Hey, TV lovers! Welcome to Women’s World Today, your guide to the shows and series worth adding to your watchlist. From the latest streaming releases and must-watch cable shows to hidden gems you may have missed, we’re here to help you discover what’s worth watching next.
Fall TV is finally upon us, and there are endless premieres ahead. Consider checking out Youth, HBO’s new midlife dramedy starring Sharon Horgan, or Trespasses for a slice of Irish history on PBS. Over on streaming, the acclaimed spy drama Slow Horses returns on Apple TV with a very strong sixth season. There’s also a new season of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology series on Netflix, this time about Lizzie Borden. Finally, it’s the perfect time to revisit the quintessential fall series Gilmore Girls, which now streams on Hulu. Let’s jump in.
⏰ Tune in
My recommendation: Youth
Why you should watch it: Sharon Horgan has consistently produced and written acclaimed television over the years — from the Emmy-nominated drama Bad Sisters to her charming comedy Catastrophe. She returns with Youth, a new autofictional romantic comedy set in London. Horgan plays Alex, a divorced single mother and publishing agent whose son Ruari (Aran Murphy, son of Oscar winner Cillian) is going off to college, giving her an opportunity to explore more of the dating pool and settle into life as an empty nester.
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If you haven’t already guessed from the title, Youth is interested in interrogating what it means for a single woman to be aging into her 50s. From developing arthritis in her jaw to being set up on dates with much older men, Alex can’t help but wonder: Is it all downhill from here?
At least she’s having some fun along the way, in an on-and-off situationship with her ex, Patrick (Rupert Friend), and the many publishing inside jokes she has with her work colleague, Sam (Sharlene Whyte). Alex also has to work on boundaries with her son as he experiences a few bumps in the road in the early days of college dorm life.
Youth has that special Horgan magic to it that will be familiar to viewers of her more personal work. These kinds of dramedies typically follow characters in their 20s, so it’s refreshing to watch Youth center someone older who’s still trying to figure it all out. Youth hits brilliant existential notes, and Horgan is just as watchable as ever in the lead role.
How to watch: New episodes of Youth air every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and stream simultaneously on HBO Max.
Bonus recommendation: Trespasses
Why you should watch it: The Troubles is a chapter of Irish history that is still underrepresented in scripted television, especially to American audiences. It provides the backdrop for Derry Girls and is central to FX’s Say Nothing, both excellent (albeit very different) shows in their own right. Airing and streaming on PBS, Trespasses, based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Louise Kennedy, offers a compelling new take on the conflict in Northern Ireland.
The story follows Cushla Lavery (Lola Petticrew, who also starred in Say Nothing, not to mention the recent Hulu hit Furious), a Catholic teacher and part-time bartender at her brother’s pub in 1970s Belfast, as she begins a torrid affair with a married Protestant lawyer, Michael Agnew (Tom Cullen). Her mother, who struggles with alcohol dependency and relies on Cushla for care, is played by none other than Gillian Anderson.
The conflict between mostly Catholic nationalists and republicans who wanted a united Ireland and mostly Protestant unionists and loyalists who wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom becomes the central tension in Trespasses. Michael’s work as a lawyer is to defend Catholic youths accused of terrorism-related charges — and an extramarital affair between a Catholic and a Protestant is just as scandalous as you might imagine. They do say you don’t choose who you love.
The miniseries is only four episodes long and flies by quickly. The real draw here is a romance at the center of turbulent times. We find out in the first few moments of the first episode that this story will end with catastrophe, quite literally crashing and burning the pub where Cushla and Michael first meet. You’ll have to watch and find out if it was all worth it.
How to watch: New episodes of Trespasses air on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on PBS and stream on PBS Passport.
But that’s not all
- The Traitors: New Blood: The Emmy-winning competition series hosted by Alan Cumming in which a group of “faithfuls” try to find out who the “traitors” are among them returns for more murder on NBC. This time around, the series features regular citizens as opposed to the usual assortment of celebrities (which previously included everyone from Survivor winners to Travis Kelce’s mom). In this way, these contestants don’t enter the game with preexisting reputations, adding an intriguing new twist on the popular formula. The Traitors is one of the best reality shows on the air — bring on the betrayal and subterfuge! — New episodes air Thursdays at 8 p.m. on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock.
