old home on CBS (literally, if you count his “Everybody Loves Raymond” set as an actual “home”). Plus, “South Park” scarred me for life. Let’s get into it!
“Pluribus” (new series)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV
Official Synopsis: [per Apple TV] “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.”
Review Excerpt: “While I can’t tell you what happens in ‘Pluribus,’ I can tell you (I think) that ‘Pluribus’ is desperate to be heard. Every aspect of Vince Gilligan’s massively weird and weirdly massive science-fiction series is tailored to pinpoint the essence of humanity and highlight what makes it so vital, flaws and all. Yes, that also means many perceived flaws could just as easily be viewed as attributes, which makes for quite the mind-fuck when trying to acknowledge what’s frustrating about a show that’s easy to admire, impossible to pin down, and worthy of loving, even if getting there feels a little strange.”
Fun Fact: In addition to building Carol’s entire cul-de-sac from scratch (you don’t just find that scenic overlook of Albuquerque people!), Vince Gilligan & Co. also went to great lengths to capture the immediate aftermath of the apocalyptic “joining” — aka, when Carol’s fateful drive is captured in a series-defining oner. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go watch the premiere already, and if you do know what I’m talking about, find out more here.
“Death by Lightning” (new series)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Larry Horricks / Netflix
Official Synopsis: [per Netflix] “’Death by Lightning’ is a drama series that brings to life the epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield, reluctant 20th president of the United States, and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau — the man who would come to kill him.”
Review Excerpt: “In Mike Makowsky’s exceedingly entertaining and vibrantly topical Netflix drama, ‘Death by Lightning,’ the writer and creator uses a slight slice of history to illustrate the enduring flaws in our government as well as the defects in character of those drawn into it. While that may sound like old hat given the hordes of ‘timely’ critiques tossed around in the last nine years, the four-hour limited series arranges its vivid political portraits into a rip-roaring yarn that’s scalding and endearing, riotous and mournful, a plea for America’s better angels to surface and a eulogy for a country that never lived up to its ideals.”
Fun Fact: Per director Matt Ross, the meaning of the entire miniseries comes down to President James Garfield’s picnic table.
“I Love L.A.” (new series)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kenny Laubbacher / HBO
Official Synopsis: [per HBO] “An ambitious friend group navigates life and love in LA.”
Review Excerpt: “Sennott’s HBO debut largely avoids the reductive label of ‘Girls: LA’ by piling on its own steady (and stealthy) jokes, leaning into influencer culture’s vacuous reach, and embracing its characters with surprising sincerity. The warm, relatable territory where the first season ends up doesn’t fully square with the savage satire promised by the pilot. But the combination of empathy and acrimony is endearing in its own right, making it difficult not to be won over by a tightknit crew out to get theirs before the world comes crashing down on top of them.”
Fun Fact: Spoilers for Episode 2, but it’s also better if you know that Rachel Sennott’s “Bottoms” co-star and real-life friend Ayo Edebiri shows up playing a pop star… with a bad wig and a British accent. I love Edebiri, and I don’t think she does anything wrong here, but she feels like an “SNL” character in a show that’s way more grounded and including her in the second episode makes you second-guess what kind of show you’re watching. Don’t do that. Just push through until the tone resets.
“Palm Royale” Season 2 (new season)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Erica Parise / Apple TV
Official Synopsis: [per Apple TV] “’Palm Royale’ is a true underdog story set in the powder keg year of 1969 that follows Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, the series asks the same question that still baffles us today: ‘How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?’”
Review Excerpt: “’Palm Royale’ isn’t just about more, more, more. It also rewards viewers’ acute attention and active curiosity. The meticulous language, gorgeous sets, and gasp-worthy costumes are foundational elements of equal if not greater importance to the narrative itself. Unlike second-screen streaming options, these attributes encourage audiences to devote their full attention to one vivid piece of entertainment, as do the clever compositions and physical comedy that build extra jokes into frame after frame.”
Fun Fact: In Season 2, Patti Lupone yodels. Just wait. It’s coming.
“A Man on the Inside” Season 2 (new season)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Colleen E. Hayes / Netflix
Official Synopsis: [per Netflix] “Eager to take on another big undercover case, Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson) gets his chance when a mysterious blackmailer targets Wheeler College president Jack Berenger (Max Greenfield), who enlists Charles to go undercover as a professor. Who’s making these threats? Charles finds no shortage of possible suspects, but his attention gets diverted by free-spirited music teacher Mona (Mary Steenburgen), whose zest for life awakens feelings he thought he’d buried after the passing of his wife.”
Review Excerpt: ”The mere fact that Season 2 makes time for (Max) Greenfield to max out speaks to its astute understanding of what makes for a great sitcom: Sometimes, like in Season 1, it’s a combination of bright jokes and poignant humanity. Sometimes, like in Season 2, it’s evolving without forgetting about the little flourishes that last in an audience’s mind, endearing them not only to the ensemble, but to the show around them.”
Fun Fact: Michael Schur doesn’t just know how to make great TV, he knows how to sell it, too. Hint: Don’t start with the deeper meaning, like I usually do.
“The Lowdown” (new finale)
Image Credit: FX
Official Synopsis: [per FX] “Sterlin Harjo’s ‘The Lowdown’ follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), a self-proclaimed Tulsa ‘truthstorian’ whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble.”
Review Excerpt: “The buzzing sound of people sharing their lives is one of ‘The Lowdown’s’ greatest strengths (kept in keen harmony with JD McPherson’s spirited score). Lee is surrounded with big and small, yet always distinct, personalities. (MacLachlan’s shrewd two-faced turn combined with the sporadic rural settings and strange ethereal interludes are bound to elicit Lynchian comparisons, although this series is much more straightforward than ‘Twin Peaks.’) The Tulsa townies can be comforting or intimidating, but they’re always there, and Harjo utilizes their collective presence beautifully across the first five episodes to paint an inviting, dynamic vision of the city, clearly established to support many future mysteries across many forthcoming seasons. (There better be, at least.)”
