{"id":146070,"date":"2025-11-21T22:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T22:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/146070\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T22:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T22:22:12","slug":"best-tv-shows-in-november-new-series-finales-what-else-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/146070\/","title":{"rendered":"Best TV Shows in November \u2014 New Series, Finales, What Else to Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Thanksgiving Day<\/a>. You\u2019ve survived the plane, train, and\/or automobile ride to your folks\u2019 place, as well as the ensuing journey to see your extended family. You\u2019ve gobbled up the turkey and stuffed yourself with stuffing. You\u2019ve 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.<\/a><\/p>\n

So before Uncle Bob tries to show off how young and hip he still is by spoiling the first volume of \u201cStranger Things,\u201d<\/a> 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\u2019ve both seen and that\u2019s actually worth discussing while you slowly digest your dinner, gaining strength to get up and go home for the best sleep of the year?<\/p>\n

What\u2019s out? What did I watch? What should I watch? Well, good thing you scrolled over to IndieWire.com<\/a> this morning and found this very article! Not only does it highlight some of TV\u2019s best shows, seasons, episodes, and moments, but it\u2019s focused on the most recent examples of each \u2014 the best TV of November, because who can remember anything older than that?<\/p>\n

I kid (kinda) but not about this piece. Each month, IndieWire will assess the recent TV landscape and spotlight the best of what\u2019s already available, as soon as you\u2019re done reading all your options. We\u2019ll 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\u2019s so much TV, it\u2019s easy to forget what\u2019s 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\u2019ll find at least a few suggestions to your liking \u2014 and that Ol\u2019 Uncle Bob likes, too.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s get started. This month, Vince Gilligan<\/a> debuted his latest critical darling, Rachel Sennott took over HBO\u2019s Sunday night marquee, and Ray Romano returned to his old home on CBS (literally, if you count his \u201cEverybody Loves Raymond\u201d set as an actual \u201chome\u201d). Plus, \u201cSouth Park\u201d scarred me for life. Let\u2019s get into it!<\/p>\n

\t\u201cPluribus\u201d (new series)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"'Pluribus'
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per Apple TV] \u201cThe most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Review<\/a> Excerpt: \u201cWhile I can\u2019t tell you what happens in \u2018Pluribus,\u2019 I can tell you (I think) that \u2018Pluribus\u2019 is desperate to be heard. Every aspect of Vince Gilligan\u2019s 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\u2019s frustrating about a show that\u2019s easy to admire, impossible to pin down, and worthy of loving, even if getting there feels a little strange.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: In addition to building Carol\u2019s entire cul-de-sac from scratch (you don\u2019t just find that scenic overlook of Albuquerque people!), Vince Gilligan & Co. also went to great lengths to capture the immediate aftermath of the apocalyptic \u201cjoining\u201d \u2014 aka, when Carol\u2019s fateful drive is captured in a series-defining oner. If you don\u2019t know what I\u2019m talking about, go watch the premiere already, and if you do know what I\u2019m talking about, find out more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cDeath by Lightning\u201d (new series)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Death
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Larry Horricks \/ Netflix\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per Netflix] \u201c\u2019Death by Lightning\u2019 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 \u2014 the man who would come to kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Review<\/a> Excerpt: \u201cIn Mike Makowsky\u2019s exceedingly entertaining and vibrantly topical Netflix drama, \u2018Death by Lightning,\u2019 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 \u2018timely\u2019 critiques tossed around in the last nine years, the four-hour limited series arranges its vivid political portraits into a rip-roaring yarn that\u2019s scalding and endearing, riotous and mournful, a plea for America\u2019s better angels to surface and a eulogy for a country that never lived up to its ideals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: Per director Matt Ross<\/a>, the meaning of the entire miniseries comes down to President James Garfield\u2019s picnic table.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI Love L.A.\u201d (new series)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Ayo
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Kenny Laubbacher \/ HBO\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per HBO] \u201cAn ambitious friend group navigates life and love in LA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Review<\/a> Excerpt: \u201cSennott\u2019s HBO debut largely avoids the reductive label of \u2018Girls: LA\u2019 by piling on its own steady (and stealthy) jokes, leaning into influencer culture\u2019s vacuous reach, and embracing its characters with surprising sincerity. The warm, relatable territory where the first season ends up doesn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: Spoilers for Episode 2, but it\u2019s also better if you know that Rachel Sennott\u2019s \u201cBottoms\u201d co-star and real-life friend Ayo Edebiri shows up playing a pop star\u2026 with a bad wig and a British accent. I love Edebiri, and I don\u2019t think she does anything wrong here, but she feels like an \u201cSNL\u201d character in a show that\u2019s way more grounded and including her in the second episode makes you second-guess what kind of show you\u2019re watching. Don\u2019t do that. Just push through until the tone resets.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cPalm Royale\u201d Season 2 (new season)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Kristen
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Erica Parise \/ Apple TV\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per Apple TV] \u201c\u2019Palm Royale\u2019 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: \u2018How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Review<\/a> Excerpt: \u201c\u2019Palm Royale\u2019 isn\u2019t just about more, more, more. It also rewards viewers\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: In Season 2, Patti Lupone yodels. Just wait. It\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cA Man on the Inside\u201d Season 2 (new season)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"A
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Colleen E. Hayes \/ Netflix\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per Netflix] \u201cEager 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\u2019s 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\u2019d buried after the passing of his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