📺 Stream
My pick: Slow Horses
Why you should watch it: One of the most consistently high-quality dramas on television is back, and possibly better than ever.
If you’re new here: Slow Horses follows a misfit group of MI5 agents who are relegated to Slough House, a dumping-ground department for those who have been disgraced or flopped in the field. They are led by the grumpy but secretly genius Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who just wants to live out the rest of his working days doing as little as possible, but frequently gets pulled into chaos by his agents who can’t sit still.
River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) is something of a protagonist, and the series begins with him entering Slough House for the first time. There, he befriends a handful of other agents, but not all have made it through to the sixth season. The tension of the show is that it has no problem killing off a character in conflict, really keeping you on your toes as the Horses try to solve some kind of impending crisis that MI5 headquarters — led by Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas), who has quite the disdain for this group of agents — is dragging its feet to tackle.
Most seasons of Slow Horses have focused on an external conflict, like a heart-pumping hostage situation, a terror attack and so on. This time around, the villains are much closer to home. The season begins with retired Slough House agents being killed in their regular lives. It won’t be long before our beloved central cast is in the crosshairs — unless Lamb and his team can get to the bottom of it first.
The big buzz coming out of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which I attended, is the return of a character not seen since the first season and played by Olivia Cooke, who has been busy starring in House of the Dragon. I won’t spoil too much around this development, but she’s a joy to see back in this universe.
In classic Slow Horses fashion, the season ends with a teaser trailer for the already-completed seventh season. The eighth season will soon be in production. If only all of our favorite shows were this consistent.
How to watch: New episodes of Slow Horses stream every Wednesday on Apple TV.
- Brothers: This comedy is an odd one: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play fictionalized versions of themselves as they find out they might be brothers, riffing on the long-standing conspiracy that they are in fact related. The two actors also executive produce the show. Expect lots of cameos! — The series premieres on Apple TV on Wednesday, Sept. 23, with new episodes streaming weekly.
- Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story: Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology series returns with a new iteration, this time taking us back to 1890s Massachusetts. Lizzie Borden (here played by Ella Beatty) was tried for the ax murders of her father and stepmother. She was ultimately acquitted, and no one else was ever actually charged for the murder. So what really happened? — All eight episodes are streaming on Netflix.
- A Different World: The original iteration of this series was a sitcom spinoff of The Cosby Show in the late 1980s and early ’90s. This revival, created by Felicia Pride and executive-produced by Debbie Allen, takes us back to Hillman College with a new cast of freshmen — with some original cast members set to return. — All 10 episodes will be streaming on Netflix on Thursday, Sept. 24.
💎 Hidden gems
My fall fave: Gilmore Girls
Why you should watch it: It is a fall tradition in many households to rewatch Gilmore Girls as soon as the days cool down and orange leaves cover the sidewalks. I completely understand why: The series, which originally aired between 2000 and 2007, is undeniably cozy.
Many have dissected its bingeability and the magic of falling into the world of Stars Hollow with single mother Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel). It is a fantastical little community where everyone knows their neighbors and quirky town traditions — from town meetings to knit-a-thons — are keenly observed.
There is also something to be said for these 22-episode seasons that allow you to really become immersed in these characters’ lives. The series sets up long, slow-build arcs, whether it’s the will-they-won’t-they dynamic between Lorelai and the local diner owner, Luke (Scott Patterson), or her tense relationship with her parents who she ran away from as a pregnant teenager. These arcs don’t resolve within eight episodes, as they might on today’s television, making those payoffs feel earned and cathartic.
Since I have to watch so much television, rewatches are few and far between, but Gilmore Girls is always one of the rare shows that stirs new emotion every time I revisit it. It’s definitely worth throwing on as the sun sets earlier and we begin craving cozy fireside TV.
How to watch: All seven seasons of Gilmore Girls are streaming on Hulu.