Fun Fact: I wrote about “The Lowdown” in last month’s Top TV picks, but now that the full first season is available, it merits one more mention. OK, you’ll probably read about it again when IndieWire’s Best of the Year lists start rolling out in December. So… maybe just watch it? And then we’ll get more? And then everyone wins? And also read Kathryn VanArendonk’s beautiful analysis of the finale at Vulture, which breaks down exactly what makes a show like “The Lowdown” so satisfying to watch now, today, when truth feels inordinately elusive and repercussions are an outdated expectation.
“St. Denis Medical” Season 2 (new episode)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Justin Lubin / NBC
Official Synopsis: [per NBC] “’St. Denis Medical’ is a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity. In Season 2, after receiving a large private donation, hospital administrator Joyce bites off more than she can chew while her employees navigate staff shortages, office conflicts and their own personal lives.”
Fun Fact: Eric Ledgin and Justin Spitzer’s workplace sitcom returned this month with its ensemble established and mission clear: Acknowledge the hardships facing modern medicine while having as much fun as possible with its practitioners. Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, and Allison Tolman are excellent leads whose rapport with one another continues to grow, but so far Season 2 belongs to Josh Lawson’s cocksure surgeon, Bruce. If you would’ve tried to tell me a “your mama” joke with an A.I. set-up, I would’ve filed a restraining order to stop you. But in Bruce’s heedless hands (and Lawson’s pitch-perfect delivery), it’s one of the month’s biggest laughs.
“South Park” Season 28 (new episode)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Comedy Central
Official Synopsis: [per Comedy Central] “Butters’ Al revenge plan backfires, igniting an epidemic of fake videos at school that leaves Detective Harris struggling to tell fantasy from reality.”
Fun Fact: Jesse Armstrong’s HBO movie “Mountainhead” may have been overlooked amid the May glut of Emmy-hungry TV premieres, but it gains prescience by the day — and springs to mind frequently while watching the latest “South Park.” For those seeking a shorter, lewder, and some may argue funnier satire of how billionaires are ruining the world (specifically, via unregulated and unethical A.I. generative video apps), the third episode of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s animated classic takes on OpenAI’s Sora platform while continuing to skewer Donald Trump as thoroughly as possible. What starts as typical middle-school teasing session soon turns into a courtroom drama (with a very special surprise witness) and political nightmare (with a very unwelcome sex scene I’m desperately trying to forget). If the world is as fucked as it seems these days, we may as well go out laughing.
Bonus Gems
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sonja Flemming / CBS
“Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion” Special (CBS)
At this point, even reunions have been ruined by Hollywood’s relentless obsession over I.P. What once was a sweet walk down memory lane now reeks of greedy desperation, as networks angle to renew interest in an old program in the hopes of reviving it or, at the very least, driving viewers to its streaming platform.
The latter seems to be the goal behind “Everybody Loves Raymond’s” 30th anniversary special, which will air November 24 on CBS and later be available on Paramount+ (along with all nine seasons of the original show). Why not a revival? Because Romano himself promises “we’re never going to do one” at the top of the show.
Perhaps that assurance helps make the ensuing 90-minute reunion a pleasant stroll. Its affable hosts, star Ray Romano and creator Phil Rosenthal, stand in front of the restaged Barone family living room and kitchen, where they reminiscence to a live studio audience and welcome guest after guest to help them relive the Emmy-winning sitcom — sometimes literally, like when Brad Garrett recreates Robert’s famous dance with an avid fan. Throw in a few pre-taped interviews with writers, producers, and famous fans (David Letterman gives an extended appreciation), and the special is simple and sincere enough to avoid feeling like a money grab. (But I’m still not rewatching the show! Nice try, Paramount!)
Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin Let You Listen in on Their “SNL” Reunion
Speaking of reunions, earlier this month former “SNL” writers Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin stopped by “Late Night” to visit with former “SNL” head writer Seth Meyers. Officially, they were there to talk up “The Chair Company,” but in reality, the conversation felt less like promotion and more like a sneak peek of what it’s like to watch these three catch up. Frankly, that’s better, and since we here at IndieWire are morally obligated to do all the promotion for Tim Robinson projects that Tim Robinson himself hates doing, here’s their chat.
Mayor Mamdani’s Media Team
November kicked off with a resounding victory for Zohran Mamdani, the future mayor of New York City and attentive son of “Mississippi Masala” filmmaker, Mira Nair. While a nice peg for an indie film site, the latter descriptor also speaks to how well Mamdani’s team utilized media to connect with voters, whether it was hiring “Gilded Age” train daddy Morgan Spector to deliver a rousing rendition of a New York Times op-ed, or deploying the iconic “Law & Order” dun-dun (among other immediately identifiable formal elements) in a campaign ad aimed to finish off his opponents. Effective messaging? From a Democrat? Who knew it was possible?
“David Lynch: Someone is in My House”
It rattles the mind and heart that David Lynch died almost a year ago, but he left us such a wealth of films, books, music, and art that his oeuvre could fill decades of gift guides, and should. A Prestel paperback edition of “David Lynch: Someone Is in My House” collects his paintings, photography, drawings, sculpture, installation work, and stills from his films to reveal the dark underpinnings behind his fascinations. An intro by music journalist and Lynch biographer Kristine McKenna and an essay by curator Stijn Huijts offer renewed context for Lynch’s life and career, revealed and revisited in this book across 320 pages. —RL
Buy “David Lynch: Someone is in My House” from The Metrograph.