Review<\/a> Excerpt: \u201dThe 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\u2019s a combination of bright jokes and poignant humanity. Sometimes, like in Season 2, it\u2019s evolving without forgetting about the little flourishes that last in an audience\u2019s mind, endearing them not only to the ensemble, but to the show around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: Michael Schur doesn\u2019t just know how to make great TV, he knows how to sell it, too<\/a>. Hint: Don\u2019t start with the deeper meaning, like I usually do.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe Lowdown\u201d (new finale)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"FX's
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: FX\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per FX] \u201cSterlin Harjo\u2019s \u2018The Lowdown\u2019 follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), a self-proclaimed Tulsa \u2018truthstorian\u2019 whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Review<\/a> Excerpt: \u201cThe buzzing sound of people sharing their lives is one of \u2018The Lowdown\u2019s\u2019 greatest strengths (kept in keen harmony with JD McPherson\u2019s spirited score). Lee is surrounded with big and small, yet always distinct, personalities. (MacLachlan\u2019s 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 \u2018Twin Peaks.\u2019) The Tulsa townies can be comforting or intimidating, but they\u2019re 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.)\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: I wrote about \u201cThe Lowdown\u201d in last month\u2019s Top TV picks<\/a>, but now that the full first season is available, it merits one more mention. OK, you\u2019ll probably read about it again when IndieWire\u2019s Best of the Year lists start rolling out in December. So\u2026 maybe just watch it? And then we\u2019ll get more? And then everyone wins? And also read Kathryn VanArendonk\u2019s beautiful analysis of the finale at Vulture<\/a>, which breaks down exactly what makes a show like \u201cThe Lowdown\u201d so satisfying to watch now, today, when truth feels inordinately elusive and repercussions are an outdated expectation.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cSt. Denis Medical\u201d Season 2 (new episode)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"ST.
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Justin Lubin \/ NBC\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per NBC] \u201c\u2019St. Denis Medical\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: Eric Ledgin and Justin Spitzer\u2019s 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\u2019s cocksure surgeon, Bruce. If you would\u2019ve tried to tell me a \u201cyour mama\u201d joke with an A.I. set-up, I would\u2019ve filed a restraining order to stop you. But in Bruce\u2019s heedless hands (and Lawson\u2019s pitch-perfect delivery), it\u2019s one of the month\u2019s biggest laughs.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cSouth Park\u201d Season 28 (new episode)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"'South
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Comedy Central\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Official Synopsis: [per Comedy Central] \u201cButters\u2019 Al revenge plan backfires, igniting an epidemic of fake videos at school that leaves Detective Harris struggling to tell fantasy from reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: Jesse Armstrong\u2019s HBO movie \u201cMountainhead\u201d may have been overlooked amid the May glut of Emmy-hungry TV premieres, but it gains prescience by the day \u2014 and springs to mind frequently while watching the latest \u201cSouth Park.\u201d For those seeking a shorter, lewder, and some may argue funnier<\/a> 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\u2019s animated classic takes on OpenAI\u2019s Sora platform while continuing to skewer Donald Trump<\/a> 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\u2019m desperately trying to forget). If the world is as fucked as it seems these days, we may as well go out laughing.<\/p>\n

\tBonus Gems<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"CBS
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Courtesy of Sonja Flemming \/ CBS\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion\u201d Special (CBS)<\/p>\n

At this point, even reunions have been ruined by Hollywood\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

The latter seems to be the goal behind \u201cEverybody Loves Raymond\u2019s\u201d 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 \u201cwe\u2019re never going to do one\u201d at the top of the show.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 sometimes literally, like when Brad Garrett recreates Robert\u2019s 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\u2019m still not rewatching the show! Nice try, Paramount!)<\/p>\n

Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin Let You Listen in on Their \u201cSNL\u201d Reunion<\/p>\n

Speaking of reunions, earlier this month former \u201cSNL\u201d writers Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin stopped by \u201cLate Night\u201d to visit with former \u201cSNL\u201d head writer Seth Meyers. Officially, they were there to talk up \u201cThe Chair Company,\u201d<\/a> but in reality, the conversation felt less like promotion and more like a sneak peek of what it\u2019s like to watch these three catch up. Frankly, that\u2019s better, and since we here at IndieWire are morally obligated to do all the promotion<\/a> for Tim Robinson projects<\/a> that Tim Robinson himself hates doing<\/a>, here\u2019s their chat<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani\u2019s Media Team<\/p>\n

November kicked off with a resounding victory for Zohran Mamdani, the future mayor of New York City and attentive son of \u201cMississippi Masala\u201d filmmaker, Mira Nair. While a nice peg for an indie film site, the latter descriptor also speaks to how well Mamdani\u2019s team utilized media to connect with voters, whether it was hiring \u201cGilded Age\u201d train daddy Morgan Spector<\/a> to deliver a rousing rendition of a New York Times op-ed, or deploying the iconic \u201cLaw & Order\u201d<\/a> 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? <\/p>\n

\t\u201cDavid Lynch: Someone is in My House\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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 \u201cDavid Lynch: Someone Is in My House\u201d 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\u2019s life and career, revealed and revisited in this book across 320 pages. \u2014RL<\/p>\n

Buy \u201cDavid Lynch: Someone is in My House\u201d from The Metrograph. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s Thanksgiving Day. You\u2019ve survived the plane, train, and\/or automobile ride to your folks\u2019 place, as well as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":146071,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[89364,146,85,46,68266,29542,89365,411],"class_list":["post-146070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-a-man-on-the-inside","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-pluribus","tag-south-park","tag-st-denis-medical","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146070\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}